The 3,700 Erlanger Health System employees will get $400 bonuses as the once-ailing hospital again had a profitable year.
Britt Tabor, Erlanger chief financial officer, said the bonuses will be included in checks in early October.
Physicians and management will not be eligible.
“Eligible” associates are all regular full-time and part-time associates hired prior to Jan. 1, 2016, who are not on disciplinary probation and who are not a member of Management Forum.
Total cost to the hospital will be $1.6 million.
Kevin Spiegel, president and CEO, said, “I am pleased we are able to continue to build a financially stable organization that enables us to reinvest in our associates, in Erlanger, our community and those we serve.”
“Also, we recognize that our workforce made a significant contribution to Erlanger’s success this year, and will present each of our associates with a $400 bonus to reward their hard work, pending Board approval. This bonus represents more than $15 million directed toward associate salaries since 2014."
For the recent fiscal year, Erlanger had net income of $25.4 million. The year before total net income was $37.3 million. However, the hospital had a number of high expenses, including beginning to install the $100 million EPIC electronic medical records system, building out the thriving East campus on Gunbarrel Road and completing a new sixth floor Orthopedic Institute at the campus on East Third Street.
Net operating revenue increased $111.4 million over the prior year, which represents a 15 percent increase.
Erlanger admissions were up 7.5 percent over the previous year.
Surgical inpatients were up 2.9 percent and surgical outpatients up 9.8 percent. Cath lab procedures increased 20 percent. Orthopedic inpatient surgeries were up 11.8 percent.
Emergency room admissions were up 19.5 percent.
At the new Orthopedic Institute, four new surgery suites are now available and five new orthopedic physicians are on staff with more being recruited.
There are new orthopedic units at Erlanger East as well, and the hospital is buying $1.2 million in equipment for that site.
Rob Brooks, Erlanger chief operating officer, said heart doctor Dr. Larry Shears has been recruited from Pennsylvania to help boost Erlanger's heart program, which lags behind Memorial and Parkridge. He is the busiest surgeon in the country using robotic equipment that allows for minimally invasive heart surgery.
The hospital is leasing DaVinci Robotic equipment for $1.28 million over a 44-month period for use by Dr. Shears and others.
Total cash reserves at Erlanger are $102.2 million.