Patient volumes and revenue have dropped at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas in October, after the hospital treated Thomas Eric Duncan — the first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States — who died at the hospital on Oct. 8, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
In a bondholder regulatory document, the hospital disclosed its net revenue was down 26 percent or $8.1 million from Oct. 1 to Oct. 20, compared to the hospital's average net revenue figures over the previous nine months. THP also disclosed its emergency department visits fell by 53 percent during the first 20 days of October, and the hospital's average daily occupancy fell by 91 patients during the same period, according to the report.
It is likely lingering fears of contracting Ebola has caused patients to avoid THP, as two nurses who came into contact with Mr. Duncan later tested positive for the virus.
John Bertrand, MD, an obstetrician at THP, said the Ebola scare has affected his practice, with 15 of his patients recently deciding to give birth at other facilities, according to the report.
With patients cancelling appointments and avoiding the hospital, Moody's Investors Service revised the outlook for Arlington-based Texas Health Resources — THP's parent company — last week. Its outlook was changed to "developing" from "positive" due to the analysts attempting to determine the impact the Ebola scare would have on patient volumes.
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