The Dr. John Warner Hospital continues to report strong financial statements.

CEO of the DJWH, Earl Sheehy explains this time last year they were at an operating deficit of over three-quarters of a million dollars. This year's deficit? Just over $50-thousand. That is a tremendous turnaround, and Sheehy expects things to only get better. He says they are targeting April of next year to be breaking even, or on a more optimistic view, seeing positive gains.

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Relatively speaking, the DJWH is doing much better than other Illinois critical access hospitals. Sheehy says when you look around the state at hospitals similar to the Dr. John Warner Hospital, their financial condition is in an envious state.

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Several factors can be attributed to the positive financial outlook of the City owned Hospital. While many may point to the ambulance service no longer being a part of the hospital's financial responsibility, Sheehy points out the two have not been separated for a month yet, and those numbers are not even in yet. He says their main source of revenue savings is through cuts.

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While not having the December financial statements yet, Sheehy says the separation of the ambulance from the hospital is already helping their statements. He says the sales of the ambulances and the equipment have helped. The money they received from those sales will go mostly into the Hospital's reserves.

Tomorrow on Regional Radio News we will bring you more specific details about the sales of the ambulances and the equipment.