Twenty-five million dollars in federal CARES funding mitigated the COVID-related debt Doylestown Hospital accumulated in 2020-2021. John George reported the save for The Philadelphia Business Journal.

The hospital’s deficit for 2020 was a potential $5.5 million; however, CARES support (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) enabled it to post a $15.6 million operating income for 2021.

Doylestown Health CEO Jim Brexler said the CARES Act funding has covered about half the estimated $53 million deficit that resulted from the hospital’s total COVID-driven increases in expenses and reductions in revenue.

The latter situation resulted from factors that included patient reluctance to come to the hospital for care during the pandemic. Even now, hospital representatives estimate a census that is still down about 15 percent from normal.

But the bounce-back evidence is there. The 2020-2021 figures show a year-over-year increase in payments for patient services, from $270.3 million to $310.5 million.

As for expenses, the hospital, like numerous other employers, raised its minimum wage to $15 to retain its workforce. It also continues to foot the bill to repair its onsite daycare, damaged in a 2020 tornado.

More on the COVID-related debt recovery of Doylestown Hospital is at The Philadelphia Business Journal.