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Gila Regional Medical Center reports positive margin, $5.5M linear accelerator replacement and 210 days cash on hand
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Summary
Gila Regional Medical Center CEO Robert Whitaker told commissioners the hospital had a positive operating margin for January, about $65 million (210 days) in cash on hand, accruals from the HDAA program, and plans to replace a linear accelerator at an estimated $5.5 million, requiring a roughly three-month service interruption for installation.
Robert Whitaker, CEO of Gila Regional Medical Center, presented the hospitals operations and finance report to the Grant County Board of Commissioners on March 12, saying January produced a positive operating margin and that the health-care delivery and access accrual (HDAA) materially affects reported revenues.
Whitaker described the hospitals liquidity position: "The 210 days cash on hand represents about $65,000,000," he said, and added the facility holds a large portion of the cash in certificates of deposit and the state LGIP program to cover a number of planned facility projects.
On capital equipment, Whitaker said the center needs to replace its linear accelerator, an expensive piece of radiation oncology equipment he put at approximately $5,500,000. "We have 2 years to replace our equipment. It goes end of life May 2028," he said, and warned that installation will require roughly three months of suspended beam services.
Whitaker also reported the hospital has recorded about $3,500,000 in capital expenditures year to date for equipment and improvements, and that outpatient and cancer visits have increased while ER visits are slightly down. He said the Joint Commission survey is expected within weeks and confirmed the hospital recently received a "baby-friendly" designation for its birthing services.
In a follow-up discussion commissioners asked for lay-language explanations of days cash on hand and the accounting treatment of HDAA accruals; Whitaker explained the 210-day metric, daily operating cost (~$290,000/day), and why accrual accounting raised the HDAA balance compared with prior-year reporting.
Why it matters: The linear accelerator replacement is time-sensitive and affects local cancer-care access, and the hospitals liquidity and capital plans influence county-level service continuity decisions and potential county support.
Next steps: Whitaker and county staff will coordinate on timing for replacement, contingency planning for the service gap during equipment replacement and potential infrastructure investments to support new equipment.
