HCA Earnings Soar, Acquiring Struggling Non-Profits Emerges as Growth Option

HCA is outperforming last year, more than doubling net income for the third quarter.

The Nashville-based hospital chain has seen strong admission numbers and a nearly 11% increase in emergency room visits.

Revenues for the quarter increased to more than $7.6 billion. However, HCA saw charity care for the uninsured approach $1.3 billion. The number of uninsured patients walking into a given hospital increased more than 8%.

Still, CEO Richard Bracken says the hospital chain is well positioned. And as non-profit hospitals struggle in cities HCA already has a presence, he says acquisitions will be considered.

“Our system works best when we have a concentrated group of assets – inpatient, outpatient, physicians – in a given market. And if there are acquisitions that can be added to those market strategies, we’re very interested.”

HCA now operates 163 hospitals and 105 surgery centers. Private equity firms and HCA founding members own the company, which is expected to go public again. When asked when that might happen, HCA officials had no comment.