Media Release

For Immediate Release
Date: September 26, 2002
Contact: Bruce Cryan, MBA, MS 401-222-5123

RI Health Department Releases Hospital Financial and Operating Data
Dataset Enables Analysis of Hospitals and Systems Over Time

Today, the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) released the Hospital Financial Operations Dataset detailing 1997-2001 information on RI’s community hospitals and hospital systems. The Dataset collects information from a variety of sources, such as Audited Financial Statements and Medicare Cost Reports. It includes financial and operating measures on all community hospitals, by type (acute, specialty), affiliation (Care New England, Lifespan, Independent) and for each individual hospital.

"Releasing these data extends our efforts to provide information on RI’s healthcare system," said Bruce Cryan, MBA, MS, Health Policy Analyst. "Interested parties may use this information to evaluate hospital financial performance and conduct other types of analyses. The five years of historical data support trend analysis to gauge changes over time."

The Dataset is available on HEALTH’s website. This is the first time HEALTH has provided hospital financial and operational data as an interactive spreadsheet downloadable directly via the Internet. HEALTH plans to update the Dataset as needed and produce yearly editions.