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U.S. hospitals and health systems continued to face difficult financial and operational headwinds in May, according to by Kaufman Hall, based on data from more than 900 hospitals. 

“Nearly halfway through 2022, margins are cumulatively negative,” the report notes. “While some metrics have normalized, hospitals continue to perform below pre-pandemic levels, and there is an uncertain outlook for the rest of the year.”

Hospitals continue to see higher labor costs and fewer hours worked, “a sign of inflation and an indicator that long-standing labor shortages are likely worsened by increased turnover,” the authors said.