Lately, Ebola’s been the main talk in the news. Although it may seem like an issue that affects the population from a medical standpoint, there are some business factors that come into play. The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital located in Dallas, Texas used to care for about 900 patients. However, after an incidence where a patient died from Ebola, the hospital now only has approximately 300 patients.
Before the crisis, this hospital had generated 17% of the $3.5 billion in annual revenue for the parent company, Texas Health Systems, according to Moody’s, a credit rating agency. Presbyterian has also been the second largest hospital among the other 25 facilities the chain owns. Now, the chain has taken a huge financial beating as patients continue to shun the facilities. I think this situation greatly ties in with one of our most recent topics about the financial market and how external factors such as Ebola can have a major impact on different businesses. Some of these businesses may not even be related to medical care. As of now, airline companies have started to take on a financial hit as people start to become more wary of the international spread of Ebola.
Sources:
http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/17/news/companies/ebola-hospital/index.html?iid=SF_BN_River
http://www.businessinsider.com/dallas-hospital-allegedly-botched-care-of-first-ebola-patient-2014-10