By William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, October 1, 2011
TAMPA — The James A. Haley VA Medical Center closed out its tumultuous fiscal year Friday with a balanced budget after getting a $28.7 million cash infusion from a Department of Veterans Affairs reserve fund.
Haley's projected deficit was as high at $47.5 million in March, and the hospital's budget records as late as July outlined "emergency measures" to reduce costs and avert a year-end shortfall.
VA spokeswoman Mary Kay Hollingsworth has steadfastly maintained that patient care was never curtailed at Haley as the facility, one of the nation's largest veterans hospitals, reduced costs during 2011.
"As stewards of resources, we will continue to improve efficiencies and reduce costs — especially in areas of acquisitions, fee care, indirect and administrative services while improving the delivery of high quality and timely health care . . . to the Veterans we ...