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Majority of Colorado hospital systems lost money in 2022 as costs surged, stock market tanked

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

Colorado hospitals as a whole remained financially healthy through the first two years of the pandemic, but their profit margins were slashed in half in 2022 as costs swelled, pushing the majority of the state’s hospital systems into the red by the fall.Breaking even or losing money for a year or two might not spell disaster for hospitals, particularly for systems that built up reserves before COVID-19 hit. But an inability to turn at least a small profit over the longer term could lead to layoffs, reduced health services or even hospitals closing.St. Vincent Hospital in Leadville came close to shutting down last year, before an infusion of state and local funds pulled it from the brink. Health systems such as Banner Health and CommonSpirit Health — which owns the Catholic hospitals under the Centura partnership, including St. Anthony in Lakewood — lost money treating patients in the first nine months of 2022.And Denver Health’s loss of $34 million last year,...

Here’s what every Denver mayor candidate says about Denver’s environment

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageThe Denver Post sent a questionnaire to candidates in the April 4 Denver municipal election. Answers are lightly edited and ordered alphabetically by candidate’s last name. Following are mayoral candidates’ answers to the question:How better can city officials protect Denver’s environment — air quality, water supply, ground contamination? And should the city take a more active role in transit?Renate BehrensCandidate’s answer was not responsive to the question.Kelly BroughI’ll make Denver a national and global leader on climate by capitalizing on recent federal funding and promoting policies that ensure communities most impacted by air and water pollution benefit from new investment. Priorities will include:– Promoting housing density, particularly along transportation corridors and at transit sites, and supporting the conversion of vacant office space to housing.– Supporting the educ...

Post Premium: Top stories for the week of March 13-19

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

Colorado’s hospital systems aren’t expecting this financial year to be much better after a challenging 2022, though leaders said they have plans to try to bring expenses under control.Hospitals in the state had a combined profit margin on patient care of 4.7% in 2022, which was about half their margin in 2021, according to the Colorado Hospital Association. Counting investment losses, their total profit margin dropped to 1.5%, compared to about 14% in each of the previous three years.Julie Lonborg, vice president of communications and media relations at the Colorado Hospital Association, described the 2022 financial results as a blow to the industry. Hospitals need about a 4% margin to keep up with maintenance on their buildings and equipment, and with other costs of continuing to provide care, she said.“We have a whole lot of people below that,” she said.The Denver Post spoke to leaders from the state’s major hospital systems about how they plan to address their financial challenge...

Air quality, transportation and water: How Denver’s next mayor and City Council can protect the environment

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

Denver boasts one of the country’s fastest-growing economies and expects to add tens of thousands of new residents by the end of the decade.The city’s rapid and continued expansion comes at a cost, though. Air quality on the Front Range languishes, pollution threatens the city’s most vulnerable populations and experts worry for the region’s water supply.Whoever voters elect to run Denver and to sit on its council can take action most directly, experts say, by relying on new technology, tweaking building and zoning codes, partnering with nearby governments and state lawmakers and even limiting the types of lawn care equipment residents can use.Already Denver officials set a goal to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 65% by 2030 and by 100% over the next decade. The city’s goal is also to hit net-zero energy use by 2040.Perhaps the biggest piece of Denver’s air-quality problem would be solved by expanding the city’s public transit options, Jill Locantore, executive director of Denver Street...

Voting begins in parliamentary and local elections, a key step in building a just Kazakhstan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

Legislative elections are taking place today in Kazakhstan to elect members of the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, and the maslikhats, local representative bodies.Significant changes have been made to the electoral system in comparison to previous elections following constitutional amendments last year. A proportional-majoritarian model is being used for the first time since 2004, where 30 per cent of Mazhilis members are elected in single-member districts. The threshold for political parties to gain seats in parliament has been lowered from seven to five per cent. Other changes include an “against all” option on the ballots, and a 30 per cent quota for women, youth, and persons with special needs in party lists, both prior to the election and in the distribution of mandates.Seven political parties are competing in the election, including two new parties that are able to participate due to simplified party registration rules. A total of 281 candidates from seven party lists...

UK foreign secretary visits Kazakhstan, ,eets President Tokayev

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

Kazakhstan is the United Kingdom’s primary trading partner in Central Asia, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the UK James Cleverly said during his meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana as part of his first visit to the nation on 18 March. According to the President’s press office, Tokayev and Cleverly spoke about strengthening bilateral cooperation in political, trade, economic, investment, and humanitarian fields.“Your visit will give a very strong impetus to further enhance mutual cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UK. I took note of your recent speech at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office that outlined the long-term vision for British foreign policy. Indeed, it is a very important speech,” Tokayev said. The Kazakh President expressed appreciation for the positive dynamics of relations with the UK. “I would like to assess our mutual cooperation as very successful, particularly, in the economic sphere and...

Paris police and protesters clash for third night over Macron's pension

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

Paris police clashed with demonstrators for a third night on Saturday (18 March) as thousands of people marched throughout the country amid anger at the government pushing through a rise in the state pension age without a parliamentary vote.The growing unrest and strikes have left President Emmanuel Macron facing the gravest challenge to his authority since the so-called "Gilets Jaunes" (Yellow Vests) protests four years ago."Macron, Resign!" and "Macron is going to break down, we are going to win," demonstrators chanted on the Place d'Italie in southern Paris. Riot police used tear gas and clashed with some in the crowd as trash bins were set on fire.Municipal authorities had banned rallies on Paris's central Place de la Concorde and nearby Champ-Elysees on Saturday night after demonstrations that resulted in 61 arrests the previous night. There were 81 arrests on Saturday night.Earlier in the French capital, a group of students and activists from the "Revolution Permanente" collec...

At least 4 dead in wrong-way crash on 71 Freeway

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

At least four people died when a wrong-way driver caused a pileup involving several vehicles on the 71 Freeway in Chino Hills early Sunday morning, officials said.The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the 71 near the Central Avenue exits.According to CHP, several drivers called 911 to report seeing a driver traveling northbound in the southbound lanes. The collision, involving four to five vehicles, occurred moments later, officers told news photographers at the scene.Officers tried to rescue several people who were trapped inside a burning vehicle but could not because of the intense flames, CHP said. March 19, 2023 (Key News)The crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the 71 near the Central Avenue exits. March 19, 2023. (Key News)The crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the 71 near the Central Avenue exits. March 19, 2023. (Key News)CHP said a CHP sergeant who was first to arrive on the scene tried to rescue severa...

Who deserves a levee? The fight to save California communities from flooding

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

The tiny town of Hamilton City sits in the direct path of the mighty Sacramento River, muddy and swollen by this week’s storms.But a new $125 million levee system – the product of the community’s 35-year-long fight to make something big from something broken — is protecting its 1,900 farmworkers and their families.This week, as a levee failure drowned the town of Pajaro, Hamilton City’s river also overflowed. But then it gently spread across a landscaped floodplain, losing its fury. The levee held firm. The system, the first of its type in the state, offers a new paradigm for how to respond to flood risk in an era of dangerous climate change.“It’s doing what it’s supposed to do,” said former fire chief Jose Puente, who proudly watched the project excel in its big test.There are 1,758 levee systems throughout California listed in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers database, built to hold back rivers and protect towns, homes, businesses and crops from flooding. S...

Opinion: Mayor urges San Jose to put budget focus on the basics

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:08 GMT

When times get tough, San Jose families sit around the kitchen table and make tough budget choices.What comes first? The mortgage or rent certainly. Food for the family. Paying off bills that could turn into burdens.You make tough, smart choices.Your government should, too.In the weeks ahead, our City Council will debate our most important task of any year — our city budget. Amid tech lay-offs, failure of a vitally important local bank, and inflation eating away at our buying power,  this is the moment for focus.There are many things we want to do — but there are a few basics that we must do.Making our city safe. Making it clean. Making progress on ending unsheltered homelessness. Making sure our economy works so we are creating more middle-class jobs.As mayor, I have been holding town halls asking residents what they want. And the same answers come back again and again. The people want us to deliver on the basics — safety, cleanliness, a realistic plan for ensurin...