Hospitals exhibit caution in spending

A recent survey of 290 hospital chief financial officers revealed reduced growth in spending despite increased access to capital. According to the 1992 LINC Hospital Capital Survey, significantly fewer respondents reported their availability of funds was deteriorating (19 percent in '92 versus 27.5 percent in '91). Yet hospitals are exercising caution and appear reluctant to take on large amounts of additional debt. What follows is a portion of the LINC report--an analysis of factors affecting access to capital, as well as the use of funding sources and types of capital projects being funded--prepared by The Linc Group, Inc., Chicago.