Sources close to the Eastern Sierra medical community have said Mammoth Hospital paid its doctors only 20% of what they have been owed. Hospital Administrator Gary Boyd said that's not true.

Boyd did say that last September, primary care physicians said they were underpaid compared to the state and national norms. Boyd said that the Hospital Board gave pediatricians and family practitioners a raise in December.

Administrator Boyd said that Mammoth Hospital pays out to doctors what it collects. He denied the report that physicians have only received 20% of billing charges.

So, how is the financial condition of Mammoth Hospital, plagued with collections and money shortfalls in the past?

Boyd described the financial health of the hospital as "pretty good." He said the months of December, January, and
February were "very good." The key, said Boyd, is to control expenses as we move into the shoulder season. He said they are watching overtime and per diem costs and monitoring positions that open up to see if they should be filled. Boyd said the hospital has hired no new people and looks for ways to increase revenue with new procedures and lab tests.

Boyd said collections have come in well with $4 million each for December and January with nearly $5 million so far in February.