Erlanger at Hutcheson reports another profit — this time for January. The hospital was over 400-thousand dollars in the black. The patient census was up 42 percent, and surgeries were up 17 percent compared to January of last year.

CEO Roger Forgey said, "we are happy with our sustained progress. Year to date, we are ahead of budget and on our way to a positive fiscal year."

Walker and Catoosa County governments recently agreed to back a low-interest, short-term loan of 25-million dollars to help the hospital retire high interest debt and buy needed equipment.