MASSENA - Lower patient volumes continue to play havoc with Massena Memorial Hospital’s budget.

Chief Financial Officer Sean M. Curtin told members of the hospital’s board of managers this week that fewer patients played a part in April’s net loss of $479,662.

“We’re seeing a sharp decline in volumes for both inpatient and outpatient volume. Similar to March, it really is the story of the volumes. For outpatient registrations we’re typically above where we budgeted,” Mr. Curtin said.

MMH officials had seen a loss of $250,530 in March when one year prior they had a net gain of $85,061. They said much of the March 2012 decrease was because of a decrease in the number of flu cases seen at the hospital.

For April, Mr. Curtain said, they had budgeted 10,801 outpatient registrations and they had 9,952. They had 10,441 outpatient registrations in April 2011.

They had also budgeted 1,691 emergency room visits for April 2012, but finished the month at 1,576, compared to 1,685 in April 2011.

Likewise, they had budgeted for 1,344 visits to hospital-based clinics, but they had 1,218 at the end of the month. That, however, was up from April 2011 when they had 983 clinic visits.

While the Kids Korner Pediatric Clinic saw 264 fewer visits than budgeted for the month, not all of the hospital’s clinics were under budget. The Renal Dialysis Center had 569 registrations, compared to the 487 they had budgeted, while the North Country Veteran’s Clinic had been budgeted for 690 registrations and finished April with 839.

“We’re seeing the strength of the VA and dialysis clinics,” Mr. Curtin said.

Net patient revenue for April 2012 was $3.6 million, 19.17 percent lower than the $4.5 million hospital officials had budgeted for the month and lower than the $4.2 million they had seen in April 2011.

Year to date, MMH officials are looking at a net loss of $588,943. At this time last year, they were $256,904 under their budgeted figures.

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