LOS ANGELES COUNTY : NME to Detail Costs:

When National Medical Enterprises reports its fourth-quarter financial results Thursday, it will also disclose the cost of its recently announced restructuring. The Santa Monica-based hospital company is dismissing 200 employees and eliminating another 40 unfilled jobs as part of a cost-reduction program that will slash expenses by $32 million a year. One item that escaped the cost cutting: National Medical’s spiffy 12-passenger Gulfstream IV corporate jet, which sells for more than $25 million. However, the company did decide to sell its other corporate aircraft, an older, smaller Falcon 50. NME spokeswoman Diana Takvam said the Gulfstream came in handy for shuttling company lawyers from Santa Monica to Washington during negotiations with the Justice Department. The talks led to a $379-million fraud settlement of charges of wrongdoing at NME’s psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals. Also, NME “has some operations in remote locations that are difficult to get to via commercial aircraft,” including hospitals in Australia, Malaysia and Spain, Takvam said.