Cash-strapped Hoboken hospital subject of payroll padding probe

(10/06/06) HOBOKEN ? St. Mary Hospital representatives say while some employees were rallying to save the cash-strapped Hoboken facility, others may have been lining their pockets.
The hospital was once in danger of closing for financial reasons. However, residents and workers rallied to save the city?s only hospital. Now, high payroll numbers have sparked an investigation into possible theft at the hospital. A spokesperson for the hospital says she?s not sure how much money is in question, but published reports have put the figure at more than $1 million.
Residents are outraged that workers may have been stealing from a hospital in such poor financial health. The hospital expects to finish its investigation in about two weeks. Four hospital employees, working in different departments, have been suspended. The hospital says they will be prosecuted if any laws were broken.