Total hospital admissions fell 3.6 percent from a year earlier, and fell 3.4 percent on a same-facility basis, Franklin, Tennessee-based Community Health said in a statement on Monday.

Read: Hospitals in Medicaid expansion states see huge uninsured care drop

Excluding certain items, the loss was 28 cents a share in the quarter. On average, analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News had estimated earnings of 95 cents a share; the figures may not directly compare.

Net operating revenues fell 2.4 percent to $4.8 billion.

Unseasonably warm winter weather and what appears to be a well-matched vaccine have kept the flu virus at bay.

As a result, many hospitals have signaled a drop in patient numbers in late 2015.

The influenza virus thrives in a dry, cold environment, and the U.S. Climate Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, has called for the northern and western U.S. to have mild temperatures through March.

Stock in decline

As of Friday's close, Community's shares have lost more than two-thirds of their value since their 52-week closing high of $64.04 on June 26. Among analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, 17 rate the stock a hold, seven rate it a buy and one a sell — which includes three downgrades on Tuesday. Investors have been worried about soft growth, high levels of debt and more patients showing up for care without insurance coverage. 

"Things got worse, and it wasn't just the flu," Sheryl Skolnick, an analyst with Mizuho Securities, said in a note to clients Tuesday. "All the things we've worried about for Community Health have come home to roost in 4Q15 and likely in 2016."

She cited problems with free cash flow and concerns about a credit rating downgrade, and predicted that the company would have trouble turning things around this year. Skolnick cut her rating on the stock to underperform, from neutral.

Income from continuing operations fell to a loss of $74 million, or 66 cents a share, from $129 million, or $1.12, a year earlier, the company said.

Provision for bad debts during the quarter was $926 million, compared with $723 million in the year-earlier period, Community said. The adjustment to bad debt reduced net operating revenues and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by $169 million, or 96 cents a share, and income from continuing operations by $108 million, or 94 cents, the company said.

This year, revenues excluding the provision for bad debts will be $20 billion to $20.6 billion. Income from continuing operations will be $3.40 to $3.80 a share, Community said.

Analysts have estimated $20.3 billion in revenue and adjusted earnings of $3.68 a share for the year.

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