Final answer:
To improve the current ratio of General Hospital, the company can collect accounts receivable, pay off current liabilities with cash, or sell existing inventory at cost.
Step-by-step explanation:
The current ratio is a measure of a company's ability to pay off its short-term liabilities with its short-term assets. A current ratio of 0.5 indicates that General Hospital has more short-term liabilities than short-term assets. To improve (increase) this ratio, the company can take the following actions:
- Collect some of the current accounts receivable: By collecting outstanding payments from customers, the company can increase its cash or cash equivalents, which will improve the current ratio.
- Use cash to pay off current liabilities: By using available cash to pay off current liabilities, the company can decrease its short-term liabilities, which will improve the current ratio.
- Sell some of the existing inventory at cost (book value): By selling some of the existing inventory at cost, the company can convert it into cash, which will increase the current ratio.