MEMPHIS, TN-- The Med is in need of a lifeline.
The hospital is now one step closer to closing its emergency room by February of next year. Late Wednesday, the Med's board voted to cut some important hospital services.
It was money troubles that led to the decision-- too much of it going out, and not enough coming in.
“It's very painful and it's not fair, but we've got to have money” says the Med Board Chairman Gene Holcomb.
What this means is the Med's ER will be streamlined. 19 patient beds will go, along with 70 surgical beds.
“The Emergency Room will only be a triage center when people present to determine if they need urgent care or not” says Holcomb.
How did the Med get into this mess? Holcomb says low re-imbursements from federal, state, and local governments to start with.
“We get about the same thing today that we did 15 years ago from Shelby County and last year we didn't get any money from Mississippi and Arkansas. We provide 25 million dollars of uncompensated care to MS and AR combined” says Holcomb.
While that's happening, there's been another trend also on the rise-- people who simply can't pay their bills.
“Over 30% of the patients that present here are self-pay, which translates to no pay” says Holcomb.
Tiffani Jones' husband is currently being treated at the Med, though the couple lives in Illinois.
She says several facilities in her home state are going through the same thing, so she can relate.
“I think it's an unfortunate situation for people in this community and this area who are used to coming to this hospital for care. It’s unfortunate if they have to travel elsewhere” says Jones.
