Editorial: UMC crisis is shared nationally

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2003 | 8:49 a.m.

Earlier this month Clark County announced layoffs at its public hospital, University Medical Center. Forty-three people, including 15 doctors at Quick Care neighborhood facilities and seven nurses, lost their jobs outright and another 128 vacant positions were eliminated. The layoffs, estimated to save the hospital $10.3 million a year, came shortly after the resignation of its chief executive officer, which was related to the hospital's monthly deficit of $3 million. Shortly before that, County Manager Thom Reilly and the County Commission had assembled a task force to study the mission of UMC, with an eye toward reducing its cost.

One might think that astounding deficits, layoffs, a resignation by the CEO and the creation of a task force would be highly unusual for a public hospital. Unfortunately, the events at UMC are not unique. Public hospitals all over the country are experiencing financial crises. At UMC, even with all the cost cutting, the county is expecting to lose another $15 million to $20 million in the next fiscal year, which begins in July. At its first meeting Tuesday, the task force spent more than three hours talking about the new reality at UMC since Sept. 11. Over time, the hospital has broadened its mission of providing free or low-cost care to indigent people to include providing the same for uninsured people as well. After Sept. 11, the hospital experienced a 26 percent increase in uninsured patients.

It seems to us that a national emergency exists regarding public hospitals, yet the burden of dealing with it is falling upon beleaguered local governments. At a time when public hospitals are needed most, doctors, nurses and supervisors are being cut. Antidotes should include the federal government increasing reimbursements for Medicaid, contributing more to community health clinics and addressing the widespread lack of health insurance among workers. Instead of pushing tax cuts favoring the long-term interests of people who will never need a public hospital, the Bush administration should be doing the math on health care. What it's doing now isn't adding up.