Doctors Look To Perdon’t For Grady’s Cure
That Grady Hospital is in trouble is nothing new, but after talking to physicians that work there, there is new information to add to the mix.
Just in case, you’re unaware, Grady Hospital is in big trouble. It is again on the verge of closing. One physician who asked to not be identified said she expects Grady to close before October. It will simply run out of money and Emory will be financially forced to stop providing free services.
There are several causes here. One is clearly mismanagement, but that’s not the whole ball of wax. The Board is at fault, but so are Fulton and Dekalb County who have bickered over funding the hospital and providing alternate clinics for non emergency health care for the uninsured. Uninsured and Indigent patients make up 60% of the workload of Grady. Also, as discussed previously, the suburbs leach off of Grady for the most severe cases and don’t provide any funding on their own. Some working at Grady even allege that indigent patients from Cobb, Gwinnett, Henry, and Clayton Counties are brought to Grady and dumped so that hospitals in those communities don’t have to take the hit. Lastly, as with MARTA, the state has provided nothing but regulation. They have provided no funding.
Letting Grady close would be a tragedy of untold proportions. Grady is the best level one trauma center in the country. If you suffer severe trauma, you want to go to Grady. Not only is it the best, it’s the only Level One Trauma Center for 100 miles in any direction. No other hospital in Metro Atlanta can match it’s emergency resources. If Grady closes, we’re a lot less prepared for a terrorist attack or major disaster. Keeping Grady open is a matter of Homeland Security.
Doctors working a Grady are disheartened. Many departments are working on Doctors who are not getting paid. They are working pro-bono. As well intentioned as they are, if the choice is going to put in hours a Grady or going to see their kid’s soccer game, Grady is going to lose some hours. Moreover, Doctors complain of staff shortages, security concerns, and the notion that once an emergency is over, the goal is no longer to give good care, but passable care. “It’s not what I signed up for” opined one Doctor, “But I have to do something.” Is that they attitude we want from Doctors?
Asked about solutions, Doctors want a new board and new governing structure. While there is some skepticism, the opinion seems to be that the Grady Task Force Plan is better than other alternatives out there. They also want action from the Governor. The Governor apparently appoints a substantial portion of the Grady Board but has not held those members accountable. Doctors would like to see a sign that the Governor is aware of the problem and is ready to do something about it.
The irony is that Governor Perdue is perfectly situated to help right now. He has a surplus of tax revenues which are unassigned. Right now he can create a Grady Hospital Rainy Day Fund and pledge to help the hospital recover from its current financial crisis in return for reforms that will improve the quality of care and let the hospital reform its structure. He doesn’t even necessarily have to spend the money. Simply guaranteeing the Hospitals Debt would go a long way toward helping it come out of the woods. Even if the bonds came due, he could invest the money and likely not even use half of it. The problem is that he is unwilling to offer money even if changes are made! This will not help his political legacy or future.
Allegedly, Perdue has Vice Presidential aspirations. If he lets the best trauma center close, he won’t be chosen. If, instead, he shows some leadership and creates a successful program that ensures that Grady Hospital thrives long term, that will get him some notice… and he’d actually do something as Governor! How about that!
August 4th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
It is kind of hard to swallow your blame sharing with DeKalb, Fulton and the Grady Board. Grady offers statewide care for indigent and trauma victims. That for years two urban counties have exclusively funded it while the state with an excess of revenues has done nothing is a crime.