FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 2/24/2010) It was snowing in Nashville. That's never a good sign when you have business in the Statehouse.
The building literally sits on the highest hill in downtown Nashville. If you don't get enough traction on the trip up, you'll slide back to the bottom of the hill. The last place anybody involved with trying to keep the Regional Medical Center in Memphis operating is at the bottom of the hill looking up.
Shelby County Interim Mayor Joe Ford, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and others met with Governor Phil Bredesen about the MED. When it was over, there weren't smiles, but folks felt better. Even Governor Bredesen, who talked publicly for the very first time about the MED, seemed upbeat. "We've got some work to do here," Bredesen said, " to try and figure out how we can help. I think it's fair to say that the state wants to help in this regard. There are a lot of hospitals hurting around the state."
A combination of budget cuts and a huge increase in people being treated without any insurance has caused big troubles. Phil Bredesen was involved in the medical profession before entering politics. He had to cut millions from the TennCare plan this year to help balance the states budget. Those cuts have virtually crippled facilities like the MED. He spoke exclusively with News Channel 3. "I know how important it (the MED) is in Memphis. Mayor Ford has talked eloquently about how important the hospital is to the Memphis community. AC and I have talked forever about it, and we've got a working group. We've exchanged a lot of information and we're going to work here."
The Governor received a lot of criticism in Memphis, after saying the MED didn't have a workable plan to keep operating in the future. In fact, Bredesen said he wouldn't keep sending money to a hospital just to get the facility going through it's yearly problems of running out of money. He seemed more optimistic, even though he didn't talk about any plans they had. "I think you've got to give it every chance to try and prosper," Governor Bredesen said. "It's a tough environment in the health care field. It's a tough environment for hospitals, a tough environment for public hospitals. But they've got a good board. They're getting good support from Shelby County."
Actually, some of the best news came from the incoming Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Medical Center. Dr. Reginald Coopwood attended the meeting with the Governor. "I wouldn't have taken this job if I didn't feel we couldn't do what we set out to do," he said in a News Channel 3 exclusive interview. Dr. Coopwood also says the MED will remain open not only to the end of the fiscal year in June, but beyond. "The hospital will stay open," he said. "We will function past June 30th. We will put together, start working on our capital needs, and we'll be able to roll out to Memphis that the MED is going to be here for a long time, and how we're going to accomplish that."
Nobody knows how they're going to accomplish that right now but as one Mayor said "As long as we meet and as long as we talk, things are looking good."
- Gov. Bredesen meets with Mayors Ford and Wharton and others
- Says they must find a way to keep MED operating
- New CEO of MED says hospital will stay open after June 30th
(Memphis 2/24/2010) It was snowing in Nashville. That's never a good sign when you have business in the Statehouse.
The building literally sits on the highest hill in downtown Nashville. If you don't get enough traction on the trip up, you'll slide back to the bottom of the hill. The last place anybody involved with trying to keep the Regional Medical Center in Memphis operating is at the bottom of the hill looking up.
Shelby County Interim Mayor Joe Ford, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and others met with Governor Phil Bredesen about the MED. When it was over, there weren't smiles, but folks felt better. Even Governor Bredesen, who talked publicly for the very first time about the MED, seemed upbeat. "We've got some work to do here," Bredesen said, " to try and figure out how we can help. I think it's fair to say that the state wants to help in this regard. There are a lot of hospitals hurting around the state."
A combination of budget cuts and a huge increase in people being treated without any insurance has caused big troubles. Phil Bredesen was involved in the medical profession before entering politics. He had to cut millions from the TennCare plan this year to help balance the states budget. Those cuts have virtually crippled facilities like the MED. He spoke exclusively with News Channel 3. "I know how important it (the MED) is in Memphis. Mayor Ford has talked eloquently about how important the hospital is to the Memphis community. AC and I have talked forever about it, and we've got a working group. We've exchanged a lot of information and we're going to work here."
The Governor received a lot of criticism in Memphis, after saying the MED didn't have a workable plan to keep operating in the future. In fact, Bredesen said he wouldn't keep sending money to a hospital just to get the facility going through it's yearly problems of running out of money. He seemed more optimistic, even though he didn't talk about any plans they had. "I think you've got to give it every chance to try and prosper," Governor Bredesen said. "It's a tough environment in the health care field. It's a tough environment for hospitals, a tough environment for public hospitals. But they've got a good board. They're getting good support from Shelby County."
Actually, some of the best news came from the incoming Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Medical Center. Dr. Reginald Coopwood attended the meeting with the Governor. "I wouldn't have taken this job if I didn't feel we couldn't do what we set out to do," he said in a News Channel 3 exclusive interview. Dr. Coopwood also says the MED will remain open not only to the end of the fiscal year in June, but beyond. "The hospital will stay open," he said. "We will function past June 30th. We will put together, start working on our capital needs, and we'll be able to roll out to Memphis that the MED is going to be here for a long time, and how we're going to accomplish that."
Nobody knows how they're going to accomplish that right now but as one Mayor said "As long as we meet and as long as we talk, things are looking good."
