Memphis, TN Medical Center—
FAST FACTS:
- MED board proposes closure of Emergency Room
- Mississippi supporters lobby Legislature for financial commitment
- Say other states should "step up"
Dennis.turner@wreg.com
(Memphis 11/4/2009) People outside Memphis are getting more concerned about the financial condition of The MED.
They say any further cuts at the hospital would endanger their lives as much or more than people in the Memphis area.
Most in Memphis know how important The Med is, but outside Shelby County, relatively few understand its role in this region.
But Larry Liddell saw with his own eyes, The MED can save just as many lives from Mississippi as it can from North Memphis.
They call it the "Regional" Medical Center at Memphis for a reason. It sits at the corner of three states, and just down the road from two others.
If you're looking for a reason to keep this bustling life saving center open, look no further than former newspaperman Larry Liddell. "If they drop the emergency room at The Med, I really don't know where we'll go." he explained.
An accident in Clarksdale, 90 miles away, a few years ago, left a close friend's daughter minutes from death. "Her daughter was in a horrific accident and wasn't expected to live, so I sent a reporter out to the hospital and just about the time he got there the helicopter from The Med arrived." Liddell recalled.
He says the short flight to Memphis saved her life, while the extra minutes required for a flight to the state capitol in Jackson, home of the next closest level one trauma center, would have killed her.
Now, as President of Mississippi Friends of The MED, Liddell says the more than one million people who benefit from the hospital can't afford to see its services cut further.
Doctors and nurses at The MED say privately, the closure of the ER would likely create a domino effect as patients scatter to seek care at hospitals for miles around. And that could affect the care available to every single person in the region.
Liddell says that's especially important for folks in outlying areas who might need critical care in that so-called "golden hour" where full recovery is possible after an accident.
His group successfully lobbied lawmakers to send The Med one hundred thousand dollars a year, and approve special license plates which bring in an additional $300,000.
"We haven't given up, we're still in Jackson at the legislature but we would like to see Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri step up to the plate." Liddell said.
He says those states, and parts of Alabama need The Med just as much as anyone, and should contribute financially to its well-being.
"My worst fear is that I'll need the ER at The MED and it won't be there." he explained.
Those inside The Med say it's not about saving their jobs, or their salaries. They, like Liddell, say it's about saving lives, and that all the states that benefit from The MED should take it's financial condition just as seriously as those who pass by it every day.
