Atlanta's only Level I trauma center to close? (Savannah, Macon: 2015, car registration)

[tablemtn]

Tough times at Grady Memorial Hospital

Georgia has no plans to bail out Grady.

“We would love to be benevolent; we would love to give away all of this care,” Georgia’s Lt. Gov., Casey Cagle, said. “But somebody’s got to pay for it.”

Is he kidding? All that money in the state budget, and he can't keep the Atlanta region's ONLY Level I trauma center open? Seriously, what in the hell is going on?

[BobKovacs]

Well, I think alot of Grady's problems have to do not so much with the people who end up using the "Level 1 Trauma Facilities", but rather the people who walk in off the street and use the ER as a free doctor's office. I hate to say it, but what probaly will happen is one of the other hospitals in the metro area will step up it's services to handle Level 1 situations, and Grady will shut down and be replaced with a neighborhood free clinic. Is it the "right" solution? Probably not, but at the same time, we can't keep letting "the state" take care of everything- that's how welfare states get created.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by tablemtn

Tough times at Grady Memorial Hospital



Is he kidding? All that money in the state budget, and he can't keep the Atlanta region's ONLY Level I trauma center open? Seriously, what in the hell is going on?

The state is Republican and they don't really care if it closes. It only serves poor blacks and an occassional white cop or firefighter that gets hurt on the job. Not people the Republicans have much use for.

[nrgpill]

The issue at the core is about politics and race. Therefore, we can't seem to agree on anything, even if a plan makes too much common sense (shift towards a non-profit governing board).

Originally Posted by tablemtn

Tough times at Grady Memorial Hospital



Is he kidding? All that money in the state budget, and he can't keep the Atlanta region's ONLY Level I trauma center open? Seriously, what in the hell is going on?

[backfist]

If our state legislature can find the money to build a golf museum, it can find the money to keep a major hospital open.

[nrgpill]

Money is already there. They just need to figure out how to transition to a non-profit operation and make financial data as transparent as what a non-profit org can disclose.

The funding will be there as long as the recommended changes are made with raised accountability.

[backfist]

Originally Posted by nrgpill

Money is already there. They just need to figure out how to transition to a non-profit operation and make financial data as transparent as what a non-profit org can disclose.

The funding will be there as long as the recommended changes are made with raised accountability.

At some point the Board will need to do what's necessary to become a NPO, true. Yet considering how the state likely demands less accountability from, say, the Hard Labor Creek golf course, I can see how the Board has trouble ignoring such hypocrisy on the part of the government. As you suggest, we have a state government that occasionally makes decisions--in small part or otherwise--with an animosity toward some race and/or class.

I can see how the Grady Board would be a little defiant in that regard.

[PKCorey]

I don't understand why money from our car registration/tax can't go towards the Trauma care across the state.

In MD, about $10-15 of our registration fee went to pay for our Level I trauma centers and our 8-12 statewide medevac helicopters to transport patients and help reimburses the centers for fees that aren't covered....

I don't see why the same can't happen in GA....

[backfist]

Originally Posted by PKCorey

I don't understand why money from our car registration/tax can't go towards the Trauma care across the state.

In MD, about $10-15 of our registration fee went to pay for our Level I trauma centers and our 8-12 statewide medevac helicopters to transport patients and help reimburses the centers for fees that aren't covered....

I don't see why the same can't happen in GA....

Personally, I'd rather see registration taxes go toward transportation infrastructure and innovations.

Take some money from some other pork-related projects and have that money go toward keeping Grady open.

[PKCorey]

Not just Grady. From the AJC from a few weeks back, a lot of the Level 1 Trauma centers in GA are having issues. The one in Macon and the Savannah are all having financial issues due to the cutbacks on reimbursements and other things.

We need our Level I Trauma centers and for some reason, I don't think the whole change to a NPGB will make a difference, they will still be back in square one in 2-3 years....