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May 12, 2008
It's a sign of the troubled times facing health care: Layoffs at Christus St. Patrick Hospital. Myrna King is one of millions across America who struggles when a family member gets sick, because they have no health insurance. "Hopefully one day, we all will be able to have insurance," says Myrna, as the small child next to her coughs.
When Myrna, her children and many others come to a place like Christus St. Patrick Hospital, they do get care, though they may not be able to pay. It's one of the issues hospital administrator Bernard Leger says challenges the hospital financially. "Like other hospitals and health care systems St. Patrick's is facing some challenging times which is resulting in some financial losses. We have seen an increase in the number of uninsured and under insured as well as a patient population that is chronically ill that come in with a multitude of illnesses that require very expensive care."
Leger says they think the solution would be for health care dollars to follow the patients, rather than be earmarked for charity hospitals and such. "So, if private hospitals are providing that care we believe that the hospitals and the physicians that are providing that care receive that funding."
Leger admits it's hard to have to lay off employees, but says the circumstances demand it. "About sixty people were impacted. About 46 of those we were able to reassign to other departments. Unfortunately, fourteen of those we were not able to reassign." He says they are doing what they can to assist those who must now find new jobs. Those who lost their jobs also received severance pay and opportunities for job training.
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