|
Memphis, TN. - As the numbers of the uninsured throughout our region climb, the ability of The MED to stretch the already limited resources to meet those needs diminishes. To address this issue, Mayor Wharton convened a task force in May 2007 to develop long and short-term sustainable strategies for operations and funding for the MED. The members of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel on the Regional Medical Center included industry leaders, political leaders from our region, representatives from The MED and the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences and community leaders.
Chaired by Dr. Kenneth Robinson, Former Commissioner of Health for State of Tennessee, the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel for The MED consisted of three subcommittees: Subcommittee on the Structure of Indigent Health Care Service Delivery for Shelby County and the Region, Subcommittee to Realign the Service Mission of the Regional Medical Center, and Subcommittee to Develop Sustainable Revenue Options for the Regional Medical Center.
The Mayor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel was given 120 days to evaluate options for The MED and provide a report. The 38-page report was submitted to Mayor Wharton earlier today and the highlights included: 1) a discussion on the intrinsic value of The MED as a key component of the overall health care delivery system both locally and regionally, 2) a request that all decisions with regard to the future of the MED be given the highest consideration to the maintenance and enhancement of patient quality of care, 3) a suggestion that improvements to the overall health care delivery system for the uninsured better match resources with needs for non-emergent patients, 4) acknowledgement that the inability of The MED to address the ever-widening funding gaps is created by operational efficiencies as well as other adjustments needed in the service mix, 5) recognition of the critical capital needs that have been delayed and require immediate attention and an ongoing infusion of resources; and 6) the belief that the possibility of pursuing an option where the MED affiliates with one or more providers in order to provide sustainable funding options to produce the best patient care for our citizens deserves additional study and evaluation.
"The MED is our regional safety net hospital and must stay operational. It provides an absolutely necessary service for all of us in this area. The problems facing The MED are not simply The MED's problems. We are aware of its funding needs. This is a global community problem that will require the help of everyone to ensure we maintain quality patient care. I would like to thank Dr. Kenneth Robinson, Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Panel, and all members for their devotion to the task and the outstanding product of their hard work. In the end, The MED must stay operational," Mayor A C Wharton, Jr.
While the current challenges The Med faces were outlined in the report, the major focus was on quality patient care and what needs to be done to keep The Med operational not only now but in the distant future.
"In medicine we often speak of taking the pulse of the patient; in this case the Panel took the conscious of the community and that conscious said loudly and clearly that we need the services of The MED. I will honor that plea and, in conjunction with the Shelby county Health Care Corporation and the Shelby County Commission, develop plans to ensure the viability of this critical institution," Mayor Wharton. | 
