This morning, some supporters of Cooper Green Mercy Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., prepared to hold a rally outside the county courthouse to protest plans to close the hospital's oncology unit, according to a Birmingham News report.
The hospital plans to close its oncology and OB/GYN units as part of an effort to reduce costs by $6.7 million annually to stabilize finances. The hospital is facing a $14.2 million deficit from fiscal 2011, which is stressing the county general fund budget, according to the report. The hospital has already laid off 89 employees to save $4.4 million.
The oncology unit will remain open until the hospital identifies other facilities in which its 40 cancer patients can receive treatment. Hospital spokesperson Marc Sussman said in the report that the hospital may send the oncology patients to UAB Hospital and the OB/GYN patients to Princeton Baptist Medical Center — both of which are located in Birmingham — although these plans are still preliminary.
Last June, the county cut off the hospital's access to its general fund revenue, saying the county could no longer subsidize the hospital and Cooper Green Mercy must make immediate cuts.
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The hospital plans to close its oncology and OB/GYN units as part of an effort to reduce costs by $6.7 million annually to stabilize finances. The hospital is facing a $14.2 million deficit from fiscal 2011, which is stressing the county general fund budget, according to the report. The hospital has already laid off 89 employees to save $4.4 million.
The oncology unit will remain open until the hospital identifies other facilities in which its 40 cancer patients can receive treatment. Hospital spokesperson Marc Sussman said in the report that the hospital may send the oncology patients to UAB Hospital and the OB/GYN patients to Princeton Baptist Medical Center — both of which are located in Birmingham — although these plans are still preliminary.
Last June, the county cut off the hospital's access to its general fund revenue, saying the county could no longer subsidize the hospital and Cooper Green Mercy must make immediate cuts.
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Cooper Green Mercy Hospital Faces Bleak Future in Bankrupt Alabama CountyCooper Green Mercy Considers Layoffs to Save $6M
Alabama's Cooper Green May Face Less County Funding