The cuts — which affect South County Hospital, Miriam Hospital, Westerly Hospital and Kent Hospital — are part of the Gov. Carcieri’s plan to close a $220 million state budget deficit.
The four hospitals currently receive an additional $3.7 million payment from the state each year to compensate the hospitals for treating patients who cannot pay their bills. All hospitals in the state receive funding for caring for the uninsured, which the four hospitals will continue to receive. Only the additional payments are in jeopardy, according to the report.
Edward Quinlan, president of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, said in the report that the cuts come at a time when more people need charity care and when fundraising is more difficult, making the cuts even more threatening to the financial stability of the facilities.
Read the Houston Chronicle‘s report on Rhode Island hospital cuts.
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