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Screven County commissioners approve $50,000 monthly offer to subsidize hospital indigent care
Summary
On Aug. 31, 2020, the Screven County Board of Commissioners voted to contact the local hospital and offer $50,000 per month through June 2021 to subsidize indigent care after debate over a new East Georgia Healthcare Center and the county's prior support for the hospital.
Screven County commissioners voted Aug. 31 to contact the local hospital and offer a monthly subsidy of $50,000 through June 2021 to help cover indigent care, approving a motion made by Commissioner John O. Triplett and seconded by Commissioner Rosa Romeo.
The decision followed a discussion about a new East Georgia Healthcare Center facility in Screven County and whether the county should continue providing direct financial support to the hospital. Commissioner J.C. Warren, who described a recent meeting with East Georgia Healthcare Center staff, said the facility is not an urgent-care center but ‘‘does have the funding to help divert a majority of the indigent care from the local hospital.’’ He added that he does not want the hospital to close but "does not think that it is the tax payers responsibility to fund a business that cannot fund themselves," according to the meeting record.
Commissioner Edwin Lovett cited a prior consultant report by Doug Eaves and recalled that about ten years ago the hospital requested $1,000,000 from the county and the parties settled for $600,000. Lovett said the new health center "has the potential to decrease hospital visits by 30%" and expressed opposition to the hospital "using the county as a crutch." Chairman Will Boyd said he did not think the new center would eliminate all indigent-care costs and suggested that subsidizing the hospital might be less costly than county ownership.
Commissioner Triplett raised the possibility of pursuing grants for a county-owned hospital. Triplett also asked EMS Director Josh Kaiser how many EMS transports could instead go to a clinic; Kaiser estimated "approximately 75%."
Triplett's motion to "contact the hospital and offer them $50,000.00 a month through June 2021 to subsidize indigent care" passed by majority vote. Commissioners Triplett, Romeo, McBride and Dixon voted in favor; Commissioners Lovett and Warren opposed. The meeting record notes Chairman Boyd left the meeting at 9:34 a.m. prior to the vote. The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 a.m.
The board did not record any formal ordinance, statute citation, or a binding purchase agreement in the minutes; the action approved at this meeting was the motion to contact the hospital and offer the stated subsidy. Additional details about implementation, source of funds, or follow-up reporting requirements were not specified in the minutes.
