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Congressional Health Subcommittee Chairman Addresses Budget Concerns with Hollywood Presbyterian MedicalCenter The Chairman of the US Congressional Subcommittee on Health, Rep. Frank Pallone, met with Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (HPMC) administrators on Sunday, September 14, amid California's budget stalemate that has threatened to paralyze hospitals across the state unless an immediate compromise is reached.
The New Jersey Congressman toured the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Labor and Delivery ward on Sunday, before meeting with Chief Nursing Officer Kathy Wojno and Human Resources Vice President Norma Braun.
"When you consider that approximately 47 percent of HPMC's revenues are earned from serving Medi-Cal patients, we will be forced to think about the closure of essential community health services such as emergency care, obstetrics and neonatal intensive care if funds are not released to the hospital soon," Wojno told the Congressman.
Cong. Pallone is a tenth term US House of Representatives member. Last year, he became the chairman of the powerful Subcommittee on Health, which has sole jurisdiction over Medicaid. California's Medicaid program is named Medi-Cal.
Situated in the heart of Hollywood, HPMC provides more than 67,000 days of care to Medi-Cal patients each year. HPMC was the only hospital on the Congressman's two-day stop in Southern California.
"We pride ourselves on the quality of service we offer to our community. But the timely release of federal and state funding is critical to our success," Braun stressed during the meeting.
According to the hospital CEO Jeff Nelson, the state of California is holding up distribution of federal funds that have been released to the state for dispersal to healthcare providers throughout California.
"The refusal to release these funds is not just an injustice to the most indigent who will be affected by the closure of critical services, but also to unpaid physicians who are being asked to provide uncompromised service," Nelson said. California's physicians have not been compensated for their services to Medi-Cal patients since the start of the budget crisis almost 80 days ago.
To date, the state of California owes Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center almost $10 million. Nelson has been meeting with legislatures to express concerns about impending bankruptcy or closure of critical-care facilities unless the state moves to act soon.
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