Grady to other hospitals: Take your share of poor patients

The CEO did his own survey from the emergency room and took names and numbers. Granted, there are cases where patients are sent if the hospital does not have let's say a burn unit for a simple example that could compare and give the same treatment to one in need, but according to what was uncovered here, it goes beyond this and uninsured patients are being "dumped" on Grady's doorstep, just due to the fact that they do not have insurance. Patient could also have a follow up there if it was closer to the patient's home as well.

Other hospitals state this is not going on, but only an investigation will dig in and tell more. When dollars are down and the hospital is close to being closed, you can bet every stone will be over turned. Last week the facility received contributions from Kaiser and another group to help the facility recover and remain in business. Just last week the Wall Street Journal discussed the question too of whether the not for profit facilities are carrying their fair share of the load when it comes to charity care. BD

New Grady hospital CEO Michael Young fired a shot across the bows of metro Atlanta hospitals Friday, saying they should stop sending their uninsured patients to Grady. I think the other hospitals need to do a gut check on their missions, and see if they're doing their fair share, he said during a news conference Friday.

Grady is considered the largest, busiest and most financially troubled public hospital in the state. The hospital treats many uninsured people and loses upward of $40 million a year providing this uncompensated care, Grady officials said. The hospital was close to closing last year when it ran a deficit of $43 million.

He said he spent 20 hours in the Grady emergency room this week, and was struck by the “high number of those patients who started elsewhere.” These other hospitals are [nonprofit] tax-exempt organizations, and both the state and federal government are giving them tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks,” he said. He declined to identify any hospital.

Grady to other hospitals: Take your share of poor patients | ajc.com