3328.0 Public Hospitals Under Siege during the Recession

Monday, November 9, 2009: 2:30 PM
Oral
State and federal cutbacks have caused stress and crises in urban public health care systems throughout the U.S. in the past year. Clinic closures, health worker layoffs and reduction in critical services threaten the mandate to serve those most in need and maintain the public safety net. While each locale has particulars of history, community support, political entanglements, tax base, and administrative responses, all have faced assaults on the health care systems that have tried to serve the poor and uninsured in their communities, without regard to their ability to pay. This session will present perspectives from three hospitals that have been under siege – Stroger (formerly Cook County) Hospital in Chicago, IL, Cambridge Hospital Alliance in Cambridge, MA, and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA.
Session Objectives: Describe the economic causes and sequelae of the current public hospital crises.
Moderator:

2:30 PM
Grady Memorial Hospital on the brink
Daniel Blumenthal, MD, MPH

See individual abstracts for presenting author's disclosure statement and author's information.

Organized by: Health Equity and Public Hospitals Caucus

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)