SHREVEPORT, La. (KNOE 8 News) - EA Conway is Monroe's only public hospital, and the past year has been filled with staffing cuts and reduction of vital departments, including the emergency room.
These cuts are in response to a drop in federal medicaid financing.
Vice Chancellor Dr. Hugh Mighty says the DHH has called on LSU Health to explore other options to help them sustain health care.
Dr. Mighty says, "we're not trying to sell off the hospital to get rid of the hospital we are seeking ways to continue our mission by seeking funding sources."
Governor Bobby Jindal's administration has stripped a quarter of the health system's funding in response to a drop in federal medicaid financing; and Vice Chancellor Dr. Hugh Mighty says they are looking at other medical systems that have been faced with budget cuts as well.
Dr. Mighty says on Friday LSU Health was approved to develop and send out a request for proposals, it takes a long time to do.
Dr. Mighty says, "at least on of the steps would be to send it out, with that however it's not saying we are going to a public/private partnership because along with that concurrently the board of supervisors have they leeway to not accept any of it but we are starting to look at some of those things we are looking at longer term plan and we have to look at longer term planning."
He says EA Conway will be grouped into the RFP along with Shreveport and the hospital in Pineville, but they are thinking about what's best for EA Conway, "not only are we concerned about treating patients, we're also concerned about the academic mission we have residency programs at EA Conway and we rotate our students there, so again we are trying to find the best way to keep and sustain one care to patients because its that important there and also if we can maintain that academic system."
Dr. Mighty says DHH has not set a timeline for when a decision must be made.
The plan they have developed should carry them through June 30, 2013.
