The Tennessean editorial: Public should see hosptial books.

Editorial: The public deserves to know why the hospital needs another $10 million bailout in less than a year. 

by David Plazas, The Tennessean - Nashville General Hospital at Meharry is bleeding money, the Metro Hospital Authority might demand another bailout and taxpayers deserve to know why.

The authority, which is the hospital’s board of directors, will meet next month to consider asking Metro Nashville Government for a second $10 million “emergency” infusion in less than a year.

When the hospital received $10 million in emergency funds in February, CEO Dr. Joseph Webb called it a “one-time request.” These words have come to betray him.

 .... The Joint Commission report was never fully released to the Council or to the public because of a loophole in the public records law, so they had a limited scope of the problems. ....Emergency requests should not become the norm, but transparency should be. (read the full editorial)

My Comment: I am pleased to see this editorial and agree, however I think it should go one step further and conclude Metro government needs to get out of the hospital business.  If the citizens of Nashville feel a need to subsidize indigent care, could the money not be better spend by reimbursing local hospitals? In today's health care climate, I have never seen a compelling reason for Nashville being in the hospital business.

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