Will Cleveland Clinic get a $3.5M subsidy for its Indian River labor and delivery unit?
And they seem willing to provide $3.5 million of tax money to do it.
At least three people among the 100 or so who attended the town hall meeting Aug. 12 at the Intergenerational Recreation Center were bold enough to voice their support for the subsidy, while many others applauded their comments. At least 31 more people tuned in on Zoom.
The meeting was hosted by the Indian River County Hospital District, which collects taxes to support health care needs.
If the district fails to provide a subsidy, it may put the labor and delivery unit at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital at risk of closing.
"The moms have to go somewhere," said Frank Isele, executive director of the district, before the meeting.
Only three from the audience questioned a subsidy or criticized Cleveland Clinic. One received applause.
Loss of labor and delivery
Cleveland Clinic Indian River is the only hospital in Indian River County that delivers babies. And a $7.7 million annual loss in the obstetrics and gynecological unit poses a threat to labor and delivery services there.
Cleveland Clinic has not requested a subsidy, Dr. Richard Rothman, vice president and chief medical officer of Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital has said. But it has begun talks with the hospital district about sustaining maternity services, he said.
Cleveland Clinic earlier this year closed its labor and delivery unit in Martin County, citing a shortage of doctors.
Martin County is now on the verge of becoming a maternity-care desert, said Samantha Suffich, CEO of the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition, which provides education and support to pregnant women and infants.
If Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital closes its labor and delivery unit, Isele said, Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne and HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce may be unable to handle the influx of births.
Expansions at those hospitals may be needed, he said.
A Caring Center for Women, which provides early prenatal care to women, already has seen 553 pregnant women since January, said director Gerri Rorick.
At that pace, that would be an increase in births from recent years.
The Vero Beach center typically is the first to see women who are pregnant before sending them to Cleveland Clinic's Partners in Women's Health, which provides prenatal and postpartum care. The district is supporting that unit with $4.2 million annually.
National and statewide trend
Closure of labor and delivery units is a trend occurring across Florida and nationally, Isele told attendees.
"Let's make sure we're getting ahead of it," he said.
Trustees of the hospital district Aug. 12 wanted to hear from the community. Specifically, whether it's important for expectant moms to have a labor and delivery unit close to home and whether to spend tax money for it — while a longer-term solution is developed.
The $3.5 million cost amounts to about $42 per person per year, Isele said.
Transportation issue
About 300 pregnant women in Indian River County each year struggle with transportation, said Megan McFall, CEO of Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition. If the county is without a labor and delivery unit, these moms may have to rely on 911 to get to a hospital.
More on health care: Another Cleveland Clinic labor and delivery unit at risk due to $7.7M loss
More on schools: It's a 'typical first day of school' as Treasure Coast students begin new school year
"Seconds count for these moms," McFall said. "Seconds count for these babies."
Two more community meetings are scheduled for this week: One is 6-7 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Sebastian Community Center, 1805 North Central Ave.; and the other is 6-7 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center, 4875 43rd Ave., Gifford.
Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter mainly covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and at 720-288-6882.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Some support for a $3.5M subsidy for labor and delivery unit in IRC
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