5 days ago
Hennepin County commissioners mull taking over HCMC in effort to keep hospital open
Changes could be coming at the Twin Cities metro area's largest trauma hospital. At a packed meeting Tuesday, Hennepin County commissioners said they will have to take extreme measures to make sure it stays open.
Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) takes patients who don't have insurance. Officials believe it has caused an annual debt of tens of millions of dollars.
Even though HCMC is considered a county hospital, it has been run by the medical care group Hennepin Healthcare. HCMC's workers work for Hennepin Healthcare. Over the last couple of years, a group of appointed business and medical community volunteers have been overseeing the budget they admit is tricky.
"We are facing a structural financial crisis at this hospital because we take care of patients who don't have insurance or are underinsured," said Mohamed Omar, chief operations officer and board chair. "That is why this hospital is in financial trouble, it's not because of mismanagement."
But some county commissioners have questions and want to take back financial oversight. They are the ones who pay for the deficit.
WCCO obtained data showing the hospital had $38 million in debt last year, which was picked up by property taxes.
Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde is voting yes to taking back control. He says the deficit could mean raising property taxes to help cover the deficit.
"Our commitment is to keep that hospital open, but there needs to be changing," said Lunde. "I think what you are seeing by the board, saying that we need to step in, we've hit the moment that it is the final buck."
Dozens at the committee meeting backed that idea, including a Hennepin Healthcare nurse who believes the path they are on is not working and they need redirection.
The committee voted to push the change to a final vote that they say will help the system.
Lunde says if the change goes through on Aug. 12, HCMC will continue to accept patients without insurance.
