ECU Health's effort to reopen rural hospital carries hefty price tag
DENIED HER ASSAULT ALLEGATION
AGAINST HIM.
>> IN AN EMERGENCY, YOU WANT A
TOP NOTCH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
NEARBY FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
IN MARTIN COUNTY. THAT HASN'T
BEEN THE CASE FOR 2 YEARS AFTER
MARTIN GENERAL HOSPITAL
SUDDENLY CLOSED. ECU HEALTH IS
LEADING THE CHARGE TO REOPEN
THE RURAL HOSPITAL AND AS WRAL
HEALTH REPORTER, GRACE. HEY,
BUD REPORTS. BUT THIS PLAN
COMES WITH A HEFTY PRICE TAG.
>> EAST TO HELP TELLS ME
REOPENING MARTIN GENERAL
HOSPITAL WILL REQUIRE AN
INNOVATIVE APPROACH COMBINING
LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL
OFFICIALS AND THINKING AND AWAY
NO LAW SPITTLE SYSTEM HERE IN
NORTH CAROLINA HAS EVER DONE
BEFORE. BUT IT'S A CHALLENGE
TO THE HEALTH SYSTEM'S CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER SAYS THEY'RE
READY FOR WHAT WE WANT TO BE A
NATIONAL LEADER IN RURAL HEALTH
CARE. WE ARE UNIQUELY DESIGNED
TO BE SO.
>> AS AN ACADEMIC HEALTH SYSTEM
THAT OPERATES ENTIRELY IN A
RURAL COMMUNITY IN ALL OF OUR
FACILITIES. WRAL REPORTED LAST
MONTH ECU HEALTH FILED A LETTER
OF INTENT TO WORK WITH MARTIN
COUNTY TO REOPEN MARTIN GENERAL
AS THE STATE'S FIRST RURAL
EMERGENCY HOSPITAL. IT WOULD
NEED THESE DOORS WOULD REOPEN
FOR EMERGENCY CARE. ONLY
PATIENTS REQUIRING LONGER
INPATIENT STAYS WOULD BE
TRANSFERRED HERE TO ECU HEALTH
BEAUFORT. WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO
TAKE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60
70 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD A
REAL EMERGENCY HOSPITAL
COMPONENT THERE IN MARTIN
COUNTY. AND THEN THE BED TOWER
AT BEAUFORT WOULD BE THE
REMAINING BALANCE IS YOU HEALTH
SAYS IN TOTAL THE REQUEST OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL BE IN
THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 220 MILLION
DOLLARS HOSPITAL. EXACT SAY THE
HEALTH IMPACTS OF THIS CLOSURE
ON LOCAL PATIENTS ARE GROWING
WORSE AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS
OUTWEIGH THE IMMEDIATE
FINANCIAL COST OF
REESTABLISHING CARE. THEY WOULD
COME IN ONE OF OUR OTHER
HOSPITALS WHICH ARE ALREADY
HIGH VOLUME EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENTS, MANY TIMES TO DO A
PHENOMENAL JOB TAKING CARE OF
PATIENTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT
DESIGNED FOR THE VOLUME THAT
COMES IN WITH THE CLOSURE OF
THAT HOSPITAL. WE SEE THESE
PATIENTS NEEDING CARE CLOSER
TO HOME. SO WHAT IS THE
LIKELIHOOD OF ALL THIS REALLY
HAPPENING? WE WANT TO BRING IN
WRAL, STATE GOVERNMENT REPORTER
PULSE PAY NOW FROM A STATE
BUDGET PERSPECTIVE. PAUL, WHAT
IS THE LIKELIHOOD ECU HEALTH
REALLY GETS ALL THIS MONEY?
THEY'RE ASKING FOR?
>> WELL, IN THIS BUDGET, IT
SEEMS UNLIKELY. WE SPOKE TO A
STATE LAWMAKER TODAY WHO'S
INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET TALKS
NOW TO CATCH UP. STATE
LAWMAKERS AWAY. WAIT ON THE
SPENDING PLAN THAT THEY'RE
PUTTING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT
A COUPLE YEARS NEXT. FISCAL
YEAR AND SO THAT THAT'S IN
ACTION RIGHT NOW. THIS REQUEST
FROM ISSUE COMES IN A LITTLE
LATE. IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER OR
NOT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET
200 MILLION DOLLARS INTO THE
NEXT STATE BUDGET. BUT THE SAME
STATE LAWMAKER WE SPOKE TO SAID
HE DIDN'T WREAKED BY THIS IDEA.
THEY'RE TRYING TO GET MORE
DOCTORS AND MORE BEDS IN THE
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. SO THEY
MAY FIND A WAY TO DO IT OUTSIDE
OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, PERHAPS
IN ITS OWN BILL WILL SINK THE
ANSWER MAY BE MAYBE WE'LL HAVE
TO SEE LOT FOR US TO KEEP OUR
EYE ON HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO
KEEP DOING IT RIGHT NOW AT
HOME. YOU CAN READ OUR IN-DEPTH
COVERAGE ON ALL THINGS. MARTIN
GENERAL RIGHT NOW ON WRAL COM.