(APN) DECATUR – The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, November 06, 2007, amended a resolution passed last month in order to more quickly deliver emergency funding to the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority for Grady Hospital.
Commissioners had passed a resolution on October 09, 2007, calling for a one-time payment of $5 million for Grady Hospital to be delivered 60 days after its passage.
Finance Director Dr. Michael Bell noted at the October 23, 2007, budget review committee meeting that 60 days would be on December 09, 2007, the deadline for the hospital to submit its plan to DeKalb commissioners for improving its financial standing.
Commissioners decided it would be best to amend the October 09, 2007, resolution in order to expedite the payment.
DeKalb County will now make this one-time $5 million payment to Grady, while the Hospital Authority continues to formulate its plan for resolving Grady’s financial crisis.
If the Hospital Authority fails to deliver that plan to DeKalb Commissioners by December 09, 2007, the $5 million payment would be deducted from DeKalb County’s 2008 payment to Grady.
DeKalb Commissioners will consider at their regular meeting on November 13, 2007, a resolution introduced by Commissioner Elaine Boyer that concerns the financial relationship between Grady and Emory University’s School of Medicine.
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The resolution recommends the Hospital Authority and Emory pursue a new financial agreement that recognizes uncompensated in-kind benefits enjoyed by Emory.
In addition, the resolution recommends Emory assume responsibility for paying its own malpractice insurance and for settling and defending malpractice cases as well as adopting audit recommendations protecting the Hospital Authority from future overcharges by Emory.
Boyer’s resolution recommends the Hospital Authority reject inadequately documented claims by Emory for payments to the Hospital Authority and that refunds for overpayments be pursued.
Commissioners accepted Boyer’s resolution as a substitute to a resolution introduced by Commissioners Larry Johnson and Connie Stokes.
That resolution called on a reduction in Hospital Authority payments to Emory and Morehouse College’s medical schools to reflect in-kind benefits both schools enjoy by using Grady as a training ground for medical students.
About the author: Jonathan Springston is a Senior Staff Writer for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at
jonathan@atlantaprogressivenews.com
