>> ROSE LAND COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
ADMINISTRATORS ARE CALLING FOR
MORE STATE FUNDING TO KEEP THE
STRUGGLING SOUTH SIDE HOSPITAL L
AFLOAT.
COVID HAS EXACERBATED THE
HOSPITAL'S FINANCIAL NEED DUE TO
PART TO ADDED EXPENSES AND
EQUIPMENT AND OVERTIME FOR
HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
THE MOVE COMES AS FOUR OTHER
SAFETY NET HOSPITALS HAVE CLOSED
THEIR DOORS ON THE SOUTH OR WEST
SIDES SINCE 2018.
HERE TO DISCUSS THIS AND MORE IS
TIM EGAN PRESIDENT AND C.E.O. OF
ROSELAND COMMUNITY HOSPITAL.
TIM, WELCOME BACK.
WE SPOKE TO YOU TWO YEARS AGO,
WHEN ROSELAND WAS ALREADY FACING
FINANCIAL CHALLENGES.
JUST AS COVID WAS RAMPING UP.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HOW THE
HOSPITAL IS STANDING FINANCIALLY
RIGHT NOW?
>> WE'RE IN FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY
THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
MORE SO THAN WE WERE TWO YEARS
AGO.
WE HAD A GREAT FIGHT.
CREATED OUR OWN TESTING PROGRAM
FOR THE SOUTH SIDE.
THAT WAS EPIC EFFORT AND JUST A
TREMENDOUS CHANGE IN THE CURVE
OF COVID IN THE BEGINNING.
BUT THIS LAST ROUND OF OMICRON
REALLY WOUNDED US.
YOU MENTIONED THE ADDED EXPENSE
WE ARE $6 MILLION IN DEBT RIGHT
NOW TO NURSING AGENCIES ALONE.
AND THAT IS CRIPPLING TO US IN
OUR BUDGET.
>> $6 MILLION TO NURSING
AGENCIES ALONE THAT HELP YOU
STAFF YOUR NURSES IN THE
HOSPITAL, CORRECT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, OUR COVID NUMBERS
SOARED DURING OMICRON.
WE HAD A SHORTAGE OF NURSING
LIKE EVERY OTHER HOSPITAL ACROSS
THE UNITED STATES WE HAD TO PLUG
THE HOLES AND HAD TO USE NURSE
AGENCIES AND DURS THE FIRST
STAGES OF COVID IT WAS
UNDERSTANDABLE TO PAY $10 MORE
PER HOUR AND THEN THE AGENCIES
TOOK ADVANTAGE DURING THE
OMICRON AND RAISED THEIR HOURLY
WAGES BY ALMOST 200% IN SOME
AREAS.
AND IT'S BEEN ABSOLUTE
DEVASTATING.
>> HOW MUCH TOTAL WOULD YOU SAY
IS NEEDED TO KEEP THE HOSPITAL
AFLOAT?
>> WELL, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
FIGURE OUT A WAY TO SOLVE THAT
$6 MILLION DEBT AND THEN WE HAVE
OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN
HAD TO SHUT THOSE PROGRAMS DOWN
LIKE OUR ADOLESCENT BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH UNIT.
TO HAVE THOSE THINGS PUT ON
PAUSE, WE NEED INFLUX OF FUNDING
TO GET THOSE PROGRAMS BACK UP
AND RUNNING.
AND EXPAND THE REST OF THE
SERVICES WE HAVE.
INCLUDING A CYCLE CELL ANEMIA
CLINIC.
>> IN RESPONSE TO THE BNG
PROPOSAL, THE SENATOR JONES HE
CALLED FOR MORE INVESTMENT IN
SAFETY NET HOSPITALS SAYING
QUOTE SAFETY NETS MAKEUP 19.1%
OF OUR STATE HOSPITALS AND CARE
FOR OUR STATE'S MOST VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS.
WE MUST INSURE THEY ARE FUNDED
PROPERLY AND EQUIPPED WITH
STAFFING AND RESOURCES I URGE
THE GOVERNOR TO RELEASE THE $30
MILLION FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE
PLAN FUNDING FOR SAFETY NET
HOSPITALS.
WHAT HAS THE STATE AND FEDERAL
INVESTMENT LOOKED LIKE
THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC FOR YOUR
HOSPITAL?
>> WELL, IN THE BEGINNING THE
FEDERAL INFLUX OF FUNDING WAS
OUTSTANDING.
WE GOT A PPP POOL OF MONEY THAT
THE PAYROLL PROTECTTION PLAN WE
IMMEDIATELY TURNED IT OVER TO
OUR EMPLOYEES.
THOSE HEROS ON THE FRONTLINE
THEY GOT HERO PAY AND THAT DRIED
UP.
AND THE REST OF THE MONEY WE GOT
SOME OF IT THROUGH COVID.
BUT A LOT IS STILL SITTING ON
THE SIDELINES.
AS TIRED, FRUSTRATED AS ANGRY AS
I AM, WE ARE FORCED TO --
FORCED TO BEG DOWN IN
SPRINGFIELD EVERY SPRING JUST TO
KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN.
>> WHAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO
PROTECT SAFETY NET HOSPITALS
SUCH AS ROSELAND?
WHAT ARE YOU ASKING FOR IN
SPRINGFIELD?
>> AS AN OUTSPOKEN LEADER I HAVE
A TARGET ON MY BACK IF THAT
TARGET PUTS MONEY IN ROSELAND'S
BANK I'M WILLING TO DIE ON MY
SHIELD FOR SAFETY NET HOSPITALS
AND THAT MAKES ME OPTIMISTIC.
THERE ARE POOLS OF MONEY THAT
ARE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER TAX WE
DON'T NEED A CASINO WE DON'T
NEED MORE MARIJUANA SALES THE
MONEY IS THERE.
AND YOU MENTIONED TRANSFORMATION
THAT IS WHAT WE ARE PUSHING FOR.
WE'VE HAD A PLAN PENDING WITH
THE STATE OF ILLINOIS SINCE
APRIL OF LAST YEAR.
AND THAT IS A $40 MILLION
INVESTMENT OVER THE NEXT FIVE
YEARS SO WE CAN EXPAND OUR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND
BRING IN ORTHOPAEDIC PROGRAMS
AND EXPAND OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
TO INCLUDE HEALING CENTERS FOR
ADOLESCENT PATIENTS SUFFERING.
THAT TRANSFORMATION IS
ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR THE
FUTURE OF ROSELAND COMMUNITY
HOSPITAL.
AND IT HAS A BROAD RANGE OF
SUPPORT FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS
LIKE OUR HERO SENATOR JONES,
WHAT A CHAMPION UNMATCHED.
>> WHY DO YOU THINK THE FUNDS
HAVEN'T BEEN RELEASED?
>> SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN
RELEASED IN PILOT PROJECTS WE'RE
WAITING FOR OURS.
AND THAT BROAD RANGE OF SUPPORT
WE HAD IS FROM THOSE ELECTED
OFFICIALS OTHER HEALTHCARE
PROVIDERS, THE MEDICAL DISTRICT
COMMISSION AND THE BETTER HEALTH
SUPPORTS OUR TRANSFORMATION
PLAN.
ONE PLANNER LOOKED AT OUR PLAN
AND SAID IT WOULD BE A SIN IF
ROSELAND DOESN'T GET THIS
TRANSFORMATION PLAN FUNDED FROM
THE STATE.
>> TIM, ANOTHER CONCERN FOR
HOSPITALS HAS BEEN THIS ONGOING
WORKER SHORTAGE.
COVID CASES ARE ON THE DECLINE.
ARE YOU SEEING MORE NURSES AND
DOCTORS RETURN TO WORK?
WHAT IS YOUR STATUS THERE?
>> NOT YET.
WE ARE ABSOLUTELY HEAVILY
RECRUITING OFFERING SIGN ON
BONUSES INCREASE IN WAGES.
WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT INFLUX OF
NURSES BACK YET A LOT OF THE
NURSES THAT LEFT THE CHICAGO
AREA THEY WERE GETTING BONUSES
OF $25,000 IN TEXAS AND TRAVEL,
LIVING EXPENSES.
THEY WERE GOING WHERE THE
HIGHEST BIDDER WAS.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN THEM COME BACK
AND WE'RE PRAYERFUL THAT THE
NURSES DO COME BACK.
I WILL GIVE THE STATE OF
ILLINOIS A THOUSAND PERCENT
CREDIT FOR THE POOL OF NURSES
THEY HELPED PROVIDE FOR SAFETY
NET HOSPITALS.
WE HAD 36 NURSES COME THROUGH
AND HELP US FROM THE STATE OF
ILLINOIS AND WITHOUT THAT WE
WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY HAD TO
SHUTDOWN OPERATIONS.
THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAME TO
OUR AID AND RESCUE AND I GIVE
THEM A THOUSAND PERCENT KUDOS