The Metropolitan Council voted Monday evening to offer the cash-strapped Nashville (Tenn.) General Hospital $17.1 million in subsidies, nearly $4 million more than the proposal made by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry last month, according to the Tennessean.
The Metropolitan Council's Budget and Finance Committee voted 12-0 to recommend approval of a $17.1 million cash infusion to help the hospital stay afloat through the end of its budgeting year in June.
Last month, Ms. Barry proposed providing the hospital with a $13.2 million subsidy, and tied the hospital's funding to a citywide hiring freeze. The city's plan eliminates the hiring freeze and instead creates an oversight committee to devise a plan for the hospital's future, according to the report.
The money would come from the city's "undesignated fund balance," which serves as the city's "rainy day" fund.
While the $17.1 million is more than Ms. Barry's proposal, the amount is still less than the figure requested by the hospital, which stood at $19.7 million, the report states. However, hospital officials said they were pleased with the outcome of the vote.
"We're very grateful," said Jan Brandes, MD, chair of the Hospital Authority of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County (Tenn.).
The full council was expected to vote on the proposal Tuesday evening.