Hugh Greene, president and CEO of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Baptist Health, said his board of directors looked at a $3 million loss for the behavioral health department and said, "Keep up the good work," according to a Florida Times-Union report.
It may sound unnatural, but Mr. Greene said the board was commending Baptist for providing more needed services than it was reimbursed for, especially in a time when many health systems are cutting back psychiatric beds for economic reasons.
"Let me share some harsh realities from the hospital industry," he said in the report. "Hospitals across our state and region and the nation have cut back on money-losing psychiatric beds."
Mr. Greene said services for the mentally ill are "never adequately reimbursed," and beds that could bring in patients for more profitable care are taking psychiatric beds' place in many organizations.
Mr. Greene said five-hospital Baptist Health is expanding its mental health services, but cannot do so fast enough to meet demand. A recent mental health facility Baptist opened on the already has a three-month waiting period, for instance.
Mr. Greene made these comments at a meeting for Jacksonville Community Council's community inquiry into mental health services, according to the report.
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