State Sen. Ben Nevers has criticized Baton Rouge-based Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division and Gov. Bobby Jindal for staff and service cuts at LSU's Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center in Independence, La., claiming LSU and the governor do not have a plan to continue providing care for the community, according to an Amite-Tangi Digest report.
The system has notified roughly 76 Lallie Kemp employees of imminent layoffs, according to the report. In addition, Lallie Kemp may close its oncology unit due to a $14 million loss of funding — the result of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals' $859.2 million reduction of Medicaid funds. The hospital has already closed its ophthalmology clinic and podiatry clinic.
"These cuts are being implemented at Lallie Kemp without any plan," Sen. Nevers said, according to the report.
When asked to comment, Bruce D. Greenstein, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, said, "Far from not having a plan, we have quite a comprehensive plan across all of the LSU hospitals. Part of that plan is to be working with other community hospitals in the geographic region. Right now we're in the process of working with and identifying other partnering hospitals and determining what that relationship will look like. As it stands today, we already have relationships that are in the development process in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and just yesterday we announced Lafayette hospital market. So we're continuing to move to formalize these relationships.
"We look forward to working closely with Senator Nevers and keeping him informed."
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The system has notified roughly 76 Lallie Kemp employees of imminent layoffs, according to the report. In addition, Lallie Kemp may close its oncology unit due to a $14 million loss of funding — the result of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals' $859.2 million reduction of Medicaid funds. The hospital has already closed its ophthalmology clinic and podiatry clinic.
"These cuts are being implemented at Lallie Kemp without any plan," Sen. Nevers said, according to the report.
When asked to comment, Bruce D. Greenstein, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, said, "Far from not having a plan, we have quite a comprehensive plan across all of the LSU hospitals. Part of that plan is to be working with other community hospitals in the geographic region. Right now we're in the process of working with and identifying other partnering hospitals and determining what that relationship will look like. As it stands today, we already have relationships that are in the development process in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and just yesterday we announced Lafayette hospital market. So we're continuing to move to formalize these relationships.
"We look forward to working closely with Senator Nevers and keeping him informed."
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