Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #336FY0102

Shands Jacksonville Emergency Department/Trauma Center

Requester:

Otis Story

Organization:

Shands Jacksonville

Project Title:

Shands Jacksonville Emergency Department/Trauma Center

Date Submitted:

1/18/2002 1:45:34 PM

Sponsors:

Betty Holzendorf, James King, Stephen Wise

Statewide Interest:

This project benefits the health care needs of the citizens of Northeast Florida that require access to the emergency areas at Shands Jacksonville by increasing their access to emergency care and treatment.

Recipient:

Shands Jacksonville

Contact:

Penny Thompson

655 W. 8th Street

Contact Phone:

(904) 244-3007

Jacksonville 32209

Counties:

Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, St. Johns

Gov't Entity:

Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit):

Yes

Project Description:

Shands Jacksonville's role as a critical safety-net hospital is in serious jeopardy.� Shands Jacksonville has inadequate cash reserves, long-term debt beyond debt capacity and accounts payable well beyond credit limits.� Operating gains alone cannot produce sufficient revenue to overcome the years of under-capitalization prior to Shands ownership in 1999.� The years of systematic under-funding of programs and capital that resulted from years of operating losses that must be addressed for the long-term survival of the hospital.� Shands Jacksonville must identify and secure necessary capital over the next five years to stabilize existing operations, reduce exposure to debt and fund regular investments in the physical plant, new technology and clinical programs.� As the second largest provider of the uninsured in Florida, the solution requires the participation of partners including the City of Jacksonville, Shands HealthCare, the University of Florida College of Medicine, and the State of Florida.� The Emergency Department-Trauma Center at Shands Jacksonville has well over 100,000 patients visit annually, has the largest emergency medicine training program in the southeast, and is the only Level I Trauma Center for adults and children north of Orlando.� As a trauma center, Shands Jacksonville helicopters serve as first response to 15 Florida counties and second response to 5 additional Florida counties.� As part of the national network, Shands Jacksonville is also on the front line in homeland defense.� Yet, the current facility is over 30 years old.� Having outgrown the physical facility, patients often receive treatment in hallways and curtained cubicles.� Long waits and overcrowded conditions compromise access to emergency and trauma care.� Many patients leave before receiving treatment.� The five components of the department - Trauma Center, Intensive Care Unit, Urgent Care, Pediatrics and Fast Track, provide the only access to health care for many citizens of Northeast Florida.� The trauma/emergency department serves as a true safety-net provider by treating the vast majority of uninsured, underinsured, poor, and self-pay citizens in Duval County and Northeast Florida.� Over 40% of the patients are self-pay, are poor, and have no insurance or other means to cover their medical care.� Therefore, Shands Jacksonville requests $5 million per year for the next 5 years from the State of Florida to enable the hospital to improve access to the federally mandated care it must provide.� By being an active partner in this recapitalization plan, the state will ensure that Shands Jacksonville can continue to be the statutory teaching hospital and safety-net provider that the people of North Florida so desperately need.

Measurable Outcome Anticipated:

Improved access to emergency treatment and care and faster, more cost-efficient care of the patients served in the emergency areas.� Reduce the number of complaints filed with the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Amount requested from the State for this project this year:

$5,000,000

Total cost of the project:

$25,000,000

Request has been made to fund:

Operations

What type of match exists for this project?

Private

In-Kind Amount:

$1,000,000

Was this project previously funded by the State?

Yes

Fiscal Year:

2001-02

Amount:

$3,000,000

Is future-year funding likely to be requested?

Yes

Amount:

$5,000,000

Purpose for future year funding:

Recurring Operations

Will this be an annual request?

Yes

Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?

No

Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?

No

Is there a documented need for this project?

Yes

Documentation:

Hospital Admissions and physician visits increased; 110,000 visits last year

Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?

Yes

Hearing Body:

Duval County Legislative Delegation

Meeting Date:

9/25/2001