A group of state legislators try to save Cooper Green's - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports
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There have been more meetings, marches and petitions to try to save inpatient care at cooper Green Mercy Hospital in Birmingham. Since Tuesday, there have been at least three meetings with legislators. Only two commissioners have attended.
Here's the question: Is anything being said to change the vote of the majority of commissioners who want to close down that part of the hospital within 30 days?
Commissioner George Bowman and legislators in attendance couldn't say for sure if this would change the vote. They hope this will at least slow down the process. County manager Tony Petelos, who was in attendance at this morning's session, says the commission will meet again Monday.
"Closing inpatient care in 30 days, what impact it will have on the county, what impact it will have on the hospital, and how we can do that, so we are working frantically to get all that information so we can make presentation on Monday," said Tony Petelos.
Petelos says he hopes to have solid numbers by early Monday afternoon. The county commission is expected to meet at two o'clock. What happens after that, Petelos says is out of his hands.
"The decision is with five commissioner and they will have to make their own mind up," he said.
Commissioner George Bowman and legislators sitting in this room, hope a majority of the five county commissioners will hold off making a decision to close cooper green's inpatient care. Bowman, who voted against the plan, says there are other options on the table.
"There are several other plans out there. One of the plans that I happen to agree with is the creation of a health care authority and transferring the resources of the indigent care fund to the health care authority and taking the county totally out of the heath care business,"
State representative John Rogers is responsible for calling this and other meetings since the plan was announced earlier this week. Still, even he is not confident these discussions will bring about a vote change with commissioners.
"Do you feel like you're making any headway, any progress at all? no. That's why we're planning all these rallies. People are getting ready to get in the streets tomorrow, coming our in droves and get in the streets because they're ignoring us,"
Everyone in the meeting today agreed they don't want inpatient care closed. But what they can't seem to agree on is what exactly is the better solution. For instance, Bowman and Rogers like the idea of a health care authority. Representative Marika Coleman isn't sold on that idea.
Candace, representative Rogers did say he's willing to ask Governor Robert Bentley for a special session in the legislature. Governor Bentley says he has no plans of calling a special session right now.
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