There was another protest and the promise of sit-ins as the battle to save inpatient care at Jefferson County's Cooper Green Mercy Hospital grows. Tuesday morning the commission will vote, but not before county manager Tony Petelos shares the latest numbers on the hospital's performance.
Commissioner Bowman says there has been a lot of misinformation and a lot of accusations made against cooper green and the hospital's management. He says there are audited statements going back five years to prove otherwise.
Early Monday a small but vocal group of protestors stood on the steps of the county courthouse, vowing to fight shutting down inpatient care at the hospital. So far a week of protests has done little to change the minds of a majority of county commissioners.
"Based on the information that I have today and that I have reviewed, I believe that the best way to deliver cost effective health care to the indigent is to eliminate inpatients services and focus our energy on expanding outpatient services," said Commissioner president David Carrington.
Carrington stands firm. By Tuesday he believes he will have the numbers to back up his vote. To this point, Carrington told ABC 33/40 Cooper Green has more than 500 budgeted positions for approximately 35 inpatients per day.
Protestors this morning didn't want to hear it. Reverend Calvin Woods organized Monday's protest. Representatives from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the NAACP joined with commissioners Sandra Little Brown, and George Bowman, the only two commissioners to vote in favor of keeping the hospital as is.
Even though the number of those at the rally was small Woods promises a sit-in for Tuesday's vote.
"Business will not be as usual. These are not ordinary times and we will not act in ordinary ways. We are going to keep a constant presence at this county commission," said Woods.
Now, as for a lawsuit filed by the city against the county to stop the shutting down of inpatient services, Carrington says because of the chapter nine bankruptcy, all litigation is suspended as it relates to assets.
Commissioner George Bowman held a news conference of his own to address accusations of misappropriation of funding and mismanagement of hospital assets. He says audits and bookings proves that is not the case.
