UTMB Hit Hard by Ike
The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX was established in 1891 and is known as the oldest medical school west of the Mississippi River. Last year, there were more than 37,000 admissions to UTMB hospitals, nearly 764,000 outpatient visits, and almost 71,000 emergency room visits. More than 12,000 faculty and staff work at UTMB’s main campus and its network of community-based clinics, making UTMB by far the biggest employer on Galveston island.
After sustaining a direct hit by Hurricane Ike, UTMB has been slow to recover and its future is in jeopardy. UTMB suffered over $700 million in damages from Ike with only $100 million covered by insurance, and given their $50 million per month payroll and impaired ability to generate income, this week university officials were warning of massive layoffs of up to 4,000 employees.
While UTMB president David Callender and UT System Chancellor Kenneth Chine said there would be no layoffs for now, they painted a very bleak financial picture for UTMB and acknowledged that jobs would be cut in the future.
The medical branch, which operates a hospital, research laboratories and a medical school, would return, but not as it was, Callender said.
Callender said that John Sealy Hospital, which supplies the bulk of the jobs at UTMB, would be reduced from a 600-bed facility to 200 beds. He also floated the idea that the hospital could be moved to a location in League City.
In my opinion, the fall of UTMB would represent the biggest tragedy of Hurricane Ike, and I hope that they can eventually survive this storm as they once survived the Great Hurricane of 1900.
Labels: disasters, health care crisis, hurricane, Texas, trials and tribulations
posted by scalpel at 11:49 PM
9 Comments:
Losing this hospital will be detrimental to the community. In Tulsa, we face a similar situation of losing a large community hospital, but ours is under different circumstances.
Clearly, I'm missing something, or woefully unaware of how things work.
Why on earth did the insurance only pay 100mil?
Were policy exclusions that great, did they not have enough coverage, or what?
I have an novel idea since it is Uiversity of "TEXAS" medical branch, then maybe the state of Texas should step up to the plate and support it's namesake medical school/hospital. Especially given the population it supports (inmates/the poor/Galveston Island population).
There seems to be some danger of UTMB being absorbed by UT Austin as a result of Ike.
Update Maybe some good news?
Oh no...
I think rebuilding on Galveston is a bad choice, although I think rebuilding anywhere but Galveston is a worst choice. Hopefully, sound minds will prevail and good choices will be made.
"Why on earth did the insurance only pay 100mil?
Were policy exclusions that great, did they not have enough coverage, or what?"
Could be either of those situations. If the hospital's or University's Risk Management folks did their jobs correctly, they should have made sure they had sufficient windstorm/flood/wind driven rain coverage.
-Chris M
Monday was the one-month anniversary of Ike's destructive landfall here on Galveston Island. Many, like me, have been displaced from our homes because of wind damage, flooding, and/or loss of power and water. It's going to be a while before I have a place to call my own again. But I have true friends I can count on and a strong faith that we'll get through this.
However, there are a few people who don't seem so sure. For example, some who attended last week's Town Hall meeting at UTMB went to find out if their jobs are still here. Well, let me tell you, I was there for a different reason. I went, along with many others, to stand up and let our coworkers and our community see -- WE ARE STILL HERE!
Like our t-shirts and banners say, we are here for the health of Texas.
We will still be here for our patients -- Texans, tourists, and everyone in between -- who benefit from the health care that our fine medical and nursing staff can provide. We will still be here for our students who seek the education to become the future doctors, nurses, therapists, and physician assistants of UTMB, of the great state of Texas, and around the world. We will still be here for the physicians who learn from our researchers about better ways to prevent diseases, cure patients with illnesses, treat victims of injuries, and comfort families and loved ones in their final hours.
It's going to be a long, difficult challenge. But I'm up for it. How about you?
We all know the history of the 1900 Storm. We know how the resilient citizens of Galveston, with the support of their fellow Texans, worked together to rebuild their homes, raise the island, and construct the Seawall along the beach to help preserve and protect this beautiful city that many of us call home. Sure, Ike proved that Galveston isn't completely invincible from the destructive force of hurricanes, even with the aid of the Seawall. But we will prove once again that we are stronger than any storm. To paraphrase the sign at a bank in Texas City -- "We WILL turn a setback into a comeback!"
Dr. Callender's theme for the Town Hall meeting was "Preserving and Protecting."
We've seen that the sand on the beaches is easily washed away by the water. Yet, the Seawall holds firm as a barrier against the waves.
So what are you -- sand or Seawall? Are you here to preserve and protect?
For those of you who have been relocated by Ike and plan to stay where you are (or if you know someone who is), step up to the plate. Send in your resignation letter now. Talk to your supervisors and let it be known. Give our administration that much more to work with. The administrative leave pay can't (and shouldn't) go on forever. If you're getting another paycheck somewhere else and you plan to keep that job, show your support for UTMB by giving your notice and giving up your paycheck here. We need those resources now more than ever.
For those of us who remain, I believe we can stand together to preserve and protect this great institution of health care, education, and research. I believe we can be the Seawall of UTMB.
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