Erlanger's, and our, struggle

Erlanger Health System is our community's large and vitally important public hospital. So its financial circumstances should be of high interest not only to its patients and staff but to everyone else in the area, too.

Erlanger serves a great many people well. But it is painful to learn that the hospital is nearly $10 million behind budget for the current fiscal year, which began in July.

In just the month of November, Erlanger lost approximately $3.2 million in operations.

It doesn't help matters that this news comes when the hospital is already undergoing some unfortunate turmoil with the recent resignation of CEO and President Jim Brexler.

What struck us even more than the amount by which Erlanger is currently behind budget, however, was the massive amount of uncompensated care that the hospital provides to area residents.

Not quite halfway into the current fiscal year, Erlanger has provided uncompensated care totaling a stunning $33.52 million!

We do not want anybody who truly needs medical attention to do without it.

But neither should anyone pretend that medical care is "free" simply because a given patient does not or cannot pay for it. It has to be paid for somehow, and there is no wishing that away.

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