by Malcolm Butler
During Tuesday night’s monthly Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting, one of the main agenda items was a public hearing in regard to the adoption of an ordinance to authorize the collection and rate of a local hospital tax.
Allegiance Health Management (AHM) has requested that the LPPJ vote to assess a new tax on the hospital which could unlock additional Medicaid funding, helping the healthcare system in Lincoln Parish.
During the 20-minute public hearing, two local residents spoke as Bill Jones and Dr. Rel Gray addressed some of their concerns.
“I have always been proud of Lincoln Parish,” said Gray, a longtime area physician who also spent time as a police jury member years ago. “We have always striven to be the best. I think I’m qualified to comment on this as a physician. When I first came here, we were building the present hospital. The old hospital wasn’t much. We were proud of the new one. Thirty to 40 years ago people came from all over north Louisiana for medical care. That was a real source of pride.
“Now the word on the street and from my patients is if you want care, go to Bernice or Jonesboro. Imagine that, but that’s what I hear. …. I don’t know why, but that’s what I hear. I would like for this hospital to once again be an attraction for patients from all over.
“I am not opposed to a new hospital, but I say let’s make this one an attraction first to prove that we can run it right. I agree with Bill. We would like to have the money, but in the words of President (Ronald) Reagan, ‘Trust, but verify.’ We need some way to make sure that money goes to patient care.”
If Allegiance’s tax request is passed, the hospital would be taxed millions of dollars that would then go to the state and ultimately to the feds. Those monies would then be returned two- or three-fold, generating millions of dollars of additional funding that could be spent within the parish.
“I know it sounds strange that the hospital wants to pay this assessment, but the assessment goes into the Medicaid program and the state’s share of funding Medicaid is roughly 27 to 37 cents (on the dollar),” AHM attorney Nicole Frey told jurors during the March LPPJ meeting. “The federal government pays the rest. So, this is a funding mechanism to draw down more federal money that comes back to (NLMC) to help it counter its costs.”
According to District 8 juror Chris “Moose” Garriga, it’s a topic that has been voiced to him repeatedly by constituents, mostly in regard to assurances that the money would stay in Lincoln Parish.
“Since I have been a juror, this topic I’ve been confronted about more than anything else,” said Garriga. “Whichever way this goes, I do think it’s sad that (AHM CEO) Rock (Bordelon) wasn’t here or someone from legal to answer some of these questions from citizens and some people here.
“I feel like this is a great opportunity for us to give the hospital some financial ease to help make itself better. … I want Kathy and Rock and others to understand that this community has to have this money stay here.
“I want (this message) pushed up to Rock … that he has an opportunity to make a good statement here, and the ball will be in his court if this goes in favor of getting the money. He has a chance to make this hospital better or break the public opinion of the hospital and make it go a different way.”
Most of the 20-minute public hearing consisted of Jones asking Hall numerous questions about assurances that the money would stay in the parish. Although Hall did her best to answer the questions, there were some that she simply couldn’t respond to but she promised to work diligently to get the answers.
Hall told the LPJ following the meeting that she is confident that the additional monies would be used to better the healthcare system in Lincoln Parish.
“I’ve invited the Lincoln Parish Police Jury to come up and tour the facility,” said Hall. “They are welcome to come and see what the money is being invested in. Rock has made a commitment to the community. He has already invested close to $17 million into the hospital and the clinics that have been purchased.
“He is committed to the community. The hospital was neglected for years, and we have spent several million dollars replacing equipment. The need is there.”
Hall said that the hospital and clinic have added 14 new doctors over the past few years, one example of steps that are being taken to improve the healthcare system. She also talked about updating equipment and purchasing new state-of-the-art medical equipment such as the da Vinci XI, a robotic surgical system.
“To recruit a doctor here is so expensive,” said Hall. “No one realizes those things. We have worked diligently to do that. Anyone is welcome to come anytime they want to.”
“Most providers when they finish their residency they have anywhere from $250k to $275k in debt. You have to mitigate that. It’s part of the recruiting process. Not only are you paying a salary, but you are also paying student loans back for those individuals to try to get them here.”
Following the end of the public hearing portion of Tuesday night’s meeting, the jurors voted 9-2 in favor of adopting the ordinance authorizing collection and rate of local hospital assessment. District 9 juror Joe Henderson and District 11 juror Diane Richard voted against the ordinance while District 4 juror TJ Cranford was not in attendance.
“What we are doing tonight is adopting an ordinance that authorized us to levy an assessment,” said Parish Administrator Courtney Hall. “We are not levying the assessment tonight. We are just getting the authority to do it.
“There is another step that we have to take. I think as Kathy mentioned, we have to get the numbers that we can collect … the hospitals voluntary assessment. They provide that to us. We put it in a resolution, and we adopt it. That’s the mechanism trigger if you will. What we are doing tonight is simply putting in place the authorization to do that.”
LPPJ President Glenn Scriber said that the vote that will come in the June meeting would be for one year and that any annual renewal of the tax would have to be voted on each subsequent year, which would serve as a pseudo safeguard.
“We have been told that this money will be used in our parish,” said Scriber. “Without anything in writing, we have to have trust that this will indeed happen. That is what the jury will have to get comfortable with between now and when we vote on this in June.
“As a jury we don’t want to stand in the way of helping healthcare with this money that can be brought to Lincoln Parish. We are always called to do what is best for our parish and we don’t want to stand in the way. That’s our goal. We want to feel comfortable that this money will be used locally.”
