Federal funding cuts force hospital to slash 100 jobs

To help close a $25 million gap in federal funding, Atlanta-based Grady Memorial Hospital plans to cut 100 jobs, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The layoffs will cut about $6 million from Grady's spending. How the rest of the gap will be filled is up in the air, spokesman Matt Gove said.

Grady is seeing less government funding, yet growing demand from greater numbers of uninsured patients, CEO Michael Young said at a board meeting yesterday. The hospital funding to pay for poor and uninsured patients from the indigent Care Trust Fund dropped from $88 million in 2010 to $63 million for 2011. In 2009, Grady--which is a provider of the last resort, offering no-cost or subsidized care to those who need help--considered cutting back on charity care for the uninsured.

More efficient operations due to the hospital's new electronic medical records system, which debuted in November, will make up to 45 percent of the layoffs possible, Young said, as duties such as data input now will be automated. Other cuts will come from support.

No doctors or nurses will be laid off.

To learn more:
- read the Atlanta-Journal Constitution article