The federal government is cutting funding to Medicare and Medicaid from Houston’s St. Joseph Medical Center. This hospital is now at risk of shutting down.
St. Joseph Medical Center is the Only Trauma Hospital in Downtown Houston
It is very likely that the hospital won’t be able to remain open for too long after Medicare and Medicaid have reduced funding. This hospital has always been an important source of healthcare for the homeless, and the most accessible medical facility to citizens living and working in downtown Houston.
The funding cuts will go into effect in December, which is unfortunate since winter time proves to be quite difficult for the homeless community. This cutback in funding is caused by the center’s failure to meet federal requirements in patient rights, nursing services and infection.
St. Joseph Medical Center is Not Apt to Be A Medicare-Certified Facility
According to David Wright, Deputy Regional Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, St. Joseph Medical Center did not meet the criteria to remain a Medicare and Medicaid certified facility. This all sprung from an incident where a 26-year-old patient has shot in the hospital this past August.
This Incident Cost St. Joseph Medical Center its Medicare Funding
The victim of this shooting survived, but his family later released a statement sharing their disappointment in St. Joseph Medical Center for not dealing well with a combative patient and choosing to shoot him, no less at the hands of an off-duty officer of the Houston Police Department. Their hope is that St. Joseph Medical Center will find this budget cut as a starting point in restructuring patient care.
