The Shelby County Board of Supervisors approved to increase Public Health dollars to Myrtue Medical Center. In a board of Supervisors meeting this (Tuesday) morning, CEO of Myrtue Medical Barry Jacobsen approached the board to discuss the recently requested increase by Public Health Director Jennifer Muff. Jacobsen said for the past 18 years, the County has been contracted with the hospital to provide public health services. He told the board the contract amount beginning in 1994 hasn’t matched the expenses for the program.

“The fee we have received for the services started at $35,000 in 1994 and increased to $45,000. Two years ago, it went to $57,000. The contract amount hasn’t really come anywhere close to keeping up with the cost to run the program. In fact, the hospital lost $180,000 in 2011 and in 2012 $125,000. That is after we have received the subsidy from the county supervisors.”

Jacobsen went on to say the past increases were inadequate.

“We think it needs to go up significantly from where we are right now. We don’t think the increase in the past have been adequate. Basically, we are offering to continue this service until 2013-2014 year for the $100,000 that was requested at the previous meeting.”

After more discussion, supervisor Burmeister made the motion for a 3 year $100,000 annual base going to Myrtue Hospital for Public Health Services. With the new agreement, Myrtue will still have to pay a substantial amount in subsidized money to pay for the services. Jacobsen said the Myrtue Board of Trustees will review the actions at their next meeting. If the hospital and supervisors were unable to make some sort of an agreement, the County would have had to provide the services to the 10,000 people receiving public health services in the county.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)