Northeast Ohio health care providers say they are making difficult decisions after millions in federal funds earmarked for the region weren't approved when Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government in March.
Funding that didn't move forward included money for University Hospitals to offer critical care transport for medically frail newborns, renovating MetroHealth's Level 1 trauma and burn center and buying emergency advanced imaging equipment for Geneva Medical Center.
The pause on congressional community spending caused a headache for Erie County Health Department Health Commissioner Eric Schade, who was forced to scrap a project to build a county-run facility for inpatient addiction services. The facility would have helped people who completed detox, but weren't ready to return home.
“We don't have an inpatient facility in Erie County," Schade said. "The closest one would be basically in Cleveland or there's a small one in Toledo that is booked."
Schade said they will repurpose a critical care facility to make due.
“If we have an event where we need the critical care unit that we built, we're going to just keep juggling these balls," he said. "It's always going to be a challenge for us.”
University Hospitals requested funding for two neonatal incubators, citing a growing need for the transport of newborns to pediatric care centers.
"We are disappointed that we can no longer complete this project due to lack of funding," Ansley Kelm, a UH spokesperson, said in a statement. "We are actively seeking private donors and hope to complete this project philanthropically."
Meanwhile, MetroHealth spokesperson Will Dube said the system is also working to identify other funders to complete the necessary renovations to its main campus ER.
Debate around congressional community spending continues as some lawmakers said they removed the proposed bipartisan funding from the spending bill to streamline the budget process and because of the potential for misuse of the funds. Critics said the projects only made up a tiny portion of overall government spending, and were critical to community development and public health.
The following Northeast Ohio health projects didn't receive Congressional earmarks:
- $902,500 to University Hospitals Geneva Medical Center for advanced diagnostic imaging equipment (Computed Tomography scanner and a Magnetic Resonance Imaging unit)
- $2,000,000 to The MetroHealth System for facilities and equipment (To renovate emergency department)
- $400,000 to University Hospitals for equipment (Support growing need in critical care transport for newborns)
- $2,000,000 to Erie County Health Department for facilities and equipment (Inpatient treatment center)
- $100,000 to Youngstown City Health District for facilities and equipment (To develop community health improvement plan)
- $1,500,000 to Coleman Health Services for facilities and equipment (Building behavioral health urgent care in Canton)
- $279,000 to Kent State University College of Nursing for nursing education, including the purchase of equipment (For advanced training equipment)
