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Last updated 9:56 am CT February 09, 2010.
Southern Seven Forced to Layoff
Southern Seven provides basic health care to Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, and Union counties. The cuts will close four facilities in Hardin, Johnson, Pope and Pulaski Counties. The remaining clinics will limit their service.
Southern Seven Executive Director, Nancy Holt, says yesterday was one of the toughest days of her career.
"We had to go yesterday and tell the staff, effective November 24th, that they would be temporarily laid-off until such time the state paid us some money."
Holt says they've worked on a shoe string budget for years, but this time, the three month delay in state payments is just too long...
"When we get past the payroll period that we're in now, that we don't have money in the bank to pay anymore payroll for the entire staff."
So, some of the only public health care facilities, in one of the poorest parts of the stat, will have to close.
So what Nancy's saying is, all these patients and thousands more, will have to find another place to get healthcare. Three clinics will remain open but only with limited services. Holt says, three administrators will stay on board to run those, but at reduced pay.
"And trying to cover those services for the entire 7 counties with those 3 people. Is that even feasible? Its gonna have to, that's our only option at this point."
Holt says, what's most irritating, the fact that she and her staff have held up their end of the bargain, but the state let them down.
"And it's unfair and it's unfortunate and I feel bad for our staff. And I feel terribly bad for the residents of these counties that rely on us for our services."
Holt says she hopes the closings are only temporary, but at this point she doesn't know when the facilities might re-open.
The public health clinics aren't the ones seeing cuts. Southern Seven also provides children's services, such as pre-k programs and at home care. Officials say up to 15 early childhood staffers could also be laid off.
Mandy Moore works with children and their families at Southern Seven. After next week it's likely she'll be out of a job.
"I'm passionate about what I do, I love working with families and my staff. They're my family too, they're my second family. So it's hard."
Officials with Southern Seven say they're waiting for the state comptroller's office to release their funding. But, they also say, it would only be a temporary fix to a much larger problem.
By: Rachel Gartner
rgartner@wsiltv.com
Now: 1265731513
