Labor and Delivery task force to be formed, unit could close by April 8
The Labor and Delivery Unit at Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital received a temporary stay of execution Wednesday night. The BWWMH Board of Trustees voted in favor of an amended proposal that will create a Labor and Delivery Task Force to help turn the unit into something other than “a large negative cash drain” on the Tombigbee Healthcare Authority.
As part of the agreement, the Demopolis City Council and Marengo County Commission are expected to chip in a total of $68,000 to offset the cost of operating the unit for an additional 60 days.
If the task force’s findings and proposals are not approved by the BWWMH board, the unit will be set to close by April 8.
The proposal as approved by the BWWMH board is as follows:
Motion to postpone the closing of the labor and delivery department from 60 days to 120 days based on the following stipulations:
● That the City of Demopolis and Marengo County Commission either collectively or singularly provide a total of $68,000 to help cover the cost of keeping L&D open for the additional 60 days. This written commitment must be received no later than close of business on Friday, January 24.
● That a Labor and Delivery Task Force be created within the next (five) business days and be given the assignment of formulating proposal(s) and presenting to the hospital board within sixty days of today’s date (March 17) on how L&D can be restructured and operated in a way that would make L&D no longer a negative cash drain on THA.
● The L&D Task Force will be comprised of two from Hospital Administration, three from the Hospital Board, two doctors who deliver nominated by the Medical Staff, a councilman appointed by the Demopolis City Council, a commissioner appointed by the Marengo County Commission, and a Citizen-at-large appointed by (Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce)
● The Chairman of the Hospital Board will call a special-called board meeting to be presented the proposal(s) by the Labor and Delivery Task Force and will have a second called special board meeting within 5 days of receiving the proposal(s) to vote on the proposal(s) or any variation thereof.
● If the hospital board does not vote in favor of any proposal(s) presented to keep L&D open, then L&D will be closed down by Tuesday, April 8, 2014 with all appropriate scheduling of the orderly phasing out of the L&D department.