Safety Net Hospitals' Role - Safety net hospitals, comprising only 5% of US hospitals, provide 28% of all charity or free care in the country [1] - These hospitals serve the poor, vulnerable, uninsured, underinsured, and Medicaid patients, acting as a crucial safety net [1] - Safety net hospitals offer essential services like emergency care, primary care, behavioral health, preventive checkups, cancer screenings, and trauma care [1] Financial Challenges - Safety net hospitals face inadequate reimbursement rates that don't cover the cost of care for the poor, leading to financial strain [1] - Underpayment results in deferred maintenance, outdated technology (e g, mammogram machines), and excessive wait times due to lean staffing [1] - Reimbursement for the same procedure at a safety net hospital can be 40% to 100% less compared to other hospitals due to patient's Medicaid insurance or lack of coverage [1] Systemic Impact - The closure or curbing of services at safety net hospitals can lead to overcrowded emergency rooms and delayed surgeries, affecting the entire healthcare system [5][6][8] - A weakened safety net disproportionately affects those who lose jobs, employer-based insurance, or are young adults aging out of their parents' insurance [7][8] - The value of a healthcare system lies in ensuring everyone has a place to land, emphasizing that access to healthcare is interwoven and not a gated community [10] Call to Action - The industry urges recognition, support, and appropriate funding for safety net hospitals to prevent their decline [12][13] - It emphasizes that healthcare is a right for everyone, not just a privilege for a few, and calls for health justice [1][12] - The industry asks to look beyond appearances and see the people receiving care and the mission-driven healthcare professionals in these hospitals [10][11]

getting to know your community can make a huge impact and um how you take care of people and um what you can do to really promote their well-being. Okay. Um so the Lakota people um are a part of the Oetti Shaki here in the Midwest.Okay. That name actually means friend or ally. Okay.Um there's three dialects, Dakota, Laot, and Nakota. And we're all um in this area. Um it's actually an Avengers movie that you can watch in Lakota.Fun fact. Um but uh you know that those are the people that have been in this are ...

Republican and Democratic senators are trading ideas on healthcare funding to forge a path out of the government shutdown https://t.co/Dr9scVSE9l ...