CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Officials working to keep emergency medicine residents said they have reached a monumental deal to keep the program alive.
As KRIS 6 News has previously reported, Christus Spohn announced it would phase out its emergency medicine residency program by 2026.
That decision triggered concern from physicians, public officials and community members over the future of indigent care in the Coastal Bend. Those individuals began working with Christus Spohn to keep the program intact.
“I mean this is a situation where the community has come together, and we might just be able to have a good end result depending on how the votes go,” Nueces County Commissioner Brent Chesney said.
Chesney is part of the group that has been working to ensure the program does not shut down and nearly two weeks ago a proposal was submitted to the Nueces County Hospital District's Board of Directors.
That proposal was rejected, but a new agreement will be presented on Friday.
“While none of us think it is the greatest deal on earth, it at least saves those 52 doctors and principle to where we can figure out where to go with it from there. It buys us time and sometimes in life you must buy time so you can figure out that the best result is for the long term,” Chesney said.
This agreement states that over the course of six years the hospital district will pay Spohn just over $21 million to maintain this program.
It includes the hospital's commitment to maintain not only the program, but also the support staff and materials needed for the program.
“When things arise and turn up in the emergency room, and having a residency program there gives us assurance that people will get care when they need it,” Hospital District CEO Jonny Hipp said.
Hipp said the commissioners court will review the agreement on Wednesday and then it will go to the hospital district for a vote.
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