Nashville General To End Inpatient Care

NASHVILLE, TN — Mayor Megan Barry plans to end inpatient care at Metro's only indigent care hospital.

In a latter to Vice Mayor David Briley and members of the Metro Council, Barry noted that, on average, only 40 of the 120 beds at Nashville General Hospital are used and 20 percent of those are used for inmate care.

"Later this year, my administration will submit to the Council a substantial request for supplemental funds to stabilize Nashville General's fiscal situation so the hospital can continue to provide services and meet its financial obligations for the rest of the budget year. Meanwhile, we will work with stakeholders throughout the upcoming budget cycle toward a goal of refocusing Nashville General Hospital's operations to an ambulatory care model that provides high-quality clinic and other outpatient care services," she wrote.

The mayor said she also plans to create an indigent-care fund to ensure people who use Nashville General will continue to have their care provided either through General or other area hospitals.

Metro Government has provided nearly a half-billion dollars in subsidies for General's operations since 2005.

The news comes the same day that Meharry Medical College, the oldest historically-black medical school in the South, announced it was entering a partnership with HCA for its students to do hospital rotations at HCA's Southern Hills Medical Center.

While Meharry students often do rotations at General — the college owns the building, the college has had to send its students, sometimes at great expense, to out of state hospitals for other rotations. The new partnership is designed to ease that burden.

Watch Now: Nashville General To End Inpatient Care

Image via Metro Government