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Anthony Cloud

Staff Writer

The Middlesboro ARH hospital hosted a celebration for the emergency department and recognize the top quality of the facility on Wednesday. U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, was the keynote speaker.

The main focus of McConnell’s speech revolved around the current health care problem in the U.S. and ObamaCare. McConnell stated the U.S. had problems with health care before the passage of ObamaCare.

According to McConnell, the federal government has been involved in health care and delivered legislation involving medicaid and medicare.

McConnell said that at first glance ObamaCare had a good deal of appeal because it focused on the question of how to get more people medically insured. The U.S. currently has 40 million people who are uninsured, according to McConnell.

Half of those individuals are young adults who choose not to have insurance. The other half are people who simply cannot afford the extra expense.

According to McConnell, ObamaCare was passed on a strictly partisan basis, adding that was not the case with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, civil rights or welfare reform. He claims the latter was done on a bipartisan basis.

“ObamaCare was jammed through,” said McConnell.

According to McConnell, $716 billion will be removed from Medicare in order to provide the subsidy for uninsured people.

“(It is) taking money from the elderly and using it on insurance for those who are not elderly,” he said.

McConnell said there would be a tax increase that will largely be levied on health care providers in the form of a medical device tax.

According to McConnell, ObamaCare will raise the eligibility for Medicaid, which will redefine the definition of poor. As a result, Kentucky will have 400,000 new Medicaid recipients.

He said the federal government “cannot pick up the tab” for these 400,000 new Medicaid recipients, and states cannot be required to accept the additional 400,000 people.

McConnell said that if the American people decide to go in a different direction — by choosing a new president — job one will be to repeal ObamaCare and replace the Medicare cut.

In closing, McConnell said it is the job of the people to leave America a better place for the children of the future than it was for those in the present.

The rest of the celebration revolved around Middlesboro ARH.

Michael Slusher, Middlesboro ARH Hospital’s CEO, said over 23,000 patients enter the hospital through the emergency room.

“The emergency department is the gateway to the hospital,” said Slusher.”These renovations allowed us to change our patient care process to better meet patient needs.”

Middlesboro ARH has increased the number of beds available for patients, constructed a new decontamination unit and isolation room, purchased all new emergency room equipment, created a designated space for police and EMS and provided a larger nurses station.

According to Dr. Maria A. Hortillosa, a service provider at Middlesboro ARH, said quality care has always a top priority.

Middlesboro ARH uses evidence based clinical processes shown to improve treatment in pneumonia, heart failure and surgical care, according to Hortillosa.

“This is a significant achievement (in quality care) as our community hospital has obtained the same status as world class hospitals,” said Hortillosa.

Jerry W. Haynes, president and CEO of Appalachian Regional Healthcare Inc., spoke briefly about some improvements that were made to the hospital recently. According to Haynes, all rooms on the first floor are now private.

Haynes said renovations have been made to the emergency department and lobby areas. There has also been a new cardiac catheterization lab added to the hospital. Haynes more than $3 million were invested in the improvements of the hospital.

Anthony Cloud is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. He can be contacted via email at acloud@heartlandpublications.com or by phone at 606-248-1010, ext. 208.