Mississippi News
Greenwood Leflore Hospital to lay off up to 80 employees
Struggling to stay open, Delta hospital to lay off dozens
Greenwood Leflore Hospital will lay off as many as 80 employees in an effort to cut costs and keep the hospital open through the end of the year as it continues takeover negotiations with the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
The hospital’s interim CEO Gary Marchand announced the plans in a memo to hospital staff Friday morning. Marchand wrote that the hospital’s administrators decided to maintain current services, including emergency, surgical, inpatient, outpatient diagnostic services, and outpatient treatments including cancer and wound care.
The staff cuts will affect as many as 55 full-time and 25 part-time employees.
“Today we are announcing a further reduction in our staffing so that all remaining services can be adequately and consistently matched to current patient volumes,” Marchand wrote. “While unfortunate, we believe this will allow the best option for current services to continue into early next year.”
The struggling 208-bed hospital employs more than 600 people. It suspended inpatient services entirely in August following a sewage leak, transferring patients to other hospitals in the area. It reopened 12 beds in late August; it’s unclear how many beds are currently open.
The hospital has been negotiating a takeover deal with UMMC since the summer. Marchand told staff last week that negotiations had hit a road block over the hospital’s outstanding debts to Medicare and deferred maintenance costs, together totaling around $9 million. UMMC did not want to assume those debts in taking over hospital operations.
The City of Greenwood and Leflore County last week agreed to put up $4.5 million each to cover the hospital’s debts and deferred maintenance.
Any deal would require approval by the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), which oversees colleges and universities in Mississippi. Because the two parties could not resolve the debt issue in time to finalize documents before the IHL’s last scheduled board meeting of the year on Nov. 17, any deal will likely have to wait until early 2023. Marchand told staff last week that staff cuts and possibly service reductions would be necessary to keep the hospital open.
UMMC could ask IHL to hold a special called meeting to approve any documents as soon as they are ready, but UMMC spokespeople have said there are no plans to do that. They would not explain why.
UMMC did not respond to a request for comment Friday morning.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Defendant in Mississippi auditor’s ‘second largest’ embezzlement case in history goes free
SUMMARY: Four years ago, Tunica nonprofit operator Mardis Jones was arrested for allegedly embezzling over $1 million from a county home rehabilitation program funded by casino revenue. The state auditor accused Jones of misusing funds meant to help vulnerable residents, claiming little money reached contractors. Jones’ defense cited poor program administration and insufficient evidence of theft, with a jury ultimately acquitting him last month. Despite the criminal acquittal, the auditor’s office demanded repayment through a civil claim, which the attorney general’s office had yet to act on, but recently confirmed receipt of the demand letter. The case highlights issues in government oversight and program management.
The post Defendant in Mississippi auditor’s ‘second largest’ embezzlement case in history goes free appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: June 27-29
SUMMARY: This weekend (June 27-29) in Mississippi offers a variety of events across the state. Central Mississippi hosts the Kiwanis Club of Pearl Golf Tournament, multiple hot air balloon events including the Mississippi Championship Hot Air Balloon Festival in Canton, and exhibitions like Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers in Jackson. There are also family-friendly activities such as Guys and Dolls Jr. in Natchez, Pilates and yoga events in Jackson, and farmers markets in Jackson, Natchez, and Vicksburg. The Pine Belt region features Story Time with a Soldier in Hattiesburg, immersive theater experiences, karaoke, and runs supporting recovery programs in Laurel.
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Mississippi News
Traveling for July Fourth? When to expect the worst traffic, busiest airports
SUMMARY: With the Fourth of July on a Friday, AAA expects a record 72.2 million Americans to travel domestically over the long weekend, including 61.6 million by car—a 2.2% increase from last year. Busiest driving days are July 2 and 6, with afternoon hours the most congested. Major highways in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and New York will see peak traffic. AAA advises early departures and vehicle maintenance. TSA anticipates 5.84 million air travelers during the week, a 1.4% increase, with July 6 the busiest airport day. Popular destinations include Orlando, Seattle, and New York, while Vancouver tops international spots.
The post Traveling for July Fourth? When to expect the worst traffic, busiest airports appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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