Staff at Nashville General Hospital promised Metro City Council a reduced budget for 2018 in a document submitted to the city Department of Finance.
The document was in response to questions by city council members of originally about $19 million dollars in supplemental funding to extend the hospitals operation into the Summer of 2018. But in the report, the hospital claims to have reduced their need for funding to $13.1 million.
The original request was sent on November 29, but the Metro Council sent the hospital a number of questions about how much staff were being paid, data about charity care and information about projected expenditures and where the hospital stands now.
Nashville General Hospital received scrutiny from Mayor Megan Barry in Early November. The mayor announced plans to turn the hospital in an out-patient clinic. Supporters of the hospital were vocal, both in city council and community members who use the safety-net hospital.
"My concern is, if it closes. So much of an underserved population would have no place to go," said Deborah Martin, who oldest child was born in the hospital 45 years ago. Martin said she has used the hospital in the past and even claims to have worked there for a time.
"It's a place where you can truly feel a part of the home environment," she said.
Last week an audit of the hospital was released. Auditors claimed consistent financial errors in their findings of hospital accounts and other expenses. The auditors also expressed concerned about the hospitals ability to operate at the current financial level, despite admitting the hospital had gained some positive ground financially over 2016.
