Trump Medicaid Cuts Threaten ‘The Little Hospital That Could’ On Chicago’s Far South Side – ryan

Nor Dr. Khurram Khan Walks Around the Intense Care Unit of Roseland Community Hospital, he sees a list of things to improve

A handful of Nurses Work Surrounded by 10 Beds, Each Closed off with a curtain. But there are no doors or individual bathrooms for each patient. There are no Windows Eothher. The unit was at the center of the Hospital’s Response to the Covid-19 Crisis, and Now Khan, A 49-YEAR-Old internist, has a vision for something Better.

“If we can ever get the financing, the plan is to have a new 15-bed icu on top of our Current (Emergency Room) Because is really antiquated,“ Sayys Khan, Who Juggles as a Physician and Administrator at the Side Side Hospital.

Roseland Community Hospital, Open Since 1924, Describes itself As, “The Little Hospital That Could.” But it is expensive to face one of the Biggest Challenges Yet in the Coming Years as President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Makes Significant Changes to MedicaidThe Federal and State Health Insurance Program for Low-Incomes individuals.

A “Firing Squad” is my Egan, The Hospital’s President, Describes the Expectted Cuts. A Majority of Roseland Patients are on Medicaid, Acciting to the Illinois Hospital Report Card.

In illinois, as many as 330,000 People are experted to Lose Medicaid Coverage Over the Next Decade As Work Requirements in the Bill Passed this Summer Are Implemented for the First Time, and Enrolles have to prove eligiblity more frequently.

Hospitals Will Lose Revenue Because People with Health Insurance Will Seek Medical Care Less Frequently, Says Fred Blavin, A Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, A Washington, DC-Based Research Organization. And when they do, the care the patient needs at a hospital Will Likely Be Uncompensated.

As Khan Walks Around the 134-Bed Hospital, he Says the Expected Funds Will Mean the Hospital Will Have With Fewer Support Staff, Like Certified Nurses and Specialists Who Help Treats. They are Also already this want to Save Money by Reducing Medical Equipment like ventilators that were in Demand During the Peak of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

During a recent visits through the halls of the five-story, red-brick hospital, samp of the patuments khan pointed out were on Medicare or Medicare, the public health insurance for seniors. All the patients were Black.

Because of It It Its High Medicaid Numbers, ITH’S CONSIDERED A SAFETY NET HOSPITAL, ONE OF 20 IN CHICAGO THAT ARE PARTICURLY VULNERLABLE TO THE CUTS EXPECTED TO BE COMING TO MEDICAID. IT DOESN’T Turn Anyone Away and Provides Health Care for the Far Side Side Community of About 36,700 Residents, Accounting to A Data Analysis from Chicago’s Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

A Majority of Residents in this part of the City Identify as Black. About 10% of Residents in Roseland Lack Health Insurance. And About a Quarter have a Household Income Below $ 25,000.

AS A Result, Many People Walking Into Roseland’s Emergency Room offten use it for primary and urgent care, khan says. Doctors See Patients Who Are often in a More Advanced Stage of a Disease Becouse They Weren’t Able to Seek Medical Care Sooner.

And events for People who aren’t patients of roseland, area doctors offten reference people to the Hospital for Tests, Including Mammograms, Ultrasounds and Cat Scans.

A community hub

“This is like a hub,” Sayys Khan, who wears a Long Light Blu Medical Coat. “There’s a lot of Access to Health Care, so Pretty Much It Wauld Void Out a Big Portion of the Access that to Primary Health Care, but Also when they Critically Ill.”

Fluorescent Lights Illuminate the Muted Hospital Hallways. In a sorely empty part of the hospital’s Third Floor, the Chemical Smell of Dialysate-A Fluid Used for Dialysis-Fills One of the Beige-Colored Hospital Rooms. There’s usable seven to eighty patients a day who undergo dialysis, but khan says this is one service that it is elimated as a way to Save Money. It would be impact Emergency Patients and Other Facilities.

“The Ambulance Wold Just Have to Take the Furt and Further, and It Just Increas the Burden on the Further Hospitals,” he Says. “But the furthermore, it’s more Dangerous the Longer the patient waits to get dialysis – the late minute, Hours Matter.”

Down a White and Beige Hallway from the Dialysis Room, Khan and Yvonne Springfield, A Registered Nurse, Check in Two Patients in the Acute Care Unit. The two Elderly Patients Share A Small Room Cooled With A Window Air Conditioning Unit. This part of the hospital is sistly quiet except for khan’s voice as he talks to a patient.

Because Roseland doesn’t have a specializes EAR, Nose and Throat Department, Khan is trying to moving one of the patients to another hospital that offers the caare they need. He’s Had No Luck SO FAR – Nearby Christ Medical Center tourned say down.

In the meantime, Springfield places the patient’s feet in a Device to prevent blood Clots in the legs.

Nor Springfield Walks over to the patient, the person groans as a nursse reposions the Woman to the pressure she and the shes is feed.

“Feeling a Little Better?” Springfield Asks.

For Nurses Like Springfield, The Work Load is Only Expped to Grow Because of Funding Cuts. While the hospital has nursing requirements it must Maintain, it can make cuts to the Other Support Staff Like Certified Nursing Assistants. Nurses Wauld have to step in to help.

“The nursse (would have) … More respectibilies, like she would do wound care, she’s doing like what cnas would do – helping her out and positioning patients,” Khan Says.

Roseland Already Struggles Financially

The hospital is already in a financial hole related to the extra Costs of Paying for Nurses During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Khan Estimates the Hospital Owes Millions to Nursing Staffing Agencies.

“We’re Just Falling Bebind Because of the Lack of Funding as it is,” he says. “But Imagine, Like, if there anoter 50% cut at the federal level. … any cuts, at this point, as it is, for safety net hospitals would result in Complete Cloves.”

Across the State, 3.4 million Residents relay on Medicaid and Thousands are expensive to be flush out of the program as changes roll out, accorting to gov. JB Pritzker’s Office. Those Changes Are Bound to Affect Roseland Community Hospital.

In 2023, BetWeen 58% and 65% of In-Patients and Out-Patients at Roseland Community Hospital Were on Medicaid, Accounting to the Most Recent Figures from the Illinois Hospital Report Card.

Safety Net Hospitals Could Also Lose Funding Becauses of the Loss of Revenue from Provider Taxes, Which States us to Finance Medicaid. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” placed a moratorium on increasing these taxes, and an Analysis by KFF Found Illinois was one of 22 states that would have to reduce it provider taxes.

But the Illinois Health and Hospital Association is Holding Out Hope Those May Be Staved Until 2028 If State Legislation Moves Forward that Increasses Hospital ‘Provider, Which Waould A Fost Safety Net Hospals.

For Roseland, that Waled Mean A $ 10 Million Funding Infusion, Says David Gross, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Communications for the Health and Hospital Association.

“This plan to be a lifeline for Safety Net Hospitals in Chicago,” Gross Says.

But the plan is pending approval from the center for Medicare and Medicaid, a federal entity.

Er expert to Only Grow Busier

On the first Floor, the 19-Bed Emergency Department, Brightly Lit and Bustling, is the part of the Hospital Where People who Lose Medicaid Will Likely End up. Becuses of State and Federal Regulations, the Hospital Has to Treat All Patients and Can’t Turn Someone Away Because They Can’t Pay, Khan Says.

“I have a patient everywhere,” Khan Says, as he checks in on a Woman who came into the Emergency Room with Shortness of Breath and High Blood Pressure. AS Medical Machines beep in the background, khan explains the Woman, who and beliefs is on Medicaid, was diagnosed with pneumonia and Will Likely Remain Hospitalized for Five Days.

AS A Technician Walks Alongside Khan on the First Floor, he points out how updating x-ray will will Also be anssue with fining.

“Every Once of the Hospital Will Be Affected,” he Says. “There’s not an area of ​​the hospital that will be not affected by it.”