MIHS Board of Directors approves comprehensive budget

Board continues progress, maintains fiscal health by unanimously approving FY2008 budget

MIHS Press Release
June 29, 2007

PHOENIX - The Special Health Care District (District) Board of Directors approved Maricopa Integrated Health System's 2008 fiscal year budget after hosting a series of town hall meetings held in Chandler and throughout Maricopa County.

The $414 million budget - passed during Wednesday's board meeting - includes $46 million in voter-approved funds from business and residential property holders in Maricopa County. Increased property values mean the 2008 tax rate will fall from $11.84 to $9.35 per $100,000 in assessed value.

Arizona's only public health system supplies mandated services in several critical areas. In addition to providing care to the medically needy, it serves the entire region through the Arizona Burn Center and furnishes Maricopa County with Level One trauma and critical emergency services.

"Taxpayers do not want a national crisis of uninsured to overwhelm all the other vital services the District provides to this community," said Bil Bruno, who represents the citizens of District One. To that end, Director Bruno directed staff to find solutions and reduce costs related to uncompensated care. He asked that $10,000,000 in the projected uncompensated care budget line be removed without sacrificing quality or forcing doctors to ration care. This year, the SHCD projected nearly $60 Million in the cost of uncompensated medical care.

The Board also reinforced its commitment to medical education by allocating $500,000 to initiate a new residency program in orthopedic surgery. Maricopa Medical Center is the Valley's largest teaching hospital and trains more than 400 physicians every year.

As part of its budget discussion Wednesday, the board remains united in its quest for federal Disproportionate Hospital Share (DSH) funds meant for hospitals that serve lower income patients.

Since 2004, Maricopa Medical Center has received only $16.8 million in DSH funds. Using the DSH formula, it should have received $363.6 million in reimbursements sent from the federal government to the State of Arizona. The newly-passed State budget allocates just $4 million of the $59 million of DSH funding for the District's health care provided to the indigent and uninsured.

In the fall of 2003, voters approved the creation of the Special Health Care District with the passage of Proposition 414. Since then, a stunning turnaround has taken place under the leadership of the District Board of Directors and MIHS CEO Betsey Bayless. "We owe it to the citizens of Maricopa County to spend the money they work hard to earn responsibly and I believe we have done that in this budget." Bruno said. "My fellow board members and I are determined to continue providing quality care in a fiscally responsible manner to the taxpayers."

About Maricopa Integrated Health System - Maricopa Integrated Health System is headquartered in the heart of Phoenix. The cornerstone of the system is Maricopa Medical Center (MMC), a major teaching hospital with a history dating back more than 100 years. Best known for its critical care services, the hospital offers Level One trauma and intensive care for adults, babies and children. Two in-patient psychiatric care centers with nearly 200 beds provide services in behavioral medicine. The nation’s second largest burn treatment facility, the Arizona Burn Center, located on the main hospital campus, treats more than 800 patients per year. Eleven family health care centers are located throughout the Valley, providing primary and specialty care ranging from well baby to HIV-AIDS patient services. For more information about MIHS, visit www.mihs.org.

Last updated on October 7, 2008