The Clarksdale Press Register from Clarksdale, Mississippi • 1

Statist He tJ c-'i 122nd Year-Number 51 Clarksdale, Mississippi, Monday Afternoon, March 2, 1987 28 Pages in Three Sections 25 BesP- 1 lisswiiiips3'' 3 County's poor puv burden on medical cenier -s ii ft wv i ib Kl! Indigent care, bad debts are biggest problem By RORY REARDON Staff Writer Unless new or additional means to pay for uncompensated care can be found, the survival of the Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center may be in doubt, said Clifford L. Johnson, executive director. His comments were made to Rep. Mike Espy (D-Miss) during a luncheon at the Medical Center Saturday, and before some 40 doctors and hospital officials who attended. Johnson said he was not talking about what might happen in a decade or so, but in the very near future.

Using graphs and charts to explain the dilemma, Johnson showed that the cost of uncompensated care has risen from $1,929,749 in 1980, to J7.191.986 in 1986, much above the national average. "It doesn't take a Harvard business degree to realize that if you give away one-third of your business, you won't ever make a profit and probably won't survive," said the executive director. The amount of uncompensated care is equal to: the combined amounts of charity care, plus the amount of bad debts, plus the amount of differences i jr. Rep. Mike Espy (D-Miss), second from left, tours the Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center Saturday with Medical Center Executive Director Clifford Johnson far left, Chief of Staff Dr.

W.B. Johnson Jr. and Espy's brother, Henry Espy of Clarksdale. Members of the press accompanied the group on the tour and at a press conference at the Medical Center, Johnson said the cost of providing uncompensated health care is threatening to close the facility's doors. -Photo by Reardon Coahoma County is the large, medically indigent population, said Johnson.

The problem is that all third party payers cannot pay the full cost of care for the patients within Medicare Tornado clean up begins and Medicaid programs, he added. Cost shifting, which is shifting non-paying patients' debts to the bill of paying patients, was an acceptable means when the 1 A 'A i 4 If1''? ro. $1 I I amounts were small, Johnson said. Today, 25 percent of a private patient's bill goes to the care of governmental and charity patients, plus bad debts. Because of the population here, Johnson said he didn't think the hospital could continue shifting the cost.

Johnson presented Espy with a list of ways he might help the Medical Center on the federal level. It included: more equitable distribution of rural funds; designating the Medical Center a regional referral center because of the large number of out-of-county patients; expediting federal payments; and searching for any indigent care grants. Noting that he made the trip to the hospital to learn about its problems, Espy told Johnson he was willing to help in anyway possible. However, Espy did take the opportunity to explain his opposition to President Reagan's proposed budget. "I've had a chance to review the President's budget, and I tell you.

I'm not happy with it at all," he said. "It's bad for the health of America." As Mississippi's only congressman on the House Budget Committee, Espy said one-third of the President's deficit reduction proposal is in the area of health care. He said the administration's budget proposes cuts of $9 billion in health care, including cuts of 1 4 0. A frf I Glade ripped through the small communities of Powers, Tucker's Crossing, Jenkins and Mosselle. About 75 percent of the injuries were minor, Carlos said.

Carlos said it was fortunate that the tornado hit on a weekend, when there were no children in the three hard-hit schools including one in Glade that was destroyed and that residents had 15 minutes' warning. The twister was spawned by a storm packing 45 mph winds that downed trees and power lines from Rankin County, near Jackson, to the Alabama border. Another tornado reportedly county attorney in Tunica County and county judge in Sunflower county. His political history has not been without controversy. Prior to being elected Tunica County Attorney, it was questioned whether McDowell had met necessary residency requirements, and while in office, a Tunica County Grand Jury indicted McDowell on fraud and conspiracy charges.

He was cleared of those charges. In Sunflower County, McDowell was a member of the $4.7 billion in Medicare and $1.7 billion in Medicaid. At the same time, Espy said, the president is attempting to raise $551 million through increased Medicare and Medicaid premiums. The budget meetings are intense, he said. Because of the deficit reduction tuts mandated under the Gramm-Rudman Act, Espy said some people warned him that it may not be in his best political interest to have a seat on the committee, especially since rural America would be the most effected by the cuts.

But Espy said he's glad he's involved. "I'm glad I'm in there when that door closes to lobby, talk, and argue for the interest of the people of my district." The former Yazoo City lawmaker said the problem at the hospital is macro, not micro. He said what is needed is a better economy and putting more people to work so they can pay their hospital bills. NWRMC has 194 beds and usually averages about 129 patients. With 575 employees, it is the county's largest "employer and has an annual payroll" of more than $7 million.

Over the past decade, the Medical Center has spent approximately $7 million on new facilities, including the new Critical Care Unit. Following the meeting, Johnson said of Espy. "We do have an advocate in Washington now, and I don't think we've had that before; I think he's going to help the district." touched down near McComb, but only minor damage was reported, including several uprooted trees. "The center of the storm was about two miles from the city, and we were very, very fortunate that the track wasn't a couple miles to the north or we would have been really hit hard." Laurel Mayor Sam Lind-sev said. Gov.

Bill Allain called the damage the state's worst since April 22, 1984, when four tornadoes killed 15 people and caused $18 million damage in Yalobusha County. The storm flattened homes and trailers in Glade, a community of about 300. Democratic Executive Committee for several years, but was kicked off the committee in 1977, after unsuccessfully running for mayor of Drew as an independent. McDowell also served as member of the Penitentiary Board from 1971-76, and was the state director for Head Start from 1972-76. He has previouly run unsuccessful campaigns for both the legislature and circuit court judge.

i i i Espy on four between costs and payments received for government sponsored patients and some health Insurance plans. A major factor contributing to uncompensated care in firings, no wholesale requests for resignations," a spokesman said. Marlin Fitzwater told reporters, however, that White House counsel J. Peter Wallison has indicated a desire to leave, and that Wallison will be replaced by A.V. Culvahouse, a partner with Baker in the Washington law firm of Vinson Elkins.

Wallison had been Involved in coordinating Reagan's responses to various investigations into the Iran-Contra affair. With Reagan preparing to address the nation this week on the Iran-Contra arms affair, Baker conducted his first staff meeting, which Fitzwater described as "humorous, but to the point." Meanwhile, the presidential spokesman said Reagan stands behind the nomination of Robert M. Gates to be CIA director, although Fitzwater said Gates was scheduled to meet today with Baker. "I have no knowledge of his (Gates') position," Fitzwater said. "It's a matter for Mr.

Gates to decide." iliwn Laura Skipper (left), June Skipper (right) and Barbara Rasberry search through debris Sunday that was a home in Powers, before a tornado tore through the area Saturday. Seven people were killed and over 100 injured by the tornado. -AP Laserphoto Seven dead, hundreds homeless By DAVID BEARD Associated Press Writer LAUREL (AP) About 3,000 volunteers pitched in to clean up the wreckage left by a tornado that killed seven and left nearly 500 families homeless when it caused millions of dollars in damage along a 20-mile path. "We're going house to house. If there's anything we can do.

we'll do it," Andy Mayfield, part of a 22-man contingent from a Jackson Baptist church, said Sunday. The Saturday morning twister injured at least 145 people, destroyed more than 330 homes and damaged about 300 as it carved a path 2 miles wide through mostly rural Jones County, skirting Laurel, a city of 21,000, officials said. "It's entirely possible that when all estimates are in the losses could be well over $25 million," Carl Carlos, the county's civil defense director, said today. "We're talking about a real tragedy." "Right now what we need here are volunteers with chainsaws and strong backs," Carlos said. "We have people out there who have nothing left but rubble." Survivors on Sunday poked through clothing and broken furniture for their belongings, work crews used chain saws to clear away snapped pines in nearby Glade, and the owner of a used clothing shop gave clothes to the homeless.

"This is my living, but God bless me, my house didn't get torn up," said Margaret Rose, who lives two miles north of Glade. "I'm just happy to be alive." Damage to three schools alone could run to $7.5 million, Carlos said. He said assessment teams sent in by the state should have a complete damage estimate later todav to be included in the McDowell DREW Delta attorney and civil rights activist Cleve McDowell announced Saturday that he would seek the House seat vacated by the recent death of Rep. Guy "Williams. From 1977-79, McDowell was the managing attorney of the Clarksdale office of North Mississippi Rural Legal Services.

McDowell, 46, presently serves as vice mayor of Drew, but indicated that he would actively seek the District 30 House of Representatives seat. So far, Former Sen. Howard Baker of Tennessee arrived at the White House Monday for his first day on the job as President Reagan's chief of staff. Baker replaces Donald Regan, who resigned Friday. -AP Laserphoto Baker on the job as chief of staff state's application for federal disaster status, which would make residents eligible for grants and low-interest loans.

The area's poultry industry was hard-hit by the storm, with the destruction of about two dozen chicken houses. Carlos estimated about 360,000 chickens either were killed or set loose by the tornado. Six deaths, including that of a 15-year-old boy, were caused directly by the tornado, and one person died of a heart attack related to the storm. County Coroner Henry Dobson said. The Red Cross said 492 families were left homeless by the twister, which in addition to to seek District 30 house seat WASHINGTON (AP) -Former Sen.

Howard Baker took over today as President Reagan's White House chief of staff, promising "no wholesale River on rise The Mississippi River is at 23.1 feet on the Helena gauge today and is expected to rise to 27.3 feet by Thursday. "That will be a pretty rapid rise," says Joe Mooney, chief engineer of the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee District, "and people who have boats or other property near the river may want to take the necessary precautions." Mooney says present signs also indicate an additional six-foot rise by Thursday week, and that could cause minor flooding on the river side of the levee. He suggests that this prospect also be kept In mind by people who have interests along the river. however, Gov. Bill Allain has neither announced a special election to fill the vacancy, nor appointed anyone to serve the remainder of Williams' term, either of which is the governor's option in such circumstances.

"Since a special election was called to fill the late Sen. (Howard) Dyer's seat, I assume a similar procedure will be followed here," McDowell said. McDowell is presently the field secretary for the Mississippi Chapter of the NAACP and has previously been elected.