VERO BEACH — About 98 percent of registered nurses at Indian River Medical Center rejected a new contract and notice will be sent to hospital officials that nurses will picket or go on strike at 7 a.m. Jan. 24, nurses union spokesman Steve Myers said Wednesday.

The nurses’ contract, which was rejected on Wednesday evening by Teamsters Local 769, the union that represents the hospital’s 467 registered nurses, would have added about $500,000 to IRMC’s budget.

But the additional cost of the contract and last year’s $4.2 million budget shortfall should not affect hospital district taxes, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Susi said Wednesday at a meeting of the Indian River Taxpayers’ Association.

Money collected from the Indian River hospital taxing district, which provides cash to county health-care agencies, pays for two specific programs at Indian River Medical Center: $6.5 million for indigent care for county residents and $1.6 million for indigent prenatal care.

More than half the budget shortfall — a $2.6 million loss — came from Indian River Medical Center’s heart surgery unit, which performed about 50 fewer procedures last year than officials expected. The hospital, which is operating with a $179 million budget this year, was able to make up the loss with cuts and investment and philanthropic money.

A renegotiated nurses’ contract would have to significantly raise the cost of a single day of care for an indigent patient to affect the taxpayers, Susi said.

Susi also explained to taxpayers at the association meeting why the Indian River Medical Center’s philanthropic foundation contributed more than $800,000 to his retirement account two years ago. Susi, who earns a base salary of about $412,000 annually, said the payment represented six years of retirement benefits.

In the future, as government and insurance reimbursement rates falter, Susi said the hospital will rely heavily on philanthropy. Hospital officials also hope to create residency or fellowship programs as an added incentive to attract doctors.
By Hillary Copsey, TCPalm.com

Tags: budget, cash, chief, contract, hospital, Indian River Medical Center, medical, nurse, nursing, picket, raise, raises, s, strike

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