Dear Neighbor:
We need your help. The Crozer-Keystone Health System is the largest employer in Delaware County and provides trauma care, burn care, maternity services and care for the uninsured and underinsured.
The proposed 2009-2010 Pennsylvania State Budget contains significant cuts to our hospitals’ Medicaid funding. The proposed budget eliminates all supplemental funding for burn, trauma and maternity care and contains aggregate funding cuts that are $10 million below our current funding level. These cuts affect healthcare services that people cannot go without.
In the past few months, our health system had to eliminate 400 positions. Employees accepted a wage freeze and accepted a suspension, for one year accrual for service to their defined benefit pension plan to address the impact of the economic downturn and changing patient utilization.
More Delaware County residents are losing their jobs and health care insurance. With more people uninsured or covered by Medicaid, the burden to provide care is more difficult.
Restoration of the $10 million in hospital funding cuts to the Crozer0Keystone Health System is essential to maintain hospital services.
We need your help. Please tell Rep. Lentz to restore our funding. Here’s how you can help:
1. Log on to www.crozer.org
2. Click on the box in the center of the page that says, “Tell Your Lawmakers…”
3. Choose “I am a concerned citizen” from the Alert Information page
4. Read the message in Section 1 and fill out your name
5. Fill out all fields in Section 2
6. Review the letter, if desired
7. Click on “Send Message” to send it to your legislator.
We appreciate your taking the time to stop cuts to our hospitals.
Sincerely,
Joan K. Richards
President and Chief Executive Officer
Crozer-Keystone Health System
