Miller Couse Pleads Case For Hospital Money

MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- Miller Couse, appearing before the Glades County Commission this wee, as a member of Hendry Regional Medical Center Foundation provided an overview of services HRMC provides citizens of Glades County. Couse noted that 16% of the hospital’s patients have Glades County zip code addresses, and more that 17% of the indigent care costs were for Glades County citizens, with those costs to the hospital averaging more than a million dollars per year in 2005 and 2006.

He announced the hospital's plans to construct a new emergency room, surgery suite and laboratory at the hospital estimated to cost 4.7 million dollars, and establishing an Urgent Care center in LaBelle costing 2.7 million. He noted the LaBelle facility will provide more services for Glades county citizens living near LaBelle in the communities of Muse and Ortona just across the river. Glades Commission

Chairman Jones drew the consensus of the Board to plan to include discussions of providing funding to HRMC in the upcoming budget workshops, hoping to at least match the City of Moore Haven’s pledge of $150,000 over three years.