GALVESTON — The University of Texas System Board of Regents will meet in a private teleconference today to discuss personnel and legal issues related to hurricane recovery at The University of Texas Medical Branch, where thousands of jobs are on the line.
Medical Branch President Dr. David Callender is expected to update the regents on the latest conditions at the island campus, which incurred $710 million in Hurricane Ike-related expenses and as some employees, unable to wait for federal or state funding to arrive, are seeking jobs elsewhere. Regents aren’t scheduled to take action and the discussions are closed to the public.
The briefing comes as the county’s largest employer is struggling to sustain a $70 million monthly payroll. With their offices and work places damaged, about 4,133 medical branch employees who are unable to fulfill their usual duties have received some “Adverse Weather Leave,” pay, according to the latest figures provided by the medical branch. Some of those employees may be working two or three days a week or not at all, officials say.
Last month, some powerful lawmakers stepped in to stop UT System officials from laying off 4,000 employees, some whose homes had been severely damaged by the hurricane. But that was just a reprieve. Lawmakers have yet to commit any money.
The medical branch, home to Texas’ oldest medical school, continues to pay employees who aren’t working, but Callender has said that it couldn’t do so indefinitely.
The medical branch, the county’s largest employer, is counting on state lawmakers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offer relief.
Some employees, however, can’t wait that long. Since the hurricane, about 89 medical branch employees have retired or resigned. Officials with the medical branch, which has about 12,000 employees throughout the state, say that the number of people leaving isn’t abnormally high.
Hurricane Ike struck Sept. 13, causing severe, widespread flooding. It knocked major revenue generators for the medical branch out of commission, including the 550-bed John Sealy Hospital. The teaching hospital’s emergency room is working on a “treat and transfer” basis.
Before the storm, the medical branch has long been known for its Level 1 Trauma Center, putting it among a small number of hospitals across the nation capable of handling the most serious types of injuries, including mass casualties, such as refinery disasters. There are only 13 Level 1 trauma centers in Texas.
It’s been widely speculated that medical branch officials would announce a decision on layoffs after the Nov. 4 election. The regents today aren’t expected to make decisions about work force issues, officials say.
Even before the storm, the medical branch, long charged with caring for the state’s indigent, struggled to stay in the black. Lawmakers each legislative session have been unwilling to fully fund care for the state’s uninsured and underinsured, which the costs the medical branch about $120 million a year.
Before the storm, the medical branch faced a $35 million deficit, despite efforts to slash costs.
Now the storm-slammed institution, with only $100 million in flood insurance and only about $160 million in unrestricted reserves, is running out of cash.
The regents will convene again in a regular meeting in El Paso on Wednesday and Thursday. The agenda for that meeting will likely be made public Friday afternoon, Flores said.
