WSVN 7: Employees Rally for JMH Funds

MIAMI (WSVN) -- Hundreds of Jackson Memorial Hospital staffers, including doctors and nurses, turned out to rally for financial rescue for the ailing facility.

What had been planned as a march on a Public Health Trust meeting Friday morning became an impromptu rally, when the meeting was canceled. One of the largest unions of doctors, nurses and general staff organized the rally to protest proposed cuts of as many as 4500 jobs, including the closure of two satellite hospitals.

Jackson Health is on the verge of insolvency and a grand jury investigation into the nation's third largest public hospital's finances is underway. At one point, it looked as if supplies might have even been jeopardy, but the hospital was able to make a last minute deal with suppliers to keep medical items stocked.

On Thursday, Dr. Eneida Roldan, CEO of Jackson Health Systems, went to Tallahassee to request $100 million in rescue money, but her pleas fell short. She has now turned to Miami-Dade County to request a lump sum of $80 million in order to shore up cash flow. This comes as she and members of the Public Health Trust plan to work through the weekend to form some sort of salvage plan, which they hope to present to county commissioners on Tuesday.

Dr. Gerard Kaiser, who is with Jackson Health System, urged the public not to fear, that the hospital will be there for them. "I would like to assure the people of Dade County that all the facilities of the Jackson Health System are fully operational," he said.

Sara Kinsman attended the rally and said she and her fellow nurses are prepared to work through the crisis. "Nurses at Jackson, we're used to working hard. We'll manage. We're here," she said.