CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice made it clear Friday afternoon he doesn’t want the state to get out of the hospital business one hospital at a time but maybe all at once or maybe not even at all.
Justice announced he’ll veto the bill he sent to lawmakers during the special session that would allow the state to divest itself from the Jackie Withrow Hospital in Beckley.
In a news release, Justice said he wants a comprehensive plan from state DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch.
“We need to evaluate our needs across the entire state, and this bill would only single out Jackie Withrow Hospital,” Justice said in the release. “Only focusing on one hospital won’t get the job done-it’s a half-measure. Secretary Crouch and his team have done a fantastic job of crafting a plan to help the patients, staff, and communities in need of a new state facility. It’s too bad that this legislation watered down the plan put forward by DHHR.”
The move has left some lawmakers scratching their heads. They wondered in social media tweets why Justice would veto a bill he put on the special session agenda.
This was a @WVGovernor bill & he just vetoed his own bill? #odd #wvpol
— Isaac Sponaugle (@isaacsponaugle) June 23, 2017
Crouch also released a statement Friday:
“Governor Justice has asked that I prepare a comprehensive statewide plan for all of our state facilities that will benefit the patients in our care, reward our dedicated employees, and generate economic development with new construction in the communities where these facilities are located,” Crouch said. “I will be working with the legislators from these areas to determine what course they would like to pursue, as well as with the staff of these facilities to get their input. I will also be meeting with city and county officials to discuss how we can make these projects an integral part of their communities.”
Justice originally sent a bill to lawmakers at the beginning of the regular session to privatize four hospitals including Withrow, Hopemont, Manchin Healthcare Center in Fairmont and Lakin Hospital in Mason County. The original bill didn’t get much traction but two separate bills dealing with Withrow and Hopemont did. Both were up for final passage on the final night of the regular session but fell just short.
Justice’s special session proclamation didn’t name specific hospitals but the separate Withrow and Hopemont bills came up from his office for lawmakers to consider. They passed Withrow but not Hopemont.
Crouch told lawmakers more than once the decision was made to put each hospital in a separate bill. Crouch has also said the goal is to get the state out of the hospital business. It currently operates seven facilities. Crouch said the state loses money in those operations.
Crouch told the House Finance Committee in March there were $366,000 in maintenance repairs needed at Jackie Withrow this year that the state can’t afford.
There was a protest outside the Withrow Hospital earlier this week. Gov. Justice referred to it in Friday’s announcement.
“I want the residents and the staff at Jackie Withrow to know that I hear them and that my focus is on providing the best possible care to our people. I’m vetoing this bill because we can’t settle for upgrading just one hospital at a time. I want the Legislature to adopt the full DHHR plan to revitalize our state facilities,” Justice said.
The bills spelled out plans to have the beds the hospitals are licensed for sold to private companies that would build new hospitals in the same areas. Longtime state workers would be offered severance packages, Crouch has said on several occasions.