LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The CEO of University Medical Center says the cost of caring for Lubbock County inmates is rising and the hospital’s current financial situation is not sustainable, ahead of upcoming budget discussions in Commissioner’s Court.
UMC CEO Mark Funderburk said unfunded care costs the hospital about $100 million per year. Lubbock County taxpayers provide $36 million to offset that cost — and last year, 28 percent of that tax money went to correctional health care.
“The 28 percent is a big piece of a relatively small pie,” Funderburk said. “And what we have found is that as health care gets more expensive and our cost of care goes up, whether you’re a prisoner, inmate, or whether you’re a citizen of Lubbock, we need more support.”
UMC has been financially responsible for correctional health care for the county since 1998. Funderburk says while those costs started out at a million dollars a year, they’ve grown to more than $10 million, meanwhile the funding hasn’t kept up.
Funderburk said UMC has worked with the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center — which is contracted to care for inmates in the jail — to reduce costs. Two years ago, a dialysis center was built at the Lubbock County Detention Center to reduce the number of inmate patient transports to UMC.
“Every time a patient comes here, which happens every week, they have to bring guards. And that’s an expense to the county,” Funderburk said. “Well, we decided if we could have those patients stay there for dialysis, we could save the county some money and save ourselves some beds, if you will. And so that’s worked out great.”
Funderburk said UMC is an anomaly among similar public hospitals. In 2024, Lubbock’s tax base accounted for only 3.7 percent of UMC’s total expenses. He said hospitals in Midland and Odessa each receive more than $70 million from their respective counties. UMC also covers EMS care for the county in addition to correctional health care.
“We are very, very low. We’re grateful for every dollar, but we’re at 3.7 percent, six times less than what the average similar public hospital is collecting year over year,” Funderburk said.
The hospital district has held a no-new-revenue property tax rate for 13 of the last 16 years. Last year, UMC recommended that rate to Lubbock County Commissioners during budget discussions.
As Lubbock’s population grows, Funderburk said the need for expansion grows with it. The hospital plans to use cash reserves to expand its emergency room in the next few years. He said funding the construction is separate from the ongoing cost of operating an expanded facility, and that additional support would be needed for the latter.
“Lubbock has been, I think, blessed by UMC because of our stewardship and the many things that we have provided,” Funderburk said. “And so, I hope when people look at UMC, they will say it’s trusted and they’ve reached out to me and they’ve helped me when I need them. And so, I hope I’m going to support them in the future.”
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