LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The CEO of University Medical Center says the cost of caring for Lubbock County inmates is rising and the hospital\u2019s current financial situation is not sustainable, ahead of upcoming budget discussions in Commissioner\u2019s Court.<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 and last year, 28 percent of that tax money went to correctional health care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 28 percent is a big piece of a relatively small pie,\u201d Funderburk said. \u201cAnd what we have found is that as health care gets more expensive and our cost of care goes up, whether you\u2019re a prisoner, inmate, or whether you\u2019re a citizen of Lubbock, we need more support.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019ve grown to more than $10 million, meanwhile the funding hasn\u2019t kept up.<\/p>\n
Funderburk said UMC has worked with the Lubbock County Sheriff\u2019s Office and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center \u2014 which is contracted to care for inmates in the jail \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time a patient comes here, which happens every week, they have to bring guards. And that\u2019s an expense to the county,\u201d Funderburk said. \u201cWell, 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\u2019s worked out great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Funderburk said UMC is an anomaly among similar public hospitals. In 2024, Lubbock\u2019s tax base accounted for only 3.7 percent of UMC\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very, very low. We\u2019re grateful for every dollar, but we\u2019re at 3.7 percent, six times less than what the average similar public hospital is collecting year over year,\u201d Funderburk said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
As Lubbock\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cLubbock has been, I think, blessed by UMC because of our stewardship and the many things that we have provided,\u201d Funderburk said. \u201cAnd so, I hope when people look at UMC, they will say it\u2019s trusted and they\u2019ve reached out to me and they\u2019ve helped me when I need them. And so, I hope I\u2019m going to support them in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
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