Community opposes hospital closing

The multi-billion-dollar University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is quickly moving to close the Braddock hospital on Jan. 31. The labor-community struggle to keep the hospital open is continuing.

As of Jan. 15, the hospital has stopped admitting new patients. UPMC officials say they will move whatever patients remain to other facilities — including to the new $250 million facility being built in Monroeville, Penn., roughly 10 miles away from Braddock — by the end of the month. The only competitor to UPMC in the area is in Monroeville.

The closing of UPMC Braddock, announced in October, has been met with objections from members of the mostly impoverished Braddock community and has received attention from local media as well as many activists. Residents are worried and concerned, as many do not have transportation and would have to rely on public transportation to help them get to appointments at the new facilities.

UPMC officials have claimed lower occupancy rates as a reason for closing the Braddock hospital. But the 2007-2008 rate of 72.4 percent was higher than six other area hospitals, and UPMC did not figure in behavioral health beds used for alcohol and drug detoxification programs. UPMC claims of dwindling occupancy and financial hardships with the Braddock location simply do not gibe with the facts.

UPMC President and CEO Jeffrey Romoff received over $4 million in 2008 compensation alone, a figure that hasn’t escaped the attention of activists.

Past rallies have been well-attended and enthusiastic. A Nov. 19 rally in pouring rain brought hundreds of residents, Steelworker union retirees and students to protest the injustice of UPMC’s decision. About 130 protested on Jan. 15, the last day of new patient admittance, many holding signs reading, “Shame on UPMC.”

On Martin Luther King Day a march highlighted reports that federal authorities may investigate whether the UPMC is violating civil rights laws by closing its hospital. This is brought on by a lawsuit by Charles McCullough of the Allegheny County Council and an assertion by Braddock City Councilmember Jesse Brown, who protests the move of the facility from the predominantly African-American neighborhood to a mostly white area. Brown is seeking an injunction that would keep the hospital open while an investigation is conducted. Concerns about what would be done with the vacant structure are also on the minds of many in the community.

Upcoming events include weekly planning meetings and a scheduled rally outside UPMC Braddock hospital at noon on Jan. 30. For up-to-date information visit www.savebraddock.com.