ULL officials, hospitals warn budget cuts damaging

• By RICHARD BURGESS
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: Jun 9, 2009 - Page: 6A

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LAFAYETTE — Proposed state budget cuts to health care and education could lead to the loss of 525 jobs in Lafayette Parish, according to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, area hospitals and Acadian Ambulance.

ULL President Joe Savoie, Acadian Ambulance CEO Richard Zuschlag and the presidents of area hospitals held a news conference Monday to urge the state House of Representatives to restore at least 75 percent of the proposed cuts.

Zuschlag said 53 jobs at Acadian Ambulance could be on the line if the full cuts go through.

He said even restoring 75 percent of the proposed cuts would leave a substantial reduction.

“That would be difficult and hard, but we could manage that,” Zuschlag said.

Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Lafayette General Medical Center, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and smaller hospitals in the area reported a combined loss of 450 jobs should the full cuts be implemented.

The state budget cuts affect the private hospitals and ambulance service because those businesses depend on reimbursement from government health programs.

For example, the administration’s budget cuts Medicaid ambulance rates by 7.16 percent, which would translate into a loss of nearly $2 million for Acadian Ambulance, according to information from the company.

Savoie said that, if the full cuts are implemented, an estimated 22 jobs at ULL that will become vacant in the near future will not be filled.

The cuts could result in furloughs, he said.

Regardless of whether 75 percent of the proposed cuts are restored, Savoie said, the university is looking to reduce course offerings, to reduce the number of adjunct professors, to implement a hiring freeze and other measures.

Savoie said higher education is facing what amounts to a 25 percent reduction when considering the midyear budget cuts this fiscal year, the proposed cuts and the expenses the state once covered but is now passing on to universities.

“That’s too much to take on,” he said. “This is much more than an equitable share of reductions.”