Tagged: missouri hospital association

Missouri hospitals report providing a record $1.1 billion of uncompensated care to patients in 2011.

Democratic Governor Jay Nixon is preparing to announce his support for a major health care initiative.

Nixon scheduled news conferences Thursday at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Barnes Jewish Center in St. Louis and Jordan Valley Community Health Center in Springfield.

He will be joined at some of the stops by officials from the Missouri Hospital Association and the Missouri Primary Care Association. Both groups are part of a new coalition urging Missouri to expand Medicaid eligibility as called for by President Barack Obama's health care law.

The Missouri Hospital Association said Missouri has reduced healthcare acquired infections for a number of years now.

Missouri Hospital Association Spokesperson Dave Dillon said for more than a decade they have been trying to create programs which lessen the chances for infectious mistakes in healthcare settings.

"When you’re cognizant of what you are doing you can reduce the type of steps that can cause an infection," Dillon said. "So, we’ve continued to see those rates move downward as hospitals have adopted those.”