The flood of immigrants is overwhelming the only hospital in a border city, the facility’s director told Fox News.
Yuma Regional Medical Center, the only hospital within a 60-mile radius, has been forced to delay care for residents to treat dozens of illegal immigrants, many of them pregnant women.
Meanwhile, the hospital accumulates millions in unpaid expenses. Over six months, caring for immigrants has cost the 406-bed facility at least $20 million with no one picking up the bill, according to the center’s president and CEO, Dr. Robert Trenschel.
A HOSPITAL IN PUEBLO FRONTERIZO HAD TO DELAY THE ATTENTION OF RESIDENTS TO TAKE CARE OF MIGRANT PATIENTS. LOOK:
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“It’s an unsustainable model to have that unexpected expense without any income to offset it,” Trenschel said. “It’s a no-win situation.”
“We are running out of resources,” Trenschel said. “We had to hire additional staff.”
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In all, about 6 million migrants, including 1.2 million “fugitives,” have crossed the southern border since President Biden took office, according to Customs and Border Patrol.
El Paso, Texas, another border city, declared a state of emergency amid a surge of immigrants in December. Local hospitals were used for shelter as the shelters were over capacity.
“It’s also unfair to the residents of our community, because we’re providing free care to these people,” Trenschel said. “Residents of our community don’t get free care.”
She also told Fox News that her center’s maternity unit has reached capacity as the largest number of migrant patients requiring care are pregnant. The next closest hospital, 62 miles away, recently stopped providing labor and delivery services.
“We would have to delay some of the planned inductions for our residents because of that,” Trenschel said. “Our residents have had to suffer for that.”
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Hospital staff have faced additional burdens negotiating language barriers and providing medical equipment to ensure a safe discharge, Trenschel said.
“These people require at least three times the amount of human resources to resolve their cases and secure a safe discharge as a regular patient at our hospital,” Trenschel told Fox News. She said many migrants are also admitted with serious illnesses that require extensive care.
The hospital is also overflowing with flu and COVID-19 patients. Trenschel said his staff is overworked and tired.
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The executive director of Yuma Regional Medical Center says his hospital staff is happy to help any patient, but can’t keep up with the influx of migrant patients receiving free care.
(Courtesy: Yuma Regional Medical Center)
Trenschel also warned that there could be dire consequences if Title 42 is removed. Ongoing legal disputes could finally put an end to the Trump-era policy that allows border officials to quickly remove illegal immigrants on health grounds.
“If Title 42 goes away and we have another increase, surely it could be a public health emergency,” Trenschel said.
Trenschel has discussed the hospital’s concerns with Arizona elected officials and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The hospital administration hopes that the federal government will find a solution to cover the unpaid medical expenses.
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“People pay attention and are willing to listen, but no one has solutions,” Trenschel said. “We’ve been at this for over a year.”
“If we continue to have these extraordinary expenses that are not reimbursed, it could have a significant impact on the hospital,” he added. “We need a source of payment to keep this hospital sustainable, viable for the future.”
To hear more from Trenschel on the impact the surge of immigrants is having on a border town hospital, click here.
