Commonwealth
of Virginia
Office
of Governor Bob McDonnell
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April
9, 2010
Contact:
Stacey Johnson
Phone:
(804) 225-4260
E-mail:
Stacey.Johnson@Governor.Virginia.Gov
Governor
McDonnell Announces Budget Amendment to Restore Funding for the Children’s
Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk
RICHMOND-
Governor
Bob McDonnell announced today that he will propose an amendment to the
biennial budget recently passed by the General Assembly to restore $1.8
million in state funding for the Children’s Hospital of the King’s
Daughters in Norfolk. The state dollars will also allow the facility to
receive federal Medicaid reimbursement funds of a similar amount.
The
Children’s Hospital is the only free standing, full service pediatric
hospital in the Commonwealth. The hospital treats a much larger percentage of
children on Medicaid than any other hospital in the state. The budget proposed
by the prior Administration contained significant cuts to the Hospital, and
the General Assembly worked to restore much of this funding. Not restored was
state funding for the Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. McDonnell’s
budget will call for the restoration of $1.8 million. The money will be
derived through budgetary amendments and actions the Governor will formally
propose next week. The Governor has until Tuesday April 13th to
send down his amendments and vetoes on all budget matters and legislation
prior to the reconvened session of the General Assembly on April 21st.
Speaking
about his amendment to restore funding for The Children Hospital of The
King’s Daughters, the Governor remarked, “As I have gone through the
budget amendment process with my staff I have identified some areas where
changes to the document passed by the General Assembly are necessary and
important. One of these regards state funding for the Children’s Hospital of
the King’s Daughter’s. The Children’s Hospital does amazing work for
Virginia children in desperate need of medical care. Living in Virginia Beach,
I came to know the facility well. So many families and children have been
touched by the life-saving work done on a daily basis by the medical
professionals at The Children’s Hospital. I am submitting a $1.8 million
budget amendment that will ensure the hospital’s NICU is funded, and this
good work can continue. I thank Delegate Chris Jones (R-Suffolk) and Senator
Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) for their bipartisan effort to bring this important
matter to my attention, and I am optimistic that the General Assembly will
approve this change when the body reconvenes on April 21st.”
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