WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, SportsBudget cuts close clinic, affect more than the bottom line

Budget cuts close clinic, affect more than the bottom line

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By Jim Shannon - bio | email
Posted by Amber Stegall - email
Isabella Carmona, losing doctor of 3 years due to budget cuts Isabella Carmona, losing doctor of 3 years due to budget cuts
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

A popular medical center is preparing to close because of budget problems. State Representative Pat Smith spoke at a hearing on the state budget Thursday. She wants to know why the LSU system has had so many cuts. The cuts have resulted in the closure of the clinic on North Foster. The clinic falls under the LSU System.

Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater says LSU must learn to live within its means. "LSU did not live within its means. Did not live within its appropriated budget and there were consequences to it. We do not take these consequences lightly," said Rainwater.

One of the consequences is 3-year-old Isabella Carmona. She has a rare genetic defect that requires she visit the clinic often. Her mother Amy is a nurse and even she is having difficulty finding another set of physicians.

We're gonna have to start from square one. Getting all her referrals from neurologist to her therapy, everything. And that's gonna take at least two months. That's gonna put her therapy behind. It's gonna put her seeing her doctors behind. She has a seizure disorder. Were gonna be out of medication because she can't see her neurologist," said Amy.

Isabella's father Erasmo says he is compelled to speak out because the dismantling of the pediatric clinic is a real problem for his family. Mainly because he says that clinic knows what they are doing.

"Great help, great doctors. We had a doctor that just retired; great neurologist. Now it's a scramble to find a neurologist," said Erasmo.

Doctor Traci Woodard is Isabella's Primary Care Physician. She says the hardest part is losing patients like Isabella, that she has care for more than three years.

"I had several patients say well where are you guys going. You know we wanna go with you guys. It's like were shutting down forever," said Dr. Woodard.

Dr. Woodard fears March 3, 2012, the scheduled date for the clinic to close.

"Not everybody knows. So at the end of the day, come March 3rd they're gonna come here and were not gonna be here," said Woodard.

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