Former Gov. Jones issues $70,000 challenge to save health van

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

Former Gov. Brereton Jones

FRANKFORT — Former Gov. Brereton Jones is trying to rescue a financially-strapped mobile health van in the mountains that did not get $140,000 from the state legislature to continue operating.

Jones has offered to match up to $70,000 in donations to the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation to scrape up money to keep the Eastern Kentucky Mobile Health Service van on the road providing free medical help and medications, a hospital official said Thursday.

F. Rose Rexroat, administrator of the mobile health service for Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, said Jones first contacted her in early February after the Lexington Herald-Leader published an article about the van’s financial problems.

“He said he was personally touched by the story and wanted to help,” Rexroat said. “He attempted to make contacts for us but the money from the state was not available.”

The newspaper article said state legislators would have to decide how to handle a multitude of projects like the van while addressing nearly a half-billion-dollar shortfall in the state budget.

The state had reduced its funding for the van last July by about $40,000. In December, the state trimmed the van’s budget by another $100,000.

Rexroat said earlier this year that if the cuts for the van were not restored, it would only operate for a few more months.

Since 2003, the van has made weekly stops in Hazel Green in Wolfe County, Blaine in Lawrence County and Ezel, Cannel City and Crockett in Morgan County to provide health care to the needy.

With an operating budget of about $359,000, it treats about 2,000 patients a year. About 63 percent of its patients are uninsured.
The clinic is funded by the state and those patients who have Medicaid or some other type of medical assistance.

Jones, a Democrat who was governor from 1991 to 1995 and now operates Airdrie Stud Farm in Woodford County, said in a telephone interview Thursday that he did not expect his funding challenge to become public and did it “only to help people who really need help.”

“The van is a very good cause. The economy is in bad shape, but this project is too important to be lost,” Jones said. “I’m not getting anything out of this.”

Asked if he were able to contact anyone in the state about the van’s needs, Jones said, “let’s just say I obviously wasn’t successful.”

Rexroat said she is hopeful that money from Jones’ pledge will be available by mid-May. “Time is of the essence,” she said.

Anyone who is interested in making a contribution can call her at (859) 313-1705. Donations would be considered a charitable contribution since the foundation is a non-profit.

Saint Joseph Hospital administers the mobile clinic in collaboration with Appalachian Regional HealthCare and St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead.