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The hospital system has been running at a loss since 2001, and the endowment is now hemorrhaging cash at $1 million a day, meaning the entire system could collapse in a matter of years if something isn't done, Semb said. The board of trustees proposed the closure of the hospitals in Shreveport; Greenville; Erie, Pa.; Spokane, Wash.; Springfield, Mass.; and Galveston, Texas, eliminating a total of 225 beds. The hospitals were chosen mainly because of too many vacant beds, Semb said. The Galveston facility has been closed since Hurricane Ike last fall, and the fraternal group put off any plans to reopen it until making a decision about its long-term future. Rather than closing all six hospitals, Semb said he'd like to see some sort of compromise, perhaps giving the targeted facilities several months to come up with partnerships or other financial arrangements to slow the financial drain. He said the Shriners also are considering allowing their hospitals to accept medical insurance payments for the first time. Semb said the group may allow hospitals to bill insurance providers for whatever treatment would normally be covered if a child's family agrees, but any additional treatments prescribed by Shriners doctors would still be done for free. A group of staffers and patients from the Galveston hospital handed out pamphlets at the Shriners meeting, arguing that Semb and the trustees used Hurricane Ike as an excuse to keep the facility closed. "I know the wonders they can do for kids," said Gordon Pranger, 35, who was treated at the hospital after suffering third-degree burns over his entire body at age 14. "For me, it's all family and home. It's personal." Semb said he understands the emotions over the closure proposal. His wife's son was treated at the Springfield hospital for 19 years. "Every one of us doesn't want to leave a child untouched. We're concerned about children," he said. "But it's going to mean retrofitting the system." ___ On the Net: Shriners International: http://www.shrinershq.org/
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