thursday, October 1, 1981
lincoln, nebraska vol. 107 no. 27
Copyright Daily Nebraskan 1981
O to
Hospital admissions restricted effective Friday
By Melinda Norris
Non-emergency patients who cannot
show in advance how they plan to pay
their bills will not be admitted into Univer
sity Hospital at the NU Medical Center ef
fective Friday, said hospital administrator
Robert Baker.
The new policy is expected to affect 10
to 15 patients a month. The change was
prompted by a reduction in state funds and
in increase in indigent patient care, Baker
said.
It was approved by the NU Board of Re
gents in May and affects inpatients only.
Outpatients and emergency cases will not
be restricted.
Previously the hospital has had no re
strictions on admittance, Baker said. The
cost for indigent patient care has been
covered by the state, he said.
However during the last four years, state
funding for University Hospital has de
creased by $2 million, while the cost for
treating the poor has increased by the same
amount. As the funds have been reduced,
the cost has been absorbed by the paying
patient.
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Photo by Mark Billingsley
As Wednesday's temperatures dropped sharply and blue skies turned gray, the
moods of Michelle Stroh and Sue Hulbert seemed to follow suit.
During fiscal vear 1980-81. the cost of
indigent care totaled about $5 j million, he
said.
Patients refused admission can apply to
the county for aid. State law places respon
sibility on the county to determine indi
gency and to pay for care, Baker said.
"But the counties haven't worked out
an adequate definition of indigency," Ba
ker said. "Ten to 15 people a month will
not be able to receive county support."
The number of indigent patients is ex
pected to increase considering the cuts in
federal, state and county support, Baker
said.
Cuts in the Aid to Dependent Children
program by the Reagan Administration re
duces the number of patients eligible for
Medicaid, Baker said. ADC is a primary eli
gibility criteria for Medicaid, he explained.
In Nebraska, 13,731 families are on
ADC, Baker said. The 17 percent reduction
is expected to disqualify 2300 families, he
said.
Elected representatives must provide
adequate resources to fulfill a patient's
right to health care, Baker said.
"The government cuts back on taxa
tion," Baker said, "but maybe an indivi
dual will not receive health care. We
haven't told them what's important to us,
but just to cut back."
The reduction in ADC will mean a year
ly loss in reimbursement to University Hos
pital of $1 million.
"Most hospitals provide charity care but
University Hospital provides about three
times more than a typical community hos
pital," Baker said.
"A hospital is to provide health care,"
Baker said, "not finance health care
Avery: Polish values crucial
By William Graf
Unless the Polish Communist Party can
align itself with the dominant Polish value
system, instability will continue, a UNL as
sociate professor of political science said.
William Avery, who spent August 1980
through June 1981 in Poland, said that
such alignment would provoke the Rus
sians to intervene.
However intervention would have several
repercussions that the Russians would have
to consider.
Poland is a valuable buffer to the West.
"A major change could expose Russia
and particularly East Germany," he said.
"Second, a major change would have
an impact on the Soviet military strategy in
Europe. A change could scrub that strategy
and Moscow's ability to conduct a war in
Europe."
A third repercussion would have eco
nomic implications for Russia and its al
lies. "Eastern Europe is heavily dependent
on Poland for coal and semi-finished goods
for their factories."
Also in the long run the "Polish disease"
could have a contagious effect on other
Eastern European countries and Russia
itself, he said.
"There are reports of labor unrest, al
though these are not widespread, in several
Soviet cities and other countries in Eastern
Europe, particularly Romania," he said.
Intervention would also erode any
chance of stabilization of U.S.-Soviet re
lations; kill a future SALT agreement, which
would lead to an unrestrained arms race,
and kill chances for the Soviets to salvage
detente in Europe.
"It would also lead to increases in de
fense spending in the United States and
NATO. It would virtually assure the de
ployment by NATO of Pershing II and
Photo by Mark Billingsley
William Avery
Cruise missiles. It would almost certainly
encourage greater military cooperation be
tween the United States and the People's
Republic of China.
"It would almost certainly create a split
in Western European Communist parties,
particularly in Italy and create greater
cohesion in NATO.
"I sometimes wonder if perhaps the Rea
gan administration doesn't secretly hope
for some intervention in Poland, just to get
this result," he said.
Avery said he believes the Russians fear
massive bloodshed and mutinies among Po
lish army units.
Avery said that the Polish values that
don't coincide with the Communist party's
include Polish religious beliefs, democratic
elections and dissent, equality and Polish
nationalism. Anti-Soviet sentiments have
existed in Poland for nearly 300 years.
Avery's speech was the first of several
to be sponsored by the International Re
lations Club. In two weeks UNL political
science professor Ivan Volgyes will talk
about U.S.-Soviet relations in the 1980s.
Changes expected as Five -Year Plan examined
By Laure Perlinger
Revision of UNL's Five-Year Plan is cur
rently underway, as several groups provide
ideas about priorities and goals for the final
plan, to be submitted to the NU Board of
Regents in December.
The plan is intended to provide an on
going planning process for the campus. In
the fall of 1980, the planning process was
established to ensure faculty, student and
staff participation in seeking proposals for
consideration in the plan.
John Strong, interim vice chancellor for
academic affairs, said that this summer the
regents changed the deadline for the plan's
revision from spring of 1982 to December
1981.
"The regents wanted the plan comple
ted in time to be used as a basis for budget
decisions " Strong said.
Before the revision is completed by
Chancellor Martin Massengale, who Strong
said is ultimately, responsible for the new
draft, the Faculty Senate, the Academic
Planning Committee and college deans,
among others, will provide opinions and
criticisms.
Comments from the deans of the col
leges of engineering and Arts and Sciences
were to be heard Wednesday afternoon by
the APC.
The APC is involved in collecting infor
mation from the college deans about long
range planning, enrollment trends and the
importance of a graduate program for their
respective colleges, Strong said.
The chancellor also will discuss the plan
with ASUN officers, and public hearings
are probable, Strong said.
After completion by the chancellor, the
revised draft will be sent to the regents for
final approval.
Because of administrative changes that
have taken place since June, namely Mas
sengale's appointment as UNL chancellor,
Strong said there are bound to be changes
made in the plan before December.
Rutford's program priorities as stated in
the five-year plan are:
1. Faculty development maintaining
intellectual vitality and creativity.
2. Student recruitment, admission, advi
sing, retention and enrollment controls.
3. Strengthening core curriculum in li
beral arts.
4. Continued education, extension and
relationships with the people of Nebraska.
5. Graduate education and research.
Rutford's support priorities:
1 . Library
2. Supplies and equipment
3. Computer for teaching and research
programs.
4. Budget and data systems
The plan is revised annually, Strong
said.
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thursday
It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want to: Both
the Democratic and Republican Parties
in Nebraska are mobilizing workshops
on campaign techniques Page 5
If You Can't Take the Heat, Get Out of the
Theater: Body Heat revives the film noir
genre of movies Page 9
Tiger by the Tail: The Nebraska football
team will try to even its record to 2-2
when it takes on the Auburn Tigers Sat
urday at Memorial Stadium . . Page 10