AMC/NOMA President William H. Seitz, Jr. recently responded to County Commissioners: Jimmy Dimora, Peter Lawson Jones and Tim McCormack's decision to allocate MetroHealth Medical Center only 3 percent of the County's overall $1.3 billion budget via a letter addressing the problem. Within the letter, Dr. Seitz reminds the Commissioners that MetroHealth was promised, expected and deserves an increase in County financial support from $21 million to $42 million this year as a result of the passage of the Issue 15 Levy but instead only received $27 million towards its $585 million annual budget. He writes, "MetroHealth Medical Center provides a safety net to thousands of County residents who do no otherwise have access to healthcare. The potential ripple effect of loss of service at Metro is unthinkable and the commissioners must act responsibly and provide Metro with the funds that were promised to them as a result of the passage of Issue 15." The letter was then forwarded to local editors: Doug Clifton and Brent Larkin of The Plain Dealer as well as Brian Tucker of Crain's Cleveland Business. Shannon Mortland of Crain's called the AMC/NOMA offices and interviewed Dr. Seitz on the topic which appeared on page 3 of this week's edition with the headline: "Docs' group backs Metro in urging county for more funds." Within the article, Mortland quotes specific statements within Seitz's letter to County Commissioners. She also reports that Peter Lawson Jones said he plans to meet with Mr. Sideras, MetroHealth's CEO, "well before the end of the year" to discuss putting on the ballot next year a 0.7-or 0.8 mill levy that would raise about $100 million over 10 years strictly for MetroHealth's capital expenditures. However, as Mortland reports, that levy wouldn't answer MetroHealth's stated need for additional money now. Commissioner Jimmy Dimora last week reported his hopes that the commissioners will be able to give the hospital enough money for 2005, but indicated increases of $15 million would be difficult to muster because the county already must cut $20 million from its 2005 budget. The County Commissioners meet tomorrow (Dec. 7) to discuss the six ideas, proposed by MetroHealth officials, to help the county identify ways it could increase its aid to the hospital, despite the county's tight budget.