Going to Navicent? You’re now going to have to pay for hospital parking
The rumors are true: Navicent Health is no longer validating patient parking at its parking decks and lots.
The new practice officially went into effect July 16, though the hospital’s official statement to The Telegraph does not confirm nor deny the change.
“The Medical Center, Navicent Health, campus has always had a balanced approach to providing convenient parking access to its patients and families by utilizing a parking rate structure that is reasonable, affordable and based on an ongoing review of health care parking practices locally and regionally,” according to a statement emailed to The Telegraph from Megan Allen, public relations manager.
“The Medical Center addresses individual needs of patients and families, and the services they seek access to, and will continue to employ this practice.”
But an email titled “Navicent Health Parking Validation Notice” sent to hospital staff July 3 tells a different story.
“Following a thorough review of local and regional practices regarding parking, Navicent Health has determined that we no longer can support the practice of providing complimentary parking to patients and families on a selective basis,” Chief Quentin Jude, who oversees police and parking for Navicent, wrote in the email obtained by The Telegraph.
“With this evidence in mind, effective Monday, July 16, 2018, every patient/customer will need to pay the hourly parking rate for their time in our decks/lots,” the email continued. “We ask that staff no longer promote this parking validation practice.”
Jude added that patients who expressed an inability to pay could contact the Parking Office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or to use the attendant call button when leaving a garage outside of the office’s operating hours.
“This will be a change for the organization and our customers, and we appreciate your patience during this transition,” he wrote.
Jude declined to comment for this story. Allen did not reply to a direct inquiry about the email but rather reiterated the hospital’s previous statement.
The Macon-Bibb County Commission cut $10 million in funding to outside agencies — including $451,000 for indigent care to Navicent — when it approved its fiscal 2019 budget on June 28. At a contentious meeting July 3, commissioners restored funding to most of the outside agencies but refused to do the same for the hospital.
Samantha Max is a Report for America corps member and reports for The Telegraph with support from the News/CoLab at Arizona State University. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/samantha.max.9 and on Twitter @samanthaellimax. Learn more about Report for America at www.reportforamerica.org.
This story was originally published August 1, 2018 at 1:55 PM.