TALLAHASSEE -- The head of the financially struggling Jackson Health System did a nine-hour blitz in the Florida Capitol on Thursday in the hopes of winning up to $100 million in rescue money.

In the end, Eneida Roldan returned home empty-handed -- not unexpected in a Legislature facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. But she did receive a warm welcome from legislators and a pledge to try to speed up existing hospital payments to Jackson.

``It's clear they are committed to our mission as a hospital. The only thing is that they are looking at a $3.2 billion deficit,'' Roldan said.

Back in Miami-Dade, two county commissioners proposed ordinances to give them more control over the public health system, which is expected to lose $229 million this fiscal year unless drastic cuts are made.

Jackson also issued a news release Thursday: ``The community can rest assured that Jackson is fully operational, with all the necessary supplies for the most routine procedures to the most complex surgeries.''

That was in response to a Miami Herald report that the system was behind on payments and in danger of not getting supplies.

In Tallahassee, Roldan was looking for major help. ``Eighty to 100 million (from the state) would give us a lot more time to deal with some of our challenges.''

Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, a Miami Republican, was blunt about giving Jackson extra cash: ``The prospects are dim.''

Sen. Durell Peaden, a Crestview Republican who chairs the Senate's healthcare budget committee, said Jackson Memorial was a ``crown jewel'' worth saving. But it will be tough. ``There's no money,'' he said.

MORE BAD NEWS

There was even less cash available in Peaden's committee Thursday when he unveiled his proposed healthcare budget. The proposal called for deep hospital and nursing-home reimbursement-rate cuts, an increase in a hospital fee known as the ``sick tax,'' and the elimination of a Medicaid program designed to keep about 40,000 frail, elderly, and catastrophically sick transplant patients out of emergency rooms.

Those changes could cost Jackson $40 million to $100 million, according to the Safety Net Hospital Alliance, which represents Jackson and other charity-care hospitals. That budget picture, however, could improve vastly if Congress approves a Medicaid bailout that might net Florida up to $1 billion.

With money short, Roldan asked for the second best thing: speeding up monthly payments to the hospital for treating patients receiving government assistance.

On average, the state pays Jackson $77.4 million every 30 days for those services. Roldan is asking for payments every 15 days to help her cash-poor system.

That idea received the unanimous support of the Miami-Dade legislative delegation, which had summoned Roldan to Tallahassee to explain what she was doing, including her proposal to cut 4,500 jobs and close two suburban hospitals.

Roldan was mildly chastised by the delegation chairman, Republican Rep. Juan Zapata, when she seemed to change her story about whether the state owed the hospital money or not. ``This pinpoints the very exact problem,'' Zapata said, after Roldan said the state owed Jackson virtually nothing and later said $20 million was owed.

Roldan said the billing system is complex and Jackson staff has been thoroughly examining the books to see how much is owed.

MEETINGS