"I thought I needed to let people know the financial status of the hospitals " explains Ralph Semb. But for Semb, the chairman of the board of trustees for the Shriners Hospitals for Children, the news wasn't good. He notified other board members this week of the major budget deficit 22 hospitals across the country are currently facing.

The 22-hospital network relies on public donations--but because of a national recession donations are down. So down in fact, the organization has been losing a million dollars a day since 2001. "If we leave it the way it is then we will have to close 22 hospitals and that's not what we want to do, " says Semb.

So the board is now looking at other options. And that includes closing or suspending the services at six of its hospitals. On the short list, is Springfield's Shriners Hospital. "it's not being used and those are the ones that may be taking the cut, " adds Semb.

Semb says a final decision on the closures will be made sometime in July, but they are trying their best to avoid it. They are also looking into decreasing the hospital's budget by 30 percent, or add the option of third party pay. But if the decision is to close Springfield's hospital, it would effect more than 13-hundred children with orthopedic problems annually.

The medical center has been providing free care to children since the 19-20's. But Semb is confident the children will not be forgotten. "They will be taken care of, even if we have to ship them off to other places, " says Semb.

Other than the patients, if the Springfield facility closes more than 200 employees will also lose their jobs.