October 30, 2009 -- The board for The Regional Medical Center at Memphis voted this week to close the hospital's emergency department and take other cost-cutting moves - a decision the board had tentatively approved last week. However, the Shelby County Commission must also approve the actions.

The reductions include the closure of 19 beds in the ER department and 70 medical/surgical beds in February. The service reductions do not affect the hospital's trauma center, the burn center, neonatal intensive care unit or women's services.

The hospital needs $32 million in additional subsidies to stop it from implementing the cost-cutting measures, according to the hospital board.