I wonder who will be supporting this at the Maury County Commission on Monday morning at 9:00 AM? It would sure be interesting if our very own Cindy Williams and Jerry Erwin vote in favor of this resolution.
I would suspect that more than 90% of Spring Hillians are in favor of this hospital coming to our city. I would also expect that by the time this proposed hospital is finished the city will have come close to doubling in size, making the need even more apparent. Future mayoral campaigns by Ms. Williams, and County Commissioner campaigns by Mr. Erwin would be all but lost with a supporting vote on this one. I wonder how they will attempt to explain this one? I would encourage all of you to call your representative and express your feelings on this matter.
Read the fullpost and check out some of the other things up for a vote.
It is tough to read, but do you notice the tax approval for W.R. Grace near the bottom of p. 2? I guess Maury County is planning on voting in one very poor job provider(W.R. Grace), while voting out one very good job producer (hospital) all in the same morning. Very interesting...
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Maury County Commission
Posted by Gorilla in the Corner at 2:47 PM
Labels: County Government, Spring Hill Hospital
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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is a series of personal opinions and is not meant to reflect an official position by the City of Spring Hill.
54 comments:
WHEREAS, our current County Commissioners for District 11 have consistently voted with the best interests of Maury County (Derryberry Ln) over the interests of District 11 residents;
THEREFORE, LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that they will vote for this resolution, solidifying their fate in future regional elections.
People, make those calls to your Maury Co. commissioner and let them know how you feel about this.
I believe "stupid" must be in the water supply of our local Maury County Commission. They prove my theory is correct time and time again. The latest being this outrageous resolution. The new hospital will bring in much needed tax revenue, jobs and provide healthcare to the region. What does MRH provide? It doesnt provide tax revenue and I would argue that the resolution is giving alot of lip service to "providing medical care to the this county's most needy residents". Has MRH ever put out statistics showing how many uninsured or low income citizens they have helped with their hospital bills? I've never seen such data. But lets not forget that for years they gave Elected Maury County officials a big break in their bills. Its no wonder the County Commission votes the way it does on issues concerning MRH. When will the citizens of Maury County say enough is enough? What other outrageous conduct has to occur for this to happen?
You guys are missing the point. This has nothing to do with jobs for the area, tax revenue, standard of living, further business growth or anything else related to the community. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. Nothing more, nothing less.
Williamson County blocked a hospital in Brentwood because it would lose money. Maury Regional will lose a lot of money if a hospital is built in Spring Hill. So will Williamson General. If this hospital is built those hospitals will lose 20,000 - 40,000 potential patients over the next 5 years. That's a big market which they currently have cornered. How many millions of dollars of lost or potential revenue is that?
Does Spring Hill need a hospital? Of course! I campaigned for that. I don't remember anyone else doing so, but I think Danny has done a good job of pursuing the concept.
But, just for a moment, pretend that YOU are the hospital administrator of MRH. Think like a businessman for a second. What would you do? Allow another hospital to come in and steal your business, likely putting you out of a job? Try thinking of it this way: you own a shoe store (or a liquor store or a hardware store). You make good money because you are the only store in town that sells what you sell. One day a PayforLess (or a Frugal MacDoogal or a Home Depot) says they want to open a store right down the street which will provide more jobs and more tax revenue to the area. Do you happily welcome them into the community with open arms because they will provide the local people with more options at a better price - knowing that you will be out of business within weeks? Or do you do everything possible to prevent them from stealing your business? So it is with this hospital.
"We" see this as a great benefit to our community and a tremendous service to the citizens - which it is. "They" see this as competition that is going to take away from their bottom line. It really is no more complicated than that. And they are going to fight tooth and nail to prevent this from happening.
We must come together as a community and make our voice heard and make it heard very clearly. Not only should we contact the County representatives, but we need to be contacting the state representatives as well because the new hospital is going to need a Certificate of Need from the State. If we remain silent and passive, then this hospital will be defeated just like the one in Brentwood.
Danny (and the entire Maury County Commission) needs to know that we are perfectly willing to pursue the notion of breaking away from Maury County and forming our own County. If Danny wants to pursue this route, he needs to know that the will of the people stand firmly behind him.
Just my two cents, which is about all it's worth - if that.
Mike
P.S.: Danny, I'm still waiting for that cup of coffee. ;-)
Mike
I very much agree with you:
"It is all about the money."
As you have stated, I too would expect the type of response from Maury Regional Hospital that we are now seeing. But, from the Maury County Commission as well?
Then, there's this letter to the editor that appeared in this morning's Williamson AM:
No Need For Another Hospital In Spring Hill
Oh, if you want to see who Joe Bell is, look no further than the far right of the last row of the picture on the top right corner of page 5 of the March 2006, MRH Newsletter:
MRH - Vital Signs, March 2006
Mr. Bell, the Urgent Care facility that MRH recently opened in Spring Hill is only open from 8:00AM until 4:30 PM. Last time I checked, Spring Hill is a bedroom community and at the time that a majority of the people who would need these services, the Urgent Care facility would not even be open.
Regarding the CON, this comes from the State Health Services and Development Agency website:
Certificate of Need Basics
Criteria Used for Review:
1. Need
2. Economic Feasibility
3. Contribution to the Orderly Development of Adequate and Effective Health Care Facilities and/or Services.
I would hope that a for-profit hospital that will add to the Maury County tax-base (hey, use the tax procedes to fund the MRH debt we keep hearing about), built with funds from the private sector, and creating 300 jobs for Spring Hill and Maury County would receive the support of the Maury County Commission, but I digress.
For info on the proposed Brentwood Community Hospital CON that went down in flames, see the following article from the Tennessean:
State Agency Quashes Bid for Hospital in Brentwood
The reason that the Brentwood Community Hospital didn't make it? Lack of an Emergency Room, and the number of Mid-State Hospitals that opposed it.
Remember, early voting in Thompson's Station is Monday - Friday at the Rescue Squad from 8am-4:30pm. Everyone should make their voice heard.
Hurray! I wish we could form our own county, too!
There was also a medical center in Franklin that was blocked by Williamson General. I know this because my wife designs hospitals and knows a little bit about the behind the scenes maneuvering. Trust me, there's BIG money at work pulling the strings. Taking a different angle, HCA is a very big company itslef and is in the process of building something like 10 hospitals around the country right now (my wife has designed a few). They also have big money and they wouldn't propose this thing without taking into account the fight it would trigger from the surrounding hospitals. Obviously, they think they can win if they are willing to go public with the announcement.
Mike
As I asked my parents who live in Columbia today, would you want to drive 15 miles to go to the hospital?
For those of you who are math wizards, here is a word problem: Without warning, a heart attack strikes you and you drop unconscious to the floor RIGHT NOW. Your six year old little girl, scared and confused, calls 911. The ambulance is going to take 15 minutes to get to your place (if you're lucky). Would you then rather have to a) drive another 30 minutes to Columbia or b) drive 10 minutes to the local hospital? Keep in mind that you only have about 35 minutes to live - if that. If you answered b) then you need to make your voice heard sooner rather than later. If you answered a) then your math skills have just left you dead in an ambulance on the way to a hospital.
Take 30 seconds out of your day tomorrow, call one of your representatives and tell them how you feel.
Joe Bell's letter includes reference to $900,000 given to Maury County Govt and he calls the payment "In lieu of taxes". Joe Bell needs to put out all the facts and not part of them.
MRH and Maury County have an agreement for MRH to transfer $900,000 to Maury County as an operating transfer and Maury County transfers $600,000 to MRH to subsidize the Ambulance Service.
I would hardly call these transfers in lieu of tax payments.
Anonymous @ 16 April, 22:25:
Good info. Here's more...
The Cool Springs Institute was a hospital specializing on "breast care, plastic surgery and obesity treatments" as stated in the following article that appeared in the Tennessean:
State Rejects Cool Springs Hospital Plan
Again, no Emergency Room services.
Here's another little tidbit for those that are interested, when MRH approached the HSDA back in July 2005 for a CON for the Imaging Diagnostic Center in Spring Hill, can you guess who spoke on behalf of the project in support?
HSDA July 2005 Meeting Minutes (See Bottom of Page 5)
Can we say "short term memory", MRH?
It is amazing to me that everyone is so thrilled with the idea that HCA is coming to Spring Hill. Relative to the person talking about having a heart attack, professionally known as an MI, you are grossly incorrect. First of all the new hospital will not have a cardiac catheterization lab, thus they will be able to do NOTHING for your MI, except give you thrombolytics, or clot busters, that will give you a 2% chance of bleeding into your brain and dying and a 10% chance of bleeding into your gut and dying. Furthermore, I have worked for HCA and was terminated after I discovered an employee, my boss, was stealing narcotics. I suggested that we credit the patients from which he stole the narcotics, with the cost of the narcotics stolen from them. 2 weeks later I was fired for "an anonymous complaint" which they could not reveal. You are fools if you think HCA is good for Spring Hill. What are you going to do when they decide they are notgoing to take your insurance, like they did a few years ago with BCBS? Then you will wish you had researched this issue.
It appears either Maury Regioanl or Williamson Medical have employed some very expensive "HIRED GUNS" to muddy the water.
anon. @ 21:28 says,
"It is amazing to me that everyone is so thrilled with the idea that HCA is coming to Spring Hill".
We are thrilled! Thanks for acknowleding the tremendous support for the Spring Hill Hospital. Which, by the way, is supported not only by the Spring Hill residents but also by many residents in the surrounding areas.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a resident of Spring Hill. I am also a nurse. It is these two characteristics that prompt me to write this letter regarding the proposed HCA hospital in Spring Hill. I attended the town hall meeting held by HCA at the UAW Hall recently. Regretfully, I witnessed many of my fellow residents being misled by the HCA representatives. Below I will review my concerns regarding this hospital.
1) HCA holds this proposed hospital out to be a “full service hospital.” However this hospital will not offer the same services provided by the two existing hospitals, Maury Regional Hospital and Williamson Medical Center. Many of my fellow citizens expressed their concern regarding the need for emergency care during a heart attack or trauma. According to HCA’s Certificate of Need, there will be one bed in the ER allocated to the care of emergent cardiac or trauma patients. Therefore if multiple patients present with these emergencies, the hospital will be unable to care for them, as they do not have the beds for this. Additionally, the new hospital will not have a cardiac catheterization lab. When someone is having a heart attack, only one thing will stop the heart attack, opening the closed artery. However without a cardiac catheterization lab, this is almost impossible to guarantee. Patients presenting to this proposed hospital will have two options. The first is to receive thrombolytics, or clot busting drugs, to open the artery. These drugs are not always effective, and they only add to the risk of dying in heart attack patients. There is a two percent chance that the person who has received thrombolytic will have bleeding in their brain and a ten percent chance that the patient will have bleeding into the intestines. Notably the two current hospitals have stopped using thrombolytics for heart attacks, as this method is too risky and clearly inferior to cardiac catheterization and angioplasty. The other option patients with heart attacks will have is to wait and be transferred to Centennial Medical Center for angioplasty. This is also dangerous, as every minute that the artery remains closed, results in the loss of one percent of heart tissue that could have been saved. In summary, residents who go to the proposed hospital for emergency care of a heart attack will receive sub par care, when compared to the current hospitals.
2) In 2004, HCA and Blue Cross Blue Shield had a falling out. For a while, patients with BCBS were considered out of network patients. This means that they would be required to pay higher fees for care delivered at an HCA hospital, than someone who was in network. Thankfully, HCA discarded the out of network fees for BCBS patients. However this falling out may reoccur and there is no guarantee that HCA would discard the out of network fees. Therefore the citizens of Spring Hill who are so adamant about getting this new hospital, may actually find that at some point they are considered out of network to their own hospital, and thus would have to pay higher costs for their healthcare.
3) HCA’s plans state that there will be 56 beds available in the new hospital. This bothers me as HCA currently has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit in Kansas City, Kansas by plaintiff Mildred Spires, who claims that her husband died because of the low number of nurses available to care for him. Basically she charges that he died because HCA chose to save money by cutting the number of nurses available to care for her husband. It must be considered that HCA is a FOR PROFIT hospital. The dollar will come first, I assure you.
4) Finally, HCA in its beliefs are incongruent with those of the majority of people who live in Spring Hill. The Saturn plant is the primary source of employment for many residents of Spring Hill. The UAW has many members from Saturn. It has served Saturn employees well by protecting their rights as employees. HCA has historically been very anti-union; in fact they have led the charge in many fights against nurses joining unions. When I questioned the HCA representative regarding whether he would allow the nurses working at the newly proposed hospital, he stated that he was pro-staff. He would not state that he supported the unionization of nurses. This was very surprising, considering we met in the UAW hall. Additionally many of the HCA representatives arrived in foreign made cars. This is clearly representative of their opinion of a community consisted of hard working automobile manufacturers.
I am asking that every citizen in Spring Hill request a copy of HCA’s Certificate of Need. Read it thoroughly and ask a nurse or some other heath care professional to explain it. Blanket acceptance of this proposed hospital will only result in hardship later. It will be devastating to see the very same people who adamantly support this proposed hospital die in the ER because the new hospital will deliver sub par care, due to a lack of services such as the cardiac catheterization lab. Spring Hill does not need another hospital, they need more EMS coverage, and according to the mayor this is coming very soon. People do not buy a home or car without reading the fine print; they should not support a proposed hospital without thoroughly reading what is actually offered. If after a resident reads the Certificate of Need, they still feel the hospital would meet the needs of the community, then at least they have made an informed decision. The mayor is not a health care provider. There are more important things than money, notably personal health.
Why can't you guys accept the fact that you may possibly be wrong about the benefits of this hospital. Have any of you read the CON? HCA is the evil empire. I wish you guys would be informed aside from what the goofy mayor has told you.
Which hospital do you work for anonymous?????
Do you support the Spring Hill Hospital providing cardiac catheterization?
Anon at 22:53
I was also at that town hall meeting and I heard the presentation, questions, and answers. So let me get this straight...
In your opinion it is better to have NO hospital at all than a hospital with 24/7 emergency care and the ability to grow into any number of future services.
It is better to have to wait for an ambulance to then take us to a hospital that is at least a 15 miles away (as the crow flies).
As far as BCBS was concerned, I believe that it was stated at the meeting that all out of network charges were waived for customers during that period of time. If you want to debate this hospital you need to stick to facts and not the spreading of mis-information (at least on this site).
In terms of profit...All hospitals (for profit or not for profit) are about making money. The difference comes in the fact that for profit hospitals also pay taxes. I think it was shown last night that Tri-Star hospitals treat far more Tenn Care patients than has been previously reported, and provide great care to a wide variety of patient classifications. I also think that it is pretty clear that all of these reports of "increased per patient pricing" are far out of whack. More than anything that reflects a greater variety of specialties and treatment options, which in turn cost more $$$.
Anon. @ 22:53 and 22:55, I am truly sorry that you were relieved of your position with HCA in the past. I hope that at some time in the near future you can come to grips with the fact that this hospital is a FANTASTIC choice for the city of Spring Hill. I want to know from you why Maury Regional did not take the opportunity to expand to the Spring Hill area prior to this. I also would like to know how this hospital in Spring Hill is going to hurt a hospital in Columbia that only has 2% of its patients coming from Spring Hill.
and if you get a chance, remind me again how a hospital of any kind makes the citizens in this city and surrounding areas worse off than they are now? If you find yourself in a situation that you need emergency care, I believe that you still have the right to sit in traffic to head south to Maury Regional Hospital. This is still America after all, so enjoy your ride. As for me, I will jump over to Spring Hill Hospital.
I hope that your day improves!
It appears that my most recentpost did not post. Nonetheless, I have one last comment today, why is it that you guys question everything that opponents to this plan present, yet you absorb the information that HCA is giving you as the Gospel?
Obviously my last post did not go through. I find it amazing that because I asked questions at the "Question and Answer" session, I am automatically the bad guy. I can tell you that not once did I say that Spring Hill does not need a hospital or Emergency Services. What I said was that this proposed hospital will not be a full service hospital as it is being held out to be.
Relative to the BCBS issue, I think Mr. Gorilla may want to rethink his comment, as last night I said very clearly that the last time BCBS and HCA had a falling out, that HCA did a wonderful job of waiving the out of network fees. However there is absolutely no gaurantee or obligation on HCA's part to waive these fees if this fall out occurs again.
As far as Mr. Jenkins, I showed his comment in the Herald to a few physician's who understand that the ONLY definitive way to stop a heart attack, and therefore prevent deterioration, is by angioplasty in a cardiac cath room, and they also have a hard time understanding why someone who argues for a hospital due to the need for emergency care for a heart attack would state that it doesn't matter if the new hospital doesn't have a cath lab. If you guys want a hospital, it should be one that provides equitable services to those surrounding hospitals. On the CON it clearly states that there will be ONE cardiac bed in the ER. ONE, so if you could plan your heart attack at a time when no one else is in the ER with one, you probably will be OK. I debated on whether to explain this to Mr. Jenkins last night; however, he stands to make a LOT of money if this goes through, so my explanation would not mean a lot at this point.
Relative to my employment at HCA in the past. I did not bring this up last night because I did not want to create a smear campaign against HCA. However since someone feels compelled to bring this up, I will certainly be more than happy to discuss this issue. First of all, I have no regrets about my career at HCA. I am sure they would not admit this now, but I have clear documentation of this, but HCA nominated me for the Tennessean's Nurse of the Year, promoted me several times, even entrusting me with the position of House Supervisor, which is basically the administrative representative after normal business hours, and gave me several awards. However my career ended at HCA after I discovered that my boss was stealing narcotics. This is documented well. If you want to discuss the details you may email me at isavelives@hotmail.com and I will give you his name and full information. I will also help you contact him, as he will be more than happy to discuss this with you. After I discovered that myboss was stealing narcotics, which patients were being charged for, I took this information to his boss. She stated that she would get him in a rehab program. They did do that. The day he stepped out of rehab they fired him. Subsequently they put me in his position. In a meeting shortly thereafter, I stated that I felt it was fraud to charge patients for the drugs that he had taken. I stated that we should credit this money back to our patients. Apparently this was the wrong thing to say. A week later I was contacted and told that I was being put on administrative leave because an anonymous call had come in to the secret Ethics Line stating that I had made an inappropriate remark about one of the people who worked for me. Amazingly enough they put me on administrative leave with pay for two months. They performed this big investigation which left them with ZERO evidence to support this charge. I never was told who I supposedly said this about or when I supposedly said this. Finally I was called by my boss and told that I could have my job back if I would forget about the whole fraud thing. Well, I believed that fraud was wrong then as I do now. Therefore I was fired through the mail. Interestingly, and I am sure whoever told you that I was relived of my duties at HCA probably omitted this small piece of information, but my attorney took this issue and ran with it. Notably after his discussions, the CNO and my boss, two people instrumental in the ridiculous claim against me, were mysteriously transferred out of the hospital. So don't feel bad for me about being relieved of my duties at HCA. I wear this situation like a badge of honor, as I did the right thing even when no one was looking.
Regardless of whether you guys want to admit it or not, I am trying to make HCA be honest with you all. They need to be able to give you their CON and explain what you are going to be getting with this hospital. Many people referenced trauma last night. The one cardiac bed that I mentioned above, it doubles as a trauma bed. So if more than one person is in a wreck and trauma care is needed, they will not have a bed for them.
My stance is this. Spring Hill needs more ambulances that can provide Emergency Care. If we get a hospital, that's great, but make it a REAL hospital that provides the same services that MRH andWMC provide. If HCA is so dedicated to this hospital put a cath lab and more ER beds in it. They have the money to do that. It is amazing to me that people view me as the enemy, when what I am really saying is if you want a hospital, make sure that it is a hospital that offers the same services as MRH and WMC, because if not, Spring Hill will continue to be forgotten by healthcare providers.
To Mr. Gorrilla,
Obviously you are in the practice of hearing what you would like to hear and then running with it. I believe if you had taken the time to listen to what I said last night, I stated that HCA did a great job of waiving the fees when the 2004 BCBS - HCA battle occurred. Maybe you should get your facts straight.
Secondly at what point did I say last night that havinG NO hospital was better than one with limited services? Again, you heard what you wanted to hear. I stated very clearly that my fear is that people will go to this hospital expecting the same level of care and services provided at MRH and WMC, and that according to HCA's CON, these services will not be available.
Is it amazing to you that the people who are asking HCA the "spot" questions are the people who are actually in the field of medicine? This proposed hospital would probably have a much easier road if the mayor had actually discussed this hospital with people who work in local hospitals, rather than running off and finding the ever willing HCA to partner with. Relative to your comment about MRH, they have missed out. They should have put something here long ago. But, just because I am encouraging you all to do some research on this issue, and no blindly accept everything that HCA is saying as the truth, you all want to banish me from the community. You need to ask questions now, and not realize this was a mistake later.
You apparantly "know it all or did know it all" so I'll withold any questions and just pray for you to have some relief.
My prayer is that you guys will take the time to investigate exactly what HCA is offering and not take everything at face value. HCA is a business, just like MRH. YOu should not trust HCA just because they come into town smiling and making promises. I am just asking you to look at the CON and talk to your doctor or a nurse. As them if one trauma/cardiac bed is enough for a community that will double in size in the next 5-8 years. Then ask HCA if you do not deserve a hospital that provides services equal to that provided by MRH or WMC. You deserve and should receive equitable care.
You fail to realize that we are a well educated community. We realize that we are getting a community hosipital and not a county hospital. The proposed hospital is "state of the art" and very expandable both in services and facilities. I appreciate your attempt, although jaded, at raising some issues. But even you had to crawl before walking.
As a citizen of Spring Hill I am ready and willing to accept entities whom will improve my "Quality of Life" whether large or small, profit or non-profit. I would hope, being a citizen of Spring Hill, you could share in the "Quality of Life" improvement thousands of us are anticipating.
Unfortunately, your bitterness seems to be prevailing.
What seems to be prevaling is this incongruence between HCA stating that we will be getting a full service hospital and the reality that we are getting nothing more than a Marshall Medical Center bandaid station. I know the residents of Spring Hill are intelligent, that is why I am urging you guys to get a copy of the CON and review it. You will see that we are not getting what everyone seems to think we are getting. I have no bitterness, I am very confused as to why you feel you have to accept an inferior hospital. I am amazed that because I have experience with this issue, and refuse to accept HCA's proposal blindly, that I am called jaded. I will be interested to see how all of you respond when you have a 6-12 hour wait in the ER waiting room because there are not enough beds to take care of the citizens of Spring HIll. Answer this, have you read the CON?
Anonymous @ 22:53, 22:55, 18:12, 18:37, 18:46, 21:06...
Would you consider Stonecrest Medical Center a full-service hospital, or just a funnel for patients for Centennial? What's wrong with expanding services as needed? Can't BCBS terminate their relationship with TriStar unilaterally? Who's fault would that be? Surely you don't propose that current services offered by MRH and WMC are adequate, do you? How do you know that MRH or WMC were not approached first to address improved emergency care for Spring Hill residents?
I'm trying to listen to you, but it appears you've got too big of an axe to grind, and you are asking questions that can never be addressed to your satisfaction.
What is it that will satisfy you?
What would satisfy me would be for you all to investigate this and not be blinded by the HCA antics. You all should talk to Lawrenceburg who had an HCA hospital. HCA abandoned them when they were no longer profitable. I am sure that MRH was approached prior to this, and I am not,nor have I ever said that the emergency care services in Spring Hill do not need improving. I am unsure why you are so convinced that I have an axe to grind or that I am bitter. Frankly I am blown away by the blind acceptance of this proposal. I have asked individuals if they have investigated this, and frankly no one has yet to reply and state that they have reviewed the CON. The problem with expanding services is this: People with heart attacks will go to this hospital. They will be placed at an increased risk of dying, and some will die, due to the inferior treatment that they will receive due to the absence of a cath lab. They can afford a cath lab. I cannot imagine why they would not put one in. What will satisfy me is for people to actually look beyond the surface at this, and stop blindly trusting that HCA is just looking out for the good of Spring Hill. Look at what will be offered, and then consider that this hospital is being tauted as " a full service hospital." I have seen what happens when people have misconceptions regarding what services a hospital offers. Frankly, I do not want a single person to DIE because they went to a hospital thinking they would receive a certain level of care, only to be sadly mistaken. This will not be a full service hospital. Look at the Stonecrest web page, they have a cath lab. Look up the American College of Cardiology's recommendation regarding the treatment of heart attacks. It is essential that occluded arteries be opened within 90 minutes in order to preserve cardiac function. It is true that with the current EMS state, that is very difficult to achieve. However I strongly feel like if a hospital is going to be put here, it needs to offer the citizens of Spring Hill the best service possible. You should not receive inferior care because you live in Spring Hill. You deserve life saving angioplasty as much as someone who lives in Nashville. If you are going to build a hospital do it right.
One other thing. Relative to the services at WMC and MRH. They offer a higher level of care than this hospital will. I do not think anyone will debate that giving thrombolytics is better than going to the cath lab. Also isn't the whole argument for this hospital that there is a delay in care currently? This delay will continue without a cath lab, you will just wait to be transferred instead of waiting at home.
COMMUNITY-BASED ANGIOPLASTY: LESS TRAVEL TIME = SAVED LIVES
Smyrna, TN (August 13, 2004) -Sixty percent of all cardiac deaths occur because people take too long to get to an emergency room, according to the American Heart Association.
In effort to significantly reduce this high number of cardiac disease related deaths, a number of community hospitals now offer angioplasty - a procedure that opens blocked arteries and allows blood to flow to the heart.
TriStar Health System began offering community-based angioplasty to Middle Tennessee in 2001. Summit Medical Center was the first hospital in Tennessee to offer this procedure and TriStar is nationally recognized as a pioneer for this service. StoneCrest, the newest member of the TriStar family of hospitals, is proud to now bring angioplasty to the residents of Rutherford County.
Ellen McCluggage, Chief Nursing Officer at StoneCrest, was involved in the initial development of protocols and processes supporting community-based angioplasty before the procedure had ever been done. She continues to be highly supportive of making community-based angioplasty available and educating people about what it involves.
"The need for cardiac services close to home is expected to grow substantially, mainly due to the prevalence of heart disease and our aging population," said McCluggage. "The availability of community-based angioplasty will enable people who may not live near a major medical center to get the treatment they need quickly when response time is so crucial." This service is available from a pre-scheduled to emergency procedure.
McCluggage said that excessive plaque in a person's arteries can eventually block blood flow to the heart causing chest pain or even heart attack.
This is where angioplasty can help.
During the angioplasty procedure, the patient remains awake yet slightly sedated as a specially trained interventional cardiologist inserts a catheter, or thin plastic tube, into the blocked artery.
Attached to the catheter is a tiny balloon that is guided through blood vessels. The balloon is gently inflated to open blockages and restore blood flow to the heart.
The cardiologist may also insert a stent through the catheter. The stent, which is a small, metal device that acts like a spring, may be left in place to keep the vessel from closing again.
Richard Meeks, Director of Critical Care Services at StoneCrest, deliberately sought an interventionally trained team for the cardiac cath lab prior to the hospital opening. "We knew that soon after opening, we would launch our community-based angioplasty program, so our goal was to hire well-trained nurses and cardiovascular radiology techs.
" The angioplasty procedure generally lasts between 30 and 90 minutes. Smyrna resident Trudy Skipper, 57, recently underwent community-based angioplasty at StoneCrest after going to the emergency room for severe chest pain.
"Community-based angioplasty is growing rapidly within the region," said McCluggage. "Having this type of cardiac care available at the community level should help reduce the time it takes to receive treatment, which could make the difference between life and death for many patients."
McCluggage says that if doctors determine more invasive cardiac procedures are needed, patients often are transferred to TriStar's tertiary hospital, Centennial Medical Center - which is one of the nation's top 100 hospitals in the area of cardiology.
StoneCrest Medical Center is the newest member of the TriStar family of hospitals. This state-of-the-art hospital offers a full array of acute care services including emergency care, general surgery, cardiology, obstetrics, intensive care, outpatient diagnostic services and cancer care. Situated on 43 acres at the intersection of Interstate 24 and Sam Ridley Parkway, StoneCrest Medical Center offers advanced medical capabilities, personalized patient and family based care, as well as 75 private patient rooms. In addition, the 160,000 square foot physician's building is conveniently adjacent to the medical center and provides convenient access to physician offices. For more information or for a free physician referral, contact TriStar MedLine at 342-1919 or visit TriStarHealth.com.
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"Having this type of cardiac care available at the community level should help reduce the time it takes to receive treatment, which could make the difference between life and death for many patients"
It is amazing that Stonecrest is important enough to have a cath lab, which by HCA's own admission above, saves lives, and apparently HCA does not feel like Spring Hill is important enough to have a cath lab.
You can jade it, shade it, color it, paint it but the true picture is you have an "AXE TO GRIND".
OK, you can call it whatever you want. Give me a call when you go to this hospital and wait and wait and wait because you were unwilling to investigate this from the front end. I can tell you that I have no axe to grind with HCA. They attempted to do me wrong, but could not. That was two years ago. It is a shame that you are fixated on insisting that I have an axe to grind, that you refuse to even consider these issues and research them. Suggesting that I have an axe to grind is a way to justify your being unwilling to consider that there may be a reason to doubt that HCA is going to provide all they promise. It is clear that I am wasting my time trying to convince you all to investigate this issue. All I can say is you either do the hard work now or you will regret it later. What is so hard about just looking into this? Drink the Kool Aid and see how it turns out for you.
It is clear that I am not going to be able to convince other residents of the need to further investigate this. I am resigning to the very evident idea that my very valid concerns that are relevant to this situation are going to be discounted as "having an axe to grind" or whatever. Luckily, we have a few months before this goes before the CON hearing. Maybe by then some of you will consider looking into some of these issues rather than just discounting them as being angry or bitter. I have nothing further to add to this conversation and will be signing off. If you find yourselves in the new ER waiting room wondering why you are waiting to be seen, take the time to consider that maybe the "bitter" and "axe to grind" guy maybe, just maybe had some valid points. Hindsight is always much clearer.
If you have chest pain, at least do this, chew two baby aspirin and this will reduce your chance of dying by 24 percent.
Demand to be transferred quickly and efficiently, as it is your heart tissue that is being lost.
Remember that you are the patient, and thus the customer, and you have a right to healthcare regardless of your insurance carrier. Hospitals must, by federal EMTALA law, provide you with a medical screening exam in the ER before turning you away due to insurance.
I wish all of you well. I hope your decision to not at least investigate these concerns with not result in serious negative outcomes for you.
If truely what you say is accurate then thank you for making the case of HCA's initial & small impact they will have on MRH & WMC services & bottom line.
"Hindsight is always much clearer".
You are correct. Since the beginning of man there has not been a decision made where "Hindsight was much clearer". It's easy to make that statement in preparation of saying "I told you so".
Decisions have to be made and those who make the decisions cannot operate being afraid to hear "I told you so".
It is very interesting that you all choose to persecute this person for simply posing thought provoking questions. Never once did this person mention money. You all chose to discount the concerns and are unwilling to put forth the time to review this. Decisions do need to be made, I do not think this person said that they do not. However I think this person is asking you to at least consider that you may not be getting what you want. Isn't America the land where people can have different opinions without being persecuted? No one on this blog has even given this person's ideas any thought.
You all are acting like a 16 year old who has gotten his first car. It does not matter that the car is a pinto with no transmission or that it is a wreck, after all it is a car. You don't seem to care that you will be getting a doc in a box, as long as it is something. I too was at the town hall meeting and our mayor stated that we deserve to not be treated as second class citizens. It seems that you are willing to accept second class medical care.
Jeff Gifford
Thank you Jeff.
Hey, I love the fact that we have a place where we can have these types of conversations. Even so, I'm still able to call out the MRH Koolaid when I see it, right?
I think everyone involved in this hospital issue has skeletons. No hospital doesn't. Maury missed out on their opportunity to provide services in Spring Hill. It is obvious that both sides will try to provide false information, both HCA and MRH. However I think we should look skeptically at both parties and know that we have to live with our decision, right or wrong, for a long time.
Here is what I think, and discussion about topics is the purpose of this site, so keep on playing devils advocate if you like.
Anon., I do not think that you are a bad guy. I do think that you are a wee bit bitter at HCA and that is fine. You may well have reason to be.
Again, I want you to stick to the facts, and so far the facts that have been reported in the news have been so far off base that I have no choice but to come to the defense of Tri-Star.
In regards to Blue Cross Blue Shield, I have no doubt that Tri-Star would do the same thing in the future if there were to arise a dispute of some kind. In fact, hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies have disputes all the time (profit or non-profit). It would do you quite a bit of good to stick with some of your other arguments if you would like to oppose this hospital.
Now let's talk about the Cath lab...As you stated, "On the CON it clearly states that there will be ONE cardiac bed in the ER. ONE, so if you could plan your heart attack at a time when no one else is in the ER with one, you probably will be OK." The last time I checked there have not been too many other hospitals willing to place even ONE cardiac bed inside the city of Spring Hill. I think that I would rather take my chances drawing the winning ticket to ride the ONE cath bed than lay on my floor all night in an emergency. I would also have a pretty good reason to believe that there will be quite a few things added to this hospital when it is completed in 2009 or 2010.
I also find it interesting that my assumption that you fired was correct. Again, I am sorry, but I am glad that you have a badge of honor to wear. If the story is as you said, I appreciate your honesty, but still disagree with your position on this one.
Like I have said in the past, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that other hospitals have been given the chance to expand into Spring Hill and I have not seen too many take the city up on the offer. Unless you have a hospital to contribute to this city in your back pocket, or know why others have not chosen to come to this city, I suggest you get behind this one.
One last question...
In your honest opinion, how many people in this city do you feel are in favor of this hospital?
Mr. Gorilla,
I am not neccessarily opposed to this hospital. I just feel that HCA has plenty of money, and if they want to provide a hospital, they need to provide one capable of taking care of patients. Honestly what Spring Hill needs is more ambulances and an emergency department and other services that stop potentially fatal diseases such as heart attacks. I think that HCA is trying to halfway do this.I was discussing this with friends today and they suggested I share this with you all to help you understand why I am so adamant about this.
I worked at Skyline in the ER. HCA decided to cut all of Skyline's OB and L and D beds. So here we were a huge hospital with no L and D beds. So the hospital does this blitz to the public about not having L and D services. But they just did it once or twice and never really analyzed the effects of it. So here is a story straight from my experience with this type of situation. I had a young mother come to the ER in labor after HCA cut our L and D services. Even though we underwent lots of training regarding L and D, we were not L and D nurses. We did the best we could, but I knew when I left that morning that the patient deserved better care than we provided, even though she came out fine. Eventually it seemed that every week this situation reoccurred. Monthers came to our hospital in labor and wanted an epidural andwe had to tell them that we could not do that because we did not offer that service. I also know that even though I am a Certified Emergency Nurse, I am not an expert in L and D care. These women came to Skyline expecting the same level of care that they would have received at Baptist or Centennial, and what they received was something below their expectations.
My fear is that this willhappen to the people of Spring Hill. It willnot happen to you, because you know now what they will and will not offer. But what about the single mother who has a child who has asthma that is severely decompensating. There is only one critical care bed in the ER, the trauma and cardiac bed. As well, how many Emergency Medicine trained docs are going to want to work at this small of a hospital? Spring Hill does need emergency care, but they need a higher level than that proposed by HCA. This will not be a full service hospital and I think people deserve to know that. They have the money, we need to force them to provide a truly full service hospital. I am sure that the mayor felt like he was doing the right thing by courting HCA, but he really needed to consider consulting a physician, nurse, or some healthcare provider before stating that this would bea full service hospital.
If you recall from my comments at the Town Hall meeting, you will see that my opening statement was that I am afraid that people will come to this hospital expecting a high level of care, and it simply will not be available. I don't care anything about the statistics of the situation relative to money. I care about the fact that people will have expectations that are not going to be fufilled.
And lastly, I do not have an axe to grind with HCA. I can see how you guys would think that.I did a lot of good for HCA when I was there. I learned a lot about the business of running a hospital, and I learned that if I want to sleep at night I have to refuse to compromise my morals and ethics. Frankly, before my experience there I would have fallen right in line with you guys wanting this hospital without researching the CON.
I am sure many people are in favor of this hospital. I just want to make sure that HCA provides a full service hospital because their CON does not suggest that is their intention. However now is the time for you guys to research this and make them provide the needed services. After this thing is built you guys will have no control over the hospital, as it is for profit. I just want you guys to ask these important questions and demand a true full service hospital.
Also one last thing. I do not condone the smear tactics of MRH. Despite public view I do not work for them. I have worked for them in the past, but I do not work for them now. Facts are facts, as you stated. All I have done is compare the CON to the reported "full service" hospital that is promoted.
Thank you for the enlightening information, but it appears that you really do not want a hospital in Spring Hill at all...
"Spring Hill does not need another hospital..."
Williamson Medical nurse: HCA here for $$, not to fill need
excerpt from Daily Herald 4/26:
Spring Hill resident Chandler Anderson asked Kloess specific questions regarding ambulance services the new hospital would provide, which insurance would be offered for nurses and concerns regarding the lack of a specialized heart unit at the proposed hospital.
Kloess said TriStar would establish a “fully-staffed medical staff and expand services as needed.”
Anderson identified himself as a nurse, but said “I probably shouldn’t tell you,” when asked where he is employed.
Is this the same person who works as clinical coordinator of radiology at Williamson Medical Center? (615) 435-5000
(615) 435-5000
Actually, as anyone who has ever written a letter to the editor will tell you, my letter was edited somewhat. They seemed to leave out my statement that said "if after you read the Certificate of Need, you still feel this hospital is the right thing, then at least you are making an informed decision." I am an employee of WMC, and the reson I have left this out is that you all certainly would have discounted what I was encouraging you to do, just because I am an employee of WMC. I have worked for all three of the involved companies. Actually WMC has yet to discuss this issue, so I really cannot say they are involved as of yet. However this does not change the fact that HCA is promising something that they cannot deliver.
What is the current business tax in Spring Hill? Do you think it will stay the same when HCA comes, or will it increase? If it increases so the city can make a profit, what will that do for all the small businesses that also have to pay the increased tax?
Realtive to the letter to the editor, notice above that they incorrectly stated what I asked about at the Town Hall meeting. I did not ask a single question about insurance coverage for the nurses.
Relative to the EMS issue, everyone at the Town Hall meeting discussed the length of time it took to get an ambulance to their home or some other place. No one said that they wanted a place to deliver their baby or have their surgery, they wanted emergency care. I am unsure if people realize that as soon as EMS picks you up during an emergency, they canstart treating you on the way to the hospital. They can give medications, insert IVs, etc. So it seems what the issue really is is that people need a better response time from EMS. Hence my above comment.
anon. @ 16:16 (AXE TO GRIND) you stated earlier,
"I have nothing further to add to this conversation and will be signing off".
Quit listening to yourself talk and sign off.
Please tell me that I don't have to look at 'Farmer for 11th District Commissioner' 4 x 4 signs all summer until August. I may vote against him only because his signs are out so early.
check out www.maurynewsnet.com for reliable, honest news stories.
Quit listening to yourself talk and sign off.
The truth is annoying isn't it?
Disclaimer.... Anon 29 April @ 15:19 wasn't written by me. Maybe I don't do enough self promotion. I sure enjoy seeing others helping out that way, though. Thanks Anonymous!
And Silverback, you're great and I want you to know we at MNN appreciate the things you do.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Laura Bustetter
May 5, 2006 Williamson Medical Center
(615) 435-5355
Williamson Medical Center, St. Thomas Health Services join Coalition4Care;
Vanderbilt University Medical Center also endorses group
FRANKLIN, TENN. – Williamson Medical Center and St. Thomas Health Services today announce
their membership in Coalition4Care, a group of local health care providers united in opposition of a
proposed $103 million, 56-bed hospital in Spring Hill. Vanderbilt University Medical Center also
announces support for Coalition4Care and opposition for the hospital plan, proposed by Hospital
Corporation of America.
Coalition members argue that HCA’s proposed facility does not meet the requirements of a certificate
of need, which must be obtained through the state’s Health Services and Development Agency before
a hospital can be built. To be granted a CON, an applicant must prove need, economic feasibility and
contribution to the orderly development of health care.
“We firmly believe HCA’s proposal would be a costly duplication of services—a price to be paid by
our local communities,” says Dennis Miller, Williamson Medical Center’s CEO. “If a facility is not
needed, it further increases health care costs overall and endangers the viability of other hospitals
already in place to serve the area.”
Williamson Medical Center is nearing completion of an $83 million expansion that brings an
additional 59 beds into service, provides the county’s largest ambulatory surgery center and has
responded to the need for medical office space, allowing relocation of a variety of primary care
physicians and specialists. “The CON granted for Williamson Medical Center’s construction project
took into account the current and projected population growth in Spring Hill,” Miller adds.
St. Thomas Health Services President and CEO Jim Houser says concerns lie along two fronts—the
effect on existing community hospitals serving the area and the lack of compliance with CON
requirements. “Maury Regional Hospital has made a significant financial commitment to the Spring
Hill Community and has spent $6.5 million in Spring Hill on projects including a primary care center
that is a partnership with St. Thomas Health Services,” he explains. “Williamson Medical Center is
undergoing an expansion to accommodate the inpatient needs of the anticipated growth in Spring Hill.
“Additionally, the CON requirements of need, economic feasibility and orderly development of
health care were established to ensure both access and affordability of health care for all
communities,” Houser says. “Duplication of hospital services leads to higher costs in health care.
With these important concerns in mind, we will vigorously support Williamson Medical Center,
Maury Regional Hospital and the residents of those communities in their opposition to this project.”
Vanderbilt University Medical Center Associate Vice Chancellor Jeff Kaplan says Vanderbilt will
oppose HCA's certificate of need application before the state. “After a thorough review of HCA's
application, it is clear to us that the need for the proposed hospital in Spring Hill is not justified and,
in fact, could have a harmful impact on the delivery of hospital care in the region. We support the
work of Coalition4Care to protect the hospitals, physicians and nurses that have well served that area
of Middle Tennessee."
Coalition4Care was established in late April with founding members Maury Regional Healthcare
System (Maury Regional Hospital, Marshall Medical Center, Wayne Medical Center and Lewis
Ambulatory Care Center), and Hospital Alliance of Tennessee, which represents 57 not-for-profit
hospitals statewide. With the additional support of Williamson Medical Center, St. Thomas Health
Services and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, all major health care players in the mid-state are
aligned against the proposal.
"We are delighted to see these respected health care providers join Coalition4Care and lend their
support to the mounting opposition to HCA's proposal," says Robert Otwell, Maury Regional
Hospital’s CEO. "It is encouraging to see these responsible providers of care conclude, as we have,
that HCA's plan does not represent the orderly development of health care. In fact, HCA's plans
would adversely affect care throughout southern Middle Tennessee. We welcome the support and
invite other caregivers -- physician, nurses, technicians and others -- to lend their voice to
Coalition4Care in the days to come." For more information, visit www.coalition4care.org.
Williamson Medical Center is a 185-bed, JCAHO-accredited hospital that provides comprehensive
inpatient and outpatient care including emergency services, with board-certified physicians in 39
specialties. The community-focused hospital offers a wide range of wellness services, screenings and
classes.
That pretty much kills the hospital idea.
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