“Hospital executives in this State have an obligation to examine the needs of their communities and meet with neighboring hospitals in an effort to right size the care available.” Suzanne Ianni, President and CEO of the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey in testimony before the Commission on Rationalizing Health Care resources, April 30, 2007.
Define ‘right size.’ Are hospital problems linked to too many beds, too many hospitals, too many surgery centers, poor planning or maybe poor management? The answers are not being defined. Instead months pass and the hospital discussion continues to be treated superficially with hollow rhetoric.
Last June, Westwood Councilman Grefrath stood up at the DOH public meeting to cite his appreciation for the former hospital, while offering a public birthday wish to a fellow council member. Was that input meant to sway State Health Board members on the need for a hospital?
The Westwood Mayor, in an effort to stress the community’s need, organized a protest ‘walk’ to the next area hospital. The endeavor offered a mental aid for visualizing health care accessibility. What better way then a ‘walk’ to the ‘other’ hospital to stress ‘local needs?’
Lt. Governor candidate Sen. Loretta Weinberg opposes a reopened hospital that serves Northern and Pascack Valley patients. She believes it would support an “irrational health policy.” Can’t agree more—heart attacks are irrational, so are home accident traumas—they never cause any need for timely surgical interventions—solid opposition reasoning.
Several area municipalities have recently introduced non-binding referendums to their November ballots. The effort is to weigh public support for continued resource expenditures relating to a reopened hospital application. Interesting way to question support. Unfortunately emotion is of limited value; it normally dies badly between expectations and reality when money is involved.
The State’s DOH is charged with assessing overall health care resources in conjunction with residents’ needs. When you consider the foregoing sampling of political comments and actions to date, their value may be more akin to a Madoff securities prospectus. Surface theater rather then any thoughtful consideration for addressing the DOH’s underlying concerns.
Governor Corzine sought to understand New Jersey’s hospital system. He evidently recognized there would be no simple answer when commissioning his study. The resulting report offered a comprehensive insight, and an appreciation, that there are many factors to consider in each hospital’s location of operation.
Obviously then, “right sizing” bed capacity has multiple considerations. From Valley and Englewood’s opposing perspective, it isn’t about meeting public need. And it’s more then simply a wider pool of patients—it’s a strategic factor toward increasing and leveraging their market positions.
Consider that that leverage enables a hospital to gain negotiating clout within potential insurance payor contracts. Each percentage point gained in a contract’s reimbursement rate drops right to a hospital’s bottom line (and added to your premiums). That in turn helps support net cash flow, the income from operations.
Valley Hospital is using Englewood Hospital as a crutch to make its case for keeping PVH closed. For Englewood, Valley is nothing more then a friend with benefits. Their argument is about money. Their attempt in “right sizing” capacity by eliminating facilities will not be the panacea for struggling New Jersey hospitals. Nor will their attempt to transform the Governor’s report into some sort of remedial edict for hospital problems.
Hospital overhead costs balanced with operating efficiencies, physician affiliations and quality of services with a respect toward patient demographics and competing hospital locations are just some of the variables that need to be measured in this hospital discussion. Ignoring them eliminates the human factor from the social properties of health care, limiting the debate to the opposition’s arena. The PVH community may be better served by humanizing the people need beyond emotion and rhetoric.
Over the next several blogs, I’ll suggest that Valley Hospital and Englewood Medical Center will not meet the healthcare needs left by Pascack Valley Hospital’s closing. Demographics, the Dartmouth Atlas Project, drive time analysis and actual hospital locations are all pertinent discussion parameters. Without them—“Trauma” this fall will be more then just another NBC lineup show—in the Northern and Pascack Valleys—it’ll be a reality series.
Got an e-mail you posted again. Weclome back. Hope it means more postings soon.
The politics have seemed pointless so far. You can’t say much if you don’t know much. We need this hospital but how do you say it if the politicians can’t.
Comment by Dirk — August 25, 2009 @ 4:41 PM
“I’ll suggest that Valley Hospital and Englewood Medical Center will not meet the healthcare needs left by Pascack Valley Hospital’s closing.”
They haven’t done so to date. Valley’s just interested stacking patients in their hallways.
How many PVH patients just get up and leave after waiting hours for treatment? How much more “human” than that does it get?
Comment by michelle — August 26, 2009 @ 11:28 AM
When you think about need how can you say need other then something is needed? I don’t know the answer and admit it. I elected others to represent my need. Didn’t realize they didn’t know my need either until you noted the Councilman. A birthday wish doesn’t even explain to me why the hospital is needed. Maybe the hospital isn’t a priority. Maybe its just something in the news that offers them attention.
I’m curious how your going to describe the need. The idea that there are other reasons then just more patients never occurred to me. Actually the new reason could mean a lot more money then just the additional patients. It would certainly fund Valley in Ridgewood’s planned growth.
Comment by phillip32 — August 26, 2009 @ 5:12 PM
It goes to show that most politicians don’t understand our needs. They’re all looking for one size fits all solutions. Ridgewood will change if Pascack doesn’t reopen. I’ve watched the congestion grow around Valley over the years and traffic has only gotten worse. We’re not NY city. We don’t have the buses and trains they have. Valley only wants to renew to grow. Quality of life for the town is not their concern. If the Planning Board doesn’t consider that then maybe its time to move. Turn the town over to Valley. Ridgewood needs that hospital to reopen. If not how long before Valley’s 400 beds become 800 beds?
Comment by Anonymous — August 27, 2009 @ 12:21 PM
Single Rooms ? When money is so tight? You can be sure that once Valley knocks off HUMC North it will eventually double up patients in those rooms. And so will your congestion double up. Your Planning Board is going to sell you out. You can bet on it.
Comment by Rick — August 27, 2009 @ 7:07 PM
Read the article in the Record CL this week? Mayor Birkner “said he and the other mayors understand the delicate position the governor is in.” He also notes “the governor really doesn’t have the luxury to come out and comment on the process.”
If the mayor says he understands a politician keeping their mouth shut for political reason then where do the needs of the people fit in? The governor started the process with his report and now he has no comment? Looks like mayor Birkner is wishing happy birthdays.
Comment by Barry — August 27, 2009 @ 6:32 PM
I like your graphic of failed leadership. Hackensack bungled the CN hearing. It had 2 years to develop a strong case. Your council people have been spectators. Inexcusable all around.
Comment by ACP — August 26, 2009 @ 11:41 PM