Does Crocker Park Want Lakewood Hospital?

[Bill Call]

There were a lot of interesting tid bits in Henry Gomez' article on Crocker Park in today's Plain Dealer.

One of the more interesting items was a reference to an attempt by Crocker Park to convince the Clinic to open up a Health Campus at Crocker Park. Since there are no more people living in this area than there were 20 years ago any new medical facilities have to cannibalize existing facilities.

While Lakewood Hospital is a cash cow for the Clinic, most of the money generated is spent on facilities outside of Lakewood. If such a facility is built in Westlake it would have to come at the expense of Lakewood Hospital.

Is there a long term plan to strangle Lakewood Hospital?

Before you jump all over me think about your first reaction to my thought that Beck Center might be moving. Did you think it would never happen?
The PD article also had an interesting item about the Beck but I'll let someone else tackle that.

[Jay Foran]

Bill,

Lakewood Hospital is hardly a cash cow for the Cleveland Clinic. If anything it is the straggling performer of all of their locations.

Lakewood Hospital is fighting hard to even retain a positive operating margin. This is due to the amount of charity care, Medicaid and other forms of non-cash producing care that has nearly doubled at Lakewood Hospital in the past couple of years.

[Bill Call]

Bill,

Lakewood Hospital is hardly a cash cow for the Cleveland Clinic. If anything it is the straggling performer of all of their locations.

If that is true, and you are better connected than I am, then it is even more likely that the hospital will close and move to Westlake. Why maintain a money losing operation?

A couple of months ago I contacted Lakewood Hospital about an article for the Observer. I was told that they would be happy to cooperate and they would get back to me. I haven't heard from them since.

In all fairness I am sure they are very busy. I didn't contact them again. Perhaps they thought I lost interest. Believe it or not I am hesitant to bug organizations like the City or hospital for information.

If it is true that the during the last couple of years the hospital has become more of financial burden on the Clinic system shouldn't people be made aware of it?

If there is in increase unpaid medical bills is there any reason to believe that the trend will reverse? It seems more likely that the trend will continue and the level of unreimbursed care will increase.

Is there a plan of action to make Lakewood Hospital more attractive to the paying customer? Will building facilities in Westlake make Lakewood Hospital more profitable or less profitable?

Would Lakewood residents be better off if no one asked these questions?

You seem to have a good understanding of the financial status of the hospital. Is there a plan of action to deal with the deteriorating financial condition of Lakewood Hospital? Should people be aware of that plan? Or should we just assume that action is being taken and hope for the best?

[Jay Foran]

Lakewood Hospital is deeply committed to Lakewood and its citizens. If it was not I would not be a member of the Lakewood Hospital Foundation Board.

The financial and physical commitment to the new YMCA (outpatient physical therapy center) and Rockport (new health care center) are obvious examples. Additionally, the hospital is reviewing other options to increase their presence, contribution and financial standing within Lakewood.

[Phil Florian]

I think the fact that there are more people without insurance to pay for health care should be the concern that is addressed, not closing the hospital that is doing what it can to help those people. I hate that they have to lose money to do so but the amount of hospitals able to help out the people without insurance (a growing population) is shrinking. Deaconess used to and it was closed. I would hate to see Lakewood go that way.

The real deal would be finding ways to get every American covered by some sort of insurance. Then hospitals wouldn't lose money! Win win!

But as for Lakewood Hospital moving...why? The Clinic has services all over the West side. They opened a gigantic health care center in Avon (Lake?) that stole our pediatrician out of Lakewood (grrr...). I don't think they will do more than open maybe another location.

Jay, I am so excited that they are opening up a new Center in Lakewood. Will this replace the one on the West end of Madison? Will it bring back any of the doctors we lost from that location? Dr. Muniak is our kids pediatrician but since they moved her (against her will, too) out to Avon (Lake?) we have been sorely tempted to move to a new doc for convenience but we still get her in town one day a week, at least but I have hopes that she comes back to fill a pediatric position there.

[DougHuntingdon]

Where is Hillary when you need her? Maybe she will run for President with Kucinich as VP.

Doug