Lakewood spending $50,000 for data study targeting improved healthcare

[pj bennett]

I'm still learning my way around the Observation Deck, and I'm not sure if I can actually copy the related article, or just provide the link, that appeared yesterday on cleveland.com

To be safe, here's the link for the article below: http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... or_da.html

Look at those fateful words: "to make Lakewood the healthiest city in America." I'm hearing the echo of Mary Louise Madigan all over again.

[Dan Alaimo]

Let's see if I can make it work:

LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY BLOG
Lakewood spending $50,000 for data study targeting improved healthcare
Updated Mar 19, 10:55 AM; Posted Mar 19, 6:45 AM

By John Benson, special to cleveland.com
LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Earlier this month, a 90-day assessment project involving five healthcare entities began, with the end-result goal intended to make Lakewood the healthiest city in America.

"Basically, this is market research," Mayor Mike Summers said. "In order to really gain more focus and therefore more effectiveness, all of these forces are converging on improved healthcare in Lakewood in 2018.

"It would be really helpful to all -- Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, nonprofit healthcare providers, city health and human resources -- to understand more effectively what is the need that exists in our community? What is the service that's being provided to meet that need, and are there any gaps?"

The cost of the assessment -- examining data, systems, processes, resources and needs within the health and wellness ecosystem -- is $50,000, which Summers said will come from the money being paid to the city as a result of the master agreement from the closing of Lakewood Hospital.

On the surface, Summers doesn't disagree with the notion that such market research should be the responsibility of healthcare agencies; however, he stressed that the project is in Lakewood's best interest.

"They should do this market research, but they don't work collectively," Summers said. "Each aligns themselves to meet their own particular market needs.

"Our opportunity in Lakewood is to leverage all of these forces that are emerging much more effectively by creating the possibility of alignment and making sure we actually get more than we would if we didn't create this alignment."

The 90-day assessment is being completed by five companies, each possessing a particular skill set that, in the end, Summers said will provide a report with greater clarity about Lakewood's path to wellness.

One of the entities undertaking the 90-day assessment is nuboHEALTH, a healthcare IT solutions company founded by four former Cleveland Clinic programmers and engineers. The company specializes in the collection, management and integration of health-related data sources.

"In order to build a healthy community and a culture of good health, a city's businesses, organizations, citizens and government must work together," nuboHEALTH CSO Paula Timco said. "The first step is understanding your data, how it is collected and the many correlations between data sets."

Other companies involved in the 90-day assessment are: Pandata, reviewing the types and quality of data available in Lakewood; UpShot Health, examining the utilization of health resources; mdlogix, connecting with current clinical resources to better understand healthcare offerings in Lakewood; and Balance Design, studying the human factor design of how healthcare services are used in Lakewood.

Regarding the importance of the assessment to the city of Lakewood, Timco said the greatest impacts on population health are accomplished through community-wide interventions.

"Understanding a city's data allows for better identification of community-focused interventions, as well as (being able to) track the impact of interventions over time," Timco said.

"This 90-day assessment will begin to scratch the surface of understanding the city's data sources, information systems, health-related resources and community needs."

The report is due at the end of May or early June, with Summers confident that one of the findings will revolve around chronic conditions. Overall, the assessment will act as a sort of master plan for wellness in Lakewood, to be shared with the city's various foundations, entities and nonprofits.

One outcome could be the implementation of paramedicine in Lakewood. This proactive approach is designed to reduce healthcare costs at the grassroots level by employing community health officers to help residents in non-emergency situations.

"We're beginning to support ways that we could use the paramedics that we have and perhaps be a little more, I guess, preventative of some of the issues," Summers said. "We have folks who call the ambulances pretty regularly. It's very costly, very disruptive and, basically, it's something that could be prevented.

"If we could call on them in advance to help maintain better health, that could prevent an ambulance run. We don't know how to do that yet. There are cities across the country that have had some success with that. We're studying those and that might be an opportunity to get better."

[Jim O'Bryan]

"Basically, this is market research," Mayor Mike Summers said. "In order to really gain more focus and therefore more effectiveness, all of these forces are converging on improved healthcare in Lakewood in 2018.

"It would be really helpful to all -- Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, nonprofit healthcare providers, city health and human resources -- to understand more effectively what is the need that exists in our community? What is the service that's being provided to meet that need, and are there any gaps?"

The cost of the assessment -- examining data, systems, processes, resources and needs within the health and wellness ecosystem -- is $50,000, which Summers said will come from the money being paid to the city as a result of the master agreement from the closing of Lakewood Hospital.

On the surface, Summers doesn't disagree with the notion that such market research should be the responsibility of healthcare agencies; however, he stressed that the project is in Lakewood's best interest.

Or maybe the Mayor should have done it before he pushed the entire city down a road of no-return?

This is why they have covered up and lied to the residents.

They did it with ZERO thought except the foundation money and land for a handful of friends and supporters.

Now that $178 million in Healthcare assets gone, and functioning hospital gone, and over $10 mill a year in benefits GONE, he wants to study what is next!

Lakewood's best interest is to release all the documents, and let's see just how bad this mess is and how it was made.

From day one, "Chris Christie went under Federal Investigation for moving 48 orange cones on the George Washington Bridge. What would have happened if he had sold the bridge and gave the money and all benefits to his friends?"

.

[Nadhal Eadeh]

Jim,

1. Large hospital chains love tightly knit communities like Lakewood. 52,000 residents in a densely populated area is a dream for healthcare providers.

2. Mayor Summers and city council should have taken part in an economic impact study in closing Lakewood Hospital years ago.

3. How about Mayor Summers push for the “healthiest economy in America”? Here’s a hint you don’t close your largest employer when healthcare spending is 17-18% of the nations GDP.

4. I still don’t know why our newest members of city council have not called for a third party investigation of the hospital deal?

Nadhal

[Jim O'Bryan]

[quote="Nadhal Eadeh"]Jim,

1. Large hospital chains love tightly knit communities like Lakewood. 52,000 residents in a densely populated area is a dream for healthcare providers.

2. Mayor Summers and city council should have taken part in an economic impact study in closing Lakewood Hospital years ago.

3. How about Mayor Summers push for the “healthiest economy in America”? Here’s a hint you don’t close your largest employer when healthcare spending is 17-18% of the nations GDP.

4. I still don’t know why our newest members of city council have not called for a third party investigation of the hospital deal?

Nadhal[/quote

Nadhal/All

It occurred to me this morning, this is a lot to do about nothing, except another way to drain $50,000 out of the funds, probably once again for friends, business associates or people contributing to political campaigns.

Not one study they have done, damn near EVER has been on the level.

They were all started to underline that the Mayor and cohorts were doing the right thing closing the hospital, and taking the money and land for friends.

Every study was done with an agenda in mind, and most people doing them soon closed after cashing the checks.

To think that suddenly this crew is doing anything other than that makes all of us residents look even more like rubes.

OH YEAH this time it will be a real study.

.

[Dan Alaimo]

A thought: Would the mayor, et al, agree to have this study done by a demonstrably and completely independent firm?
This is, of course, a matter of closing the barn door long after the horse is gone, but let's should give him a sincerity evaluation.
I don't know of a firm like this, but I'm sure they exist, and equally sure that local experts can identify them. Whether there could be general agreement on this is another matter.

[Jim O'Bryan]

A thought: Would the mayor, et al, agree to have this study done by a demonstrably and completely independent firm?
This is, of course, a matter of closing the barn door long after the horse is gone, but let's should give him a sincerity evaluation.
I don't know of a firm like this, but I'm sure they exist, and equally sure that local experts can identify them. Whether there could be general agreement on this is another matter.

Dan

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana

.

[Dan Alaimo]

A thought: Would the mayor, et al, agree to have this study done by a demonstrably and completely independent firm?
This is, of course, a matter of closing the barn door long after the horse is gone, but let's should give him a sincerity evaluation.
I don't know of a firm like this, but I'm sure they exist, and equally sure that local experts can identify them. Whether there could be general agreement on this is another matter.

Dan

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana

.

I know the result, but think the question is worth asking.

[Nadhal Eadeh]

Jim,

I still don’t understand how the newly elected council members have not asked for an outside audit of this hospital deal? Haven’t heard a peep. Not sure if it’s political strategy. If silence is your political strategy then what the hell is the point of elected office?

Dan,

You already know this. Question any study that tells you “healthcare is changing” especially when it’s the hottest market in Northeast Ohio. Summers used a tactic used deployed by foundations in Washington. Have an “academic fellow” push forth theories that the financiers of the study want.

Nadhal

[m buckley]

Jim,

I still don’t understand how the newly elected council members have not asked for an outside audit of this hospital deal? Haven’t heard a peep. Not sure if it’s political strategy. If silence is your political strategy then what the hell is the point of elected office? l

Outside audit or not. That's the question Mr. Eadeh has posed. And on more than one occasion.

Ms.George, Mr. Rader I supported you as agents of change. Mr. Eadeh deserves an answer.

Again, Mr. Eadeh with those unpleasant observations, those truthful observations.

" If silence is your political strategy then what the hell is the point of elected office?"

Hey Dan O'Malley " Go figure." You could have mattered.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Jim,

I still don’t understand how the newly elected council members have not asked for an outside audit of this hospital deal? Haven’t heard a peep. Not sure if it’s political strategy. If silence is your political strategy then what the hell is the point of elected office? l

" If silence is your political strategy then what the hell is the point of elected office?"

Nadhal

I think major investigation units which have been contacted by residents, according to public records tend to work quietly until they have something to say or announce.

I have zero knowledge that anyone is looking into this, now, in the past or in the future, but from my experience in other matters, they tend to investigate quietly.

I would say that it is troubling that people that ran on transparency, honesty and accountability, seem to care little if not at all about it after getting elected.

This would mean Tom Bullock, and to a certain extent Tristan Radar. At least Council person Meghan George is constantly making council stop meeting in Executive Session when the meeting legally has to be done in front of the public.

Still, without a cleaning of the slate and an outside investigation, the cilcil war continues, distrust of elected officials grows, as it should.

An outside audit, to double check what Law Director Kevin Butler, Mayor Summers, and David Anderson claim were above board meetings, emails and planning should be viewed by everyone, especially them as a great opportunity to prove people wrong, and they are as legal and as open, as they claim, while hiding and destroying documents over the past 3 years!

Time to bring the community together.

.

[Richard Baker]

The City of Lakewood tears down the only hospital serving the city by making back room deals for future personal considerations and suddenly it needs a worthless healthcare "data" study. Why do they care about healthcare in Lakewood when they doubled and tripled the distance for ambulances to drive to the hospital for Lakewood residents? To surprise of the council, the doctors that supported the hospital have vacated the downtown buildings. Any jackass could have predicted that would happen after the hospital shut down.

Just another decision made in their little room in the back of city hall by a bunch of people that are totally void of common sense. That friend or relative of the council or mayor will doing this $50,000 study by designating it another emergency expenditure to circumvent the public bidding process? Trust them, these people don't even follow court orders to release public documents.

I can just guess what the results of the healthcare "data" study will be. It will be exactly as the council and mayor expects it to be, just like they did in their attempt to condemn all the private homes and apartment buildings on the west side for their super shopping mall center.

[pj bennett]

I guess a study begets a study begets a study…..

First, the Lakewood Active Living Task Force produced a Recommendations Report in December 2015.

http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... 2.2015.pdf

On page 3, it is noted that in 2014, Lakewood had the highest mortality rate in Cuyahoga County for heart disease.
(So, rather than keeping emergency cardiac available, it was ‘decanted’ early on. Interesting solution to the problem, heh?)

Although health campaigns have been fighting the ills of sedentary lifestyle and poor diet for decades, national rates of obesity and related chronic diseases have continued to rise. As of 2014, 60% of adults and 17% of children are overweight or obese. Local health data reveals equally concerning health trends. The 2014 County Health Rankings ranked Cuyahoga County 65 out of 88 Ohio counties for health outcomes,1 with 64.6% of adults in Cuyahoga County being overweight or obese. 2 In Lakewood, the mortality rate for heart disease was 251.7 per 100,000 persons, the highest in Cuyahoga County.3 It has become apparent that traditionally individual- focused health interventions designed to combat chronic disease have not been fully effective.

Then, there was the Foundation Task Force meeting on June 14, 2017, which discussed Potential Areas of Focus, such as diabetes, opioid crisis, mental health, etc.

http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... -14-17.pdf

And now, another study to the tune of $50,000. For what, exactly? How many studies are needed?

Actually, I can tell city officials exactly what Lakewood needs.
And, I will do it for free.

Lakewood Needs A HOSPITAL.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I guess a study begets a study begets a study…..

First, the Lakewood Active Living Task Force produced a Recommendations Report in December 2015.

http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... 2.2015.pdf

On page 3, it is noted that in 2014, Lakewood had the highest mortality rate in Cuyahoga County for heart disease.
(So, rather than keeping emergency cardiac available, it was ‘decanted’ early on. Interesting solution to the problem, heh?)

Although health campaigns have been fighting the ills of sedentary lifestyle and poor diet for decades, national rates of obesity and related chronic diseases have continued to rise. As of 2014, 60% of adults and 17% of children are overweight or obese. Local health data reveals equally concerning health trends. The 2014 County Health Rankings ranked Cuyahoga County 65 out of 88 Ohio counties for health outcomes,1 with 64.6% of adults in Cuyahoga County being overweight or obese. 2 In Lakewood, the mortality rate for heart disease was 251.7 per 100,000 persons, the highest in Cuyahoga County.3 It has become apparent that traditionally individual- focused health interventions designed to combat chronic disease have not been fully effective.

Then, there was the Foundation Task Force meeting on June 14, 2017, which discussed Potential Areas of Focus, such as diabetes, opioid crisis, mental health, etc.

http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... -14-17.pdf

And now, another study to the tune of $50,000. For what, exactly? How many studies are needed?

Actually, I can tell city officials exactly what Lakewood needs.
And, I will do it for free.

Lakewood Needs A HOSPITAL.

To quote the head of Lakewood Active Living Task Force, Jay Foran, "The are doers and there are Observers, thank god for Doers." Of course the Doers he is part of seem to continually bleed Lakewood of tax payers money and funds that could be better spent elsewhere. The doers he is an active part of seem to desperately need funding meant or better spent on other things instead of his dreams of sim city like developments, where Observer use their own money to Observe, the bullshit from the doers.

Jay aka "MR. Doer", join with the Observers, all privately funded, in asking the City of Lakewood to release all documents including those of the Active Living Task Force that you publicly said was not dependent on a single penny from the liquidation of Lakewood Largest Asset the Lakewood Hospital.

Please Mr. Dobie!

.

[Mark Kindt]

From reviewing the various studies that the city administration has done since 2013 (Subsidium, Huron, Active Living, 4ward Planning), we can essentially view each of these studies as "concocted" rationales for the liquidation of the assets of Lakewood Hospital and their redistribution to others.

In this on-going liquidation of the assets of Lakewood Hospital, we are witnessing the transfer of the vast bulk of those assets to the use and benefit of private third parties.

By the time the former hospital site is redeveloped into One Lakewood Place, we will be able to get out our calculators and conclude that all of the liquidated assets of Lakewood Hospital were passed through to others by the Master Agreement and other contracts in development.

Our civic leadership will have affected the largest transformation of Lakewood in recent memory.

The manner in which it is being done speaks volumes about why citizens need to continue to organize and elected new candidates to local office.

We need a municipal government that is actually committed to the values of honesty, openness, transparency and ethics.