Why Mayor Summers Turned From Metro to His "Risky" Plan

[Brian Essi]

Jim Kenny,

I wrote that you are gentleman because I believe you are a gentleman--it had nothing to do with the insurance you choose or the reason you choose to go to Metro. I know plenty of charitable people who are not gentlemen.

At the same time, I find your written words to be so contradictory and befuddling as to be funny. I'm sorry, but I see humor in someone saying the loss of over $100 million in charitable assets in Lakewood will not affect the poor. Delivery of service to the underserved costs a lot of money.

Also, I have told those who asked me about you that you said you don't work for the Mayor--I asked a broader question on the forum to eliminate further questions and inquiries to me--I think my putting that up and your answer gives you added credibility.

[Jim Kenny]

Meg: You are beautiful. You've demonstrated it now and you've taught me before. Thank you. Please know that I'm a reluctant regionalist. My selfish desires wants Lakewood to be the center of the universe. My heart tells me I'm setting myself up for heartbreak if I insist on as much. I'm better when I accept what's best for the whole. I'm trying to do that here and it helps me to ask others to join me in the effort. Thank you for honoring it even when you don't agree with it.

[Jim Kenny]

Brian: Thanks for the clarification, but please accept I've never understood your claim that $100 million in assets would somehow be lost, nor have I ever said it like you last stated. That's your claim that I haven't refuted. I can't refute it because I don't know its basis. I know you keep asserting the claim, and I know after helping failing businesses liquidate assets that these assets don't disappear. I'm certain others reading this thread understand the same, so I need not answer all 96 or 93 claims. I'll focus on answering those questions that bring clarity to others so we can understand the true issues.

[Brian Essi]

Jim,

It is quite simple if you read the LOI and draft Master Agreement and really want to understand:

1. CCF employee Shannon Richie will "act" as President/Liquidator of LHA and spend $26 million of LHA's/City's cash investments to demolish/destroy/salvage the value of $70 million of hard assets, i.e. the Clinic takes every piece of equipment for free, the buildings are leveled to the ground and the Clinic buys a piece of the land ready to build for a couple of million or so. That's a loss in value of about $90+ million right there.

2. The remaining $24 million of LHA's cash ($50 million less the $26 million Ritchie spends above) could be controlled/diverted to help build the Mayor's New Lakewood Recreation Center and for other causes.

Using the low end of these numbers: 90 plus 24 equals $114 million in assets potentially taken from benefiting the underserved. Please join me in the fight to stop this from happening.

[Bill Call]

Using the low end of these numbers: 90 plus 24 equals $114 million in assets potentially taken from benefiting the underserved. Please join me in the fight to stop this from happening.

Don't forget the $35 million or so in the Lakewood Hospital Foundation. The current purpose of the LHF is to support Lakewood Hospital and the needs of the people it serves.

The Foundation is to be dissolved and its assets are to be turned over to a new Foundation under the control of the Clinic. It's purpose will be to serve the health care needs of all of Northeast Ohio, I. e., Avon, Stongsville, Twinsburg etc.

[Jim Kenny]

Brian: Thanks for sharing your understanding of the LOI. I appreciate knowing your interpretation of the potential deal that will hopefully be negotiated one day. My understanding is the Cleveland Clinic might seek the outcome that you've predicted, but the deal we need to consider as citizens could very well and likely will be different. If it proves to be as you’ve predicted, you will not need to twist my arm to join your cause. If it doesn’t, I hope you’ll do what’s best for the community as a whole. That’s my goal and I'm here to share it with you and all those who participate in this forum. Thanks for including me in the discussion.

[m buckley]

Jim, I saw that you posted and went to it immediately, but I have to tell you I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping you were going to provide the documentation that Mr. Call requested concerning your statement that the proposed Lakewood Family Health Center will mirror those offered in Twinsburg. Any chance we'll see that documentation in the near future? Also I do hope you're allowing that there is a significant difference of opinion as to what it means " to do what is best for the community as a whole".

[Jim Kenny]

m buckley: Please forgive the lag in my response and thanks for clarifying Mr. Call’s question. I admittedly missed it. I’ve been distracted of late as both of my inlaws are suffering with health issues, and my wife has been in New Mexico for nearly three weeks caring for them. I’ve had to juggle more than I’m accustomed to doing and do so under stress.

That said, please know that I learned that Lakewood’s proposed Family Health Center will compare favorably in service to Twinsburg’s facility at the March 10 Community Meeting at City Hall. It was said repeatedly said by Dr. J. Stephen Jones, President of Cleveland Clinic Regional Hospitals and Family Health Centers. Twinsburg’s Medical Director Dr. Richard Kratche spoke, too, and shared the process of how his facility came to be and assured the audience they can expect comparable services and the same great patient experience at our Lakewood facility.

I did a quick check at the OneLakewood website and found the following video that captures the entire meeting as it happened that March day. You can see it here:

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwLzrAS1JmI[/url]

Roughly 100 people were in the audience that night. I’ve got to believe some of them participate in the Observation Deck, especially given how acrimonious a few questions asked were and how some in the audience reacted to these.

With regard to the community’s best interests, please know I’m well aware and sensitive to the fact that opinions vary wildly on the topic of Lakewood’s future health care facilities. My recent participation in this forum has only heightened my sensitivity and appreciation of these passions. I’m also aware the set of options we as a community have to consider is narrowing by the day, while the need to act prudently and quickly is becoming increasingly necessary.

Thanks for engaging me in the conversation. And, in the future, please continue to forgive me if I’m slow to respond.

[marklingm]

I would love to meet with you, Summers, Madigan, Juris, Gable, Haber and Broadbent or any group of folks in control you can put together to help me understand how mistaken I am.

Brian,

My guess is that they will never meet with you.

That would require transparency and accountability.

Keep us posted.

Matt

[Bridget Conant]

I’m also aware the set of options we as a community have to consider is narrowing by the day, while the need to act prudently and quickly

May I ask exactly why we are in such a hurry to make a decision? What options are narrowing? Can you elaborate on those other options for as far as I can tell, we have only been presented with one.

I'm afraid when someone tells me I need to make a decision right this moment or I'll lose the deal, I feel like I'm at a car dealership or subject to some other slick sales presentation. It doesn't inspire confidence in what I'm being told; in fact, quite the opposite.

[Bill Call]

compare favorably in service to Twinsburg’s facility at the March 10 Community Meeting at City Hall. It was said repeatedly said by Dr. J. Stephen Jones, President of Cleveland Clinic Regional Hospitals and Family Health Centers. Twinsburg’s Medical Director Dr. Richard Kratche spoke, too, and shared the process of how his facility came to be and assured the audience they can expect comparable services and the same great patient experience at our Lakewood facility.

WHAT?

Did they really say that? Are you sure? If so they lied to you and to all others in attendance.

Did you check the link to the Twinsburg Family Health Center?

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/locations ... sburg-fhsc

It offers a full range of services, specialties and surgeries and is nearly 200,000 square feet of space:

http://www.turnerconstruction.com/exper ... ery-center

The Family Health Center will also have A FULL SERVICE HOSPITAL:

http://www.cleveland.com/medical/index. ... linic.html

Unless the Lakewood facility will be a 195,000 square foot surgery center with an attached hospital ALL THOSE PEOPLE LIED TO YOU!

At what point do you admit your are being lied to? Please answer.

[m buckley]

Jim, I'm sorry to hear about your in-laws. I wish them a speedy recovery.

Having said that, I have to admit that I didn't think Mr.Call's question needed clarification, but since you have afforded me the opportunity I will ask again, do you have documentation to back up your claim - " The proposed new hospital facility for Lakewood will compare favorably to the Cleveland Clinic models elsewhere. The Clinic keeps reminding us that the expanded service (22>20) will mirror those offered at it's family wellness center in Twinsburg".

I ask because the video you offered up as proof, from the 3-10-15 Community Meeting was nothing more than a sales pitch. A sales pitch from Lakewood Hospital Trustees and (to paraphrase Mike Summers), an amassed talent and team from the Cleveland Clinic, he added that "we're fortunate to have them on our team".

Watching the video I was struck by Dr. Kratche, the Medical Director at the Twinsburg Family Wellness Center, who started off his remarks by quoting Dr. David Bronson ( apparently the father of Family Health Centers) "If you've seen one Family Health Center , you've seen one. No two are alike".

I'll add that according to Bill Call, at a recent City Council meeting, (which occurred after the 3-10-15 meeting) Clinic representatives would not provide a list of services, number of employees, number of doctors or specialists that would be assigned to the new facility. If Mr. Call is correct then you're really asking us to proceed on blind faith. If he's incorrect, I want to know about it.

Jim, you'll have to forgive me but I'm more than a little skeptical , living on Grace Ave and having been promised six times by Drug Mart (on the record), that no delivery trucks would ever use the Grace Ave. entrance, ( they use the entrance daily), I know the value of promises made in front of the Summers administration.

Finally , I think it's unfortunate, that you would characterize your neighbors' questions to Mike Summers as acrimonious. I watched the video, I didn't see it. What I did see was a defensive, sometimes irritable Mike Summers responding to his constituents. As an example, his interaction with Tom Monahan. Watching that exchange I could not help but reflect on how divisive the Summers administration has been.

[Jim Kenny]

m buckley: Thanks for your good wishes for my in-laws.

The services proposed to be offered at Lakewood’s Family Wellness are enumerated in the following document. OneLakewood’s website is kept current and has a section dedicated to “Lakewood Hospital Information”, so I’m unaware of any changes:

http://www.onelakewood.com/pdf/Lakewood ... rvices.pdf

You’re correct that we were told that no two Family Wellness Centers are alike. This is good news. It means Lakewood’s would not be a cookie cutter project but developed to our unique needs. It also means that process that Dr. Kratche explained would be followed, giving us the patience experience we need and deserve in Lakewood. The list of services reflects this premise. Why no two facilities are alike, I’m confident all of these are similar in some regard. Twinsburg is the best comparison or most similar to what’s proposed for Lakewood. The differences between the two will be size, as Twinsburg serves a much greater geography than what’s needed in Lakewood.

Knowing you’re on Grace, I’m sympathetic of your distrust of Mayor Summers and his administration. I also know these ill feelings can blind you. As your neighbor, I’m attempting to politely direct you to the answers you seek and many of these are available at the OneLakewood website.

Last, I did not choose the word acrimonious callously or with the intent to offend. Heck, I’ve used that word in the past to describe the actions of family members. Please understand the video you watched gave a limited view of the mood and energy in the room that night. By virtue of the camera focused on each speaker, it failed to capture the sidebar conversations, which were at times disruptive and too often angry. The video also didn’t capture audience discussions said and heard before and after the meeting. I believe these ill feelings to be unnecessary. We can do better as a community. That’s my goal in participating here. Thanks for inviting me to continue the dialogue.

[Jim Kenny]

Bridget: I'm not choosing to rush anyone in to making a decision. I'm late to this debate because of reluctance. I'm now recognizing, however, the leverage or negotiating power we have as a community is eroding each day we prolong the inevitable, which is Lakewood's health care facility needs to reflect 21st century delivery methods and fit into the larger delivery system serving the region.

The changes in health care delivery we see now have been underway since the 1960s. The following link explains:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_ ... 003acc.pdf

This might also explain why nearly every 10 years Lakewood Hospital has been in need of major capital investments. Our past investments have been fighting these inevitable trends. I don't believe any of us is well served to continue this fight. Hence, why I'm asking we act before more financial damage is done and we're no longer in a position to dictate our future.

[Jim Kenny]

Mr. Call: I don't believe anyone on either side of this debate has intentionally lied to me. Both have been selective with what they tell me and too quick to discredit sources. When I hear a boldface lie, I'll be sure to report it here. In the meantime, I'm advocating that we all work together toward a common goal. Discrediting those who don't agree with me or, worse yet, calling them liars will not serve our community.