The Observation Deck

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This picture is from the Fourth of July parade in 2016 and includes my daughter's dog Alex who walked with me and the pro-hospital group. Alex was a 3-year-old fresh off the track at that point, now an old man of 7, he and his housemate are riding out the plague at our house. He was never known as a dog of great brain power or racing prowess, but he loves my daughter. It looks now like Alex had more sense than many of our civic leaders.

Let Us Demand A New Health Department for Lakewood

Yesterday's New York Times explains why we need a health department:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/opin ... tion=click

I have highlighted the text where it talks about the error in closing health departments, see attachment:

Mark Kindt wrote:Let Us Demand A New Health Department for Lakewood

Yesterday's New York Times explains why we need a health department:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/opin ... tion=click

I have highlighted the text where it talks about the error in closing health departments, see attachment:

Opinion Coronavirus’s Biggest Lesson America Needs a Public Health System for.pdf

Mr. Kindt

While watching the State of Ohio COVID-19 Update it hit me hard when Dr. Amy Acton said, "I am working closely with all 131 Health Departments in the state."

Meaning there are at least 116 smaller cities that not only have a health department, but are better prepared than Lakewood, as they at least have a seat at the table. Lakewood does not.

Our information filters down to the county, where it is put out every now and then.

Does any sane member of this community believe our health concerns are the same as Cleveland? Seven Hills? Parma? No, of course not our density, our issues are unique.

So to recap, the last two administrations did not only liquidate our only hospital, sending the funds to their friends and sycophants to manage in private. They also shut down and destroyed one of the top 5 Health Department in the state at the time. All the time assuring Lakewoodites that there money was safe, and we would get much better health with an ice cream shop and dry cleaning. Ironically they claim that dry cleaning chemicals were keeping them from building on the site. Of course that is a lie too.

But for the grace of God, we survive this one.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Mark Kindt wrote:Let Us Demand A New Health Department for Lakewood

Yesterday's New York Times explains why we need a health department:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/opin ... tion=click

I have highlighted the text where it talks about the error in closing health departments, see attachment:

Opinion Coronavirus’s Biggest Lesson America Needs a Public Health System for.pdf

Mr. Kindt

While watching the State of Ohio COVID-19 Update it hit me hard when Dr. Amy Acton said, "I am working closely with all 131 Health Departments in the state."

Meaning there are at least 116 smaller cities that not only have a health department, but are better prepared than Lakewood, as they at least have a seat at the table. Lakewood does not.

Our information filters down to the county, where it is put out every now and then.

Does any sane member of this community believe our health concerns are the same as Cleveland? Seven Hills? Parma? No, of course not our density, our issues are unique.

So to recap, the last two administrations did not only liquidate our only hospital, sending the funds to their friends and sycophants to manage in private. They also shut down and destroyed one of the top 5 Health Department in the state at the time. All the time assuring Lakewoodites that there money was safe, and we would get much better health with an ice cream shop and dry cleaning. Ironically they claim that dry cleaning chemicals were keeping them from building on the site. Of course that is a lie too.

But for the grace of God, we survive this one.

.

If you subtract the 88 county health departments, we can see that 25 other incorporated communities, unlike Lakewood, have local health departments to serve them.

Regardless of the future of the former hospital site, as a community we all need to focus on re-establishing our local health department. This should be a priority given the current situation that we all face.

Here Is What The Metro Health System Offered Lakewood. Read and Weep.

This is just one page of what the planners at Metro were thinking about the future of Lakewood Hospital.

The mayor and certain non-elected civic leaders (at LHA and LHF) ignored this proposal and would NOT negotiate with Metro while ignoring the actual advice of their paid consultants.

Here's What The City, LHA, and LHF Flushed Down The Toilet By Ignoring Metro

If you add the additional site remediation costs for the former hospital site, we'd easily be pushing $180 Million in lost value.

Published statements made by the former Mayor prior to his departure from office about leaving a surplus, I consider to be more nonsense from him.

Worst mayor and worst city administration we've ever had.

I would think that the removal of promotional signs on the barricade fencing of the old hospital site indicates the supposed developer has fled. That should open up the site for new entrants and if it is still in the control of the City, the City could set new standards i.e. limiting a proposal to one from Metro General. Also, I think that as part of a package, the City could obtain the new CCF facility by eminent domain and turn it over to Metro as part of a package.

Metro's proposal was made at a time when they were in the planning stages for their major renovation which is now underway. Times have changed, not to mention available money. That boat has sailed. It's nice to think what if but I'm afraid the answer is probably not now.

Mark Kindt wrote:Current Situation

No acute care hospital

No acute care hospital charity care

No hospital beds

No hospital bed licenses

No ICU beds

No Ventilators

No Equipment

No hospital-based funds

No local health department

ALL GONE!

Other posts today are discussing the inability of the City's selected developer to perform on its contract for One Lakewood Place without additional multi-million dollar public subsidies.

Looks like the disaster of the prior city administration is now completed.

Time To Move On And How We Do It

We have elected a new mayor and we have a mostly new city council who face crisis situations on multiple fronts -- a pandemic and an economic downturn that have all unfolded over the past 6 weeks.

The public policy issue to be addressed almost immediately is legislation to create, fund, and staff a new Health Department for the City of Lakewood to coordinate Covid-19 testing in one of the State's most densely populated cities.

Lakewood will not be able to get back to business without the implementation of testing for the corona virus on the widest possible community scale.

This will take a local government effort.

The sooner the better!

Yes, it is time to move on and we should do so quickly and with set determination.

I think this request should go to the top of next meeting's agenda