LAKEWOOD HOSPITAL - The Discussion

[Bill Call]

Jim,

If such a proposal took place in open session, I would think such a proposal would have been included in the public record (Minutes).

Board Members, any specific guidance as to where?
http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/DistrictBoardEd.aspx?archived=true

Scott Meeson

There is just something odd about this whole issue. In 2006 Lakewood Hospital reported over 1,300 employees, 450 doctors, 39,000 ER visits and thousands of out patient surgeries. A few years later Lakewood Hospital is an empty shell and no one knows why. The only place the issue is discussed is here on this WEB site.

Why?

Mayors Summers did say that the Clinic would be offering a mobile health unit that will visit local schools. He said parents won't have to worry about making appointments. Really? That's the plan? "Your doctor has been moved to Avon but the mobile minute clinic will soon be available?"

It would be like if you woke up one morning to find 90% of the books at Lakewood Library were moved to a new library in Avon, that the building in Lakewood was nearly empty and most of the staff gone. The closest thing you get in a response from Library officials is that the library business has changed but there is no need to worry because a book mobile will drive in from Avon every couple of weeks to serve the people.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Bill / All

I just spent 3 hours going over Lakewood Hospitals financials, as well as the financials of other
hospitals in the area. And some things do jump out, but they all lead back to your question, of
why and how did it all go south?

A quick overview, is that Lakewood Hospital has a tough bottom line.

Fairview would seem to be around 36% "profit"

Lutheran seems to be at 18%

And Lakewood seems to be around 5%, even with reimbursements, it climbs to 8%.

This is a vast generalization of the numbers over the years, but it seems consistent.
So that while Lakewood turns a profit, it is at a level that would make one question
if it is really worth the effort, from the Clinic standpoint.

He also spoke of the future of hospitals, which he claims is no future at all. It was his belief
that even these mass crawling hospitals will be empty int the future. He also pointed to the
Clinic planning for this with adding a with the addition to building units that are not hospitals
but health related, medical schools, cancer centers.;

It was a great morning covering boring things with a great person. Story will follow as we
work to clear up, what is going on with healthcare in Lakewood.

Stay tuned.


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[Bill Call]

He also spoke of the future of hospitals, which he claims is no future at all. It was his belief that even these mass crawling hospitals will be empty int the future. He also pointed to the
Clinic planning for this with adding a with the addition to building units that are not hospitals
but health related, medical schools, cancer centers.;

First, thank you for all your hours of hard work. It's the work that should be done by our development department and other media outlets. Thanks.

But

Don't get snookered.

If the whole concept of hospitals are out of date and rapid changes in technology and treatments will make even a 24 hour stay in a hospital of thing of the past then

Why are they building a new hospital in Avon?

St. Johns is only a couple of miles away. Why the duplication?

If the future is for smaller hospitals surrounded by rehab centers and nursing homes we have that right here in Lakewood. Why close it down?

And why the lack of communication? Why the silence?

Keep in mind that within certain limits a hospital in the Clinic system makes exactly what the Clinic wants it to make.

One special request:

The Mayor has announced that Lakewood will now be served by mobile clinics. Who will operate those mobile minute clinics. How much success have they had in Avon and Avon Lake?

[Bill Call]

Here are the most recent numbers from US News:


Admissions: 8,647
Inpatient surgeries: 2,131
Outpatient visits: 146,381
Emergency room visits: 35,180
Births: 680
Number of Beds: 250

http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals ... 90/details



How does that compare with Lutheran Hospital:


Admissions: 7,111
Inpatient surgeries: 1,888
Outpatient visits: 60,326
Emergency room visits: 26,045
Births: 0
Number of Beds: 198


How does that compare with Euclid Hospital:

Admissions: 8,242
Inpatient surgeries: 2,373
Outpatient visits: 93,441
Emergency room visits: 36,992
Births: 0
Number of Beds: 231

How does that compare with South Pointe Hospital:

Admissions: 7,452
Inpatient surgeries: 2,645
Outpatient visits: 122,420
Emergency room visits: 39,289
Births: 0
Number of Beds: 173


If you saw only the numbers without the name which hospital would you say was not needed?

Of course if Lakewood Hospital has a future all they have to do is say so. How hard is that?

Keep in mind that Lakewood Hospitals numbers are after the Clinic transferred whole departments to Avon.

The most recent published financial statements show revenue of just under $140 million.

We are going to lose all of that and the only thing our elected officials have to say is

the business is changing
I've heard rumors

Imagine that the City of Cleveland found out that Key Bank was moving to Medina. Would the response be "so what".

[Jim O'Bryan]

One thing has come forward these past couple weeks that strike me as odd, strange,
sad, who knows, no one wants to go on the record because of...

...any one of a handful of reasons, but they come down to marginalization by others,
peer pressure, financial or let's say emotional ties.

Good people that could add so much to conversations, silenced.

Call me nuts, but cool isn't a wide variety of mediocre kraft beers in a community, but
what it feels like to stand in the sunlight, walk down the street, and here real
conversations not whispers from the alleys. How can people a survive living under
so much stress?



.

[Bill Call]

One thing has come forward these past couple weeks that strike me as odd, strange,
sad, who knows, no one wants to go on the record because of...

...any one of a handful of reasons, but they come down to marginalization by others,
peer pressure, financial or let's say emotional ties.

Good people that could add so much to conversations, silenced.

Since I'm already marginalized let me just say that "good people" don't let themselves be silenced.

What is leadership?

Where is the leadership?

Where is the ambition to do something great for the City?

If the hospital has no future say it and plan for it.

If the hospital has a future build on it.

Why the secrecy and silence?

[Jim O'Bryan]

"Any such hospital shall be operated, controlled and managed by a Board of Trustees consisting of eighteen members...."

So where does the Clinic fit in? If it's just following orders who issues the orders?

Bill

The driving force on the Board would be the Mayor and Council President.
I believe they appoint the most members. No matter.

I have a long and healthy relationship with the clinic, and as I have not used any "NDA source" I
am sure we can continue our wonderful relationship. But the concept of dealing with the Cleveland
Clinic is amusing. As long as I have worked with them, or any huge corporation, they tell you what
they want and expect, SOMETIMES they ask for your opinion, then they tell you what they want
and expect again. Not louder, not more firm, in their I am in control tone they have worked to have.

So let's say, just taking a lucky guess, they come in and say, emergency service, 60 or so beds,
and maybe a small wellness center for now, what does the Board/City do? Where is the study,
the plan on what we do? It would seem there is none, on how to deal with our largest employer,
how to keep them here, and or how to replace that tax hole. I would also mention that Lakewood
has possibly followed the wrong pathway and placing 90% of our eggs downtown. What do we do
with all of the blank holes on the way finding signs?

I would say the most troubling thing is that Mayor Cain, and Tom George were well aware of what
was going on at Fairview and Avon. But the concern seems to have vanished.

Who knows?


.

[Scott Meeson]

Some Valuable Insight From A Health Care Professional:
http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2015/01/lakewood_letter_to_the_editor.html#incart_river

[Jim O'Bryan]

Sounds vaguely familiar.

I wonder how many people are calling him a liar, and a bullshitter.

I will say he is wrong about one thing, it could have been stopped, and one might
wonder how it started. But the real story is an amazing who done it.

Announcement, coming in two days.

I hate stepping on toes this close to a very well prepared presentation.

The City of Lakewood continues, but we really should consider how we got here.


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[Grace O'Malley]

It's not BS. I was out of the country last week and coincidentally met a physician from Lakewood Hospital who has been there 20 plus years. When he learned I was from Lakewood, he asked me what I thought of the hospital closing. I pretended not to know a thing and said I had heard a rumor. He said "it's no rumor" and the proceeded to tell me how it IS closing, how the closing has been planned for a long time, and how the Clinic orchestrated it by making it look like there was no demand for services at Lakewood. His comments echoed Dr Kilroy's. He also said he was appalled that officials and "leaders" in Lakewood allowed it to happen.

It was serendipitous that I ran into him. I've hoped Bill and Jim were wrong, but as usual, they were spot on.

[Jim O'Bryan]

It's not BS. I was out of the country last week and coincidentally met a physician from Lakewood Hospital who has been there 20 plus years. When he learned I was from Lakewood, he asked me what I thought of the hospital closing. I pretended not to know a thing and said I had heard a rumor. He said "it's no rumor" and the proceeded to tell me how it IS closing, how the closing has been planned for a long time, and how the Clinic orchestrated it by making it look like there was no demand for services at Lakewood. His comments echoed Dr Kilroy's. He also said he was appalled that officials and "leaders" in Lakewood allowed it to happen.

It was serendipitous that I ran into him. I've hoped Bill and Jim were wrong, but as usual, they were spot on.

Grace

I was joking. I announced it nearly a month ago, and was called liar, fool, bullshitter. People calling
me to take it down and turn in my sources. Yet Dr. puts it up saying the same thing, except he
may have an axe to grind, and its gospel.

Even the real story will not be heard Thursday, but this hates to hear the truth, it really screws
with their delusions. But you know that.

.

[Rhonda loje]

Jim O'Bryan:

Even the real story will not be heard Thursday, but this hates to hear the truth, it really screws
with their delusions. But you know that.

So does that mean we will never know the truth?

Rhonda

[Jim O'Bryan]

So does that mean we will never know the truth?

Rhonda

No it doesn't mean that.

Thursday is merely the announcement aloud, it has been out since Friday afternoon. The
Clinic delivered it to the Mayor and Board of Trustees. It is only fair to allow the Board to
read the package, and contemplate what will be said and what they can do. This is not a
light switch, simply on and off.

Let's give them room for their announcement, then let's see what we can do to make the
city whole, and secure. Let's make the best of whatever, and let's try to find out where it
all went wrong, and we threw away our forefathers trust and our health future.

FWIW

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[Rhonda loje]

Let's give them room for their announcement, then let's see what we can do to make the
city whole, and secure. Let's make the best of whatever, and let's try to find out where it
all went wrong, and we threw away our forefathers trust and our health future.

Sounds fair and like a good plan.

Rhonda

[Bill Call]

Let's give them room for their announcement, then let's see what we can do to make the
city whole, and secure. Let's make the best of whatever, and let's try to find out where it
all went wrong, and we threw away our forefathers trust and our health future.

Sounds fair and like a good plan.

Rhonda

I suppose its possible that the Clinic is set announce a commitment to health care in Lakewood, Lakewood Hospital and the 100,000 people it serves.

Did anyone tell the Hospital Board of Directors what's going on?