The Observation Deck

The MetroHealth System Lakewood Hospital Proposal

1. Operational and strategic vision

MetroHealth breaks even on expenses at Medicaid reimbursement rates. They state that Metro is in a favorable position and “creates a sustainable platform to secure the future of Lakewood Hospital.

The report states that Lakewood “population is aging. This is a common misconception. From the 2010 Census: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3983622.html:
Population over 65
Ohio 13.1%
Lakewood 11%
Fairview Park 16.8%
Parma 17.7%
Westlake 19%
Avon 12.6%

MetroHealth’s Vision for Lakewood Hospital
Maintain full service hospital
Comprehensive ambulatory care
Partnership with Premier Physcians
Direct lower acuity patients to Lakewood from Metro’s main campus

There was mention of Lakewood and Metro as primary stroke centers, neurological and musculoskeletal rehabilitation services, rehabilitation services and senior outpatient services but it was unclear if those services would be offered at Lakewood.

Metro sees Lakewood Hospital as the place to concentrate and expand lower acuity care. Proposed patient services would include:

Orthopedics
Pulmonary
Cardiology
Neurology
Inpatient Rehab

Metro forecasts that Lakewood Hospitals current volume would be maintained.
Since Metro would only need about 40% of current Hospital space Metro “would support the introduction of a Wellness/Community Recreation Center similar to that in current design stage with MetroHealths new Brecksville/Broadview Heights Facility.

http://www.metrohealth.org/news/?id=&sid=1&nid=479

The proposal included a history of Premier Physicians and its current activity at Lakewood Hospital. The MetroHealth proposal mentions that “additional clinical services would be supported through a collaborative, open structure for all independent physicians who practice at Lakewood Hospital.

There appears to be room for a Family Health Center in their plans in addition to a hospital.

2. Assurance of Orderly Transition and Continuity and Quality of Care for hospital Patients

3. Employment of Hospital Employees:
Metrohealth commits that all persons employed in good standing by Lakewood Hospital at the time of this transaction would become MetroHealth employees. Forcasted daily bed census is assumed to remain consistent.

4. Preservation and Expansion of Medical Staff

Additional volume from the MetroHealth Premier partnership will come from the secondary market area of Lakewood Hospital.

Additional volume and medical staff support will come from the shift of low acuity services from MetroHealth’s main campus.

MetroHealth estimates that up to 8,600 patients (25,800 patient days) and 1,225 births will be shifted to Lakewood Hospital.

Approximately 19% of MetroHealth’s main campus, (61,000 visits) are forecasted to be consolidated into Lakewood Hospital.

It is expected that up to 30,000 ER encounters could also shift to Lakewood.

Of special note:
“Our organizations have agreed to work closely and in collaboration to recruit and deploy additional physicians in specialties and locations that will effectively support the expansion of Lakewood Hospitals Medical Staff and patient base”.

Other areas of the proposal included details about the qualifications of MetroHealth and its staff, the History of MetroHealth and its various licenses and levels of performance.

THE REPORT NAMED THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BE REPSONSIBLE FOR FINAL NEGOTIATIONS.

They anticipated a response from the City but to my knowledge they did not get one.

The Subsidium RFP never asked for a recreation center. The RFP stated:..The Municipality is only interested in proposals to operate the hospital as an inpatient facility with substantially similar services as those offered today and for a period of no less than twenty (2) years."

That means that the LHA -approved Letter of Intent (LOI) did not meet the basic demands of the RFP and should have been rejected immediately. The RFP did not mention a recreation center, but Mayor Summers went to the School Board on Feb. 18, 2014 and asked the board if it would support the construction of a recreation center and a levy to operate it. According to a board member he indicated that one of the possible sites was at the present hospital location. The board said it could not support the proposal because the taxpayers of Lakewood had just approved $100M in new taxes to pay for the completion of our schools.

So a year before he released the news. along with Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove, that they planned to close our hospital,the Mayor was looking for some help to put up his possible recreation center.

It also means that the Clinic's proposal was an invalid one because it did not address an in-patient hospital. It wants to replace it with a so-called family health center.

tom monahan wrote: that they planned to close our hospital,the Mayor was looking for some help to put up his possible recreation center.

Tom

Talk of the Rec Center, errrr Wllness Center goes back at least 3 years. Actually the Center
is not the goal but the soccer fields errr green space that will be around it.

Tom, the very real fact is the Mayor has closed our hospital, run off our largest employer,
thrown away health care potentials for "green space."

I wish I was lying.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

tom monahan wrote: that they planned to close our hospital,the Mayor was looking for some help to put up his possible recreation center.

Tom

Talk of the Rec Center, errrr Wllness Center goes back at least 3 years. Actually the Center
is not the goal but the soccer fields errr green space that will be around it.

Tom, the very real fact is the Mayor has closed our hospital, run off our largest employer,
thrown away health care potentials for "green space."

I wish I was lying.

.

The people of Lakewood will have a clear choice in this years mayoral election.

Do we want a first class hospital, 1, 000 direct jobs, hundreds of indirect jobs and hundreds of millions in economic activity or do we want a tax eating recreation center?

Bill Call wrote:
The people of Lakewood will have a clear choice in this years mayoral election.

Do we want a first class hospital, 1, 000 direct jobs, hundreds of indirect jobs and hundreds of millions in economic activity or do we want a tax eating recreation center?

Bill

Choices are clearer than that one topic.

Do we want politicians that lie and sneak around for friends and business.

OR

Do we want someone that cares about the voters and their lives, and deals with them
honestly and truthfully in the light of day.

Do we want someone from the Brian Powers regime, bringing us this mess and other
secret plans beholding to their maker.

Or

Do we want free individuals that can work together for the betterment of the community.

This election will not be about issues, I hope it is about honesty and the residents.

.

At the end of the 5/18 council meeting, Tom Bollock reiterated (ad nauseum) how many hours and meetings the council has spent trying to analyze the hospital issue.

Ed Graham, with his ability to get to the essence of any argument, asked one question. "How much time was spent analyzing the METRO proposal?"

There was no response, because no one on the council had ever spent any effort on the METRO proposal.

Let's hope that there is time to correct this oversight.

I heard that there was talk about tearing down the houses on the east side of St. Charles and the west side of Belle to put in soccer fields between Franklin and Detroit. I wonder if the city will take these homes via eminent domain? If this were to happen, imagine what this plan could do to the remaining houses on the west side of St. Charles and the east side of Belle as far as the value of their properties.

I doubt any of the Mayor's friends live on that block of these two streets,otherwise the fields would not be built there. Also, don't forget that City Council is supposed to represent the citizens of Lakewood and to make decisions based on what is best for the city. If council didn't think that the CCF deal was best for our city, all they had to do was speak up and challenge the Mayor instead of sitting on the LOI and doing nothing. If I recall, I don't think I have ever been to a meeting where council has said no to the Mayor. I believe that between the upcoming election and appearing to always abide by the Mayor's wishes they have put themselves in one heck of a mess.