The Observation Deck

Thursday April 30, three Cleveland Clinic docs met with City Council.

After two hours of struggling to respond to intense questioning by Council members (well-prepared questions, I might add), one simple question from the audience stumped the 3 docs.

What was the question?
"What is going to be in the Wellness Center?"

The docs had no answer. None.

This wasn't intended to be a "trick question" to the guy who's going to run the show.

Dr. Brian Donley hemmed and hawed and told us we should "trust them" and "have faith in them", and that they would later determine what the needs were. What - after 20 years of running our hospital, AND performing a Needs Assessment - they have no idea what we need? Really?

Apparently the real answer is: "Nothing." There will be Nothing in the Wellness Center. A small office building without our own great diagnostic equipment we use frequently in our hospital: CT, MRI, X-ray, Ultrasound, Mammography, Bone Dexa-scan, etc.

That figures - because in the New York Times article March 18, 2015, Page B8, the Moody's bond analyst said that "To avoid becoming marginalized . . . the clinic . . . is trying to become as good at primary care and treating chronic disease as it is at performing complicated heart valve repairs." "The Clinic's chief strategy officer concurred: 'We're so far behind that we can be ahead,' said Ann Huston." HUNH??????

THAT should be the Nail in the Coffin for the LOI.

One thing I've discovered over the past four months:
The more people learn about the LOI, the less they like it.

Michael Deneen wrote:One thing I've discovered over the past four months:
The more people learn about the LOI, the less they like it.

The Clinic offered a deal so bad no one would take it. Except the Mayor did take it.

Clinic representatives have refused to say what would actually be offered at the so called Family Health Center. Are we trading Lakewood Hospital for a vague promise?

One of the services to be offered at the facility is a so called "Emergency room". Don't count on it. The emergency room attached to Lakewood Hospital was recently updated and remodeled but emergency patients from Lakewood are routinely sent to Fairview and Metro.

Will the "emergency room" at the family health center be an emergency room or will it be just another referral facility?

Incredible! Why bother going to council w/o any answers? Seems the Clinic doesn't really want to be in Lakewood at all from what I can tell. They certainly are not doing themselves any favors. Time for the CCF to fulfill it's obligations then get out of town.

In a side note, the Sun Post has an article on Summers contacting Metro to see if they are interested and what that interest would be. Metro refused to say since there is an ongoing agreement with the Clinic and they don't want to get in the middle of it. Seems Metro is playing with their cards close to their chest. Serves Summers right to get such an answer.
He had his chance with Metro and BLEW IT! Now he comes back to them with tail between his legs, awww.

I have to say the way Metro conducts themselves is much more professional given all our exposure has been with the "great" CCF and we all now how they conduct themselves.

Incredible! Why bother going to council w/o any answers? Seems the Clinic doesn't really want to be in Lakewood at all from what I can tell. They certainly are not doing themselves any favors. Time for the CCF to fulfill it's obligations then get out of town.

In a side note, the Sun Post has an article on Summers contacting Metro to see if they are interested and what that interest would be. Metro refused to say since there is an ongoing agreement with the Clinic and they don't want to get in the middle of it. Seems Metro is playing with their cards close to their chest. Serves Summers right to get such an answer.
He had his chance with Metro and BLEW IT! Now he comes back to them with tail between his legs, awww.

I have to say the way Metro conducts themselves is much more professional given all our exposure has been with the "great" CCF and we all now how they conduct themselves.

Cameron,
Metro figures it legally cannot come in with a proposal right now - because Lakewood and Clinic have an agreement on the table - the LOI and/or the ongoing Clinic contract. For a third party to interfere in a contract that is already going, would be considered "tortious interference." That is Metro's position. It seems they do want to work with Lakewood, but responsibly - as they told the Mayor.
Maybe we have to clear the decks (new mayor and Council) to free up the possibility of Metro re-proposing. They put a lot of work into a very good, complete, comprehensive proposal in May 2014; and after a year much has perhaps changed at our hospital (did Clinic take any of our equipment out, for instance) so Metro would have to put a substantial amount of work into preparing a new proposal.
I can't blame them for not wanting to get re-involved at this moment. Hoping that a bit later, it will be possible for them to be comfortable presenting a new proposal. They're a good fit, with their business model (breaking even at Medicaid reimbursement rates) and their mission to take care of people, regardless of ability to pay.