The Observation Deck

Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich has filed a supplemental document to the complaint he already has with the Federal Trade Commission this morning.



You can read the entire document here.
http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/media ... 822357.pdf

COMPLAINTANT: DENNIS J. KUCINICH
In further support of my complaint submitted on October 14, 2015, regarding Lakewood Hospital, I submit the following documents for consideration of the Commission.

(1)
The affidavit of Patricia Vecchio, a Lakewood Hospital patient and resident of Lakewood, Ohio establishing that the Cleveland Clinic is continuing to direct or steer patients away the leased Lakewood Hospital to wholly-owned Cleveland Clinic facilities, while the same medical services are available and advertised on the Lakewood Hospital website as being available at Lakewood Hospital.

(2)
The affidavit of Dr. Terrence Kilroy, MD, a Lakewood resident with privileges to practice pulmonary care at Lakewood Hospital, establishing that over the past 10 years certain health care services have been terminated and or transferred away from Lakewood Hospital to wholly owned facilities of the Cleveland Clinic. Further, Dr. Kilroy's affidavit establishes that certain health care services at Lakewood Hospital exist in name only, but are not being provided to the public by Cleveland Clinic in its management of Lakewood Hospital. Finally, the affidavit establishes Cleveland Clinic's Decanting Plan to move certain medical services by the end of 2015, from the leased Lakewood Hospital to the Clinic's wholly-owned new hospital and medical center currently under construction west of Lakewood, Ohio, in Avon.

(3)
An intra-office email from a Cleveland Clinic official, Frederick S. Frost, MD, to Terrence Kilroy, MD, establishing the imminent move and transfer
(December 2015) of Rehabilitation Services from Lakewood Hospital to the Cleveland Clinic's new health care campus cited above in Avon, Ohio.

( 4)
This action by Cleveland Clinic was initially objected to, as being detrimental to Lakewood Hospital, by the Mayor of Lakewood, Ohio in the attached letter dated July 3, 2014.

(5)
The Master Plan Report of a wholly-owned Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Fairview Hospital, dated 11-30-12 which establishes the details of the Decanting Plan of the Cleveland Clinic, adverse to Lakewood Hospital.

( 6)
Copies of slides from a Cleveland Clinic presentation of 2012 which clearly establish that the closure of Lakewood Hospital will result in at least 10,000 emergency department cases, currently being handled within Lakewood Hospital, be directed not only out of Lakewood, but outside the Cleveland Clinic system. This raises an urgent public policy question of access to emergency care for 50,000 Lakewood, Ohio residents and others traditionally served by Lakewood Hospital's emergency services. Additionally, recent changes to the Clinic's decanting strategy may result in another 17,000 emergency department cases being directed outside the Cleveland Clinic system, and not being provided emergency department health care services.

I have the contact information of several Lakewood Hospital doctors, patients and residents who would be willing to speak with your staff and to testify to any and all matters in the above complaint as well as the complaint filed by me on October 15, 2014.

Dennis J. Kucinich

You can read the entire document here.
http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/media ... 822357.pdf

Go get 'em Dennis! This is always where I thought the fight should be - against the Clinic's business practices, not the reaction and attempts to cope by our city and its leaders.

Todd,

They could not get away with it without complicity and "bribes" to those "leaders".

Litigation could have been avoided if our leadership had acted with competence and honesty.

Brian Essi wrote:Todd,

Litigation could have been avoided if our leadership had acted with competence and honesty.

Amen brother! The hospital was not the problem, just the symptom.

.

I guess this is thread drift,

but Jim,

Lakewood Hospital always been the solution not the problem.

Lakewood Hospital addresses and solves symptoms.

There is no reason that the 108 year tradition should end.

The changes in healthcare over the last 108 years have been dramatic.

What is the real reason that Summers "thinks" he has the only solution?

Is it more logical to believe he is incompetent or has a "secret society" plan?

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Brian Essi wrote:Todd,

Litigation could have been avoided if our leadership had acted with competence and honesty.

Amen brother! The hospital was not the problem, just the symptom.

.

In what alternate universe does such a drastic cut in health-care services, a significant decrease in downtown workday population, and a major hit to the City's income tax revenues get seen - and sold - as "progress"? How could the elected and appointed officials buy into that, and how could they persuade the citizenry to vote for it?

Perhaps they want Lakewood to look more like Crocker Park, but don't they realize that Crocker Park is but a glossy imitation of Lakewood?

I have pointed out how many were turned off by the heated arguments made by those against the deal, but I cannot for the life of me blame them. It is a truly outrageous situation. The underlying civic leadership problems must indeed run deep

what is the goal of this? is is going to do something? I ask from a place of truly not knowing and just looking or answers.

since there is a complaint with them, can they stop the city, and that process seems like it could take for ever to accomplish whatever it is intended to do?

christopher dan wrote:what is the goal of this? is is going to do something? I ask from a place of truly not knowing and just looking or answers.

since there is a complaint with them, can they stop the city, and that process seems like it could take for ever to accomplish whatever it is intended to do?

The goal is justice and accountability. The FTC will move slowly.

Over recent years, more than one person has suggested that the disposal of Lakewood Hospital violated rules which the FTC is charged with enforcing.

I just read an interesting Twitter thread proposing that the FTC has become rather passive, generally. You can read it all here.

Key point: "In 2001, the FTC charged Speedway with defrauding customers by making false claims about an auto lubricant. It had to refund $1M to people who bought the product, plus pay admin costs. Speedway didn't obey the order. After 15 years, Speedway reported to the FTC that it hadn't returned all the money. Four FTC commissioners decided that was fine. They voted to let the company pay the balance to the government with no additional penalty."

The fifth, Rohit Chopra, disagreed that this is fine, and takes the position that "I would like us to apply the law equally, whether small time scammer or publicly traded corporation."

(FWIW this is from one person's take. I share it here in case others, including former FTC employees, have additional perspective to offer.)