The Observation Deck

Will more people realize what a bad deal it is and vote to save the hospital? Or will some think it is too late?

One thing is for sure James, Mayor Summers, CCF, Build Lakewood and most of City Council will do his damnedest to convince you that it's over and you vote means nothing! So why bother?

All the more reason to fight on and put the decision to pass Ordinance 49-15, of ONLY 7 PEOPLE, to a vote of the people. Let our voices be heard and let the chips fall where they may.

I believe the amount of time until the November election works in favor of getting a new deal. SLH was up against the clock last year and did an admirable job getting the word out in minimal time. Now, the hard work is behind them and they have 6 months to spread the word about this sham of a deal!

Save Lakewood Hospital says: We must educate the people:


Question: Are you FOR or AGAINST Ordinance 49-15?

VOTE "AGAINST" ORDINANCE 49-15 on NOVEMBER 8.


This will defeat the non-compete and open the door to an open bidding process.

There ARE other hospital systems who want to work in Lakewood and can operate our hospital, profitably.

Metro Health now owns what was Health Span and before that, Kaiser, on Snow Road in Parma. Maybe they chose that location because they were not allowed to bid on Lakewood Hospital. Oh that's right, CCF got Lakewood Hospital after playing "Let's Make a Deal" with the mayor, council and a few others!

Something that came out in the SLH meeting today: There was no RPF - no bids requested - for a health center like the one CCF plans. The RPF was for a "hospital" and CCF proposed the health center. Not that we want a health center rather than a hospital, but no other health system was invited to bid on one like CCF's. This is indicative of the way the City approached this entire deal. It stinks, it favored CCF from the beginning, and it's of suspect legality.

The longer we go, the more things like this will become clear.

Dan Alaimo wrote:Something that came out in the SLH meeting today: There was no RPF - no bids requested - for a health center like the one CCF plans. The RPF was for a "hospital" and CCF proposed the health center. Not that we want a health center rather than a hospital, but no other health system was invited to bid on one like CCF's. This is indicative of the way the City approached this entire deal. It stinks, it favored CCF from the beginning, and it's of suspect legality.

The longer we go, the more things like this will become clear.

Dan,

Here is a document that Summers, Madigan and Bullock did not want you to see:
Note in the second paragraph under section 1. the following sentence:

In addition, Proposal should include an explanation to describe the primary rationale for any change or reduction in the current scope of services, given the Respondent's announced intention to add inpatient services or roughly equivalent size (in terms of of beds) at other nearby facilities.

This document and this sentence make it clear:

1. That CCF was on a "pretend" separate "bid" track and given a separate RFP to propose a Family Health Center (FHC)--different from all other "bidders"--I say "pretend," but the legal term is "sham bid" because CCF had already made the proposal and Summers had already accepted it--Summers participated in its development. CCF was the only entity allowed to get assets in the liquidation of the hospital.
2. That no other "bidders" where ever considered--this was steered to CCF--it was a done deal
3. There was a need on the west side for inpatient beds---at least as many equivalent to those in Lakewood they were eliminating --why else would CCF be "adding" those bed? Yep, you guessed it--the Decanting Plan!!
4. The entire narrative about "over bedding" was fabricated and manipulated by Summers and CCF.
5. Summers knew about the Decanting Plan at least as early 2013 (other evidence shows he knew as early as 2009).
6. Summers posted a series of documents on the city website on March 30, 2015 that were provided by CCF's legal department, but not this one. Hmmm


So here is the question: Does anyone really think that Summers did not understand exactly what he was doing?

JOB is right--we've been played.

I feel like I'm lacking some context for this document.
Are you saying that this is a RFP specifically customized for CCF?
Do you have access to the others?

Thanks!

Dan Alaimo wrote:I feel like I'm lacking some context for this document.
Are you saying that this is a RFP specifically customized for CCF?
Do you have access to the others?

Thanks!

Dan,

The terms of RFP2 (above that I posted last night) are clear: The "Respondent" can only be CCF: Who else was adding inpatient beds at nearby hospitals roughly equal to those they proposed to eliminate?

Here is the only other RFP that Subsidium sent the other entities:
It says the respondents must propose a hospital.

Here is the Clinic's Response to RFP2:
In the first page, it is clear that CCF is responding to RFP2 for an FHC, and NOT "RFP From Subsidium 2014" The quote under the heading "Minimum Criteria" is cut and pasted from RFP2.

The context that they never told us there were two RFPs--one for CCF to propose an FHC and liquidate the hospital--and one for other who were unaware (as we were) that the whole thing was a "sham"--JOB would call it a "charade". There never was any real bidding. Have you ever heard of bidding where one party proposes what it wants and has planned for year with the very people who were supposed to be evaluating to "bids" of the others?

The context is that Summers work "with and for" CCF in formulating the Summers Plan and no other plans were considered--other than in the make believe world of the fake LHA board of trustees.

Brian Essi wrote: The terms of RFP2 (above that I posted last night) are clear: The "Respondent" can only be CCF: Who else was adding inpatient beds at nearby hospitals roughly equal to those they proposed to eliminate?

It sounds like the process was rigged. Is rigged bidding legal?

If I have employees who were responsible for securing bids on a piece of equipment or building I would expect an open and honest process. Are government agencies held to a lower standard?

Thanks, Brian. The intent seems clear, but I wonder if they have covered their butts legally. And if not, what is our recourse?

Bill,
I believe the hospital deal was rigged. According to the Federal Trades Commission, public owned property, land, etc., is required to go through an open bidding process. Has anyone heard back from either the Ethics Committee or the Federal Trades Commission? I suspect that someone has friends in higher places!

Lori Allen _ wrote:Bill,
I believe the hospital deal was rigged. According to the Federal Trades Commission, public owned property, land, etc., is required to go through an open bidding process. Has anyone heard back from either the Ethics Committee or the Federal Trades Commission? I suspect that someone has friends in higher places!

I suspect you are right Lori!

Bill Call wrote:
It sounds like the process was rigged. Is rigged bidding legal?

Perhaps at Summers Rubber it was.

Lori,

I called the FTCs Washington office and was rebuffed several times from getting an answer. They will only provide information to the original requestor (Dennis Kucinich). This may mean that the investigation is still ongoing?

I'm not sure what's happening with the complaint. I do know that in 2015, the FTC has reviewed and overturned hospital mergers throughout the country. You're more than welcome to call.

Nadhal