The Observation Deck

Interesting analysis done years ago that is still relevant and prophetic:

http://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/c ... ontext=jlh

This article will demonstrate that Cleveland Clinic Health System’s (CCHS) recent mergers and acquisitions have increased market concentration, giving CCHS undue market control, and triggering serious antitrust concerns justifying further investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

My answer is NO.

I do not have time to elaborate at this time but my answer is an Emphatic NO.....

Thanks for the post Bridget.

Since we are on the topic of "can the Clinic be trusted," here is something to ponder.

How does the Clinic view contracts? Apparently, as meaningless words on paper.

A local Mcdonalds franchise that served the Main Campus had a 20 year lease that the Clinic attempted to break after 10 years, but the franchise owner sued and they forced them to complete the lease.

We've seen here in Lakewood that a lease means nothing to them. They want out, they get out (and in the instant case, walked away with a bonus for their bad manners.)

Now comes a case where the Clinic seems to not want to honor a contract with an employee, nor their obligations as an employer with the Ohio Industrisl Commission and the BWC.

See: http://m.cleveland19.com/19actionnews/d ... d=JpEYfOlf

To recap:
A 30 year old Clinic employee was murdered on his way to the Clinic to assist in an emergency liver transplant. He was "on call" and received notification to report by 6AM. He was killed waiting at the bus stop.

His wife and 2 small children filed for their death benefit under the Bureau of Workers Comornsation and the case was heard by the Ohio Industrial Commission. At first, due to the Clinic's stance that the employee was not "at work" at the time of his death, the claim was denied. Upon appeal, the wife produced the employee handbook that clearly stated that employees "on call" we're operating as employees when on their way to answer the call. The OIC reversed and awarded the claim.

But, the Clinic has filed an appeal yet again to deny the award. I find this reprehensible. Employers either participate in the Ohio administered insurance plan for this benefit, or they insure themselves. I highly doubt this will come entirely out of the Clinic's pocket. Even if it did, the TOTAL claim would pay out over a 20 year period an amount that is less than .09% of the Clinics profit for one year.

In 2015, the Clinic made 900 MILLION dollars- their best year ever.

Is this how they care for their loyal employees?

How well do you think they care about YOU?

Bridget Conant wrote:Interesting analysis done years ago that is still relevant and prophetic:

http://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/c ... ontext=jlh

This article will demonstrate that Cleveland Clinic Health System’s (CCHS) recent mergers and acquisitions have increased market concentration, giving CCHS undue market control, and triggering serious antitrust concerns justifying further investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Truly prophetic! In addition to the FTC, where is the Department of Ethics in all of this?

They killed my mother-in-law, so no!

The Cleveland Clinic is a cog (a big cog) in a medical industry that, like the financial sector, is almost completely beyond redemption. The medical industry is another Wonderland, so far removed from normalcy that it’s become hard to fathom the why’s and wherefore’s….

In what other industry can you….

1) Refuse to disclose the price of your product/service before you provide and charge for it. At least the banks have to tell you that your interest rate is 0% before you deposit your money. The Clinic won’t tell you that a pleurisy diagnosis and a prescription for some antibiotics cost $3000 until the bill arrives. Or that a cortisone shot is $1200.

2) Charge wildly different prices for the exact same product/service from the exact same place/time, depending on irrelevant factors (e.g. your insurance status).

3) Charge 100 times more for a product in one country than in another, then collude to make it illegal to import that product. A product that might save your life.

4) Form cartels and near monopolies and engage on other anti-competitive practices without incurring the wrath of the Sherman, Clayton and Robinson-Patman Acts?

5) Organize as non-profit “charity” organizations to evade taxes, then STRIVE to avoid providing charity care?

6) Partner with “insurers” to make the entire delivery system an enormous, opaque, expensive morass?

7) And who knows what else? I don’t follow the medical industry like I do financial. I just see the tip of its iceberg and have little understanding of what resides underwater.

We have come to accept such medical industry practices as normal and acceptable, when we instead should be aghast. The problems go way beyond the crap pulled by the Cleveland Clinic. The Clinic is a symptom, not a disease. It’s no different anywhere else. The medical industry is second only to the financial industry in the extent to which their practices and government collusion harm the financial well-being of the American people, and medical care is on a trajectory to become #1. Medical issues are the leading trigger of bankruptcy filings today. Yet we put our heads in the sand and watch as health care balloons to 19% of our GDP, almost TWICE as high as any other developed country, but with outcomes that are no better. We watch as it does next to nothing to encourage prevention and wellness. Medical costs are bankrupting us. If any industry deserves to be fully nationalized, it’s health care. I don’t want to see ANY industry nationalized because that guarantees massive inefficiency, but medical care is already there and has shown no inclination whatsoever to reform itself….

With all their sponsorship's and advertising, I don't believe they should have a non-profit status. Like I said before, I believe that any organization that appears to neglect older folks and give them over doses to shut them up, which I believe they did to my mother-in-law, causing her death, should not be allowed to practice medicine. Thank you Lord and Company for checking this establishment out thoroughly before giving them our hospital. I believe there are other similar cases with older folks here in Lakewood. We just have to ask them to come forward, or their family members, if god forbid, they are no longer with us. Could someone have persuaded them to remain quiet? Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Tim Liston wrote:The Cleveland Clinic is a cog (a big cog) in a medical industry that, like the financial sector, is almost completely beyond redemption. The medical industry is another Wonderland, so far removed from normalcy that it’s become hard to fathom the why’s and wherefore’s….

In what other industry can you….

1) Refuse to disclose the price of your product/service before you provide and charge for it. At least the banks have to tell you that your interest rate is 0% before you deposit your money. The Clinic won’t tell you that a pleurisy diagnosis and a prescription for some antibiotics cost $3000 until the bill arrives. Or that a cortisone shot is $1200.

2) Charge wildly different prices for the exact same product/service from the exact same place/time, depending on irrelevant factors (e.g. your insurance status).

3) Charge 100 times more for a product in one country than in another, then collude to make it illegal to import that product. A product that might save your life.

4) Form cartels and near monopolies and engage on other anti-competitive practices without incurring the wrath of the Sherman, Clayton and Robinson-Patman Acts?

5) Organize as non-profit “charity” organizations to evade taxes, then STRIVE to avoid providing charity care?

6) Partner with “insurers” to make the entire delivery system an enormous, opaque, expensive morass?

7) And who knows what else? I don’t follow the medical industry like I do financial. I just see the tip of its iceberg and have little understanding of what resides underwater.

We have come to accept such medical industry practices as normal and acceptable, when we instead should be aghast. The problems go way beyond the crap pulled by the Cleveland Clinic. The Clinic is a symptom, not a disease. It’s no different anywhere else. The medical industry is second only to the financial industry in the extent to which their practices and government collusion harm the financial well-being of the American people, and medical care is on a trajectory to become #1. Medical issues are the leading trigger of bankruptcy filings today. Yet we put our heads in the sand and watch as health care balloons to 19% of our GDP, almost TWICE as high as any other developed country, but with outcomes that are no better. We watch as it does next to nothing to encourage prevention and wellness. Medical costs are bankrupting us. If any industry deserves to be fully nationalized, it’s health care. I don’t want to see ANY industry nationalized because that guarantees massive inefficiency, but medical care is already there and has shown no inclination whatsoever to reform itself….

Nailed it! Thank you.

Tim Liston is an adroit bike rider and a sharp eyed analyst.

I heard from a lab tech at CCF in Brunswick that they are experiencing the same problems as Lakewood's Urgi-Care is. They feel that there is lack of organization, especially with patient transfers. Most patients are shipped to real hospitals because the Urgi-Cares are not equipped to help in most cases. Although they would not confirm or deny, they said that they would not be surprised at the possibility of deaths happening there also. Do we trust CCF? Apparently Lord does! Good for him. He and council can go there.