Living in LoCo
Two Developments in the Hospital Wars
Erica Garman at 4:38 p.m., October 10, 2008 (11 comments)
Broadlands Residents for BRMC founders L to R: Eric Steenstra, Staci Kapinos, Hillary Amato and Jeanne Fisher (Photo by Erica Garman)
Broadlands Residents for BRMC Question Concerned Citizens
The resident-organizers of the group supporting a hospital in Broadlands met today to share their sentiments with the press, expressing their concerns surrounding the motives of the Concerned Citizens of Broadlands group that has come out against the hospital.
“We want Loudoun officials to know that the opposition lacks credibility and does not speak for most Broadlands residents,” said Eric Steenstra, a Broadlands resident himself and one of the Broadlands Residents for BRMC founders.
Steenstra added that CCB is led by a graduate student at George Mason University, Rebecca Zoellner, who does not live in the neighborhood and is not originally from Loudoun.
(I called Zoellner to get a comment from her about the Broadlands Residents for BRMC’s claims that CCB has received large amounts of funding from Inova, but I was only able to leave a message for her. When I hear back from her, I’ll let you know what she’s said. Inova did come out several months ago to say it had supported CCB with $20,000, but the Broadlands Residents group claims it is more than that.)
Steenstra, whose child has type-one diabetes, explained that his family must frequently travel to Washington, D.C., to get adequate medical care.
Another resident and founder Jeannie Fisher said BRMC must be built in Loudoun now to meet the county’s growing need for hospital beds. Fisher cited that the county only has .56 hospital beds per 1,000 residents, whereas Fairfax has 1.48 beds per 1,000.
Fisher also noted that Rt. 50 – the site suggested by many opponents of the Broadlands site - would not be a good site for a hospital at this time.
“Since June, Rt. 50 has been closed seven times,” she said. “Rt. 50 doesn’t have the transportation access that BRMC has.”
Resident Hillary Amato explained how she learned firsthand about the hospital bed shortage.
On April 25, Amato fell off her horse and broke her back and leg. She was taken to Inova’s Cornwall campus and waited with five other patients in need of hospital beds. Seven hours later, Amato received a room, because, she said, a nurse told her that the hospital had to discharge several patients that evening to accommodate new ones.
The founders of Broadlands Residents for BRMC said they do not and have not received funding from any businesses, including HCA, the company behind the proposed Broadlands hospital.
Medical Providers Say Broadlands Hospital Is Too Close to Inova
Loudoun Medical Group, comprised of 122 local medical providers and physicians, declared today that the next Loudoun hospital should be located in the Rt. 50 corridor.
“This is not about choosing one hospital system over another, it is about what is best for Loudoun County and the continuation of creating a smart healthcare infrastructure for the future,” said LMG’s CEO James A. Lapsley, in a released statement.
The group feels that if HCA opens a hospital in Broadlands, both facilities – BRMC and Inova Loudoun - will be hurt economically, which would discourage any new or advanced services. The resulting losses, Lapsley said, will result in higher health care costs for residents.
“We only have to look to Winchester to see how a community hospital can evolve as a tertiary care center when costs are controlled and profits are reinvested into health care infrastructure,” he added. “And we only have to look to Reston and Fair Oaks to see how two community hospitals in the same general area have caused both not to evolve with higher level services.”
RELATED BLOG: Oct. 8, 2008 - HOAs Chime In on Hospital Plans
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I wonder how many of the "122 local medical providers and physicians" are connected to Inova.
Posted by shevco (anonymous) on October 10, 2008 at 5:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder how many people in the County will be impressed by the medical providers trying to defend the money that they are able to charge. And how deadset they are to maintain that money by nixing the competition early.
Posted by honchonumberone (anonymous) on October 11, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lol shevco, my thoughts exactly.
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Honchonumberone, many hospitals have their hands tied behind their back. Across the nation, the average percentage of people who do not pay their ER bill is 55% according to the American College of Emergency Physicians. Hospitals have little or no recourse in recouping these costs (thanks to EMTALA), so that's why many ERs have been closing down. Those which do not close down end up having to horribly inflate prices on those of us who DON'T skip out on our bills, just to be able to try to break even. And politicians don't want to touch EMTALA in this anti-health-provider climate. But the fact of the matter is, unless it's tweaked, it is going to lead to the closing of more and more ERs and the continuous inflation of costs on the rest of us. In addition, while hospitals can't turn patients away for coming to the ER with a hangnail, physicians sure can - and do. There was a recent article in the Wash Post talking about how increasing numbers of specialists are refusing to come into the ER, because they know there is again that 55% chance they won't be paid and that the patient will skip out on the bill. So unless EMTALA is tweaked (which it won't be), we will all continue to suffer with higher prices, less care and fewer ERs.
Posted by Justthefacts (anonymous) on October 12, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Inova is a monopoly which both conservatives and liberals agree is bad for both business and consumers. The Justice Department agreed by blocking Inova's acquisition of the hospital in PWC(http://www.ftc.gov/os/adjpro/d9326/080509admincomplaint.pdf). Inova's position that they don't oppose HCA coming to Loudoun, just the Broadlands location, is a ruse to kick the can down the street another couple of years, avoiding competition and hoping that HCA will tire of the fight and simply go away.
I agree the Broadlands site may not be the optimal location. However, there is a demonstrable need for a second hospital in Loudoun. There is also desperate need for an expanded commercial tax and job base.
Last year while giving blood at an Inova bloodmobile, Inova had the nerve to have its employees lobby me against HCA while they had a needle in my arm. I asked the employee wouldn't he be better off if he had two hospitals bidding against each other for his professional services?
Inova is supposed to be a non profit. One can only wonder how much benefit would have been derived if the $ spent fighting HCA had instead been used to provide healthcare to the underserved in our community. "
Posted by tconway (anonymous) on October 12, 2008 at 6:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kapinos is not just a resident of Broadlands, she is a long time HOA board member. It's funny that they claim opponents of the BRMC are on the take of Inova. I'm sure the same could be thought of the Broadlands HOA and BRMC
Posted by bschweiker (anonymous) on October 13, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I didn't read where they claimed anyone was on the "take" for Inova.
They simply pointed out the FACT that the only named funding source for the "Concerned Citizens of Broadlands" is Inova. Not a SINGLE Broadlands resident is on the record for financially supporting this group.
Posted by shevco (anonymous) on October 13, 2008 at 10:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We live down the road from Lansdowne, but usually go to Prince William for our medical care. Having spent five hours in the Loudoun Hospital ER waiting room before being examined for an appendicitis because all of the ER exam rooms were full, I have no confidence in the facility. I fully support another hospital being built in the area to reduce the strain and encourage competition for value and quality care.
Posted by muserella (anonymous) on October 14, 2008 at 7:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I freely admit I am ignorant of the details of this issue but it seems 100% ludicrous that "we" might allow the creation of a new hospital facility so close to an established one, especially when the need is so urgent along Loudoun's route 50. Has the BOS fallen asleep on this or are they somehow unable to influence the location?
Posted by locoroaddog (anonymous) on October 16, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
locoroddog-
It makes sense to build a hospital where it serves the most PEOPLE, not where it looks geographically appropriate.
Posted by shevco (anonymous) on October 17, 2008 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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