Letter to the Editor: Bring In the Hospitals

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Who’s afraid of a little competition?

Based on the full-page ad from Inova Health System in last Sunday’s Loudoun Extra, the answer is obviously Inova.

I thought I’d share a few facts about the Inova spin. After Inova Loudoun Hospital used all its political might to keep Broadlands Regional Medical Center out of Loudoun County, Inova quickly crafted its own health-care plan and submitted it to the county. It was then adopted by the Board of Supervisors. This was several years ago. So where are the healthplexes in Lovettsville, Purcellville and Middleburg? Will they ever be built, or are they just being used as pawns to thwart competition?

In the ad, Inova mentions “experts” who claim that the Broadlands project by Hospital Corporation of America would “force the closure of planned and existing health care facilities.” Who are these experts, and where is their report? Or is it just more of the usual scare tactics? The most ridiculous thing about this is that HCA also is moving forward with plans to build a hospital in the Route 50 corridor, as is HealthSouth. Seems like their experts would disagree with Inova’s.

Inova and its attorneys are suing the commonwealth of Virginia for having issued a certificate of public need for the Broadlands hospital. It seems that the commonwealth’s experts also disagree with Inova’s. Inova has lost this case twice but is still fighting on to the state Supreme Court.

As far as profits go, Inova is doing quite well. Recent columns in The Washington Post have noted Inova’s annual operating profit of $140 million and outlined the company’s aggressive approach to expanding and to thwarting competition.

The Ashburn area is the epicenter of Loudoun’s growth, now and into the foreseeable future. It makes perfect sense to locate a hospital here. Now.

Cliff Keirce, Broadlands

Tagged: Letter to the Editor

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