Broadlands Hospital

Lee-
You are wrong. As I pointed out many pages ago on this Forum, the Washington post printed a long article over this very issue.
It gave specific examples where Inova was trying to destroy families financially in order to get payments. It also pointed out that HCA Reston forgave debt, in some cases to thes same families.

 

That does seem like a bad collection technique. I can't imagine anyone, from the Mob to Mother Theresa, trying to "destroy families financially in order to get payment". Maybe destroying a family financially in the process of getting payment.

I would love to read this article, could you please post a link to the article.

So HCA forgives debts and Inova tries to destroy people?

 

I think the point is, nothing in the fact that INOVA is a not-for-profit makes them any more community- or family-friendly than a for-profit organization.

At the end of the day, both NFPs and FPs still need to earn money, both will go to collectors to get that money if they need to, and both are still businesses with stakeholders and bottom lines to meet.

Also in my experience, both are not out to destroy families, both are willing to work with their debtors to establish payment options so long as debtors are making payments in good faith (a generosity I've often been the beneficiary of, when I needed to set up monthly payment plans to cover steep hospital bills), and neither find it good business or good marketing to destroy families and people.

 

I agree with you except that I think Cliff's point was that Inova was far worse than HCA. Or at least that is the argument made with the evidence he stated.

 

I disaggree with this, I have heard from close affiliation that overall, HCA first and foremost priority is bottom line, not patient care. I don't know much about INOVA, but from the care I have received from them, I don't think they are bad at all. The few times I have had to go there (once in an emergency capacity) I was treated well and seen well within a standard waiting period.


just my $.02

 

This certainly adds an whole other dimension to the whole hospital situation. Inova says they will put their hospital on hold even though the BOS approved it without, what I understand any objection. HCA in the broadlands has started a firestorm for years. Broadlands HCA hotly debated for years and voted down, and the Rt 50 INOVA has had no or little debate and got approval. hmmmmmmm

Here is a quote from the WP article today """If HCA wins the lawsuit, Inova officials said they might not apply for a certificate of public need for their campus on Route 50. Inova Loudoun chief executive Randy Kelley said it is unlikely that the state would approve either of the Route 50 hospitals if the Broadlands project were to go forward."""""""

Whole article here and an very interesting situation developing. http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/news/2008/feb/10/inova-route-50-hospital-hold/?local

 

What a dumb thing, in my opinion, for Mr. Kelley to say. It opens up the door for HCA to state that not only are they ready to build BRMC now, but THEY will build a hospital on Rte 50 to serve those needs. Their Rte 50 hospital is already in the county approval process and will be before the BoS in a few months. Note that Mr. Burton commented that it will also most likely be approved by the BoS.

 

We also received a call. It was from 703.000.0000. The differences in the questions asked , other than saying Broadlands correctly, were I was asked for my age, not age group, and was asked if I was a registered voter.

Within a few seconds of hanging up, I received a call from 571.000.0000. When I answered, there was a short delay, and the line cut off.

 

How many people are getting these calls? I haven't yet. Who's sponsoring the calls?

Does it annoy anyone else all these bombastic statements from Inova like:

Why are they playing politics with health care and how in the hell is this Mr. Kelley's backyard? I just moved here and all, but this is surely more of my backyard than his. They are moving me closer and closer to supporting BRMC.

 

Hey Mr. Ketchup, no one believes me, but I have said this resistance from INOVA has made me swing more in the direction of BRMC than anything else. I find it unseemly how hard they are fighting a competitor in this arena.

 

I've been getting these calls from 703-000-0000, but don't pick up when I see that number on caller id, since I didn't recognize it. I'm glad I didn't, now that I know what they're calling about.

 

I believe you Silence! And I am getting the sense there are more of folks like you and I out here in Broadlands than ever before.

 

You can block these calls even on your cell phones. Since I did we get absolutely zero junk phone calls on all our numbers, but you must renew it I think every year, which I do.

Lee j

 

People, it's simple.
Inova will continue to fight to the bitter end to keep out HCA.
Why? BECAUSE THEY WANT ALL THE MONEY!!!!!!
They don't give a rats patootey about the healthcare needs of this county.....they simply want ALL THE MONEY!!!!!!!

 

I am still neutral but if HCA was really concerned about our health cares and not just the money they would of came in from day one like INOVA not when they now can take the cream without going through raising the cow.
There is an hole in your argument that a 747 can fly through.

 

Inova wants all the money???

Do you even know how much money Inova and Inova Loudoun put back into services throughout this county to help people who:

can't afford to pay for services
can't afford to travel to get screenings
can't afford to buy healthcare related items
can't afford to pay staff
can't afford to pay for space to provide medical care
can't afford to have prenatal care
etc, etc etc...

Do you even know how much support Inova and Inova Loudoun offers to this community and county?

I would say that by that comment you don't know.

So explain to me what money are you talking about?

 

It is simple, no doubt about that!!!

I'm back, because Cliff has finally gotten to the crux of the matter
Innova has plopped itself right into a wealth, well-insured area. They probably make a lot of money.
HCA wants a piece of that pie.

Neither one probably really cares about the maximizing health benefits for this area, unless it fits into their economic model.

OK, so the bottom line is...
Do we want a hospital in our neighborhood?

 

Yes, I do know....it's about the same amount as HCA...both somewhere around 3 1/2% of revenue. I know far more than you realize. And my view isn't colored by any partisan reason.

The money I'm talking about that they don't want to share is the money they make as a hospital organization. They want it all. Why share revenues with someone else?
There's not necessarily anything wrong with this. They are a business that has a bottom line and want to make money (don't even attempt the non-profit spiel). My goodness, they're appealing the state's COPN approval all the way to the State Supreme Court.
Another day BRMC is not open is another day all the money goes to their pockets. So, the fight will continue. Period.

I was responding to the question posed wondering why Inova would spend so much time and effort fighting this.

Oh, and by spending that amount of money on community and charity purposes, how much do they make by claiming "not-for-profit" status?
HCA spends the same amount on charity and still pays taxes. As Lee would say hmmmmm.............

 

And as a controller I can direct that 747 right over your house.
Sorry, Lee, no holes in this argument. Just a cold, hard truth.
Mr. Rogers hit it right on the head.

 

They are fighting this because of all the reasons stated for the last 7 years...2 hospitals running at low capacity will not survive and will not be able to offer new services. Which hospital do you think would have to close?

Why wouldn't Inova fight this? Loudoun hospital has been serving this county since 1912 and offers more services, sponsorships and outreach than you probably are even aware.

Knowing HCA"s history don't you think that they would take all of the insured patient base and expect "the county hospital" to serve the un/under insured?

Having HCA open a hospital on the Route 50 corridor would still allow HCA to serve this county, would still allow for the tax revenue, would still allow for them to serve the county they so deparatley want to treat and would follow the comprehensive healthcare facilities plan that was adopted.

Why doesn't HCA please 2 sets of community members: don't build in a community that has a significant residential base that doesn't want a hospital and move to build one in an area that has a significant residential base that does want a hospital.