LHC's New Effort to Protect Monopoly

Just posted on Leesburg2Day website:

Loudoun Hospital Seeks To Block Purcellville Imaging Center


Dec 10, 2003 -- Loudoun Healthcare Inc. announced last night that it has new plans to immediately re-open its medical imaging center in Purcellville. Not coincidentally, that offer was made before the town council just as a medical group affiliated with Valley Health System’s Winchester Medical Center prepares to provide those services.
Loudoun Hospital is seeking a Circuit Court injunction to prevent the competing group from operating in the building. ...

http://www.leesburg2day.com/current.cfm?catid=28&newsid=8173

 

After reading the article at the above web link, I definitely come away with the feeling that LHC is totally against any healthcare competition anywhere in Loudoun. Here's some additional information on the subject from Mark Lowers, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in a statement dated 12/17 to LHC employees.

The statement discusses the "Inaccurate information about establishment of diagnostic imaging services in Purcellville..." It states "This is a simple landlord-tenant disput, not an issue about competition. Winchester Medical Center is free to open diagnostic imaging services anywhere it wants to--except in the space Loudoun Hospital Center is paying Mr. Naylor's group to preserve. Since 1997, Loudoun Hospital Center has paid Mr. Naylor's group more than half million dollars for these lease rights."

Isn't paying that much money to hold on to spaces that aren't being used a waste of funds and "profit" that isn't being returned to the community in the form of community projects? Wouldn't that be called fraud, abuse, a waste of money, etc. if HCA did that to stop LHC from opening needed services?? The statement also states "...it is the desire of Loudoun Healthcare to establish diagnostic imaging services at LVMC [in Purcellville] as soon as Mr. Naylor's group allows us to exercise our rights under the current lease."

And, the real reason why LHC doesn't like Mr. Naylor, "I think it's important for you to know that we at Loudoun Healthcare do not consider Mr. Naylor to be a supporter of Loudoun Healthcare. His only affiliation is through this lease. Mr. Naylor supports HCA's proposal to build a hospital in the Broadlands neighborhood, even though independent analyses show that such a project will have a devastating negative impact on Loudoun Hospital Center, if that project is ever approved."

As I've asked in another forum, how can BRMC have a negative impact on LHC if LHC provides better services and better care for the same or less money than BRMC? Why would anyone go to BRMC if that were the case? However, if that's not the case, no wonder they're worried...

 

This recently (Dec 31, 2003) appeared in the Loudoun Times Mirror. This is a serious issue, I notice no one supporting LHC (Loudoun Healthcare, Inc LHI) wants to touch it.

Here is the full text of:

http://www.timescommunity.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=10733378&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=506041&rfi=6

Here are facts on western imaging center
By Frank Naylor, Managing Member, Loudoun Valley Medical Centers, Purcellville
12/31/2003


Loudoun Healthcare Inc. abandoned Purcellville and is now trying to stop other health care providers from serving the needs of our community through an unwarranted lawsuit and expensive and misleading advertising campaign and mass mailing designed to intimidate and discredit Loudoun Valley Medical Center.

We won't be intimidated because we know the facts speak for themselves.

Loudoun Valley Medical Center was formed in 1997 by a group of Loudoun physicians – including the current chief of staff of Loudoun Hospital Center – and residents who shared the belief that western Loudoun needed better medical services and that the logical hub for those services was Purcellville.

Out of that belief, LVMC built a medical facility that now has two buildings and 20,000 square feet of space designed and built to provide quality medical services. LVMC has brought critical medical services and expanded the availability of specialty services to Purcellville. That is our only objective.

Following are the facts:

LHI did not request construction of LVMC. It opened in April 1998. LHI had an urgent care center in the building, and Dr. Joseph Finizio opened a medical imaging center that operated until May of this year.

LHI closed its urgent care center in Purcellville in 1999, two years after signing a 10-year lease, and has declined numerous other opportunities to provide medical services at LVMC.

LHI pays basic rent for the space it has leased. LHI has paid nothing extra for any claimed lease rights.

LVMC found a private physician to reopen the urgent care center and arranged a sublease with LHI for their space.

LHI has failed to act on numerous opportunities to express interest in reopening an imaging center at LVMC.

LHI was well aware of the imaging center's closing and the desire of residents that the service be made available in Purcellville again.

LHI's CEO was informed by the Winchester Hospital Center CEO several months ago that Winchester was in discussions to reopen the imaging center. None of the other outpatient imaging providers in Loudoun County expressed an interest in reopening the center.

LHI did not contact or express any interest in reopening the center during the five months between the closing and the signing of a sublease between Dr. Finizio and the Winchester imaging center. It was only after the a new imaging provider signed a sublease, purchased new equipment, hired staff and was prepared to open that LHI notified LVMC of its intent to take legal action to block the opening. LHI then waited until December to announce its disingenuous newfound interest in opening an imaging center in Purcellville.

The owners of LVMC remain committed to seeking to develop and expand quality medical services for western Loudoun. We have worked with and supported LHI for many years. It is difficult for us to understand why LHI management has not made any effort over the last seven months to discuss any interest in reopening imaging services. Instead, LHI's first action was to file legal papers.

©Times Community Newspapers 2003