HCA's Finances Sour -- "more bad news to come"

You may be interested in HCA's worsening financial health. See this article from the perspective of Wall Street:

http://www.thestreet.com/_tsclsii/stocks/melissadavid/10153846_2.html

Analysts on the Street are saying that there's "more bad news to come" about HCA's outlook. News of this financial downturn caused HCA's stock to tumble. As HCA's finances grow weaker by the moment, just think what would happen if HCA went under and we ended having a vacant, run-down hospital building in the middle of the Broadlands... That's just another logical reason to tell HCA to go look somewhere else.

 

Interesting article but I don't exactly read it as saying HCA is likely to go bankrupt any time soon. HCA reported earnings of $2.60 per share and they have over 485 million shares outstanding. The stock is up 20% from a year ago even after this recent decline. The recent stock price drop reflects the fact that they didn't make as much profit as they expected to. It does not mean the sky is falling...

 

Sure was an interesting article. It shows the hospital industry is not a place to invest $$$ in right now. I also don't think that we should "invest" our area's future in HCA right now either.

 

Chris,

I can not make the jump in logic you suggest: based on the presented article, that we will have a vacant, run-down hospital building in the middle of the Broadlands. One would require a strong predisposition for finding fault with HCA or be inclined to use exaggeration to advance other agendas. I am not implying that you have or are doing either. That’s just my humble opinion, I could be wrong.

Ray
Originally posted by chris[/i]

You may be interested in HCA's worsening financial health. See this article from the perspective of Wall Street:

http://www.thestreet.com/_tsclsii/stocks/melissadavid/10153846_2.html

Analysts on the Street are saying that there's "more bad news to come" about HCA's outlook. News of this financial downturn caused HCA's stock to tumble. As HCA's finances grow weaker by the moment, just think what would happen if HCA went under and we ended having a vacant, run-down hospital building in the middle of the Broadlands... That's just another logical reason to tell HCA to go look somewhere else.
[/quote]

 

Welcome to the forum, Ray.Mittan. It always a good thing when new people join this forum and offer their perspectives. I hope that you have an enjoyable experience here and feel free to express your views. Because you appear to be in support of the hospital, I doubt that you will be singled out for the incessantly crude and attacking vitriol the the pro-HCA side directs at anyone who dares to ask a valid question about their beloved planned facility.

To your comment, I would not be so quick to assume that HCA would not pull out of a community and leave a run-down building where a hospital once stood. That's HCA's track record in other communities, and it is exactly what HCA plans to do with the two hospitals that it is closing down in the inner suburbs that is part of the plans to build in the Broadlands. I wonder what a rat-infested, rotting building does to increase property values?

 

Thanks for the welcome Chris, I have decided to use my full name as my screen name in hopes that others will follow. It is by belief that the crude and attacking vitriol would lessen if we were all directly accountable for our remarks. As to being pro hospital, I would rather have a 58 acre park, but that's not going to happen.

Ray

 

Ray,

That may be true but there are safety concerns that you may not be aware of. For instance I did a Yahoo white pages on your name and found out your address (Awbry Pl), map to that address and phone number. If I was to pay $7.95 on another site I would get your SSN, Tax history, criminal check, AND average income of the neighborhood. That makes you a target for identity theft, harassment or robbery. You may not be intimidated but ask your wife, Dorothy how she feels about it.

My wife set me straight about this issue when it first came up. This site is not closed to residents, anyone can see it and my family's safety comes first.

 

Yeah Homer, and you juggle the roles of husband, father, safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, bowler, beer drinker, astronaut, small business owner and dreamer, and make it all look easy. But it wasn't always so easy for you. Raised by your father, Abe, who tried to compensate for the absence of your radical hippie mother, you graduated at the bottom of your high school class and managed to earn the distinction of being the longest-term entry-level employee at the plant. Together with your high school sweetheart, Marge Bouvier, you settled down in Evergreen Terrace, the nicest upper-lower-middle class section of Springfield, to raise your three precious children. You are fond of Duff Beer, donuts, Marge's pork chops and watching the Bee Guy on the Spanish channel. Your dislikes include your boss, Mr. Burns, yard work and your neighbor, Ned Flanders.

 

My 2 cents on the article is that a hospital may not be the best choice for the community. I don't think HCA is going to go broke tomorrow, but the long term outlook sure ain't bright. A more stable business would make more sense in my book. A big empty building that's left to deteriorate can't be good for house values. Like, those above, I think a nice park would be great. If we can't get that, then there's got to be something better for the community that a hospital when we've got one of those nearby already.

Also, just a thought, why is there a Broadlands "coming soon" sign for things like Clyde's, but not the the hospital? It's almost like someone wants to slip something by people who are moving in or looking to move here.

 

Because the Clyde's application has been approved by the county and is a "by right" development whereas the area for the hospital is the correct zoning area for a hospital but it still requires approval by the Board of Supervisors. So, if they were to put up a "coming soon" sign, I'm sure there are many who participate in these forums that would think they were being presumptuous to post such a sign before they had all the necessary approvals signed.

 

Doh! Stupid Flanders...

 

To those concerned about identity theft, having a real name on this forum will not do anything pro or against anyone wanting to get your contact information. There are tons of sites where you get can pretty detailed information.

Like here:
http://inter1.loudoun.gov/webpdbs/default.htm

Put in an address, out comes the name. A ID thefter can not only easily get your name, but target those who have an expensive house (and thus deeper pockets).

Or heck, why guess an address to do it. Just bookmark this page.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/realestate/homesales/

Sorry for getting off-topic.

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Got Broadband?

 

If Van Metre and HCA wanted to be honest with the community, they would have at least installed a sign that says that HCA had purchased the land from Van Metre and hoped to build a hospital there. Even the main www.broadlands.org website is still fibbing (I don't want to accuse anyone of lying) to the whole community and new purchasers by showing that the site is for offices.

If they are not ashamed of their actions, why aren't they being honest?

 

I disagree. Say for instance I make someone mad on t his forum (as if!)[]. Having my real name puts a big ol bulls eye on me. W/o that name there is no way to find out who I am and where I live.

 

Very true, I was just referring to someone finding info about you. Sorry, should have written that better. Thats a big reason we brought up at our tech meetings on making the forums real name only (which was brought up again at the Broadlands meeting last week).

As for the broadlands.org website, they do need to update that site more often! I don't think its a situation where they are intentionally not putting the hospital information there, its more of a situation where updating the site is very (very) low on the priority chain. As an FYI the tech (formerly web committee) has nothing to do with that website before anyone asks.

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Got Broadband?

 

And don't forget that the scaled model in the Nature/Information Center correctly lists the site as having a hospital. The cost/effort involved in changing the model is obviously greater than the cost/effort involved in changing the website, so the allegation that Van Metre is "fibbing" (synonym: lying) doesn't really make sense. The inaccuracy on the website is probably no more than an oversight.

Maybe an interested party wants to take concrete action to get the website fixed by sending a letter to Van Metre, instead of just complaining about it on these forums...

 

So, your first defense of Van Metre is based on the fact that they are only fibbing to a portion of the population (those who wander into the Nature Center). In our house, a fib is a fib -- regardless of how many people you try to deceive.

Your second defense is that Van Metre is so incompetent that they can't even get information loaded onto their website. Wow! That tells me one thing -- caveat emptor -- don't buy a Van Metre home (thankfully, ours was not built by Van Metre). Who wants a new home from a company that can't even update its own website?

Also, the issue of the inaccurate information has been brought to Van Metre's attention on numerous occasions. It is inaccurate to call it an "oversight" when they have been told about it repeatedly. When you fail to act to correct a known problem, there must be a reason. What else could it be except duplicity? Unless it is incompetence -- and which is worse in an organization that you are trusting to build the home you're living in?

 

The Van Metre website has not been updated?!?!? OH MY GOODNESS! Things like this NEVER happen on the web!

It MUST be a conspiracy!

Chris, you are consistent.

 

It's been over a year and a half, T8. When does it stop being an "oversight" (despite Van Metre's being told about it N-U-M-E-R-O-U-S times) and start being an attempt to mis-lead?

Also, are you trying to twist words to fit your need? I never said that I thought that it was a conspiracy. Truthfully, what is consistent is your ability to spin issues in the favor of your friends at Van Metre and HCA. I hope that you have them on a monthly retainer.

 

Homer,

Thanks for the concern. You are correct; we all are at risk for the things you mention. Every time I or my wife raise our hands at a HOA, PTO, swim team, school board, K of C, church meeting, etc. we are at risk. It is even worst when you may actually be serving on a committee or board. Please note: we all know who Donna, VACliff, and NeilZ, are. If anyone stands up and provides an opinion publicly they are at risk. But, there in lies the weight and value of the words spoken. I am not trying to be high browed or some type of crusader. I just enjoy living in the Broadlands, and we as a community are just so much better than a few of the posts I have read on the forums. As always, this is just my humble opinion, I could be wrong.