Will history repeat itself?

The San Jose Medical center has previously been a topic of discussion on the Stop BRMC blogs.  You may wonder what a closed medical center in California has to do with our situation here in Loudoun County.  The answer is simple, these incidents represent the concerns and ethics of HCA as a corporation and a participant in the community.  

San Jose is still trying to recover from how HCA has left the community.  Not only has HCA closed down the medical center leaving downtown without healthcare access, but HCA has also shown no intentions of helping to alleviate these problems.  In fact, they are adding to problems through a lack of willingness to provide healthcare to a majority of the San Jose community. 

Just think about what would happen if HCA were to become a staple in Loudoun County.  If they are allowed to build at the Dulles Greenway site, they will be competing for patients and profits.  What happens if they decide the Dulles Greenway location is not good for "profitability" like HCA's Santa Clara location?  Will they decide to shut down BRMC as well?  Or worse, what if they shut down the current hospitals in the area monopolizing healthcare in Loudoun.  HCA pushing for the Dulles Greenway site, with it's proximity to the other hospitals in Loudoun, could be a sign of these intentions.

If BRMC remains in Loudoun, what is the likely hood they will care for the community?  The answer is good, if you're insured!  It's no wonder BRMC is trying to move into a higher income neighborhood instead of the Route 50 corridor where the community would be most positively affected by a hospital.  In San Jose, the city council has already been a victim of HCA's unwillingness to provide care to the uninsured or those with Medi-Cal.  

Will history repeat itself?  Only if you let it!  Voice your opposition  and tell the Board of Supervisors to vote no on BRMC!

Will HCA bring Jobs to Loudoun?

DOUBTFUL!

One of the dominant reasons people have for supporting BRMC in Broadlands has been the Doctors and jobs presumed to accompany the development of a Hospital.  This just isn't the case. 

HCA has been working on a merger with Baptist Health Care and their West Florida Campus. 

This is an excerpt from a question and answer article regarding the proposed merger.  The interviewer asks, 

"Q: You have said that the consolidation will result in eliminating 320 jobs, mostly through attrition.  What is the worst-case scenario number in terms of layoffs, and what is the projected payroll of those cuts?"

His Answer was:

"A: Our hope is to be able to handle about two-thirds of the reduction through attrition and placing people in other roles.

The 320 jobs amount to about $20 million in payroll and benefits out of a combined payroll and benefits of $310 million between Baptist and West Florid.  By 2011, it will be back above where it is now.  

We're also actually bringing some jobs back to the market.

For, example, West Florida did all of their billing office functions out of Jacksonville.  Their IT employees-- and those are high-paying tech jobs-- have been outsourced out of the market.

Much of their marketing work was performed out of the market, whereas we will use local vendors.  That was an organizational strategy of HCA, to consolidate services into regional centers.

We're taking a $200 million business and brining it back to local ownership."

If this is HCA's organizational strategy, what kind of strategies can we expect to see at Broadlands Regional Medical Center?   You be the judge.

Full Article @ http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080629/news01/806290328