To the Editor:
I am a 50-year resident Dentist of Perryville... Everything I do depends upon some form of expertise to achieve a desired result. Fortunately, the rules of cause and effect are always the same.
I have been trying to ask questions and make sense of the hospital’s demise. I recently asked a board member “Why a merger?” His answer was, “Because.” I asked two additional versions of the same question and the answer did not improve. I asked a high-ranking hospital official the same question and the response was, “It simply is not fixable.” Also, I have listened to the hospital board state, 11How great things are with no problems” and “have never been in better shape.” Dr. Kapp perhaps gave the best reasons for a merger with Mercy. “Care of patients and to maintain PFCC’s independence.” However, his statement soon became tainted when he later said, “we are negotiating towards the beginning and negotiating towards the end.” Then another doctor said, “I have never been associated with a physician’s group that has so much influence on a hospital.” I suspect PFCC found their best deal with Mercy.
The hospital administrators alone are charged with any and all negotiations, and must accept liability. The hospital has an overwhelming liability, if they have made bad deals, had bad management, bad disclosure agreements or even excessive demands by associates.
Questions were given to the hospital before the recent forum as to when did the financial condition begin; when did you find out and what did you do to correct the problems at PCMH? These questions remain unanswered today. The first rule of the forum was made by Joe Lupica; if you asked a question before, you cannot ask one now. It soon became evident that a “Woke” mentality was moderating the forum and shielding the hospital from my questions. Sit down and shut up or we will boo and ridicule. This was demonstrated in the forum and letters to the editor.
This opens up other questions; when did management lose confidence in their ability to manage the hospital, why did they continue the same course. The hospital needs to explain their actions. Why didn’t they hire a hospital consulting firm that specializes in fixing problems? No, the hospital relied on “Divine Intervention,” Newpoint Healthcare, and Joe Lupica. I think that the hospital should comment on Divine Intervention, when the hospital is at stake. Our hospital board has an overwhelming liability.
