Letter to Editor on proposed hospital merger
Published: Monday, July 12, 2010, 5:00 AM, Post-Standard Readers' Page
Hospital partnership must include teaching
To the Editor:
Jim Mulder’s informative article on the potential consolidation of Upstate Medical University and Community General Hospital raises issues that have long-term implications for delivery of health care in Central New York that go well beyond the two institutions.
These include teaching needs, community health needs and the impact on other health institutions and services. These all need to be addressed as merger discussions proceed and should involve participation by stakeholders from the broader community, including representatives from business, community organizations, local governments, provider entities and universities.
The overall goal of such involvement should be development of a highly responsive, efficient and high-quality health care system in Central New York. It could also explore ways that new models of care such as “medical homes” can be promoted or how hospitals might be designed for flexible use rather than fixed bed size, given the impact on patient care resulting from rapid evolution in clinical and information technology. Finally, it should seek to ensure that the community’s history of failed attempts at realignment or consolidation of local hospitals is not repeated.
I think all can agree that the need to expand teaching opportunities is a particularly crucial one in order to assure that the area’s supply of trained health professionals, especially in primary care, is sufficient to meet the future demand for care anticipated under health care reform. An Upstate Medical-Community General partnership that contributes to this goal and enhances linkages among hospitals and other Central New York health facilities is clearly in the community’s interest.
Timothy Bobo
Executive Director,
Central New York Health Systems Agency