Local hospital provides for whole community
As an employee of Maury Regional Hospital, I feel the need to respond to the letter-writing campaign by those in Spring Hill who are criticizing MRH’s opposition to a second hospital in Maury County.
My comments are not intended to debate this issue — that argument will continue whether another hospital is built or not. My intent is to make some folks more aware of what your county hospital provides for every citizen of Maury County and MRH’s commitment to Spring Hill.
MRH constructed the medical building in front of Home Depot in Spring Hill 10 years ago and recruited physicians to provide primary care services. In 2005, the building was enlarged to accommodate a Specialty Clinic, a Diagnostic Clinic and an Urgent Care Clinic that is open seven days a week. Last year the Urgent Care Clinic treated more than 5,400 patients — 55 percent were Spring Hill residents. Maury Regional’s current investment in the Spring Hill community is over $6 million.
One writer commented about the tax benefits of a Spring Hill hospital. For many years, Maury Regional has voluntarily paid $900,000 annually to the Maury County government in lieu of property taxes. Others say MRH is concerned only about profit. Let’s examine that statement: HCA wants to build a hospital in one of the most affluent areas of our state. Maury Regional provides millions of dollars in free care every year to those without insurance or access to care. Eliminate Maury Regional’s profit and who will take care of the underprivileged?
Tax dollars subsidizing Maury Regional? Another erroneous statement. As a 32-year member of the management team, I can tell you that Maury Regional receives no taxpayer dollars. During my entire career, MRH has been and continues to be self-supporting.
The mission set forth by those who founded Maury Regional Hospital continues today — a hospital that provides quality healthcare services to all residents of our community — this includes the less fortunate as well as the affluent.
Ron Pope,
Vice President,
Maury Regional Hospital
While I do not agree with the business-managements constant downsizing of departments and outsourcing; I want to say that this letter made me happy. HCA will cut into profits, sure - but more than that it will hurt the charity-hospital’s ability to provide the best care to those who cannot afford any. Then who’s gonna pick up the slack, HCA sure isn’t.
I support MRH’s joint endeavor with WMC to keep the playing-field even and fair for not us, but for the citizens, the patients and their families.
I hope they decide to appeal once again to overturn this issue.
Oh Joe, I wouldn’t expect you of all people to buy into the MRH Kool Aid.
You Said…
From the Daily Herald, April 26, 2006 - TriStar officials answer questions about hospital
Probably the most damaging of statements for MRH that came out in the HSDA’s final order is…
Maybe the real secret is they were planning a hospital for spring hill within the next (x) years, and now that HCA is coming in, that ruins their plans? (speculation)
but now that they are fighting so hard, it almost ruins that expansion plan all-together. so its almost a lose-lose.
You think WMC would have allowed MRH to build a hospital in Spring Hill?
Vanderbilt and MRH are planning on building one. Alderman Duda references it in the letter of the editor published today its It is time to end the appeal of Spring hill Hospital
Vanderbilt and MRH are planning on building a facility that specializes in Radiology Treatment (categorized by the state as an Ambulatory Surgery Treatment Center or ASTC), not an acute care hospital. These and other types of ancillary medical facilities pop up around a hospital, which causes one to wonder if MRH has realized the inevitable?
An Ambulatory-Surgical-Oncological-Radiology center is what this is, Ambulatory would be like the Ambulatory Clinic, and if it had a 24 hour service may consider an ER. Does the SHH plan on including an ER in their hospital? If they do - and its going to be a basic hospital, they are probably hoping to get transfers of-care from the SHH, since the SHH wont be able to do everything they can do. They are still proving that a hospital *is* needed there.