THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996                    TAG: 9605030160
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS      PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Editorial
                                             LENGTH: Short :   32 lines

MARYVIEW NOW IT'S ON THE SPOT

The news this week that Portsmouth General Hospital will be bought by Bon Secours Maryview Hospital and fazed out over the next few years is sad but true.

Tidewater Health Care, the Virginia Beach company that outbid Maryview and others to buy Portsmouth General eight years ago, gave up the struggle after investing years of effort and money to attract more patients to the downtown hospital which has been around for almost a century.

Portsmouth General has excelled in many specialty areas, including a much-praised rehabilitation center and an eye care center, which has attracted patients from across the region. But, unfortunately, not enough local people, including local doctors, used the facility to keep it from losing money. Tidewater's chief executive, Doug Johnson, said he saw no end to the losses and so the decision was made to sell out.

Basically, Portsmouth citizens have nobody to blame but themselves for the loss of Portsmouth General, which needed local support to survive.

Now Maryview will be the sole hospital in the city. That puts a real burden on the Catholic institution that started here during World War II to provide more health care for the all the people of Portsmouth. by CNB