THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408260257
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: BY JAMES FOSTER CROSBY, M.D.
LENGTH: Long : 141 lines
Since 1973, Sentara Health System (Norfolk General Hospital, by whatever name) has coveted Chesapeake General Hospital.
From 1963 to 1973, Sentara Health System employed, overtly and covertly, every political and financial maneuver possible to prevent the construction of a hospital in Chesapeake. But determined citizens prevailed and the hospital was constructed through political savvy, bake sales, pennies, nickels, dimes, sweat, civic dedication and invocation to our Lord. It worked. It was a work of love and remains so today.
That is why a new affront to the existence of Chesapeake General Hospital must be examined. I am certain the City Council wishes to listen regarding preservation of Chesapeake's unmatched health necessity. It serves well council's 160,000 constituents.
In 1973, a Hospital Authority with a strong, knowledgeable chairman was appointed. A recent graduate and assistant appointee administrator was hired from Norfolk General Hospital. Selection of authority members by council too often was from their pool of friends and, possibly, from those to whom some council members owed political debts. These were good individuals, but too often they were interested only peripherally in hospital operations. Hospital operation and guidance is truly a complex subject requiring in-depth study.
During the authority's early years, an authority member might well be a casual appointee who had hardly learned the minimal complexities of hospital management and operation. Medical parlance is another universe which too often remains an enigma to non-medical appointees. If these statements be factual, it becomes understandable how any hospital administrator would appear incredibly cognizant of the pros and cons of every issue, every word, every proposal directed at a mostly uninformed authority.
There was one thought, however, that even the most informed, capable, knowledgeable authority member did not recognize or suspect. Their administrator, from the very first half-hour of his employment, was programmed to deliver Chesapeake General Hospital to Sentara Health System (or whatever its title was then).
Sentara Health System was to spend the next 21 years orchestrating the takeover of Chesapeake General Hospital. Incongruously, the enabling legislation that chartered the hospital permitted the authority to dispose of Chesapeake General Hospital - an act never considered at the writing of this legislation by an astute legislator and attorney.
In 1992, your Chesapeake General Hospital Authority voted to do just that - to sell out the hospital, lock, stock and Band-Aid to Sentara Health System, which at that time was forming, or had formed, a health network. Meetings transpired between Sentara Health System, Donald S. Buckley and the authority. These were surreptitious meetings that presented the plan to Chesapeake General Hospital Authority, not to citizens or the City Council. It was accepted by the authority and plans made to implement the takeover.
Fortunately, a group of citizens learned of the written plan and obtained a copy. The citizens' group mobilized in the name of The Friends of Chesapeake General Hospital and took their concerns to the council. The Hospital Authority made a very strong and orchestrated rebuttal in a council session. The Friends of Chesapeake General Hospital then sought and received assistance from Del. J. Randy Forbes and Sen. Mark L. Earley. The enabling legislation was changed in Richmond, and the council was given ownership control (i.e., citizen control) of our hospital. The Hospital Authority no longer could dispose of Chesapeake General Hospital to anyone.
But the hospital's administrator, Sentara Health System and the Chesapeake General Hospital Authority were far from thwarted by the Commonwealth of Virginia's legislation.
Going back to the initial Sentara-Buckley-Authority takeover attempt of Chesapeake General Hospital in 1992, the picture becomes clearer. There are citizens who now believe Sentara Health System did not covet fully Chesapeake General Hospital. Sentara Health System coveted its patients, control of medical staff, its income, its equipment and more, not the real estate.
These realizations fall into sync when City Hall and council watchers learned City Manager James W. Rein presented to council, at retreat, a verbal proposal to change the health insurance plan of city employees and their families to Sentara Health System Insurance Network, while at the same time, Sentara was presenting its program to Chesapeake General Hospital employees and doctors (Chesapeake's second largest employer). The Sentara Health System Network group proposed to Mr. Rein that their plan would save the city (Chesapeake's largest employer) $1 million. Save $1 million? Heck, Sentara would give us $10 million to get into Chesapeake! Mr. Rein forgot to explain to council exactly where and of what quality were the savings. Astoundingly, Mr. Rein gave to council members no written documentation of the plan, yet expected their vote of acceptance of the plans. It was the old ``dog and pony show'' again.
On Aug. 10 and 12, I called Mr. Rein's office to ask if the written Sentara plan had been given to the council. Mr. Rein's staff advised me it had not. On Aug. 13, I was advised council had been mailed a list of Sentara Network medical doctors who would provide patient care to Chesapeake City employees and their families. Am I to believe Mr. Rein gives the word upon which a multimillion-dollar insurance plan is to be put in place without presenting a written proposal to the council? Has an independent insurance adviser comparatively examined Mr. Rein's proposal with other proposals?
Apparently included in the Sentara Network plan are Sentara M.D.'s in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and other locales, plus selected M.D.'s in Chesapeake. These are to be the principle players in the new order. They will all have staff privileges at Chesapeake General Hospital and, after they gained a majority, would control what services would stay at Chesapeake General Hospital and what high-tech services would be referred to Norfolk, Virginia Beach or wherever.
Thus, the first pearl in the scheme is that the Sentara-Buckley-Authority-Rein plan would use Chesapeake General Hospital as a feeder to the Sentara conglomerate in Norfolk. The Sentara insurance network would make it possible.
The second pearl is a beaut - Sentara Health System Network feels it must acquire Chesapeake General Hospital's health care holdings in the Outer Banks and Northeastern North Carolina. The next step would be to build a 125-bed hospital at the Outer Banks and move Chesapeake General Hospital's high tech equipment there.
The next pearl would be Sentara's all-out attack to take over Elizabeth City (N.C.) Hospital.
I suspect the council will have an interesting time with Sentara's insurance proposal. One member has stated his vote on the matter would be in conflict of interest. In my opinion, Councilman John M. de Triquet would be in conflict for the same reason. Mayor William E. Ward unquestionably will vote with Sentara; Norfolk State University pays his salary - more money than does the City of Chesapeake.
A last question: When Sentara and its allies are defeated, from what direction will they come at us again? There appears to be a grave need for changes at Chesapeake General Hospital if it is to survive.
There may be an antitrust action against Sentara following its acquisition of Bayside Hospital in Virginia Beach. If Sentara loses there, it would likely trigger an all-out takeover attempt of Chesapeake General Hospital, where there is a receptive administrator and authority.
Citizens have every reason to be concerned about the intentions of the present administrator and our Hospital Authority. Did not they attempt to give the hospital away in 1992? For the hospital operation to remain in their hands is to lose our hospital as it now stands. For Chesapeake General Hospital to become a pawn in a huge network insurance program is to produce quality of care no one can live with. MEMO: Dr. Crosby is a pediatrician and a pathologist with a practices in
Chesapeake. He was a charter member of the Chesapeake Hospital Authority
in 1973 and served in that position for 10 years. He is founder of the
Chesapeake Medical Society and was its third president. He was chief of
the family practice staff at Chesapeake General Hospital.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE GENERAL HOSPITAL
by CNB