THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 24, 1996 TAG: 9605220154
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: 84 lines
The public at this late date has little recourse against the plan to close Portsmouth General Hospital.
The new owner, Maryview Medical Center, says it will begin immediately to close down the inpatient beds but will continue to operate outpatient units until the year 2000. In fact, public persuasion and support of the outpatient facilities probably is the only hope of keeping the doors open on any basis for four more years.
Portsmouth General's owners, Tidewater Health Care, and Maryview's owners, Bon Secours, are private companies, albeit not-for-profit, that made a legal deal.
This might not be what Portsmouth citizens say they want, but it's no doubt the way it's going to be. A lot of folks turned out to speak at a recent City Council meeting, many of them apparently under the impression the city could do something to alter the situation.
The citizens' appearance at council got some publicity and agreement from council to set up a ``dialog'' session with representatives of the hospitals. But, basically, it appears to be too late to do much besides talk.
People who wanted to keep Portsmouth General functioning should have started years ago to support the hospital. Obviously, Tidewater Health Care would not be giving up real money-making potential. After eight years of improvements and efforts to expand the Portsmouth General base to make up for insurance cutbacks on inpatient care, the company apparently concluded that nothing was going to work, that it was time to get its money out of the hospital and run.
Bon Secours was the obvious buyer because most dollars that go to Portsmouth General are potentially Maryview sales. Who else would pay so many millions for a business with an apparently mediocre bottom line?
Whether we like it or not, money is the name of the game in health care these days. That's why the old Portsmouth General board decided to sell the hospital eight years ago.
Contrary to public misunderstanding, Portsmouth General was not, and never had been, city-owned. The trustees were an independent, self-perpetuating, nonprofit organization whose main resource was income from hospital services. The board sold out because it was struggling to survive in a competitive situation in a time of declining insurance payments and increasing technical expenses. In addition, like many Portsmouth businesses, Portsmouth General suffered from the public's erroneous perception of the Downtown area.
Tidewater's resources to upgrade the facility helped it fare a little better but obviously not enough better to make it want to continue the struggle.
Some citizens seem to think the city government can do something. One speaker even tried to blame council, citing bad appointments to the hospital board. In fact, the city never appointed board members over the hospital's century of existence.
Another speaker seemed to be saying the city should take over the hospital. And Maryview just might be willing to give the building away if the city also would take over the cost of treating all indigent patients in Portsmouth and footing the bill for what Medicare does not pay, leaving the paying customers for other hospitals.
But we all know the city cannot afford to do that.
What the city needs to concentrate on now is what will happen to the buildings and houses that will be transferred to Maryview in the deal.
Since the Portsmouth General property is part of the Vision 2005 plan for Northside, Scotts Creek and the Naval Hospital, the city needs to work closely with Maryview to be sure their plans mesh with public needs.
Certainly, the many houses owned by the hospital should go to private owners and should be used for single-family occupancy. The city should push Maryview to deal with the residential property first because that will be the first to deteriorate.
What would work in the institutional buildings?
Offices aimed at companies doing business with the Naval Hospital and others in the area? A for-profit housing complex for elderly people? A hotel and convention center? A medical complex owned by doctors for outpatient treatment?
The latter, which could be the most logical, probably would not fly with Maryview because it would be direct competition.
Although many people are upset by the pending demise of Portsmouth General, getting the property back on the tax books would make up for some of the disappointment.
Verbal protests may be good therapy for those bemoaning the closing of the hospital, but the protesters bring too little too late to the table. Money talks louder than words. And, in the case of Portsmouth General, city residents so far have not indicated their willingness to put their money where their mouth is. by CNB