Putting politics aside for the sake of health (Bill Frist in San Jose)

[Coastie for Truth]

Putting politics aside for the sake of health - OBSTACLES REMAIN, BUT NEGOTIATIONS WITH EAST S.J. HOSPITAL ARE GOOD START

Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/11359301.htm

A hearty bravo to the Santa Clara County supervisors for putting politics aside and telling county health officials to begin negotiations with Regional Medical Center for a new trauma center at the East San Jose hospital.

All involved know those negotiations won't be simple. The county's plan to demand that Regional agree to a substantial penalty if it closes the hospital without sufficient notice is only one potential obstacle. But beginning the negotiations is a solid step toward a needed third trauma center.

The board could have tried to punish Regional Medical Center's owner -- the for-profit hospital conglomerate HCA (see footnote) -- for abruptly closing San Jose Medical Center and its trauma center in December. Even if that had caused Regional to drop its proposed trauma center, the county's two existing trauma centers -- Valley Medical Center and Stanford University Medical Center -- have done an admirable job of picking up the 160 monthly trauma cases previously handled by San Jose Medical Center.

But granting Regional its trauma center will make county residents safer in the event of a major disaster and will help guarantee that anyone needing treatment will get it quickly. Moreover, designating Regional Medical Center as a trauma center carries no significant costs to the county.

Footnote - This is Bill Frist's family owned for profit mega hospital conglomerate

Frist (HCA) bought both (1) Alexian Brothers Hospital (the one that is the subject of the editorial) on San Jose's East Side. Not the best equipped hospital in the area. And (2) San Jose Medical Center, in downtown San Jose (6th Street and Santa Clara Street; near the new San Jose City Hall and San Jose State University). This was the "down town trauma center."

Then Fist (HCA) closed San Jose Medical Center (6th and Santa Clara), including its "downtown trauma center."

It's unclear what Frist (HCA) wants - a money making contract from the City of San Jose or Santa Clara County, special zoning, the right to "cut and run" (a standard Frist (HCA) practice). All of these things have been in the press.

Oh well...........