Sunday, November 18, 2012
Health Care / Religion Open line, plus Vatican gets into hospital deal
Posted by Max Brantley on Sun, Nov 18, 2012 at 4:17 PM
The line is open. But first some hospital news:
* POPE INTERESTED IN ARKANSAS HOSPITAL DEAL: No, not the UAMS/St. Vincent merger. At least not yet. But here's news from St. Louis that says the Vatican has slowed down a sale of Mercy Hospital in Hot Springs to a private concern:
Vatican officials in Rome have put the brakes on Mercy Health’s plan to sell one of its Arkansas hospitals.Tim Johnson, chief executive of Mercy Hospital Hot Springs, told employees in an email Friday that the Vatican has ordered Mercy executives to sit down with Bishop Anthony Taylor of Little Rock and try to resolve their differences.
Taylor has opposed the pending hospital sale to Capella Healthcare Inc. and has accused Mercy chief executive Lynn Britton of pushing the deal forward at the expense of the nonprofit’s century-old charity mission in the Hot Springs area.
This following is a bit ironic:
“Rather than provide approval or denial of our petition at this time,” the statement said, “the Vatican has asked that Mercy engage in further discussions” with the bishop to address his concerns about “ongoing care for the poor, the continuation of Ethical and Religious Directives and the impact of the transition on co-workers.”
Ironic because, see, if UAMS throws in with St. Vincent, under guidelines acceptable to the pope, I'd have to wonder about "ongoing care" for women, the enforcement of "ethical and religious directives" on a wide range of publicly financed services for people who might not hold with Catholic teaching on such matters and "the impact of the transition on co-workers," including on bargaining rights, coverage of reproductive health under health insurance policies and other issues, not to mention 1st Amendment rights afforded public employees, but not those controlled by a religious institution, and applicability of the state Freedom of Information Act to a publicly funded hospital operation controlled by St. Vincent and, ultimately, Rome. Could we FOI the pope's memos on accepted treatment in Little Rock?
Speaking of...
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UAMS art show reception today
May 15, 2013Works to hang at the Psychiatric Research Unit. /more/
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Catholic Diocese aims to strengthen religious identity of hospitals
May 14, 2013A friend notes a news article in the Arkansas Catholic and the coincidence of timing with discussions about a merger of clinical operations of the public University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and St. Vincent Infirmary. /more/
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Morning report: Prescription drug watch
May 13, 2013The morning again begins slowly. But among others: * MONITORING DOCTORS' PRESCRIPTION PRACTICES: Pro Publica has published with the Washington Post a deep look at doctors' prescription practices under Medicare. /more/
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Huge differences in hospital charges, CMS finds: UPDATE 2
May 10, 2013How is it possible that major and small bowel procedures at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs cost $333,470, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but only $19,740 at St. Bernard’s Medical Center in Jonesboro? /more/
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Former UAMS CFO reportedly out at new job
May 9, 2013Melony Goodhand, who left as chief financial officer and vice chancellor after nine years at UAMS, is apparently no longer chief operating officer at Bristol (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center, a job she took in early March. /more/
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Behind the scenes of UAMS-St. Vincent merger talks
May 9, 2013The unearthing of background discussions between UAMS and St. Vincent Health on combination of their operations in Little Rock continues through Freedom of Information Act requests. /more/
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The Do You Remember Robbie Wills Edition
May 3, 2013Merger negotiations between St. Vincent and UAMS, non-partisan elections, the race for the Republican nominee for governor and more — all covered on this week's show. /more/
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St. Vincent proposal: Run all clinics
May 3, 2013When it was first rumored last year that the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences might turn its hospital over to the Catholic-run St. Vincent Health Services, UAMS said no, no, no, that wasn't in the plan. /more/
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UAMS hires new CFO
May 2, 2013: Chancellor Dan Rahn has told staff that he's hired Bill Bowes, a Connecticut college CFO, to be the UAMS CFO. /more/
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UAMS, St. Vincent collaboration
April 11, 2013Devil's in the details, bishop says. /more/
- More »
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