The state Senate today refused to go along with a House-approved proposal that would allow Mercy Health Systems to bypass normal regulatory approval for merging facilities of Baptist and St. Mary's hospitals in Knoxville.
This was sponsored by Rep. Joe Armstrong, who is on Mercy's board. Was it out of bounds ethically for him to even propose this? Should there be special rules for St. Mary's? Maybe they should be subject to tighter regulation and closer scrutiny, instead of less, now that they dominate the market.
Submitted by Rigsby Werner (not verified) on Tue, 2008/05/20 - 1:43pm.
In my opinion, the St. Mary's crowd is in way over their head trying to merge two health systems, let alone operate one facility within the appropriate standard of care in the era of reduced reimbursements and skyrocketing costs of delivering medical care.
Once they implode the old Baptist hulk, what is going to be their explanation to the Board of Health Facilities when they ask for a new certificate of need for a new 400 bed hospital downtown? When the facility is demolished the certificate to operate a hospital there lapses as well.
Don't you think UT and Fort Sanders are capable of delivering suitable and adequate hospitalization services downtown and wouldn't they object to any additional bed space inventory or capacity downtown?
Submitted by rocketsquirrel on Tue, 2008/05/20 - 2:09pm.
Their 990 filings are interesting. CEO Debra London makes over $1.2 million a year as of the last 990 available online (2005). She is also on the board of the Federal Reserve. Richard Briggs (now county commissioner) and Mintha Roach (KUB) were on the St Marys board in 2005, according to that 990.
Not bad for a nonprofit hospital. Wonder where their 990s are for 2006-2007? Filed through the Mercy parent in Cincinatti?
I’ve said for years we need a comprehensive Knoxville/Knox County org chart to document the many relationships between government, nonprofits, and corporations.
I was looking at St Mary’s and the impending closing from the standpoint of profitability of nonprofit hospitals. Found some interesting stuff along the way.
Maybe some intrepid local media will do some digging and see just how competitive and/or unprofitable local healthcare actually is.
Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2008. Nonprofit hospitals, originally set up to serve the poor, have transformed themselves into profit machines. And as the money rolls in, the large tax breaks they receive are drawing fire.
You can learn more about the relationship of Catholic Health Partners, Mercy Health (a major lender to St Mary’s since the 1990s, according to the 990 filings) and other entities by studying their nonprofit 990 filings with the IRS.
Submitted by ANGRYWOLF on Tue, 2008/05/20 - 2:16pm.
Not a surprise a few people are getting rich riding the nonprofit and not-for-profit trains....That's why Congress needs to kick them off their free ride....
As for Armstrong he clearly crossed the line.There are a lot of notable causes he could champion in the state legislature and this isn't one of them.As for what's left of Baptist..I have some personal reasons of my own for wanting it gone...poof !That property would be of better use as part of the waterfront redevelopement project.It's a terrible site for a hospital and has been pointed out there are plenty of hospital beds here in the county already.
St.Mary's made an awful decision in buying Baptist and it is something they will live to regret.
Submitted by calloway on Tue, 2008/05/20 - 5:01pm.
that Fort Sanders is about to undergo a major renovation. Maybe they are expecting an influx of the displaced, or just the pissed. There's quite a bit of difference between choosing to use Mercy's new facilities and being told you must. In talking with one of our doctors on a recent visit there are some aggravated patients and physicians.
I think I counted four or five generations of my family that have used St. Marys. My first kid was born there, My second will be. They are showing a fair amount of disrespect for several communities in all this so I am thinking if there is a third it won't be at a Mercy facility. Last night at the meeting you could have started a drinking game on how many times Debra London said "St Marys North" when none of us were there to talk about the new hospital.
And yes .. considering that St Marys was doing as well as everyone else before this latest baloney started I think its existence was justified.
And lastly, I went to Powell schools all the way through. Personally, I liked the trees better (and I am no environmentalist). St Mary's North is just plain butt ugly.
Submitted by calloway on Tue, 2008/05/20 - 5:07pm.
was driving them to serve the underserved in North Knox, why did they build one facility practically on top of the other.
Not that I have a problem with a mission of $$$, but the non-profit mission of healing blah blah sounds a bit dubious when you are going after suburban cash.
Submitted by StaceyDiamond on Tue, 2008/05/20 - 5:25pm.
I wonder if St. Mary's prefers to move because there is less concentration of people without insurance on the South side, especially with the water front stuff coming.
Submitted by calloway on Tue, 2008/05/20 - 5:32pm.
talking about expanding SMM, then last night I distinctly though she was saying the new site __hadn't been chosen yet__. I don't really know what she meant by that. Maybe someone else could verify she actually said that. I had a 1yr old and was in and out of the meeting and really didn't listen all that closely anyways.
In my opinion, the St. Mary's crowd is in way over their head trying to merge two health systems, let alone operate one facility within the appropriate standard of care in the era of reduced reimbursements and skyrocketing costs of delivering medical care.
Once they implode the old Baptist hulk, what is going to be their explanation to the Board of Health Facilities when they ask for a new certificate of need for a new 400 bed hospital downtown? When the facility is demolished the certificate to operate a hospital there lapses as well.
Don't you think UT and Fort Sanders are capable of delivering suitable and adequate hospitalization services downtown and wouldn't they object to any additional bed space inventory or capacity downtown?
Their 990 filings are interesting. CEO Debra London makes over $1.2 million a year as of the last 990 available online (2005). She is also on the board of the Federal Reserve. Richard Briggs (now county commissioner) and Mintha Roach (KUB) were on the St Marys board in 2005, according to that 990.
Not bad for a nonprofit hospital. Wonder where their 990s are for 2006-2007? Filed through the Mercy parent in Cincinatti?
I’ve said for years we need a comprehensive Knoxville/Knox County org chart to document the many relationships between government, nonprofits, and corporations.
I was looking at St Mary’s and the impending closing from the standpoint of profitability of nonprofit hospitals. Found some interesting stuff along the way.
Maybe some intrepid local media will do some digging and see just how competitive and/or unprofitable local healthcare actually is.
You can learn more about the relationship of Catholic Health Partners, Mercy Health (a major lender to St Mary’s since the 1990s, according to the 990 filings) and other entities by studying their nonprofit 990 filings with the IRS.
Search 990 forms here.
I think Joe Armstrong has some explaining to do for sponsoring this legislation while he served on their board.
But then, this is Knoxville...We hold people to such minimal standards, conflict of interest abounds.
Not a surprise a few people are getting rich riding the nonprofit and not-for-profit trains....That's why Congress needs to kick them off their free ride....
As for Armstrong he clearly crossed the line.There are a lot of notable causes he could champion in the state legislature and this isn't one of them.As for what's left of Baptist..I have some personal reasons of my own for wanting it gone...poof !That property would be of better use as part of the waterfront redevelopement project.It's a terrible site for a hospital and has been pointed out there are plenty of hospital beds here in the county already.
St.Mary's made an awful decision in buying Baptist and it is something they will live to regret.
that Fort Sanders is about to undergo a major renovation. Maybe they are expecting an influx of the displaced, or just the pissed. There's quite a bit of difference between choosing to use Mercy's new facilities and being told you must. In talking with one of our doctors on a recent visit there are some aggravated patients and physicians.
I think I counted four or five generations of my family that have used St. Marys. My first kid was born there, My second will be. They are showing a fair amount of disrespect for several communities in all this so I am thinking if there is a third it won't be at a Mercy facility. Last night at the meeting you could have started a drinking game on how many times Debra London said "St Marys North" when none of us were there to talk about the new hospital.
And yes .. considering that St Marys was doing as well as everyone else before this latest baloney started I think its existence was justified.
And lastly, I went to Powell schools all the way through. Personally, I liked the trees better (and I am no environmentalist). St Mary's North is just plain butt ugly.
Now, back to painting my house.
was driving them to serve the underserved in North Knox, why did they build one facility practically on top of the other.
Not that I have a problem with a mission of $$$, but the non-profit mission of healing blah blah sounds a bit dubious when you are going after suburban cash.
I wonder if St. Mary's prefers to move because there is less concentration of people without insurance on the South side, especially with the water front stuff coming.
talking about expanding SMM, then last night I distinctly though she was saying the new site __hadn't been chosen yet__. I don't really know what she meant by that. Maybe someone else could verify she actually said that. I had a 1yr old and was in and out of the meeting and really didn't listen all that closely anyways.
Politicians like Armstrong give criminals a bad name.
I's sooo tired of government being in the hands of corporations. We want our government back!!
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson
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