Nuances Around Philadelphia Hospital Closure Are ‘A Symptom Of The Underlying Anarchy’ Of U.S. Health System
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 Democratic candidate, helped bring national attention to a Philadelphia hospital that's trying to close its doors. Sanders said he will be introducing a bill in the Senate to provide a $20 billion "emergency fund" that will allow states and communities to purchase financially struggling hospitals in order to keep them open. Meanwhile, planning for the potential closure of Hahnemann University Hospital shows how deeply intertwined a health institution can become with a city.
Bloomberg:
Philadelphia Hospital Collapse Highlights Health Care ‘Anarchy’
Before healthcare investor Joel Freedman shutters the money-losing hospital he controls in the heart of Philadelphia, he must craft a plan to remove all the street signs that direct people to its emergency room. Medical care, emergency or not, will no longer be available at Hahnemann University Hospital under a proposal being considered this month by the federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy of the 171-year-old institution and its parent company. (Church, 7/15)
The Hill:
Sanders Protests Planned Philadelphia Hospital Closure As Example Of Corporate Greed
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday attacked the pending closure of a Philadelphia hospital as an example of corporate greed taking priority over people’s health. During a rally to save the 171-year-old Hahnemann University Hospital from bankruptcy, Sanders said his “Medicare for All” plan would guarantee healthcare to every American and save them from corporations that are just seeking to make a profit. (Weixel, 7/15)
In other hospital news —
Macon Telegraph:
Analysis: Over 40 GA Hospitals Cited For 250+ Safety Violations In 4 Years
In December 2017, Sidney Canada felt dizzy and disoriented. The 52-year-old Georgia father often struggled to get a decent night’s rest, due to his sleep apnea. When he couldn’t talk clearly, his wife wondered if he had taken too many sleeping aids. He was sent to Evans Memorial Hospital, a 49-bed facility between Macon and Savannah, according to family members. After Canada was admitted, the staff attached tubes and a catheter, hoping to stabilize and monitor him. But he grew agitated. He ripped them off, splattering blood on the walls. (Blau, 7/15)
The Star Tribune:
Hospital Trade Group Wants Minn. To Investigate Blue Cross Blue Shield
The Minnesota Hospital Association said the state's largest not-for-profit health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, is probably breaking the law by imposing a slate of new policies designed to deny or delay access to routine colonoscopies and hundreds of other services in hospitals. The hospital trade group is asking state officials to investigate the practices of the state Blue Cross plan and stop the insurer from imposing new policies that the hospitals said make it more difficult and expensive for Minnesotans to access routine and lifesaving health care services. (Carlson, 7/15)
Modern Healthcare:
Summa Deal Brings Shift In Akron Hospital Ownership Landscape
By year's end, Akron's two major health systems will be owned by outside entities, a reality that just a few years ago some leaders were reluctant to embrace. But now, with Akron General years into a successful integration with Cleveland Clinic, and Summa Health announcing it will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Michigan-based Beaumont Health, city and hospital leaders are ready to seize what comes alongside a loss of local ownership: stability and an infusion of outside resources. (Coutre, 7/15)
