Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Current crisis highlights longstanding medical needs
The need for better medical care predates Solaris acquiring and moving to close Muhlenberg. Long before hospital closings, there was an acknowledged need for more non-emergency health care. We have to think beyond restoring the status quo and work to meet our needs in the most modern and effective way possible.Muhlenberg can become a viable engine for wellness in Central Jersey, economically sustainable by adapting to current market trends and social issues.
Recent hearings revealed that ambulatory clinics are taking profit-making business away from hospitals. Many hospitals run varied assortments of ambulatory clinics. Muhlenberg could offer a general medicine clinic for extended hours, backed up with specialty clinics, reducing the burden on all area emergency rooms while still providing the continuity of care and preventive medicine necessary to improve health and lower costs.
In addition to the fundamental clinic, patients would be drawn to specialty clinics that would embrace integrative medicine and help patients maintain the diet, exercise and activities that promote health.
Similar to a magnet school, integrative medicine would attract patients and provide better care to a community dealing with many conditions that respond to preventive medicine and lifestyle changes.
Clinics at Robert Wood Johnson already have a long waiting list for appointments. Would the state medical school be willing to help establish similar services at Muhlenberg?
Starting with diabetes, hypertension, obesity and addiction, we could easily expand to under-served specialties, especially multiple sclerosis, HADD and autism. All of these areas are prime candidates for foundation funding and clinical trials using alternative medicine protocols.
A decade ago, I envisioned a health-care prevention and maintenance cooperative that would provide affordable access to supplements, healthy food and a host of popular alternative medicine treatments in return for participation in clinical trials necessary to validate or disprove their effectiveness.
Funding is increasingly available to investigate promising medical protocols, even when no one has the ability to profit through a patient.
Deborah Dowe
DNV.Dowe@Verizon.net
Recent hearings revealed that ambulatory clinics are taking profit-making business away from hospitals. Many hospitals run varied assortments of ambulatory clinics. Muhlenberg could offer a general medicine clinic for extended hours, backed up with specialty clinics, reducing the burden on all area emergency rooms while still providing the continuity of care and preventive medicine necessary to improve health and lower costs.
In addition to the fundamental clinic, patients would be drawn to specialty clinics that would embrace integrative medicine and help patients maintain the diet, exercise and activities that promote health.
Similar to a magnet school, integrative medicine would attract patients and provide better care to a community dealing with many conditions that respond to preventive medicine and lifestyle changes.
Clinics at Robert Wood Johnson already have a long waiting list for appointments. Would the state medical school be willing to help establish similar services at Muhlenberg?
Starting with diabetes, hypertension, obesity and addiction, we could easily expand to under-served specialties, especially multiple sclerosis, HADD and autism. All of these areas are prime candidates for foundation funding and clinical trials using alternative medicine protocols.
A decade ago, I envisioned a health-care prevention and maintenance cooperative that would provide affordable access to supplements, healthy food and a host of popular alternative medicine treatments in return for participation in clinical trials necessary to validate or disprove their effectiveness.
Funding is increasingly available to investigate promising medical protocols, even when no one has the ability to profit through a patient.
Deborah Dowe
DNV.Dowe@Verizon.net
Sunday, June 12, 2011
1999 Hospital Commission Announces Plans
News Release
PO 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360 Len Fishman
Commissioner
For Release:
February 11, 1999 For Further Information Contact:
Rita Manno
(609) 984-7160
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commissioner Convenes Advisory Commission on Hospitals
Trenton -- A new advisory commission will examine the hospital industry, assess the overall financial health of facilities, identify warning signs that might place a facility in jeopardy and recommend options for hospitals looking to merge or convert to other uses, Commissioner Len Fishman announced today.
The new commission -- formed at the direction of Gov. Christie Whitman -- is in response to a request by hospitals to study an industry that has undergone tremendous change in the last five years with mergers, acquisitions, competition for services, certificate of need reform and expanded managed care.
In their February 5 letter, hospital CEOs asked the Governor "to begin an immediate examination of our concerns and to work with us to devise solutions that will preserve our health care safety net, particularly in our urban areas."
The task force will bring together hospitals, employers, consumers, government, unions, doctors, nurses, and others involved in health care.
"Access to quality health care is one of the most important rights consumers have. We need to examine our hospitals in this state and the challenges they face in this very changing market place" the Governor said.
Over the last decade, some hospitals in New Jersey have consolidated, merged, joined systems or closed, the Governor noted. "Everybody including hospitals and government need to be prepared for any future changes," she added.
The advisory commission will also respond to the findings of a report by the state Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, which is analyzing the financial condition of the hospital industry in New Jersey. That report, expected in March, will be looking at capacity, demand, revenues and expenditures in hospitals.
The advisory commission is expected to report to the Commissioner in June.
In addition, a Hospital Assistance Unit will be created within the department to help hospitals and their boards explore options for their future, including restructuring, consolidation of services and changing the type of services offered. Hospitals need viable options to achieve a balance between their revenues and expenditures. The state will consider financial assistance to a hospital in retaining the consultants necessary to evaluate a hospital's current and future strategies.
"In using the new unit within the department, hospitals will be opening themselves up to a process that seriously considers some fundamental changes," said the Commissioner.
"We're saying to hospitals in need of help that they have to be pro-active at an early stage in order to get the best possible outcome."
The administration already has taken many actions to support hospitals, especially urban inner city hospitals that serve a disproportionate numbers of uninsured patients. These include:
Supporting charity care and hospital relief programs that distribute $523 million annually to hospitals caring for disadvantaged populations. The formula used to distribute these funds is effective in that the majority of the funds go to hospitals providing most of the care to the poor and uninsured.
Reforming the certificate of need law to eliminate Certificate of Need requirements for many services and streamline them for others. This makes it easier for hospitals to add or remove services in response to changing market conditions. The Certificate of Need reform commission continues to examine the impact on urban hospitals if further revisions to Certificate of Need requirements are implemented.
Promoting partnerships between urban and suburban hospitals, including the new cardiac services pilot program which will allow a suburban hospital to offer satellite cardiac surgery services in partnership with an urban hospital cardiac program. Revenues from the cardiac program in the suburban hospital must be used to support programs and operations in the urban hospital.
Expediting decisions on hospital mergers, consolidations, conversions of use and/or closures that require a full Certificate of Need, without compromising the complete review of these transactions.
Responding effectively to assure uninterrupted access to care when services or facilities are closed through such measures as ensuring emergency transport of patients, and transfer of records and extension of admitting privileges to physicians at the receiving hospital
Supporting HCFFA's program for refinancing hospital debt, which has resulted in a record number of refinancings. In 1998, HCFFA issued $1.4 billion in bonds. About $1 billion of these bonds represented refinancings, which resulted in present value savings for New Jersey hospitals of more than $57 million.
Note: Members of the Advisory Commission on Hospitals have served on a prior committee that examined health care issues. Attached is the list of members.
ADVISORY COMMISSION ON HOSPITALS
George Laufenberg
NJ Carpenter's Fund
Sister Jane Frances Brady
CEO
Saint Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center
Hank Meisner
Director, Governmental Affairs
Horizon
Dick Oths
Chairman
New Jersey Hospital Association
The Honorable Michele Guhl
Commissioner
NJ Department of Human Services
Lilton Taliaferro, Jr., Esq.
Jim Leonard
Vice President, Government Relations
NJ State Chamber of Commerce
John Jacobi, Esq.
Seton Hall Law School
Dr. Gregory Sachs
Chairman
Medical Society of New Jersey
Gary Carter
President
New Jersey Hospital Association
Dr. Stuart Cook
President
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ
The Honorable Jaynee LaVecchia
Commissioner
NJ Department of Banking and Insurance
Andrea Aughenbaugh
President
NJ State Nurses Association
Joe Gonzalez
President
NJ Business & Industry Assoc.
Frank Ciesla, Esq.
Jeff Beck
Director, State Government Relations
Aetna/U.S. Health Care
Frank Fumai
President & CEO
Cathedral Health Care System
Charles Wowkanech
President
NJ State AFL-CIO
Albert Tama, M.D.
Executive Vice President/Medical Affairs
Cooper Hospital
The Honorable Jane Kenny
Commissioner
NJ Department of Community Affairs
Dr. Jonathan Metsch
CEO
Jersey City Medical Center
Paul Langevin
President
NJ HMO Association
F. Kevin Tylus
Vice President, Health Plan Operations
Prudential HealthCare Group
The Honorable Jim DiEleuterio
NJ State Treasurer
Melanie Willoughby
President
NJ Retail Merchants Assoc.
The Honorable DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
NJ Secretary of State
Curt Macysyn
State Director
National Federation of Independent
Businesses of NJ
Ciro Scalero
Association of Children of New Jersey
The Honorable Mel Gelade
Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor
Harry Luna
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce of
Mercer County
Harvey Holzberg
CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rev. Reginald T. Jackson
Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church
Maurice Coffee
Vice President, Government Relations
West Jersey Health System
Charles Wowkanech
President
NJ State AFL-CIO
Albert Tama, M.D.
Executive Vice President/Medical Affairs
Cooper Hospital
The Honorable Jane Kenny
Commissioner
NJ Department of Community Affairs
Dr. Jonathan Metsch
CEO
Jersey City Medical Center
Paul Langevin
President
NJ HMO Association
F. Kevin Tylus
Vice President, Health Plan Operations
Prudential HealthCare Group
The Honorable Jim DiEleuterio
NJ State Treasurer
Melanie Willoughby
President
NJ Retail Merchants Assoc
.
The Honorable DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
NJ Secretary of State
Curt Macysyn
State Director
National Federation of Independent
Businesses of NJ
Ciro Scalero
Association of Children of New Jersey
The Honorable Mel Gelade
Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor
Harry Luna
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce of
Mercer County
Harvey Holzberg
CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rev. Reginald T. Jackson
Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church
Maurice Coffee
Vice President, Government Relations
West Jersey Health System
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best matches for new jersey hospital mergers and acquisitions
Commissioner Convenes Advisory Commission on Hospitals... Jump to text »
change in the last five years with mergers, acquisitions, competition for services,... Jump to text »
Expediting decisions on hospital mergers, consolidations, conversions of use and/or... Jump to text »
PO 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360 Len Fishman
Commissioner
For Release:
February 11, 1999 For Further Information Contact:
Rita Manno
(609) 984-7160
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commissioner Convenes Advisory Commission on Hospitals
Trenton -- A new advisory commission will examine the hospital industry, assess the overall financial health of facilities, identify warning signs that might place a facility in jeopardy and recommend options for hospitals looking to merge or convert to other uses, Commissioner Len Fishman announced today.
The new commission -- formed at the direction of Gov. Christie Whitman -- is in response to a request by hospitals to study an industry that has undergone tremendous change in the last five years with mergers, acquisitions, competition for services, certificate of need reform and expanded managed care.
In their February 5 letter, hospital CEOs asked the Governor "to begin an immediate examination of our concerns and to work with us to devise solutions that will preserve our health care safety net, particularly in our urban areas."
The task force will bring together hospitals, employers, consumers, government, unions, doctors, nurses, and others involved in health care.
"Access to quality health care is one of the most important rights consumers have. We need to examine our hospitals in this state and the challenges they face in this very changing market place" the Governor said.
Over the last decade, some hospitals in New Jersey have consolidated, merged, joined systems or closed, the Governor noted. "Everybody including hospitals and government need to be prepared for any future changes," she added.
The advisory commission will also respond to the findings of a report by the state Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, which is analyzing the financial condition of the hospital industry in New Jersey. That report, expected in March, will be looking at capacity, demand, revenues and expenditures in hospitals.
The advisory commission is expected to report to the Commissioner in June.
In addition, a Hospital Assistance Unit will be created within the department to help hospitals and their boards explore options for their future, including restructuring, consolidation of services and changing the type of services offered. Hospitals need viable options to achieve a balance between their revenues and expenditures. The state will consider financial assistance to a hospital in retaining the consultants necessary to evaluate a hospital's current and future strategies.
"In using the new unit within the department, hospitals will be opening themselves up to a process that seriously considers some fundamental changes," said the Commissioner.
"We're saying to hospitals in need of help that they have to be pro-active at an early stage in order to get the best possible outcome."
The administration already has taken many actions to support hospitals, especially urban inner city hospitals that serve a disproportionate numbers of uninsured patients. These include:
Supporting charity care and hospital relief programs that distribute $523 million annually to hospitals caring for disadvantaged populations. The formula used to distribute these funds is effective in that the majority of the funds go to hospitals providing most of the care to the poor and uninsured.
Reforming the certificate of need law to eliminate Certificate of Need requirements for many services and streamline them for others. This makes it easier for hospitals to add or remove services in response to changing market conditions. The Certificate of Need reform commission continues to examine the impact on urban hospitals if further revisions to Certificate of Need requirements are implemented.
Promoting partnerships between urban and suburban hospitals, including the new cardiac services pilot program which will allow a suburban hospital to offer satellite cardiac surgery services in partnership with an urban hospital cardiac program. Revenues from the cardiac program in the suburban hospital must be used to support programs and operations in the urban hospital.
Expediting decisions on hospital mergers, consolidations, conversions of use and/or closures that require a full Certificate of Need, without compromising the complete review of these transactions.
Responding effectively to assure uninterrupted access to care when services or facilities are closed through such measures as ensuring emergency transport of patients, and transfer of records and extension of admitting privileges to physicians at the receiving hospital
Supporting HCFFA's program for refinancing hospital debt, which has resulted in a record number of refinancings. In 1998, HCFFA issued $1.4 billion in bonds. About $1 billion of these bonds represented refinancings, which resulted in present value savings for New Jersey hospitals of more than $57 million.
Note: Members of the Advisory Commission on Hospitals have served on a prior committee that examined health care issues. Attached is the list of members.
ADVISORY COMMISSION ON HOSPITALS
George Laufenberg
NJ Carpenter's Fund
Sister Jane Frances Brady
CEO
Saint Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center
Hank Meisner
Director, Governmental Affairs
Horizon
Dick Oths
Chairman
New Jersey Hospital Association
The Honorable Michele Guhl
Commissioner
NJ Department of Human Services
Lilton Taliaferro, Jr., Esq.
Jim Leonard
Vice President, Government Relations
NJ State Chamber of Commerce
John Jacobi, Esq.
Seton Hall Law School
Dr. Gregory Sachs
Chairman
Medical Society of New Jersey
Gary Carter
President
New Jersey Hospital Association
Dr. Stuart Cook
President
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ
The Honorable Jaynee LaVecchia
Commissioner
NJ Department of Banking and Insurance
Andrea Aughenbaugh
President
NJ State Nurses Association
Joe Gonzalez
President
NJ Business & Industry Assoc.
Frank Ciesla, Esq.
Jeff Beck
Director, State Government Relations
Aetna/U.S. Health Care
Frank Fumai
President & CEO
Cathedral Health Care System
Charles Wowkanech
President
NJ State AFL-CIO
Albert Tama, M.D.
Executive Vice President/Medical Affairs
Cooper Hospital
The Honorable Jane Kenny
Commissioner
NJ Department of Community Affairs
Dr. Jonathan Metsch
CEO
Jersey City Medical Center
Paul Langevin
President
NJ HMO Association
F. Kevin Tylus
Vice President, Health Plan Operations
Prudential HealthCare Group
The Honorable Jim DiEleuterio
NJ State Treasurer
Melanie Willoughby
President
NJ Retail Merchants Assoc.
The Honorable DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
NJ Secretary of State
Curt Macysyn
State Director
National Federation of Independent
Businesses of NJ
Ciro Scalero
Association of Children of New Jersey
The Honorable Mel Gelade
Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor
Harry Luna
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce of
Mercer County
Harvey Holzberg
CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rev. Reginald T. Jackson
Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church
Maurice Coffee
Vice President, Government Relations
West Jersey Health System
Charles Wowkanech
President
NJ State AFL-CIO
Albert Tama, M.D.
Executive Vice President/Medical Affairs
Cooper Hospital
The Honorable Jane Kenny
Commissioner
NJ Department of Community Affairs
Dr. Jonathan Metsch
CEO
Jersey City Medical Center
Paul Langevin
President
NJ HMO Association
F. Kevin Tylus
Vice President, Health Plan Operations
Prudential HealthCare Group
The Honorable Jim DiEleuterio
NJ State Treasurer
Melanie Willoughby
President
NJ Retail Merchants Assoc
.
The Honorable DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
NJ Secretary of State
Curt Macysyn
State Director
National Federation of Independent
Businesses of NJ
Ciro Scalero
Association of Children of New Jersey
The Honorable Mel Gelade
Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor
Harry Luna
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce of
Mercer County
Harvey Holzberg
CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rev. Reginald T. Jackson
Saint Matthew A.M.E. Church
Maurice Coffee
Vice President, Government Relations
West Jersey Health System
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best matches for new jersey hospital mergers and acquisitions
Commissioner Convenes Advisory Commission on Hospitals... Jump to text »
change in the last five years with mergers, acquisitions, competition for services,... Jump to text »
Expediting decisions on hospital mergers, consolidations, conversions of use and/or... Jump to text »
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