Lakewood Healthcare Data Study

[Dan OMalley]

Here's the update from the Foundation Planning Task Force on the City's website:

"Update July 2, 2018

The Foundation Planning Task Force made its official recommendations to City Council, Mayor Summers, and the Lakewood Hospital Association in June. See here (Link to docs in right hand column) At this time, the proposal is under review. Once it is approved, the Healthy Lakewood Foundation can begin its work of serving the health and wellness needs of the Lakewood community."

It would be interesting to understand what this review process actually consists of; exactly who are the participants in the review process; and whether or not Ohio open meeting requirements apply.

A first-class attorney did all the legal work. The FPTF submitted a qualified list of board members. What's the hold-up?

For the interested, again I ask "What's the hold-up?"

Mark,

If you are referring to the recommendations of the FPTF, city council adopted those some months ago. All meetings of the FPTF and City Council were publicly noticed and open to the public. I recall Mike Bentley posting regular updates here and invitations to attend meetings and participate.

LHA is the other regulator of the new foundation, per the 2015 master agreement. They adopted the recommendations more recently. Ratification of the finalized documents for the new foundation is on council’s agenda this evening.

[Mark Kindt]

Council-member O'Malley, thank you for posting this clarification. (I had not checked the council agenda when I stopped by the city's website this afternoon.)

[Brian Essi]

Here's the update from the Foundation Planning Task Force on the City's website:

"Update July 2, 2018

The Foundation Planning Task Force made its official recommendations to City Council, Mayor Summers, and the Lakewood Hospital Association in June. See here (Link to docs in right hand column) At this time, the proposal is under review. Once it is approved, the Healthy Lakewood Foundation can begin its work of serving the health and wellness needs of the Lakewood community."

It would be interesting to understand what this review process actually consists of; exactly who are the participants in the review process; and whether or not Ohio open meeting requirements apply.

A first-class attorney did all the legal work. The FPTF submitted a qualified list of board members. What's the hold-up?

For the interested, again I ask "What's the hold-up?"

Mark,

If you are referring to the recommendations of the FPTF, city council adopted those some months ago. All meetings of the FPTF and City Council were publicly noticed and open to the public. I recall Mike Bentley posting regular updates here and invitations to attend meetings and participate.

LHA is the other regulator of the new foundation, per the 2015 master agreement. They adopted the recommendations more recently. Ratification of the finalized documents for the new foundation is on council’s agenda this evening.

Councilman O'Malley,

I have marked some of your words in red above.

It is clear that the Lakewood Hospital Association "LHA" became wholly "owned" by CCF at the time of the signing of the Master Agreement. So, LHA=CCF. There is no substantive distinction--only a legal fiction distinction.

[Richard Baker]

Need a study? Why, all you have to do is Google doctors’ offices in Lakewood and unless you have a little brain left due to the injury caused by you sitting on it, you would realize that doctors left with the hospital. The claim that Cleveland Clinic was not involved in the Democrat’s political strategy to close the hospital is akin to claiming her being virgin on the wharf when the fleet leaves the dock. Democrats destroyed convenient and local health care in Lakewood. Attempt to defer the responsibly of those involved, the Clinic, the Mayor, the City Attorney, the council and the local hospital board is shutting the gate after all the animals have escaped. They are all responsible. Get over it, you live in a city with 50,000 plus souls that has no health care within its borders because the Democrats killed the golden goose to get to egg before it was laid like the same people are killing the city with form over function. Don't get me started on an inept and inert school district with high revenues and average scholastic results that is acceptable performance to Democrats because there are new school buildings look perty.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Need a study? Why, all you have to do is Google doctors’ offices in Lakewood and unless you have a little brain left due to the injury caused by you sitting on it, you would realize that doctors left with the hospital. The claim that Cleveland Clinic was not involved in the Democrat’s political strategy to close the hospital is akin to claiming her being virgin on the wharf when the fleet leaves the dock. Democrats destroyed convenient and local health care in Lakewood. Attempt to defer the responsibly of those involved, the Clinic, the Mayor, the City Attorney, the council and the local hospital board is shutting the gate after all the animals have escaped. They are all responsible. Get over it, you live in a city with 50,000 plus souls that has no health care within its borders because the Democrats killed the golden goose to get to egg before it was laid like the same people are killing the city with form over function. Don't get me started on an inept and inert school district with high revenues and average scholastic results that is acceptable performance to Democrats because there are new school buildings look perty.

Yeeoooow!

Mayor Summers, was a registered Republican his entire life until he ran for Mayor. Tony Sinagra told him it would help him get elected. While Dennis Butler has been a hardcore Democrat his entire life, his son, our Law Director no so much. Not that any of it matters.

As for the Clinic, look at the deal, would you not have taken the deal offered by the City? The Mayor asked them to answer an RFP, they refused, he asked again, they did.

Now on to the facts, we do not have a hospital, we are at a huge loss when compared to cities that do. Parma has had two open in the past two years, and they are both planning expansion. Of course Parma is a democratically controlled city. Hmmmmmmmmmm

The real fact is a small group that have failed repeatedly since the WestEnd schemed to close our hospital and take over any assets they could move into a private foundation they now control. That group is mostly Rs, but enough Ds to make one say, they are Gs(Greedy) and Is(Ignorant).

But let's get the hate on the Ds, because they are known for not caring about humans, the poor, etc.

....

[Brian Essi]

But let's get the hate on the Ds, because they are known for not caring about humans, the poor, etc.

....

I agree. You have to look at what they have done, not what they say they are for--e.g. "Healthiest City in America".

Caring for humans and decreasing poverty are not among the Ds' accomplishments.

Distancing Ds from the decimation of Lakewood's Class A Healthcare is fiction.

True progressives and true conservatives fought it.

The Ds clearly did it! Ds from inside and outside Lakewood.

"Ds in Lakewood" stand for "Destroy Lakewood"

No denying that--here, now, tomorrow and long into the future--No leadership equals no change.

Mr. Baker and Mr. O'Bryan are right---Ds don't really care and have failed to deliver.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Mr. Baker and Mr. O'Bryan are right---Ds don't really care and have failed to deliver.

Brian

You forgot my eye roll.

I agree with Richard on many things, but this is not one of them.

Although one would have to admit, many Lakewood's Ds sat on their hands, and stayed quiet on this one.

.

[Brian Essi]

Mr. Baker and Mr. O'Bryan are right---Ds don't really care and have failed to deliver.

Brian

You forgot my eye roll.

I agree with Richard on many things, but this is not one of them.

Although one would have to admit, many Lakewood's Ds sat on their hands, and stayed quiet on this one.

.

There is a pure revealing truth in your jest.

Face facts, they didn't just "sit on their hands" and "stay quiet"---The Ds voted 7-0 (twice), they led the entire Lakewood executive branch's fake news battle cry to destroy Lakewood Hospital to proactively cause harm and danger to "those people" and the rest of us...they are still there...they will remain there for a long time. It is a total D machine supported with D dollars to achieve a D- grade on taking care of people. The Ds did it.

BTW, if we use your logic with Summers and Butler are really Rs, then can we conclude that we have a D in the White House and the Ds get all the credit for all the good that White House D is doing?

[Mark Kindt]

Generally, my goal has been to attempt to conduct my review and analysis on a non-partisan focus.

Unfortunately, on this topic, I have to agree with both Mr. Baker and Mr. Essi.

As a third-generation Democrat whose forebears were Democratic public officials, I pretty much stand aghast at the policies adopted by our Democratic municipal officeholders, especially in 2015/2016.

Last night, there were resolutions before council that continue the dismantling of the hospital and the further privitization of its liquidated assets.

It is a pointless exercise, despite Mr. O'Bryan's valiant effort, to argue that some Democrats are flying "false flags".

Since at least 2012, our elected Democrats have been focused on the closure and demolition of Lakewood Hospital. They have succeeded in their efforts.

The architects' concepts will be different this year, but the affect will be the same.

[cmager]

Oh FFS. Summers flies a fake flag as a DINO, a not very bright Republican operating in cahoots with his CCF corporate masters and their CCF lawyers. Privatizing and profitizing public assets is the GOP playbook, as dictated by the $B Koch Bros types who have some toeholds in the city.

Blame the Dem base for being naive, or not understanding the game, or being easily steamrolled. But don't lay the theft of the hospital at the feet of true Democrats. Lay the theft of the hospital at the feet of the Republicans who are highly skilled at raiding the public treasury, and know how to rope-a-dope the political process.

[Mark Kindt]

The Poverty Rate In Lakewood Is Significant

The Lakewood average from this table is 18.97%

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[Mark Kindt]

The Rate Of Poverty In Ohio Is Growing

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[Mark Kindt]

Ignoring The Bad News

All of this 2014 data is public data and earlier similar data was available to the city administration and its expert healthcare consultants in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Despite this kind of data, the mayor and the leadership of the hospital related non-profits (LHA, LHF) made the decision not to negotiate with Metro Health System on its 2014 proposal to operate Lakewood Hospital and invest $100,000,000.

The city administration chose the option that its own consultant advised had the least advantage to the community.

Someday the mysterious $50,000 healthcare data study conducted by a group of consultants will surface, but it won't be good news.

Why? Because the future remittances on the investment of corporate bond funds will be embarrassingly insufficient to address our local community needs.

[Mark Kindt]

What Should Drive Us All Nuts

The date on the 2013 Lakewood Hospital "Community Health Needs Assessment" is September 9, 2013; is officially authorized by the governing body of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation; and was prepared under federal legal requirements.

However, and, get this, there is no mention of the fact that the Cleveland Clinic Foundation has existing plans to decant services to other facilities and, in fact, has its architectural firm producing renderings in 2012 that illustrate the stages of the hospital demolition.

There are page-after-page of Subsidium/LHA/Mayor-related documents from the summer of 2013 that discuss the plan to close Lakewood Hospital.

[Mark Kindt]

The Public Policy Outcome

The Public policy outcome runs something like this:

1. Maintain and publicly-subsidize foundation investments in corporate bonds or corporate bond funds;

2. Publicly-subsidize the development of business office space and upscale townhouses;

3. Reduce healthcare services to ordinary and low-income families;

4. Dismantle long-standing and valuable community infrastructure;

5. Drive healthcare related employment from the city;

6. Paper it all over with public relations;

7. Establish an underfunded, non-public system that may periodically issue grants to other private entities that may (or may not) benefit local ordinary and low-income families.

Both my father and his friend Howard Metzenbaum must rolling-over in their graves! Fine job my fellow Democrats! Bravo!