Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

The jumping off discussion area for the rest of the Deck. All things Lakewood.
Please check out our other sections. As we refile many discussions from the past into
their proper sections please check them out and offer suggestions.

Moderators: Jim DeVito, Dan Alaimo

Jeff Dreger
Posts: 217
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:26 am

Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Jeff Dreger » Fri Dec 18, 2015 6:25 am

City’s FAQ:

Q: “What makes you trust the Clinic?”
A: “…Trust doesn’t enter in this. It’s about the numbers and the assurances in the legally binding agreement…”

Q: “Why can’t you detail all the services that will be available at the new health center?”
A: “The city doesn’t want to be in the business of micromanaging any health care providers’ services…”

So, it isn’t about trust, it’s about the “assurances in the legally binding agreement”. But there aren’t any assurances because we don’t “want to be in the business of micromanaging”.

Seriously, am I missing something?


Bridget Conant
Posts: 2894
Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:22 pm

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Bridget Conant » Fri Dec 18, 2015 8:08 am

There is NOTHING in that "agreement," (note they aren't even calling it a contract!) that will force them to maintain any services or the phony ER.

Trust ME, they won't offer much of anything and when they close the "ER," we won't be able to do a thing about it.

Just like we don't seem to be able to do a thing about them breaking their "legally binding agreement -A LEASE!"


cameron karslake
Posts: 645
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 8:35 am

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby cameron karslake » Fri Dec 18, 2015 8:24 am

If anyone has watched the "press conference" that took place on the 7th of Dec, video on onelakewood.com. You would see a completely giddy Ms. Madigan say that this deal guarantees health care services and an ER for "generations to come". So, that at least two generations no? In my literal mind that's about 40 years.

Gosh, I feel better/healthier already!


Bill Call
Posts: 3312
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:10 pm

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Bill Call » Fri Dec 18, 2015 9:46 am

Jeff Dreger wrote:Seriously, am I missing something?


The most annoying part of the Hospital debate is the unwillingness of Council to stand up for the people of Lakewood and stand up to the Cleveland Clinic.

The new Master agreement is just a bad real estate deal.

Just the highlights:

The LHA and the Mayor refused to market the hospital and refused to respond to Metros proposal. The LHA and the Mayor refused to discuss an agreement with Mercy Hospitals. http://www.e-mercy.com/

The LHA and the Mayor refused to market the Columbia Road property. Surgical Development Partners is willing to pay $10 million for the City's property in Westlake. Council says they would rather accept $8 million from the Cleveland Clinic.

The lease required the Clinic to return the Hospital to the City as an on going concern. Council says never mind.

The lease required LHA to maintain all of its leased property including the parking garage. The LHA failed to maintain the garage and diverted parking lot revenue to help pay for the Clinic's $24 million in annual "administrative fees". We are now told that a $10 million City asset has been so degraded that it must be demolished at City expense at a cost of at least $1 million. Council says that's ok. Not only that, Council has agreed to spend millions more to build and maintain a new parking platform at no cost to the Cleveland Clinic.

The lease states that ALL assets of the LHA, including cash, investments, land, buildings, fixtures, licenses and receivables are to be returned to the City at the end of the lease. Since the LHA has unilaterally terminated its lease all of those assets NOW BELONG TO THE CITY. Rather than take possession of those assets the Council has agreed to transfer those assets to a new Foundation controlled by the Cleveland Clinic. $75 million just thrown away.

The Clinic promised to maintain services under the Vision of Tomorrow. Council says forget about it.

But there is more.

The $33 million in assets now held by the Lakewood Hospital Foundation are to be "repurposed". I believe one key driver in the LHA's efforts to dismantle the Hospital was its desire to transfer control of the Lakewood Hospital Foundations assets to the Cleveland Clinic. $33 million gone. One member of the LFA board stated that the LFA is not part of the Hospital discussion. Well, it should be. City Council says..... nothing.

$75 million in Hospital assets, $33 million in Foundation assets, 1,500 direct and indirect jobs, hundreds of millions in economic activity and almost all of Lakewood's medical infrastructure is transferred elsewhere.

What does the City get in return?

A second rate medical office building. The proposed "Family Health Center" is not a Family Health Center and it is a distortion of the highest order to say that it is. The 62,000 square feet is 40% smaller than the current office building on Detroit at Belle and will have NO GUARANTEED SERVICES.

The proposed "emergency room" is not an emergency room. It is a urgent care facility with emergency room prices. Even now anyone with a real emergency is taken to Fairview. Ambulances now bypass the Lakewood Hospital Emergency room. Can you imagine a heart attack victim being taken to the new emergency room?

What about the economic development aspect? Every economic study done about Northeast Ohio comes to the same conclusion. In 20 years the region will have fewer people and less economic activity. In that environment it is vitally important that communities keep the jobs they have because new jobs are impossible to find. In Avon, Brunswick, Twinsburg and Mentor and all across the region communities are bragging about the positive economic impact medical jobs bring to their communities. At a recent Council meeting Councilman Sean Juris stated that medical jobs have no financial impact on a community.

Good grief.


Lori Allen _
Posts: 2550
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2015 2:37 pm

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Lori Allen _ » Fri Dec 18, 2015 10:38 am

I think we are all foolish to think that Summers, and Council ever thought about what was best for the community prior to making this, what appears to be, an illegal deal with CCF. I assume there must be something in it for those involved. I believe it is possible that the 24 million dollar administrative fees may have helped to sweeten the pot. I believe that the Foundation money will be given to the Cleveland Foundation as it appears CCF and Jay Foran have associations there. I also believe that the hospital ordeal more than likely somehow involves the county. IMO


Dan Alaimo
Posts: 2137
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:49 am

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Dan Alaimo » Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:05 am

Lori Allen _ wrote:I think we are all foolish to think that Summers, and Council ever thought about what was best for the community prior to making this, what appears to be, an illegal deal with CCF. I assume there must be something in it for those involved. I believe it is possible that the 24 million dollar administrative fees may have helped to sweeten the pot. I believe that the Foundation money will be given to the Cleveland Foundation as it appears CCF and Jay Foran have associations there. I also believe that the hospital ordeal more than likely somehow involves the county. IMO


Or as mentioned, they were simply star struck by CCF's marketing power and thought that image would be good for Lakewood (as opposed to 1000 jobs). Or it maybe that their ego was stroked by being aligned with such a world renowned health care provider (hey, they caught and cured two cancers for me! Thank you Dr. Colacarro). I've yet to see any evidence of impropriety, but something more like civic malpractice is clear.


“Never let a good crisis go to waste." - Winston Churchill (Quote later appropriated by Rahm Emanuel)
Lori Allen _
Posts: 2550
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2015 2:37 pm

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Lori Allen _ » Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:09 am

Dan,
I don't mean to offend you, but, open your eyes! Look at the Discovery pieces that Brian Essi posted here. No wrong doing, please!


Bridget Conant
Posts: 2894
Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:22 pm

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Bridget Conant » Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:15 am

At a recent Council meeting Councilman Sean Juris stated that medical jobs have no financial impact on a community.


Really? He really said that? No wonder he's so willing to buy the CCF bullshit.

I could link to literally HUNDREDS of articles and studies that dispute that. Here is just one, that interestingly, shows what can be accomplished when communities and hospitals partner together.

http://patimes.org/health-care-economic-development-opportunity-public-administrators/

Health care is recession proof, and

Hospitals collectively are the General Motors of the 21st century. In most regions and states, hospitals are the largest employer based upon employee headcount. Thirty years ago that was not the case. Thus, hospital employees pay millions in state and local income tax and the hospitals, while mostly not for profit, are paying other fees to support the operation of government. In a 2013 American Hospital Association issue brief titled, “Economic Contributions of Hospitals Often Overlooked,” hospitals:

Directly employ nearly 5,500,000 people, making them the second largest source of private sector jobs.
Spend more than $702,000,000,000 on goods and services from other businesses.
Support 15,000,000 direct and indirect jobs or 1 of 9 jobs in America.


Lori Allen _
Posts: 2550
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2015 2:37 pm

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Lori Allen _ » Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:19 am

Right now, the #1 area for job growth in the country is in healthcare, mainly hospital workers.


Dan Alaimo
Posts: 2137
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:49 am

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Dan Alaimo » Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:45 pm

Lori Allen _ wrote:Dan,
I don't mean to offend you, but, open your eyes! Look at the Discovery pieces that Brian Essi posted here. No wrong doing, please!


No offense. I'm offended by some here, but not you.

What I'm saying is the mayor has no reason to line his pockets.
Getting his ego stroked by being buds with a big health-care provider is another matter.


“Never let a good crisis go to waste." - Winston Churchill (Quote later appropriated by Rahm Emanuel)
Jeff Dreger
Posts: 217
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:26 am

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Jeff Dreger » Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:50 am

Each and every time I read something about what Lakewood will be getting as part of these deals, I think of all the episodes like this:

One day, we get the assurance that...

"We're moving from an inpatient model, to an outpatient model," Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove says. He adds, however, that Lakewood Hospital will remain fully functioning until Avon Hospital opens in September 2016.

http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/2015/01/ ... /21798751/

But then later we hear...

In a news release, the Clinic said inpatient services — those requiring an overnight stay — “will begin transitioning out of Lakewood Hospital throughout the month of January and will end on Feb. 5.”

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/ ... y-february

Maybe the city doesn't need to be in the business of micromanaging. But perhaps they should at least consider managing. I'm not sure trust is going to cut it.


Brian Essi
Posts: 2421
Joined: Thu May 07, 2015 11:46 am

Re: Trust, Assurances and Micromanaging

Postby Brian Essi » Sat Jan 16, 2016 5:17 pm

Jeff Dreger wrote:Each and every time I read something about what Lakewood will be getting as part of these deals, I think of all the episodes like this:

One day, we get the assurance that...

"We're moving from an inpatient model, to an outpatient model," Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove says. He adds, however, that Lakewood Hospital will remain fully functioning until Avon Hospital opens in September 2016.

http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/2015/01/ ... /21798751/

But then later we hear...

In a news release, the Clinic said inpatient services — those requiring an overnight stay — “will begin transitioning out of Lakewood Hospital throughout the month of January and will end on Feb. 5.”

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/ ... y-february

Maybe the city doesn't need to be in the business of micromanaging. But perhaps they should at least consider managing. I'm not sure trust is going to cut it.


Good posting Jeff

Trust is built over time with a track record--there has been no trust since before 2010--only "foolish love"

If it was not for mismanagement of the hospital situation by Summers, LHA and various City Councilmembers, there would be no management at all.

I will give these assurance from sources deep inside of LHA and Lakewood Hospital:
1. The closure date was moved up to thwart the SLH petition drive and potential referendum.
2. Since there are no teeth in the Master Agreement and CCF got out of its estimated $250M liability under the Definitive Agreement, it no longer needed to pretend it cared about Lakewood.

So it is pretty much like a Councilmember said "We need to hurry up and close it to save the Clinic money"
Built into the agreement was the provision that if inpatient was not closed by March 1, 2016, it came out of the foundation money--money that the City will never control anyway.


David Anderson has no legitimate answers

Return to “Lakewood General Discussions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 34 guests