Justin Holliday
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
In 2018, MU Health and Boone Hospital ended exclusive negotiations. In 2018, MU Health and SSM began exclusive negotiations.
The goal of the MU-Boone partnership making Columbia a medical destination city quickly turned to the importance of how an SSM-MU asset transfer would allow for a greater rural reach.
If you find it odd that MU’s shift in strategic direction happened instantaneously, you wouldn’t be alone. As a former SSM hospital director and strategy analyst, I wasn’t surprised. SSM physicians refer millions of dollars in patient revenue to Boone every year. If the Jefferson City purchase goes through, MU takes that away, putting Boone – this area’s top hospital – at great risk for a forced merger with, you guessed it, MU Health.
Let’s briefly draw attention to a few of those benefits being reported by proponents: Integration, keeping jobs local, sustaining hospital operations, and improved quality of care.
Integration — A model MU Health deployed years ago. But try to answer this: If an integrated care delivery model was the cure-all, why has Boone Hospital held the highest hospital ranking in our community for years?
Keeping jobs local – Logic will tell you that consolidation doesn’t equal job retention. This benefit becomes even more difficult to support when news comes out that MU Health is planning to cut at least $25 million in operating expenses over the next 3-5 years.
Sustaining hospital operations – Jeff City is four times the size of Mexico; is expected to grow at three times the rate; and is estimated to have seven times the number of residents 65 years of age and older (by 2023). St. Mary’s-Jeff City and Capital Region each have double the occupancy rate of Audrain. MU Health claims they’ll be able to sustain St. Mary’s-Audrain, but a two-hospital model in Jeff City is not sustainable?
Improved quality of care – Contrary to what some believe, transfer of ownership from St. Mary’s (four-star hospital) to MU (three-star) will not improve quality. In fact, it threatens the existence of the region’s only five-star hospital (Boone). Source: Medicare.gov I Hospital Compare
Limiting consumer choice is a cost, not a benefit, to consumers. So, don’t be fooled by the unfounded perception that this deal is what’s best for the community when the research clearly indicates it will lead to higher costs, job loss, and decreased quality of care.