Recent steps are a worry, Tods say

'Where is the accountability? The silence from the trustees of Forum Health is deafening,' says Sallie Tod Dutton.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Tod family, involved with Tod Children's Hospital since its inception, says it is dismayed by the instability and apparent lack of planning that appears to be prevalent at Forum Health, especially as it applies to the pediatric hospital.
SallieTod Dutton, daughter of Fred and Nancy Tod, who played leadership roles in the facility's history, explained the family's position during an interview and in a letter to The Vindicator.
Dutton, of Liberty, said the Forum board had been a few years away from planning to build a stand-alone facility for Tod Children's on the Northside Medical Center campus on Gypsy Lane.
Last year, Forum moved the children's hospital into the Northside building, saying the move would save 4 million a year and solidify Northside's position.
Then, on Jan. 31, Forum announced plans to close the pediatric hospital at Northside and go into partnership with Humility of Mary Health Partners and Akron Children's Hospital for a new pediatric hospital. Under the deal, the hospital would be operated by Akron Children's and housed in the new St. Elizabeth Health Center hospital being built in Boardman.
Concerns
In her letter, Dutton listed several of her family's concerns about Forum and Tod Children's Hospital, including:
The state of pediatric medicine within the community at large, but especially in Youngstown. How will people in the city, and also Liberty, Hubbard and Girard, get care without easy access to a pediatric emergency department, she asks.
What will happen to the money that has been raised over the years in the name of Tod Children's Hospital, and whether those funds will be restricted to further pediatric medical care within the Youngstown area. Tod Babies' and Children's Hospital opened in April 1972.
Dutton said one possible good that could come from the latest move is that Tod Children's would be separate from Forum -- and the money donated to Tod's would also be kept separate. "We've been pushing for five years for a separate budget for Tod hospital, but we've never been able to get that," she said.
What will happen to the employees who have dedicated their careers to make life better for children who required the services of Tod Children's Hospital, she wonders.
What will happen to the Child Life and Education Program, which distinguishes Tod Children's from other pediatric health facilities. When children come to the hospital, they have presurgery classes where they see and play with the equipment; it's all about education so the children are not as afraid when they come for their procedure.
What will happen to Youngstown if Northside Medical Center is ultimately closed.
Dutton said she is also upset with the Forum trustees and their hiring of outside entities -- such as Wellspring Partners, a consulting firm, and Dr. Keith Ghezzi, interim president and chief executive officer -- for their announced financial turnaround.
"Decisions of this magnitude should not be made in a vacuum by engaged consultants who have no history nor investment in the community. Where is the accountability? The silence from the trustees of Forum Health is deafening," she said.
Forum Health, saying the company was facing unsupportable debt and operating losses, began a financial turnaround effort late in 2005. Trustees hired Wellspring to find ways to cut costs and increase revenue. Ghezzi was hired to run the health system during the turnaround.
Ghezzi, writing in the hospital system's newsletter, said the joint efforts of Wellspring and the people of Forum in 2006 identified 80 million in revenue and cost savings. These are in the process of being implemented, he said.
Bond-rating downgrade
Still, Forum's bond rating was recently downgraded to junk bond status by a Wall Street investment firm, whose report said a key to Forum's future financial viability is negotiating new labor contracts with unions at Northside and Tod Children's.
Wellspring is no longer with Forum; Ghezzi's contract, which was to expire earlier this year, has been extended, a Forum spokesman said.
Dutton said the Tod family is considering a request by Forum to retain the Tod name for the new hospital.
"If they are going to keep the name, we want the Child Life program kept in place. Akron is anxious to do that. I am also concerned about the fate of the parent care house [Ronald McDonald House]. That has been a huge help to families," she said.
John Tod originally donated the Tod Children's building as a dormitory for nursing students. When the school of nursing was closed, the facility was converted to a children's hospital.