Forum’s goal is to build a better health care system

Forum’s goal is to build a better health care system

EDITOR:

Health care is changing in the Mahoning Valley. Our goal is to make it a change for the better.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve begun to more specifically outline some of that change, as we advance our efforts to find new owners for Forum hospitals and facilities.

We are in the early stages of a possible sale of Trumbull Memorial Hospital to Signature Hospital Corporation, a top-flight company that specializes in operating quality community hospitals.

We are moving forward with the proposed sale of Beeghly Medical Park to Akron Children’s Hospital, which plans to create a state-of-the-art pediatric hospital that will bring the latest medical technology and much-needed pediatric specialists to this community.

And we are making significant investments in Northside Medical Center as we return key health services to the city, expand behavioral medicine and upgrade our buildings and technology.

These changes have not come without a price. The employees, managers and physicians of Forum deserve a great deal of credit for their hard work and sacrifices as they have pulled together to deal with Forum’s debt and financial struggles.

We’ve had to make tough choices forced by financial constraints. Simply put, we couldn’t maintain the status quo. We were losing money, facing bond default and risking our ability to provide acute medical care. That meant letting go of some things we held so dear.

At times, we questioned whether we could avoid bankruptcy and keep our hospitals open. Now there is no question that, while some changes have been painful, we’ve avoided a far worse outcome for Forum’s employees, the local economy and this community.

Looking ahead, it is clear that we won’t please everyone. Our financial constraints made it impossible for us to maintain the full range of services and facilities we have in the past. But we will continue to provide superior care at our hospitals so that this community benefits from having access and choice in acute medical care. And we will do everything we can to meet our obligations to our employees, neighbors, vendors and lenders.

We are moving forward with state and local officials as part of a public approval process that encourages community input. We are going forward to help release Trumbull and Northside from the weight of debt so that each can find ways to better meet the health care needs of its local community. And we’re looking forward with plans that will bring security and stability to our health care system.

I thank all the leaders and people of the Mahoning Valley who have reached out to us with their ideas and support. Henry Ford once described obstacles as “those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”

Please be assured that we are keeping our focus on the goal — a better future for health care in this community.

TOM HOLLERN, Chairman

Forum Health Board of Trustees

Youngstown

Paying for those who don’t

EDITOR:

Recently Dominion East Ohio Gas was approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to cover “uncollectible” accounts to about 56 cents per 1,000 cubic foot of gas. When this is combined with a 56-cent charge that subsidizes poor people, the average customer will pay more than $113 per year for other people’s bills.

What’s next? Phone, water and electric bills, house and insurance payments?

This is wrong.

F. GENE McCULLOUGH

Youngstown