Concerned for possible loss of Mahoning Valley Hospital

Concerned for possible loss of Mahoning Valley Hospital

EDITOR:

I am writing this letter not only as a health-care professional committed to the residents of Youngstown, but as a lifelong resident of the Mahoning Valley. I am concerned about the possible closing of Mahoning Valley Hospital, and the impact that may have on the community, especially Medicaid patients. At first I was sick when I read the information and then I became angry. Why? Mahoning Valley Hospital has a proven commitment to the people of this community. In 2004, 14 percent of their 301 admissions were Medicaid, yet Select Specialty had 134 admissions that same year and none was Medicaid.

Why is this important? It has been shown that Medicaid patients are denied access to health care, which leads to several hundred thousands of preventable deaths each year. I am not trying to put the burden of this problem on the backs of Humility of Mary or Select Specialty. The cause is multifactorial, and eliminating these disparities requires the involvement of practitioners, the government, professional societies, and hospitals. It cannot be accomplished by causing businesses that serve this population to close. However, the possible demise of Mahoning Valley Hospital, which has a commitment to serving Medicaid patients deeply concerns me, and it should you.

There was more outrage about Forum Health, than there was about this situation, and both scenarios would have a devastating impact on this community. Mr. Senchak needs our support. He needs to hear from our political leaders, and our community.

I was told that this was a business decision for Humility of Mary, however, as management consultant Ichak Adizes said “Managing only for profit is like playing tennis with your eye on the scoreboard and not on the ball.” To me this is another black eye for business in our community.

Four of my female colleagues closed their practices last year. Numerous physicians over the past several years have left Youngstown for various reasons.

If I am misunderstanding or I am misinformed, I would like to know. I also want to offer my services to help prevent this from occurring.

Dr. DARRELL LYNN GRACE

Youngstown

You can count on teachers

EDITOR:

I am the mother of four adult children who are now sending their children to school. In all of those years, I have never had a conversation with a school board president about my children, what they learned, what they did in school and what they liked to do. I have had those conversations with their teachers

How much time is needed for planning should be up to the teachers who are working with the children and who have their best interests in mind, not the board president. Let him deal with salary, sick leave, etc.

I recently attended a Christmas program at my grandson’s elementary school. It was not the school board president who put in all that work. It was the teachers.

Thank you, teachers.

TINA FABRIZI

Canfield