Roy Exum: Todd, It’s A Mistake

  • Tuesday, January 20, 2015
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

Let’s just suppose you have a friend you once went to high school with who is about to make a mistake. And let’s add the fact that when that error in judgment happens, you know that a lot of innocent people will unduly suffer from its consequences. Would you give them a warning, begging them not to make a mess? I personally don’t see I have any other option. So here we go: Senator Gardenhire, please take another look at your stance on Erlanger Hospital.

Last week Todd and another member of Chattanooga’s legislative delegation – Rep.

Mike Carter – introduced a harmful response to the hospital’s recent bonuses that were awarded to top management. That response, known as HB 16/SB26, most definitely lacks in sound judgment as publicly-owned hospitals all across America are shuttering their windows and doors. A backward step is the last thing Chattanooga’s Level 1 trauma center needs right now.

My problem is that I have known Todd since we went to City High a half-century ago and for him and Mike to use the state chambers as some thinly-guised bully pulpit is totally out of character for either of them. Equally worrisome is the fact that not one state legislator has asked Erlanger officials to provide the real story behind what actually happened.

But in the event one person who I voted for is willing, please allow me to beg you’ll spend more time to learn how Erlanger’s Board of Governance can be fixed and the hospital can surge forward at a time when health care is one of America’s biggest worries.

I am completely and totally convinced Board Chairman Donnie Hutcherson has done nothing wrong to violate the Sunshine laws and that the other trustees are just as innocent. That’s not the biggest problem. For Erlanger and other public hospitals in Tennessee to best function, publicly-owned health entities desperately need to adopt a 501(c) 3 type of operating agreement. Trust me, that is something the legislature could really fix.

What the bill just proposed in Nashville will actually do is cripple the hospital and I don’t know any state legislator that wants that to happen. But until we can get Gerald McCormick, Bo Watson and the rest of the crowd to take some initiative and really “look into” Erlanger’s headaches, some foolish decisions could truly affect the hospital’s bottom line after a magnificent $25 million turn-around just occurred.

Everybody knows Memorial Hospital has a decided edge over Erlanger because Memorial, owned by the Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, is not subject to such things as Sunshine Laws or mettlesome politicians. I mean, really. Memorial sends all of its profits to Denver – I’m talking about $50 million a year, according to the street – while Erlanger is owned by the citizens.

Is there any state legislator who wants to strengthen private hospitals at the sake of publicly-owned facilities? That’s ludicrous, you say. Then try this one: With Erlanger providing $85 million in indigent care in the last fiscal year, would Pope Francis believe it to be more in keeping with the Catholic faith than Memorial with all of its glitz?

With the Erlanger board very wisely increasing pay standards for its nurses, the hospital will soon retain the best care-givers rather than educating the nurses and then watching the private hospitals pirate the best away. With the best-trained floor nurses in the history of the hospital, Erlanger is finally increasing its number of staff physicians.

During the current fiscal year, which ends in June, Erlanger will spend almost $100 million in capital improvements. Why wouldn’t Rep. Gerald McCormick or Rep. Patsy Hazlewood want to help stretch that commitment as far as possible rather than be party to the ridiculous legislation now being proposed? I simply don’t get it.

When current Criminal Court Clerk Vince Dean was a state legislator, he told me about the time two angry lawmakers, fellow Republicans, followed him into the restroom and demanded to know why he was voting for some Democratic bills. Vince told them, “I vote yes for good bills and no for bad ones.” That ended the conversation.

If Todd Gardenhire or Mike Carter would consider the implications of the bill they just proposed, they would agree with over 4,000 Erlanger employees that it is a bad bill. If Todd and/or Mike would instead find out what type of governance makes UT Hospital in Knoxville operate so efficiently, they would provide a huge service to the owners of Erlanger, which incidentally includes several members of the local delegation.

Please help the public hospitals in Tennessee. They help us.

royexum@aol.com

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