Has the Berger Commission cured what's ailing WNY health care?
New York State's grand experiment to close, merge and restructure hospitals is over.
The deadline passed at the end of June to fulfill the mandates of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, also known as the Berger Commission.
Changes the commission set in motion - some controversial and others altered - have begun to play out. Hospitals here and elsewhere will look different.
The mandates included the closure of Kaleida Health's Millard Fillmore Hospital at Gates Circle, creation of unified governing board over Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center, and a new arrangement between Sisters and St. Joseph Hospital.
But it will take years to judge whether the monumental effort is a success, failure or something in between.
What do you think?
- Henry L. Davis
Some people just don't get ECMC's problem. It's not a problem that ECMC created; it’s a problem that the County created.
The County gave ECMC's employees a golden parachute retirement, which ECMC can't pay for. ECMC shouldn't have to pay for the county's poor management but because of New York State law, benefits once given to their employees can’t be taken away. This results in the problem that all future retirees will receive this bloated benefit, a crushing financial burden for the hospital. ECMC was a county hospital, part of the govt, with govt employees with govt benefits. Why should you expect ECMC (a Public Benefit Corp) to have to pay for benefits the county gave excessively to ECMC's employees while it was being run by the County (the Local Government)? Two separate entities. ECMC trying to provide superior Healthcare. The County trying to keep their jobs by not upsetting the voters that hire them. Are you starting to get it?
From what I can tell by following this issue for years, is that if that debt (employee retire packages) was removed off of ECMC's books it would be financially the strongest hospital in Western New York. Just look at what has happened in the last three years (when it wasn’t being run by the government), the hospital has completely turned around from a failing entity to a self sustaining one (excluding the county’s contribution to their debt). If you want ECMC out of the County's wallet, have the County step up and take responsibility for what it did and take steps to privatize ECMC.
Nothing good will come of this because a bunch of bureaucrats in the State and Local government are in charge and wouldn't know the right thing to do if it bit them in the … well you get the idea and if you don't take a class in Basic Economics 101. Let the free market, this country was founded on resolve this hospital problem not the failing government of New York or an appointed govt commission. This whole case is a prime example of how national Healthcare will work, because it won't.
Posted by: Carl | August 08, 2008 at 07:09 PM
It is impossible to know. We only hear the barest of details in the news. The Berger report was likely very complicated, and health care costs, subsidies, rules, etc... make health care industry also the most complicated of any industry. I believe that NO ONE knows for sure what will happen.
Posted by: pgr88 | July 23, 2008 at 02:30 PM
This is confusing. This article purely contradicts the story that ran last month about how several area hospitals ranked among the best in the Nation.
LMAO IDIOTS !
Posted by: Michael | July 23, 2008 at 09:13 AM
It's unfortunate that the Berger Commission did not have the courage to do right by the taxpayers and close down the financial black-hole known as ECMC.
The overburdened Erie County taxpayers will pay $214 million in principal and interest for Erie County Medical Center's $100 million financial gimmick loan taken out in 2004 by former county executive Joel Giambra and the band of liars, cheats and thieves known as the Erie County Legislature.
And that $214 million is just the tip of the iceberg. Wait until the ECMC operating deficits start pouring in. They will make the annual deficits run up by the NFTA and the Hooterville trolly system it operates look like chump change.
If ECMC is such a financially viable entity, why are its managers and rank and file employees so obsessed about remaining permanently attached to the wallets and purses of the county taxpayer?
Posted by: OP Mike | July 22, 2008 at 02:17 PM