Listening to addresses company consolidation of well being care services in Northeastern PA
When executed poorly, consolidation negatively impacts affected person care and hospital staff
STROUDSBURG, Oct. 18 – Hospital methods consolidate for varied causes and, as they proceed adapting to the altering market, communities are impacted. COVID-19 accelerated modifications in ways in which pressured group hospitals like St. Luke’s College Well being Community and different hospitals serving the Northeastern Pennsylvania area to vary their enterprise mannequin.
The Northeast Delegation Chairwoman, Rep. Maureen Madden, D-Monroe, hosted a Home Democratic Coverage Committee listening to in Stroudsburg Monday afternoon discussing company consolidation of well being care services in order that elected officers can study extra in regards to the subject.
“I’m so grateful to those that testified in the present day in order that we will study and perceive how we as a legislature can help our communities and well being methods,” Madden stated. “As a state consultant, I’ve partnered with St. Luke’s to create a stage of medical care that has not been obtainable right here within the mountains. It’s so essential that when consolidation occurs, we do it with this in thoughts in order that we will keep the top quality of care that residents right here obtain.”
Home Members in attendance heard testimony from two panels. The primary panel consisted of three professionals who work in or intently with hospitals who commented on market pressures and why methods are pressured to consolidate. Testifiers within the first panel included John Nespoli, President, St. Luke’s College Well being Community; Maggie Murphy, CEO, Nationwide Alliance on Psychological Sickness – Lehigh Valley; and Margo Opsasnick, CEO, Delta Medix.
“In my district, there are points the place revenue motives take the lead over different issues,” stated Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer. “We have to suppose innovatively to see how technological developments could make much less worthwhile areas extra worthwhile in order that methods produce other choices aside from consolidations.”
A second panel consisted of testimony from the attitude of sufferers and hospital workers, together with Kristen Volchansky, Political Organizer, Motion Collectively NEPA, and Maddie Lopez-Vazquez, Well being Unit Coordinator, Lehigh Valley Hospital – Pocono. Their testimonies centered on how consolidations affect the standard care they supply to – and obtain as – sufferers. Compelling testimony from Lopez-Vazquez defined how workers had been let go and an immense quantity of strain placed on remaining workers after a consolidation she skilled.
“This subject is extremely essential to our Caucus, which is confirmed by the truth that that is the second listening to on this subject that we’ve held on the jap aspect of the state,” stated Chairman of the Democratic Coverage Committee, Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, D-Erie. “I wish to thank all of the testifiers and members who participated in the present day on this essential dialog.”
Extra written testimony got here from representatives from Geisinger and the PA Well being Entry Community. All testimonies could be discovered at pahouse.com/policycommittee.