FTC stalls hospital sale

Posted by ( KateRN ) on May 13, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Look at the facts--The CEO of PWHS has turned over his executive team at least twice. His credibility is held together by a thinning thread.  There is little doubt that INOVA won’t want him in the merger. The best thing that can happen for that hospital is to remove him before the merger so that INOVA can have clarity with what they are getting. The community would benefit from the innovative practices already in practice within the INOVA health systems. They however need good leadership to execute those practices.

Posted by ( BatemanMD ) on May 10, 2008 at 2:18 pm

I’m a Manassas resident, INOVA network physician and a survivor of the INOVA acquisition of Loudoun hospital, though the jobs of many of my co-workers did not “survive” that ‘merger’ (sale, acquisition or ‘take-over’ would be a more accurate term).  Even as a middle-aged resident with high cholesterol who would very much appreciate increased and improved cardiac-care in my immediate vicinity I still want to know how many Prince William jobs will be lost if the ‘merger’ occurs.  How many will lose their job and then be unable to afford their mortgage?  Until some answers are given and commitments made in writing, I do not believe the community will get behind the merger because PWHS is not just a healthcare resource, but a major area employer, as well.

The PWHS employees as well as Prince William residents deserve to know what the merger truly means for the current hospital, as do the surrounding communities and their businesses.  Our housing market in PWC is already in serious decline and if those who own homes and work near PWH lose their job then things will only get worse.  I doubt INOVA wants a presence in an area riddled with unemployment and foreclosures with a jobless, uninsured citizenry that is unable to afford medical treatment.  My HOA has already recommended residents in my subdivision write the FTC to oppose the merger because we have more than a dozen homes owned by PWHS employees in our midst, and the last thing any Manassas resident needs is yet another foreclosure bringing our already plummeting home values even lower.  If the merger ‘creates’ jobs at the expense of those currently employed, then it is not forward progress and not worth it.  The ‘merger’ will take away healthcare options, raise pricing and put an entire major suburban population under one organization’s thumb.

A release of a hospital-wide, unit-by-unit breakdown of what the merger entails for PWHS employees is a necessity that has long been ignored throughout all of the merger (SALE) talk.  If this means current employees would leave when they know that their job is not safe, find another job and SELL their house instead of LOSE it, then INOVA can foot the bill for agency employees and travel nurses.  They can afford it.  A fellow physician friend within PWHS is gravely concerned by all of this, which is why this individual suggested the means and method to contact the multitudes.  This doctor also witnessed the gutting of Loudoun and saw it transform from a community hospital to a franchise.  My corporate contacts here at INOVA laugh when they speak of the methods our lobbyists use when petitioning and pleading our case to the FTC, methods consisting of making PWHS look as ineffectual and incompetent as possible, though the numbers and critical reviews and accreditation of the hospital do not support this negativity.

In closing, there are no decent, humane reasons not to let people know what the merger will mean for them, not only for PWHS employees but the communities in which they live.  Unless answers are given to those deserving them, then the continued silence, apathy, negativity and overwhelming lack of support from the community will continue.  This same letter has been posted on various Manassas blogs and forums, e-mailed to Mr. Raker of INOVA and Ms. Ballou of PWHS (as suggested by the ‘merger’ website, pwcares.com) and has never received a response.  The current CEO of PWHS has announced he will be stepping down after the merger occurs.  He knows that the fallout will be severe.  We need to look at this a homeowners and neighbors so please forward it to yours.  Visit http://www.ftc.gov for contact info and how to express your feelings.

Posted by ( wzacc ) on May 09, 2008 at 8:53 pm

Read the fine print folks!  The FTC says Inova is “buying” PWHS.  The CEO of PWHS says “merger”.  Who’s lying here and what kind of ‘spin’ is being sold to the employees and community?