Final Draft Editorial #3

New hospital could create jobs and push attention towards local concerns
Abby Richter

There has been a lot of talk going around Good Samaritan Hospital about a new hospital being built in Kearney. It’s not being built by the city, but rather a group of frustrated doctors are who are taking matters into their own hands. The doctors said they are irritated that Good Samaritan Hospital and its parent, Catholic Health Initiatives, have been slow to re-invest in patient care and therefore they are planning to build a new hospital with their own income.

A new hospital in Kearney should be built because it would bring more attention to local concerns and it would create more jobs. Good Samaritan Hospital is the only level two trauma center for 450 miles, which means that it is hard for them to really concentrate on the local community when they are busy with surrounding cities as well as the city of Kearney.

Good Samaritan believes a second hospital would pose a threat to their team of neurosurgeons, open-heart surgeons and more. Traumas happen at anytime during the day, and Good Samaritan feels as though a second hospital would pull this team of well-qualified surgeons away from immediate care for their trauma patients. But, wouldn’t a second hospital actually help with cases Good Samaritan doesn’t have room for and be able to have more of a focus on the needs of local patients?

Since Good Samaritan is busy with the surrounding cities of Kearney, a second hospital could really focus their attention on the local community and help with cases Good Samaritan doesn’t have room for. Peggy Stults, a local resident of Kearney thinks a new hospital would have a positive impact on the city. "It would help the people on the south side," Stults said. "If there were a big emergency they wouldn't have to take so long. So, I think it's a great idea."

Along with being able to focus on the local community, a second hospital could create new jobs. Even though Nebraska hasn’t been hit as hard as some other states by the recession, anything that would create new jobs would help our community. If a new hospital can stimulate our economy, then why not build one, especially if it isn’t going to raise our taxes? A new hospital would also drive competition that would lead to competitive pricing and lower costs for patients.

The doctors planning to build this new hospital also stated a physician-led hospital would be more efficient because they won't have to be told what to do by a large, outside corporation. "Processes and quality are best driven by the people directly impacting that care, the nursing staff, the physicians, and not imposed from another level, from the top down so to speak," said Dr. Sean Denney.

Maybe Good Samaritan shouldn’t be so concerned about how this new hospital would jeopardize them, and start looking at how it could be beneficial for them and the community.

Resources

Hervert, Kevin. "Some Kearney leaders not convinced 2nd hospital best for all." Kearney
Hub. 04 Nov 2009. Kearney Hub, Web. 24 Feb 2010. .

"Reaction to Proposed Kearney Hospital." Nebraska.TV. 25 Jan 2010. NTV, Web. 24 Feb
2010. .

Scheidies, Carolyn R. " Can Kearney Nebraska Sustain Another Hospital Beside Good
Samaritan Hospital?." Associated Content. 09 Nov 2009. Associated Content, Web. 24 Feb 2010. .

"Second Hospital in Kearney, NE?." Acute Care, Inc.. 18 Oct 2009. Acute Care, Inc., Web. 24
Feb 2010. .
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Claims

Policy Claim- A new hospital in Kearney should be built because it would bring more attention to local concerns and it would create more jobs.

Factual Claims- Good Samaritan Hospital is the only level two trauma center for 450 miles.
- The doctors planning to build this new hospital also stated a physician-led hospital would be more efficient because they won't have to be told what to do by a large, outside corporation.
- Along with being able to focus on the local community, a second hospital could create new jobs.

Casual Claims- Since Good Samaritan is busy with the surrounding cities of Kearney, a second hospital could really focus their attention on the local community and help with cases Good Samaritan doesn’t have room for.
-A new hospital would also drive competition that would lead to competitive pricing and lower costs for patients.

Value Claims- Good Samaritan believes a second hospital would pose a threat to their team of neurosurgeons, open-heart surgeons and more.
- Traumas happen at anytime during the day, and Good Samaritan feels as though a second hospital would pull this team of well-qualified surgeons away from immediate care for their trauma patients.