Debate Over Hospital Apology in Prince George's
The CEO of Dimensions Healthcare System, the not-for-profit company that manages Prince George's hospital system has apologized to the County Council for "hasty judgements" he made about the council in April, on the day after the council rejected a funding deal proposed by the state for the financially troubled system.
In a press conference on April 10, Dimensions chief G.T. Dunlop Ecker said the council's rejection to a state deal amounted to a "profound breach of public trust." Flanked by dozens of hospital employees, he announced an emergency meeting of the hospital's board of directors had been called to vote on closure or bankruptcy proceedings.
However, when that meeting took place eight days later, Council Chairman Camille Exum (D-Seat Pleasant) and County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) announced the county would subsidize the hospital through June 2008, forestalling the need for board action.
In Ecker's letter, the hospital head wrote that at the time of his press conference, he was "not aware of the commitment of the Prince George's County Council to support directly the health needs of our patients and was under the mistaken impression that the failure of [the deal] would result in no more funding for Dimensions."
But did he jump or was he pushed?
In an interview today, a day after the Council posted the month-old letter on its website, Calvin Brown, chairman of the hospitals' Board of Directors said Ecker wrote the apology only after Exum demanded it in a closed door session of the board. Plus, Brown said, he doesn't believe Ecker said anything requiring an apology.
"I didn't see anything inappropriate in what he said," Brown said. "He's the CEO of the company and he has to get out and talk to the press about what's going on at the hospital."
Exum and other council members have said Ecker's statements caused unnecessary hysteria about the future of the hospital. They have said they believed the state's offer was bad for the county and their 15-month life-support plan will offer time to negotiate a better plan.
Brown said Exum asked the Board to adopt a formal resolution requiring Ecker's apology. After discussion, the resolution was tabled but Ecker agreed to write one anyway. "I think he's done a good job under very difficult circumstances," Brown added.
Ecker declined to comment.
By Rosalind Helderman |
May 10, 2007; 3:33 PM ET
| Category:
Rosalind Helderman
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Posted by: EN | May 10, 2007 6:02 PM
I don't know. I still do not understand why the Council did not support O'Malley's plan. I listened to Camille Exum several times and she could not verbalize a compelling reason. I am afraid that her inability to communicate is only an indication of mental confusion.
I am even more bewildered by the county executive who should have gone to Annapolis in December and close a deal before the legislative session started.
There is a leadership deficit. Prince George's County has tremendous potential. Too bad that our elected officials cannot figure it out.
Posted by: Yockel | May 10, 2007 7:23 PM
Amen,Yockel.
Anyone interested in further analysis should read Steve Pearlstein's column, Sorry State of a County, page D01 WaPo 04-27-07, still available on this site, and read or listen to C.Exum and U.Currie on Kojo 04-12-07.
Kojo commented on the fact that he couldn't get a straight answer on hospital questions from either.
All told, a damning indictment of county political leadership.
Posted by: Count Bobulescu | May 10, 2007 10:42 PM
Count - so the County was supposed to sign a deal to make its taxpayers subsidize health care insurance for the region's uninsured? Regulating hospitals is controlled by the State. Why should PG taxpayers cover everyone's poor? The deal was $25+ million per year for 8 years, and O'Malley called it getting out of the hospital business. Sounded to me like the Council was the only ones who understood what was going on. Besides, if Jack Johnson liked the deal, that should have been reason enough to ask what was up...
EA
Posted by: EAlmaren | May 11, 2007 11:08 PM
EA.
I don't want to debate with you whether $25M a year, for eight years, was too much or not enough. I don't know the answer to that. Likely, everyone could find some justification for a different number.
No doubt, the problem is complex, and won't be solved by you and me trading slogans and debating points. Neither the county or Dimensions are happy with the current state of affairs, and are pointing fingers at each other.
Claim and counter claim about who owns and is responsible for what, seems to me, a tactic designed to muddy the water.
Ultimately, the county holds the upper hand because Dimensions is essentially an operating contractor, with a 59 year contract that expires in 2042. The problem is, under current conditions they will not be able to survive until 2042.
The questions, who dumps them? Who bails them? How, and for how much? And what would replace Dimensions?
For answers to these questions we turn to our elected leaders, County Executive/County Council/State Delegates/Senators.
The commentary/ reporting I see suggest that many of our leaders are more concerned with personal aggrandizement, than solving the substantive issues. That's what I call a damning indictment of our political leadership.
Perhaps in 1983, Dimensions Health Care and PG County, both signed agreements they now wish they hadn't. The fight now seems to be about who picks up the tab for money not explicitly identified in 1983. If Dimensions were a "for profit" organization the answer would likely be relatively simple. Dimensions! That is not the case. Hence the squabble.
Don't assume from any of the foregoing that I side with Dimensions. I don't. I just don't know all the facts, (I presume you don't either), and am perplexed.
Also, don't assume that because JJ supported it, it is bad. Just because JJ is evil, doesn't mean he is stupid. JJ, thank me for that, you owe me big time. How bout a $100,000?
Posted by: Anonymous | May 13, 2007 12:21 AM
Oops! The previous post was by yours truly,
Count Bobulescu. Spank me.
Posted by: Count Bobulescu | May 13, 2007 12:25 AM
Why can't folks see that the Couty Coucil is a bunch of clowns? Who acts like this? They have yet to offer ONE, SINGLE compelling reason why they walked away from a very fair plan that the Governor and the State proposed. The saddest thing is that it is obvious that the Council is not the least bit interested in a long-term solution that would provide Prince George's County with a flourishing hospital system for generations to come. The Council is more intereseted in getting a "good deal"- WHATEVER THAT MEANS. It takes a lot to make Jack Johnson look good and the Council, by its actions over the past few months, have done just that. I hope that in the future, we who live in this county, will make better judgements on election day. The elected leadership that we have now is a JOKE!
Posted by: Donovan | May 13, 2007 12:37 PM
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Ecker needs surgery to remove the foot from his mouth...