Fedor: ProMedica puts profits over people

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Note: this letter to the editor was published in the November 17, 2020 edition of the Toledo Blade.

Recently The Blade reported that ProMedica Healthcare Systems is once again headed to court due to alleged anti-competitive behavior.

Prioritizing profits over people is a pattern of behavior for the health care giant. I stand with McLaren St. Luke’s in their fight, because I know what it feels like to have my own community hospital in ProMedica’s sights. I have witnessed the havoc ProMedica has caused to the University of Toledo Medical Center through the 2015 Academic Affiliation Agreement with ProMedica Healthcare System.

As the old saying goes, “Where there is a will there is a way,” and ProMedica seems hell bent on taking over the Toledo health care market by any and all means.

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, people are already scared to get the routine care they need. My neighbors and family deserve to have multiple options for medical care across the northwest Ohio region, rather than having to settle for the only provider available. A major public health crisis is not the time to make patients find a new doctor.

Having a variety of options helps foster competition and keep prices down for consumers. The courts stopped ProMedica from creating a monopoly once, and they can do it again. However, they must act quickly before thousands of families in the Toledo area loose access to the medical provider they prefer.

TERESA FEDOR
State Senator, District 11

Blade: UTMC rolls out new marketing campaign

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Former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner is one of the leaders of the Save UTMC community group. He’s encouraged by the campaign.

“It is very exciting; it’s long overdue,” Mr. Finkbeiner said. “I think we put ourselves significantly behind others in the community that used advertising to put their best foot forward like ProMedica, St. Luke’s, and Toledo Clinic. I’m delighted the board and president have decided we need to get in the game and put a positive image out there.”

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UTMC campaign focuses on serving community

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“A new campaign to promote The University of Toledo Medical Center focuses on the hospital’s commitment to providing excellent care to the community.

With the tagline “Open for You,” the community-focused teaching hospital that has served northwest Ohio since 1964 is promoting its mission of service and excellence in healthcare through a new 30-second television spot, billboards, and print and digital advertising in local media.

“We want to be clear that we are open and ready to serve members of our community,” UTMC CEO Rick Swaine said. “As Toledo’s only independent hospital, we need the support of our neighbors to trust us with their healthcare needs and those of their family.”

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Finkbeiner: Unite to defeat ProMedica

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Note: this letter to the editor was published in the November 14, 2020 edition of the Toledo Blade.

In last Sunday’s Toledo Blade the Save UTMC Coalition placed an ad calling ProMedica arrogant and selfish.

Thursday’s Blade had a story with the headline, “McLaren St. Luke’s files lawsuit against ProMedica,” which said the legal complaint accuses ProMedica of attempting to eliminate competition from the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital, by engaging in an affiliation agreement that has shifted large numbers of faculty from UTMC to ProMedica.

Both St. Luke’s and UTMC have lost markets share since 2015, and ProMedica has monopoly power in the market, according to the lawsuit.

Over the past few months, Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, McLaren St. Luke’s Hospital and the coalition have each lashed out at the blatant efforts of ProMedica to eliminate competition. If ProMedica succeeds, medical and hospital bills in the Toledo area would soar.

The coalition will stand with University of Toledo President, Dr. Gregory Postel, as he places programs and professional administrators in key positions at UTMC, each committed to bringing fresh energy, talent, and leadership skills to UTMC and the medical campus.

Our coalition is grateful to U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Bob Latta, state Sen. Teresa Fedor, and the northwest Ohio delegation for their ongoing support. To St. Luke’s, thank you for your leadership. Thanks to the Toledo Clinic for your teamwork.

Toledo area residents, please speak out loudly against the arrogant efforts of ProMedica to eliminate health-care competition. Citizens, please stand solidly behind our united effort to sustain each of Toledo-Lucas County’s present hospital systems.

The critical effort to defeat the pandemic requires all of our hospital systems working together on a daily basis. Together, we can and will defeat our opponent.

CARTY FINKBEINER
Former Toledo mayor and coordinator, Save UTMC

Blade: McLaren St. Luke’s sues ProMedica over denial of coverage

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“The court filing outlines a 13-year campaign to prevent or suppress competition from St. Luke’s. According to the complaint, ProMedica has also attempted to neutralize competition from the University of Toledo Medical Center by engaging in an affiliation agreement, which has shifted large numbers of the UTMC faculty to ProMedica.

“Our community is fortunate to have access to several high-quality hospitals and many skilled health care providers — allowing patients a choice of where they can receive care,” Maumee Mayor Rich Carr said in a prepared statement. “Restricting that choice will negatively impact thousands of individuals and families — disrupting the trusting relationship they have built with their doctors and undermining competition that drives innovation and quality improvement.”

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ProMedica – Arrogant & Selfish

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ProMedica – ostensibly a non-profit committed to providing a benefit to the community – has relentlessly pursued profit for itself at the expense of the broader community. Nowhere is this more evident right now than in the bullying behavior it displays toward other area healthcare providers. By continuing to siphon doctors and services away from UTMC and moving St. Luke’s Hospital to “out of network” status with its insurance subsidiary, Paramount, ProMedica is putting barriers between patients and their doctors at the worst possible time. We are in the midst of the worst pandemic in over a century. Thousands of people are getting sick and dying from COVID-19 right here in Northwest Ohio. In fact, ProMedica has received $163 million from the taxpayers to fight the disease in 29 states, with $28 million of that amount received from the federal government to fight COVID-19 – more than any other Toledo hospital has received.

In times like this, healthcare providers need to put their own interests aside and work together to prioritize the health and safety of every citizen. Yet, ProMedica is working to do just the opposite – making healthcare less accessible and less affordable to an increasingly vulnerable population just to line their own pockets. For shame!

ProMedica’s actions suggest that it no longer sees itself as a healthcare company but as a brokerage firm that trades in healthcare assets, flipping hospitals and raiding private practices. If there are voices in ProMedica that are still committed to practicing healthcare first and business second, they must push their company to halt the transfer of physicians away from UTMC and allow Attorney General Yost to complete his investigation into the 2015 UT-ProMedica affiliation agreement. In doing so, they would be honoring the sacred maxim taught to health care practitioners all over the world for centuries – “First, do no harm.”

McSweeny: UTMC: Time for a Plan — Quo Vadis II

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Note: this editorial was published in the October 12, 2020 edition of the Toledo Blade.

Dr. Gregory Postel’s essay in The Blade on Sept. 27 constitutes a fresh and encouraging view of the academic affiliation agreement between the University of Toledo and ProMedica and its relationship to the future of the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital.

Most importantly, he notes that this relationship does not necessarily need to be a zero-sum game in which UTMC must be degraded to facilitate UT’s cooperative ven-tures with ProMedica. Dr. Postel rightly points out the benefits of the UT-ProMedica relationship include an expanded range of patients and clinical experiences for UT’s medical students. ProMedica also benefits through access to medical resident physicians and the expertise of UT’s medical specialty faculty members. The relationship between UT and ProMedica should continue.

Dr. Postel’s expressed commitment to UT’s home medical institution, UTMC, is much appreciated. He recognizes the value of UTMC to medical and health-care education at UT as well as clinical care and research. He appropriately highlights some of the current strengths of UTMC including its programs in oncology, orthopedics, family medicine, urology, cardiology, and behavioral health.

In addition, Dr. Postel notes the developing relationship between UTMC and Toledo Clinic, which has already borne fruit in the form of an expanded Dana Cancer Center on the UT Health Science Campus.

In my last essay regarding UTMC and ProMedica I asked “Quo Vadis?”, a Latin Phrase meaning “Where are we marching?” or perhaps more generally, “What is the plan?”

Dr. Postel’s commitment to UTMC as a medical home of our own is clear, but what is needed is a comprehensive overarching plan for UTMC’s reinvigoration as a UT-affiliated academic medical center. Such a plan does not require abandoning or downgrading the academic affiliation with ProMedica but does require refocusing on the central role that UTMC plays in the UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences educational and research missions as well as the medical care of the residents of northwest Ohio.

I do not profess to know all that such a plan should include. In addition, I am aware that some planning is already taking place under the leadership of Dr. Postel and Mr. Richard Swaine, the CEO of UTMC. However, I would like to take the liberty of making a few suggestions:

● Developing a planning committee or committees that would include relevant stakeholders including administrators, faculty members, hospital staff, and residents of South Toledo who depend on UTMC for their medical care. Including persons with different perspectives will lead to more creativity and better solutions. The committee(s) should follow a problem-solving approach that includes identifying key issues, setting priorities, generating solutions, and evaluating them for feasibility.

● Staying any future moves of UTMC clinical, educational, or research programs to ProMedica hospitals until a comprehensive plan for UTMC is complete. We need to stop the bleeding before developing a longer-term treatment plan.

● Restoring key programs that have been removed from UTMC. The restoration of programs should be based on educational, clinical and research priorities identified by the planning committee(s) noted above.

● Developing new and innovative educational, clinical, and research programs that would serve as “centers of excellence” at UTMC with these programs being fully supported by the UT-COMLS and other UT health care-related colleges.

This will be the most important part of any plan for the reinvigoration of UTMC. Specialty programs in oncology, orthopedics, cardiology, urology, family medicine, and behavioral health are already in development and can serve as springboards for other programs to follow.

Interdisciplinary programs have particular potential for development as we recognize the complexity of diseases such as COVID-19 and its effect on all the major organ systems in the body, including the brain and cognition.

The question that all planners should keep in mind is “What can UTMC be?”

● Making a plan for capital improvements that have been deferred in recent years and that will be absolutely necessary for the development of the programs that will re-invigorate UTMC.

A vigorous search for funding sources including clinical income and grants as was suggested by Rep. Marcy Kaptur in her Blade essay earlier this year.

● Developing an aggressive marketing program for the oncology, cardiology, urology, family medicine, and behavioral health programs as well as other programs to be restored to and newly developed at UTMC.

Certainly, there are other features that should be part of a plan for a “new” UTMC. For example, the “Save UTMC Coalition” recently published a 12-point plan that may be useful to review.

However, the above steps can represent a beginning.

In conclusion, Dr. Postel’s recent essay is a cause for optimism given that he appears to value UTMC as an integral part of UT’s overall mission and not just an asset to be sold to the highest bidder.

In addition, there have been positive developments during his brief tenure as UT’s leader including the retention, support and development of the UTMC Dana Cancer Center and Orthopedics Center. He should now begin the planning process for the redevelopment of UTMC that will once again bring pride to the UTMC faculty and staff as well as the citizens of northwest Ohio.

Like many, I will look forward to seeing these plans develop and come to fruition. I also know that many of us stand ready to help if called upon.

Kudos to Dr. Postel and all who have contributed to the beginning of UTMC’s Phoenix-like rebirth.

A. John McSweeny is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toledo. He also holds a law degree.

Postel: Academic affiliation and UTMC goals not mutually exclusive

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Note: this editorial was published in the September 27, 2020 edition of the Toledo Blade.

I’m a self-described lifelong learner. Since I arrived in Toledo two months ago, I have learned a great deal about this community, its leaders, and the people who make it an amazing place to live, work, learn, and enjoy. Above all, I have learned that there is a great deal of heart in this community.

With nearly 150 years of service to our community, The University of Toledo — Toledo’s only public research university — is home to the College of Medicine and Life Sciences and the University of Toledo Medical Center, which was the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital. While often misrepresented and inaccurately interchanged, the two entities fulfill distinctively different missions in northwest Ohio.

UToledo’s College of Medicine and Life Sciences is one of 13 academic colleges committed to providing students a world-class education, and one of three academic colleges housed on the UToledo Health Science Campus. The college is home to some 700 learners, similar in size to the University of Michigan’s Medical School, and offers LCME-accredited medical and graduate degrees, as well as premed, residency, and fellowship programs. As part of the university’s academic enterprise, the College of Medicine receives public funding through Ohio’s state share of instruction and tuition.

UTMC, the University’s community-focused teaching hospital with 247 beds, operates as a separate entity with a mission to provide patient-centered, university-quality health care. It’s funded by reimbursable patient services, not state funding. Also located on the University’s Health Science Campus, UTMC provides clinical learning experiences for some 200 health-care learners from the university’s Colleges of Health and Human Services, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.

In the past, UTMC had been the university’s primary clinical training site, but because of its small size there has always been the need to partner with other health-care entities to provide enough learning opportunities for our students.

In 2015 UToledo, sought out a partnership with ProMedica, a locally managed hospital system, to provide learners access to the necessary patient volume needed to support the rapidly growing College of Medicine. The Academic Affiliation Agreement has increased and strengthened the clinical training experiences for our medical learners and is successfully building a pipeline of physicians for our region. Despite pundits’ criticism, the agreement was, and continues to be, a vital partnership for the continued success of our College of Medicine and health care in our region.

Meanwhile, UToledo leadership, including the Board of Trustees, have worked tirelessly the last several years to stabilize UTMC. As the only remaining independent hospital in our community, UTMC faces significant challenges as market shifts in health care favor large, corporate health systems. Our hospital has a unique and vital role in Toledo. While we are known leaders in specialties like orthopaedics, cancer treatment, and behavioral health, we also provide critical care for our community through our emergency department and primary care physicians.

Our stabilization efforts continue as we look ahead to expand Medicaid financing opportunities, our 340B pharmacy program and adding behavioral health offerings that are critically needed in our community. We also continue to look at ways to enhance our partnerships with the Toledo Clinic and Veterans Affairs.

An important part of those efforts is you trusting us with your care. If you need a specialist in cardiology, orthopaedics, or urology, we’re here for you. If you or your family need medical care, our outstanding primary care physicians at the Comprehensive Care Clinic are ready to care for you. And while I hope you don’t need it, we’re here for you in the event of an emergency. I also encourage you to refer your friends and family to receive outstanding service from our team at UTMC.

I continue to be amazed by the passion and support for the University and our hospital. Toledo is lucky to have a public research university with a community hospital. The goals of the UToledo College of Medicine and UTMC are not mutually exclusive. With the help of local, state, and federal officials, both the college and hospital can succeed. It has never been a question of either/​or. We can have both a successful academic affiliation that strengthens our College of Medicine and a strong UTMC community hospital. You can help us make both a reality, and in doing so, improve health-care access throughout our region.

Gregory Postel, M.D., is the interim president of the University of Toledo.

News Release 9/24/2020

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The last few weeks have been very positive for the UTMC South Toledo Campus and our Coalition! This past Monday, September 22, the University of Toledo Board of Trustees extended the interim president Gregory Postel’s post to 24 months. Our coalition has found Dr. Postel open and positive to work with. We believe he is keeping a much closer watch on our Health Science Campus than was his predecessor.

Earlier this month, our Steering Committee, Northwest Ohio public officials, and several ranking UT officials spent 2 hours in teleconference with President Postel and Board Chair Al Baker. It was a very interesting and satisfactory conversation, and we have learned that many positive initiatives are being considered by the university.

Also, in the past 2 months, our UTMC Hospital exceeded fiscal expectations for the first two months of the fiscal year by $6 million.

Another positive: Dr. Ishmael Parsai, a very talented research scientist working at the Dana Cancer Center had been ordered to report to ProMedica’s Flower Hospital by Sept. 1. He refused. The Save UTMC Coalition stood firmly behind Dr. Parsai, and he has been allowed to continue his work at the Dana Cancer Center.

Finally, backed with our support, 15 doctors from the Toledo Clinic have begun practicing at our South Toledo campus. We could not be more delighted.

We thank all our members, including AFSCME Local 2415 members for all of your strength, courage, hard work, and endurance on working to save UTMC. We have beautiful coffee mugs with our logo for each family on our roster, and plenty of yard signs to go around. Please contact Carty or Randy and they will let you know how you can get either item.

Thank you for your encouragement and support!

Carty Finkbeiner, Save UTMC Coalition Steering Committee            419-389-4940

Randy Desposito, President, AFSCME Local 2415                              419-902-1287

Blade: Questions remain as UT board considers temporary budget extension

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Carty Finkbeiner, a former Toledo mayor who heads the Save UTMC coalition, said last week Dr. Postel and UT Chairman Alfred Baker met via teleconference with local and state lawmakers, as well as other UTMC supporters, to discuss UTMC.

Although he’s still concerned about UTMC’s future, Mr. Finkbeiner said he came away from the meeting feeling, for the first time, that the university and community were getting on the same page.

“it was an extremely positive, forward looking conversation about the future of UTMC,” Mr. Finkbeiner said. 

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