SPECTATOR – LOSING PART OF OUR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL?
Just when I thought our community was taking a step forward with health care, Baylor Scott & White Health Systems may be blindsiding us. A special meeting is being held this week with local members of the Baylor Scott & White Board concerning Labor and Delivery Services at the Brenham hospital. Word on the street is that the folks in Temple have already made the decision to discontinue offering childbirth services at our local hospital. Let’s hope that is not the case, and that our local board members will be able to stop what would be a horrendously bad move by Baylor Scott & White. It’s a move that would set Brenham healthcare back to the 1800’s…back before we had a community hospital. It appears our past may be our future, where we no longer have a “community” hospital. Baylor Scott & White’s rather cryptic statement about this week’s special meeting referred to the $4 million commitment they have recently made to growing services in the Brenham area. I’m assuming that was in reference to their recent acquisition of The Brenham Clinic…a move that I hoped would improve the healthcare situation locally. For the first time in many years doctors at the Brenham Clinic would be sending patients to our local hospital, and not to College Station. That alone would be a shot in the arm for our hospital. It was only 4 years ago that a ribbon cutting was held in Brenham for the recently remodeled Birth Center. A portion of that remodeling was paid for by donations to the local hospital foundation. I dare say that over the years Brenham and Washington County have contributed much more than $4 million to the hospital through charitable donations to that foundation. I’ve already heard folks say that their “giving days are over” if Baylor Scott & White discontinues childbirth services here. In 2009, what was then Trinity Community Medical Center parted ways with the Franciscan Service Corporation because they no longer allowed them to do tubal ligations. John Simms, hospital President and CEO at the time said, “We felt because we’re a rural hospital, we needed to be a full service hospital. We didn’t have any options for the ladies and we didn’t feel we should have to send them out of town for this procedure.” I’m sure John Simms never foresaw a day when local ladies would be sent out of town to have a baby. Let’s hope that day isn’t coming soon.
And that’s the way it looks to this Spectator.
The reason for this decision is purely financial! They ( Baylor Scott & White) only care about their “Bottom Line). ” Patient Care” is not in their rule book! They have ruined the health care of Brenham enough already, we don’t need more damage to it!
I also wonder how much this has to do with the passage of the horrible so called Affordable Health Care. Since this was implemented our health care cost has only risen and the services have gotten worse.
Why aren’t we getting the real explanation for eliminating Labor and Delivery services? Because it is a simple one- substantially reduced Medicaid dollars. The state has refused free Medicaid dollars from the Feds for purely partisan political reasons. It has hurt us economically and will now have the potential to harm citizens in rural areas. Many other Texas counties are facing this same issue. Please print the truth, as we must know the consequences of our actions and how it harms our states citizens.
just like what Scott & White will pull because at one time you’re losing a lot of Swit is a lot Services here but we don’t have the staff to take care of what needs to be taken care of here in Brenham
There is no excuse for Scott and White who is now merging with Menorial Herman to close a wonderful part of their hospital. I have had two grandchildren that were born there and I honestly was so pleased and happy that we had an excellent facility for them to be born in with caring staff and doctor. I know we are in need of new OBGYs in Brenham, but in todays society there has to be good doctors that would want to relocate in our lovely community. This not only hurts our Brenham residents but also those all around us. Seems as if we are not moving into the future, but moving backwards. I presently have a local Scott & White PCP, but use specialist that are not associated with Scott and White. I travel to College Station and Bryan for their care. There are situations that a expecting Mother needs immediate care. A car or ambulance ride to Katy or College Station is not going to be in their best intrest or that if their child. They shouldn’t be sent by helicopter to a facility that leaves them with outrageous transport bill’s. Find good OBGYN’s to practice here and keep our hospital in Brenham the growing great care facility it has been to serve our community. You taking away our birthing center is taking away something this community has worked together to have for young families.
Maybe everyone in Brenham should not pay their outstanding balances and let Scott & White know whats going on. The hospital is nothing more than a transfer station that has to send patients to Bryan College Station 24 hrs a day. The elevator in the Professional builHwy 290 hasn’t worked in days’
The 290 Professional Building elevator worked just fine while there for my rehabilitation workout.
Well, maybe people not paying their bills is part of the reason that Scott and White wants to reduce services in Brenham? If you opened a business somewhere and it wasn’t profitable because people used your goods or services but didn’t pay for them, would you keep your business there? Would you even want to keep your business there? My answer is no; that’s not a sustainable business model.
Why aren’t we getting the real explanation for discontinuation of L&D services? One word, Medicaid. The leadership in and Austin’s refusal to accept FREE Medicaid dollars hurt us all. It was Medicaid dollars that supported this service and due to the partisan politics in Austin we now face the same issue as our neighboring counties. Please print this truth.
The term, “Born in Brenham” will cease to exist.
To think that a day may come when babies are no longer born in Brenham Tx. is heart breaking
So far I am not a fan of the growing conglomerate. It has lost service to the individual. Hold time and wait time have increased and there’s a general feel of dismay around the clinic. There are wonderful wonderful people who are employed there and at the hospital. I do hoe they don’t discontinue labor and delivery. It is the only rural county less than an hour from both Fayette and Lee Counties that offers it.