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Editorial: Partnerships transforming health care in state

Thursday, Oct. 17, 2012  |  Contact: Kathleen Meyers; (225) 342-8518

Editorial: Partnerships transforming health care in state
American Press
October 16th, 2013
AmericanPress.com

If the early returns in Southwest Louisiana are an accurate gauge, Gov. Bobby Jindal's sweeping plans to overhaul the state's archaic public hospital system in favor of more privatization appears to be succeeding with ease.

In a Tuesday news conference at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, the governor said the new partnership between the hospital, Cal-Cam Hospital in Sulphur and the former public hospital, Moss Regional, has in a short time provided patients with faster care and new services while lowering state costs.

"The progress made here in Lake Charles through this public-private partnership is extraordinary," said Jindal. "Our historic public-private partnerships are continuing to improve care ... ."

The issue has never been a question of if the state's public hospital system that dates back to the days of Huey Long and was the only one of its kind among the 50 states needed reform. The concern, though, was providing services to people who were dependent on the LSU-run system during the transition.

The results, to date, have been remarkable here in our area.

Moss' emergency room has been converted into a an urgent care clinic that's open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, with Memorial assuming the ER duties. According to Jindal, the clinic allows patients to build relationships with doctors. That will, in the long run, deter patients from visiting an emergency room for nonemergency maladies, thus saving the state money.

The changes have also added clinics at Moss specializing in orthopedics, breast health, gastrointestinal, pulmonary and cardiology.

The governor said that prior to these clinics, patients who needed speciality care had to seek it at hospitals outside of Southwest Louisiana.

Additionally, backlogs in many areas have been dramatically reduced or eliminated. Nearly 62 percent of the 1,384 gastrointestinal waiting for a procedure at Moss have either had it completed or has been scheduled. An additional 581 patients at Moss who were waiting for MRIs have had them completed or scheduled.

"This partnership is giving the people of Southwest Louisiana and the surrounding areas more options for healthcare services," said Speaker of the House Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles. "Today because of this partnership, there are more doctors at Moss who can see patients without appointments and wait times and backlogs have been reduced. Additionally, more people can get the care they need close to home instead of having to travel for procedures. These partnerships truly are transforming health care in our state."

Jindal said that the local partnership will save about $6 million annually and that the state is on pace to realize a $140 million saving with the entire system remake.

Any way you slice it, that's a win-win proposition.

This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include Bobby Dower, Mike Jones, Jim Beam, Crystal Stevenson and Donna Price.

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