============================================================ Health Options Digest February 23, 2002 Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield ============================================================ * EDITOR'S LETTER * MAJOR NEWS 1.RG - McKenzie-Willamette envisions closure or merger if lawsuit fails 2.RG - Springfield Council decides to review city's flood-plain policies * OTHER NEWS 3.RG - Councilor Simmons bids adieu 4.SN - Simmons won't run for reelection 5.RG - Sports center 6.SN - Chamber Trust land deal begins 7.SN - Subdivision in the works at Jasper-Mount Vernon area 8.RG - PeaceHealth Medical team returns from trip to Guatemala * LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 9.RG - Debt of gratitude * COMMENTARY 10.SN - PeaceHealth doesn't fit zoning * CONTACTS, OTHER LINKS, KEY, CREDITS ============================================================ EDITOR'S LETTER ============================================================ It's been a relatively slow week in the Emerald Twin Cities... McKenzie-Willamette Hospital said it will need to close or merge with another hospital unless it wins its lawsuit against PeaceHealth. Springfield is reviewing what kind of development is appropriate in the flood plain. Springfield City Councilor Fred Simmons announced he will *not* seek reelection this May, and Councilor Christine Lundberg remains undecided. Springfield resident Linda Shaver wrote that PeaceHealth doesn't fit the zoning for the land they have purchased. And PeaceHealth CEO Alan Yordy and a medical team (including some folks we know!) returned from a trip to Guatemala. This week we tweaked the formatting of "Health Options Digest" to make it easier to find stories you didn't catch. Each story is numbered and tagged with its source: The Springfield news (SN), The Register-Guard (RG), or the Eugene Weekly (EW). We also expanded our Contacts section to include contact info for these three publications and for both the Springfield and Eugene City Councils. "Health Options Digest" is still a work in progress. Please let us know what you think, and how we can make it more useful for you! Rob Zako (Editor) 343-5201 rzako@efn.org ============================================================ MAJOR NEWS ============================================================ 1.RG MCKENZIE-WILLAMETTE ENVISIONS CLOSURE OR MERGER IF LAWSUIT FAILS Springfield -- The head of McKenzie-Willamette Hospital contends that one of two things will happen if the hospital loses its federal antitrust lawsuit against PeaceHealth. McKenzie-Willamette will either close, or it will try to join forces with a large hospital group so Lane County residents retain some health care choice, Chief Executive Officer Roy Orr said. "If we don't prevail in court, we will very seriously entertain relationships with others to maintain competition," he said in a recent interview. "We are a franchise that has value." Orr wouldn't identify potential suitors, nor would he say if McKenzie-Willamette would look for a group to acquire the hospital outright, or instead seek a joint venture or alliance that would allow the Springfield hospital to maintain some autonomy. "Some of what we might do and how we go about it is very strategic in nature," he said. "For that reason alone, and given the kind of behavior we find ourselves in court over, I'm not going to be at liberty to talk about what kind of partnerships, what kind of affiliations, or what kind of relationships we might want to pursue." McKenzie-Willamette, an independent community hospital with 114 beds, sued PeaceHealth, parent corporation of Eugene's 432-bed Sacred Heart Medical Center, on Jan. 28. McKenzie-Willamette alleges that PeaceHealth is wielding its dominant market power in Lane County to engage in "predatory" business tactics intended to drive the smaller hospital out of business. (more...) http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020220/1a.mckenzie.0220.html [Tim Christie, RG front page story, 2/20/02, page 1A] ------------------------------------------------------------ 2.RG COUNCIL DECIDES TO REVIEW CITY'S FLOOD-PLAIN POLICIES (SPRINGFIELD CITY BEAT) When the city council reversed itself this week on a flood-plain issue, it did so within the shadow of the city's most controversial development project. Earlier this month, the council opposed annexation of a Thurston housing project near the McKenzie River, citing flooding concerns. City Manager Mike Kelly cautioned afterward that, if the council intends to reject all annexation requests where there is debate about flooding, he needs to warn applicants -- including PeaceHealth, which wants to build a $350 million hospital near the McKenzie River and also bring adjoining land into the city. "If there's dispute as to where those flood plains are and whether we should be annexing those properties," Kelly said, "we need to know that as we have discussions with (PeaceHealth)." Larry Reed, an executive with developer Arlie & Co., which sold PeaceHealth the hospital site, said he was so disheartened by the council's denial of the Thurston annexation that he called PeaceHealth officials to warn them. When the government rejects an applicant who has followed the development rules, Reed said, "It sends the wrong message." On Tuesday, the council flip-flopped, narrowly deciding to revisit the Thurston request. Some councilors want time to study flood-plain policy. PeaceHealth played into the council's reversal, Mayor Sid Leiken said Friday, but the real focus is sharpening flood-plain policy citywide. "PeaceHealth was part of it," he said, "but it goes way beyond PeaceHealth." (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020223/1b.cr.spcitybeat.0223.html [Matt Cooper, RG city & region story, 2/23/02, page 1B] ============================================================ OTHER NEWS ============================================================ 3.RG COUNCILOR [SIMMONS] BIDS ADIEU (SPRINGFIELD CITY BEAT) He has been called a bulldog and a bur under the saddle. Now there's something else to call City Councilor Fred Simmons: resigning. Simmons said this week he won't run for re-election in May and will step down next December, ending a four-year run and his second turn on the council since the 1980s. The Lane Transit District bus driver is recovering from knee surgery and doesn't want to injure himself beating the streets for votes. At 59, Simmons also wants to do things besides wrestle with bureaucrats, the "guys in the white shirts and the black skinny ties" who issue mandates from some remote desk in Washington, D.C., to paraphrase a common Simmons' characterization. "There's a lot of other things in life that I need to do," he said. Mayor Sid Leiken called Simmons the council conscience and a wonderful joker. During a recent exchange with Councilor Dave Ralston over stray animals, Simmons suggested, "We'll just send them all to your garage." "Our stomachs were hurting," Leiken said. Simmons' departure means Ward 5 -- midtown, from 42nd Street east to Highway 126 -- is up for grabs. Leiken has a couple of favorites in mind but no idea whether they're interested. "It is a black hole," he said. "I do not know many people in Ward 5 that could step up in leadership." (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020223/1b.cr.spcitybeat.0223.html [Matt Cooper, RG city & region story, 2/23/02, page 1B] ------------------------------------------------------------ 4.SN SIMMONS WON'T RUN FOR REELECTION With the deadline to file for candidacy approaching on March 12, Ward 5 City Councilor Fred Simmons announced Tuesday he won't run for reelection in the May primary. He will step down after he completes his term at the end of the year, Simmons said. "I've given, by the end of this term, the equivalent of 12 years to the city," he said. He intends to remain involved in city politics, he said, but there's not enough time "to do everything one needs to do or likes to do." Three positions on the City Council are up for election: Simmons's Ward 5, Tammy Fitch's Ward 2 and Christine Lundberg's Ward 1. So far, Fitch is the only person who has filed for candidacy, city recorder Kim Krebs said Friday. Lundberg said Friday she's still not sure whether she will run again for the Ward 1 seat, throwing open the possibility the Council will have two new faces in 2003. Simmons first served on the Council from 1981 to 1985. He was elected again in 1999. He says he spent zero dollars on his first campaign and $65 on his second. In between, he served three years on the city budget committee and was citizen representative on the metro cable commission. Simmons said serving on the Council is equivalent to getting a doctorate in general politics, but it takes a great deal of time. Also, he just had knee surgery, and if he had to go out and walk the wards of the city to campaign for reelection, he doesn't think he could do it, he said. Besides, it's time for somebody else to take an interest and do the work, he said. "Somebody else needs to stand up," Simmons said. Springfield holds its primary election May 21. If a council candidate receives a majority of votes at the primary election, that candidate is elected. If no one receives 50 percent or more of the vote, candidates compete in a run-off during the statewide general election on Nov. 5. Councilors serve four-year terms. Individuals who are interested in filing can call Krebs at 726-3700. The filing process requires candidates to officially notify the city recorder of their intent to run, using forms supplied to the city by the Secretary of State's office. The city recorder must approve applications before candidates can circulate a nominating petition. The candidate must submit the nominating petitions to the Lane County Elections Division, get them verified and pick them up before filing final paperwork with Krebs. The deadline to file the final paperwork with the city recorder is March 12 at 5 p.m. Lane County Elections is going to be pretty busy in March, Krebs said. "The earlier they can do it, the better off they are," she said. (end) http://www.springfieldnews.com/news/community/sn_community.htm#TopOfPage http://www.springfieldnews.com/2002/news0223/community/sn_community.htm#TopOfPage [Tim Shinabarger, SN community story, 2/23/02] ------------------------------------------------------------ 5.RG SPORTS CENTER (SPRINGFIELD CITY BEAT) If everything goes according to plan -- and that'd be a first for this decade-old project -- residents could know March 11 whether a huge sports center is coming to midtown. That's the date on which the City Council will hold a public hearing on moving the planned sports center from the Gateway area to 32nd and Main streets. A lot has to happen first, however. Eugene businesswoman Carolyn Chambers has offered the city $5.4 million for the 22-acre Gateway site. But Chambers' offer is good only if the site is rezoned to allow office buildings or a corporate headquarters. Before the public hearing, the city hopes to coax from Chambers what she'd pay if the site were left zoned for public lands and commercial use. The land's value drops from $5.7 million to $3 million without the rezoning, City Manager Mike Kelly said. Meanwhile, the city is shopping the parcel to others -- again, seeking bids for the piece as is or rezoned -- and hopes to present all offers to the council on March 11. The council would decide whether to accept an offer, and whether to rezone the two parcels. "Then we can be done with this long saga," Kelly said. (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020223/1b.cr.spcitybeat.0223.html [Matt Cooper, RG city & region story, 2/23/02, page 1B] ------------------------------------------------------------ 6.SN CHAMBER TRUST LAND DEAL BEGINS The city reached agreements Friday to buy the Island Park Medical Center property and sell it to the Carolyn S. Chambers Trust, city officials said. Springfield city councilors voted Tuesday to authorize city staff to negotiate the agreements. By Friday morning, Gino Grimaldi, assistant city manager, had signed with Island Park Properties LLC to exercise an option to purchase the three-acre property between Mill Street an d Island Park. The property stretches from the south side of A Street north to B Street, including an entire city block now used for medical offices. By Friday afternoon, the city had signed paperwork with the Carolyn S. Chambers Trust to sell the property. That's the last document the parties needed to start the transaction, Grimaldi said Friday. They will close on the deed by April, City Attorney Joe Leahy said. (more...) http://www.springfieldnews.com/news/frontpage/sn_frontpage-02.htm#TopOfPage http://www.springfieldnews.com/2002/news0223/frontpage/sn_frontpage-02.htm#TopOfPage [Tim Shinabarger, SN front page story, 2/23/02] ------------------------------------------------------------ 7.SN SUBDIVISION IN THE WORKS AT JASPER-MOUNT VERNON AREA Eugene developer Jack Louie has applied to the city to build a 229-lot residential subdivision on 91 acres along Jasper and Mount Vernon roads. The land, south-facing pasture now used for open space and livestock grazing, is bounded by the Weyerhaeuser Haul Road on the north, Jasper Road and the railroad right-of-way to the south and as-yet-undeveloped parcels on the west and east. Louie proposes a multi-phased subdivision on the south sloping area of the property, with 229 lots ranging in size from 5,100 square feet to 21,700 square feet. (more...) http://www.springfieldnews.com/2002/news0220/community/sn_community-01.htm#TopOfPage [Tim Shinabarger, SN community story, 2/20/02] ------------------------------------------------------------ 8.RG [PEACEHEALTH] MEDICAL TEAM RETURNS FROM TRIP TO GUATEMALA Members of the Eugene-based Cascade Medical Team returned home Thursday from Guatemala, where they spent six days working long hours and providing medical care to hundreds of Guatemalans. (cut...) The group worked from early in the morning until sometimes late at night. Everyone pitched in when needed without complaint, Schuelke said. "Different people helped in different ways and sometimes people tried doing things they'd never done before," he said. Even Alan Yordy, chief executive officer of PeaceHealth in Oregon. Yordy has no medical training and was along on the trip as a general helper. But after an extraordinarily busy day in the operating room, he pulled an overnight shift in the recovery room, tending to patients and changing bed pans. (more...) http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020222/1d.cr.cascademedteam.0222.html [Tim Christie, RG city & region story, 2/22/02, page 1D] ============================================================ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ============================================================ 9.RG DEBT OF GRATITUDE Recently statements have been made that PeaceHealth is engaged in monopolistic practices in Lane County. It has even been suggested that the nonprofit organization forced its way in and took over the health care in two rural areas -- Cottage Grove and Florence. Having lived in Florence for nearly 44 years and now serving as a board member of Peace Harbor Hospital, it became obvious to me and others more than 20 years ago that we could not survive as an independent hospital. Due to the many continually increasing complexities of providing good health care, we recognized that we needed greater expertise than we could provide on our own. The only way to resolve this was to become involved with a larger system. After many contacts with Sister Monica Heeran of PeaceHealth and others, we were finally able to reach an agreement that would help us become partners in providing health care in our community. Let me state emphatically that this was accomplished through our requests, and not those of PeaceHealth. To me, it is pure folly to take pride in being totally independent in providing health care. Hospitals and health care systems that are not involved in alliances or associations with large systems will not be around in another five or 10 years. Let me assuredly express my belief that the PeaceHealth Siuslaw Region governing board, administrative staff and the Florence community are entirely satisfied with our relationship with PeaceHealth. Because of its involvement, we have a state-of-art hospital and health care system. We owe a considerable debt of gratitude to PeaceHealth for its willingness to help us. (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/20020221/ed.letters.0221.html [A. J. Brauer, Florence, RG letter to editor, 2/21/02] ============================================================ COMMENTARY ============================================================ 10.SN PEACEHEALTH DOESN'T FIT ZONING Dear Fellow Springfielders, I have watched in horror as PeaceHealth begins to attempt a move to Springfield. PeaceHealth has displayed arrogance and contempt in what I believe is total disregard for our zoning stipulations and planning processes. PeaceHealth left Springfield in July 2000, leaving many disenfranchised patients. They were told of the pull-out far too late to change doctors. PeaceHealth assured The Springfield News earlier in the spring that it had no intention of closing the clinic. One of the stated reasons for leaving Springfield was that PeaceHealth felt their patients' needs were not met at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital. They showed no regard for the real needs of Springfield patients then or now. Please see The Springfield News of May 31, 2000, (www.springfieldnews.com/) to refresh your memory. With the recent suit between McKenzie-Willamette and PeaceHealth we can begin to see their true colors. They have not changed; our community will not be well served by this hospital moving here. I do not believe that PeaceHealth will ever be a team player. We cannot let the idea of getting something Eugene wanted deter us from good land use and fiscal responsibility. Pride is poor motivation. Let's look at the land use issues in this proposal. Consider all of the infrastructure needed for a 2,500-employee firm; think of the traffic and congestion it will create. Our police will be burdened with the increase of traffic and with the addition of a mental health facility. As a nonprofit PeaceHealth will not pay a dime in taxes for the hospital and perhaps not for the offices associated with it. Furthermore, it is likely that the doctors will not live in Springfield but in Eugene. It is not going to add jobs to our met ro area. This is not additional economic development that would warrant changing zoning. Zoning is meant to dictate development, not the other way around. This land is zoned residential and neighborhood commercial. It is beautiful land. It could be fantastic homes and businesses, both of which would pay TAXES. Taxes that would add to the infrastructure needed to handle the increased traffic and people living in the area zoned for residential use. PeaceHealth will not pay a dime in taxes. Any development in this area would have had to bring in funds for the Pioneer Parkway extension in order to annex. Our planning commission and the people who live in the area had vision when they zoned it, and this is NOT the vision they expressed. The taxes from the originally intended uses would far surpass the revenue that PeaceHealth might bring in with them; any development would bring in that money anyway. Do the math. We will not come out ahead on the taxes. We will not come out ahead in economic development, either. If this land were to go for its originally zoned intention, the tax monies realized would be very different. The traffic on Pioneer Parkway and I-105 and Q Street is terrible now, both in congestion and noise. Extending Pioneer Parkway has been planned for years. It was planned to meet the needs of a growing residential neighborhood, not a regional hospital drawing from five counties. We have a great history of fine planning in Springfield. We do not have a history of being fools, and I do not want to start now. We need to look at the whole metro community and ask questions. The integrity of our planning process needs to be our highest priority. Please think about how life will be if this hospital is built here. Please speak up. We have a good city government -- they need to hear from you. Call 726-3700 and ask for ways to contact your councilor. (end) http://www.springfieldnews.com/news/opinion/sn_opinion-01.html#TopOfPage http://www.springfieldnews.com/2002/news0223/opinion/sn_opinion-01.html#TopOfPage [Linda Shaver, SN commentary, 2/23/02] ============================================================ CONTACTS ============================================================ SPRINGFIELD NEWS 746-1671, 746-0633 (fax) 1887 Laurel St., Springfield 97477 news@springfieldnews.com http://www.springfieldnews.com Shinabarger, Tim 746-1671 x316 ------------------------------------------------------------ REGISTER-GUARD 485-1234, 683-7631 (newsroom fax) http://www.registerguard.com Register-Guard Mailbag (Letters to the Editor) 485-1234 x2351, 338-2828 (fax) P.O. Box 10188, Eugene 97440-2188 RGLetters@guardnet.com McCowan, Karen (Columnist) kmccowan@guardnet.com Christie, Tim (Health & Medicine) tchristie@guardnet.com Cooper, Matt (Springfield and East Region) 338-2317 mcooper@guardnet.com eastnews@guardnet.com Dietz, Diane (Eugene City Government) ddietz@guardnet.com Haberman, Margaret (City Editor) rgnews@guardnet.com Wihtol, Christian (Business Editor) cwihtol@guardnet.com ------------------------------------------------------------ EUGENE WEEKLY 484-0519, 484-4044 (fax) 1251 Lincoln St., Eugene 97401-3418 http://www.eugeneweekly.com Ted Taylor (Editor, Letters to the Editor) editor@eugeneweekly.com ------------------------------------------------------------ SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL 726-2363 225 Fifth St., Springfield, OR 97477 726-3700 http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/ http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/calendar.htm Ballew, Anne (Ward 3) 744-9324 953 C St., Springfield, OR 97477 aballew@clippernet.com Fitch, Tammy (Ward 2) 747-6287 1102 West D St., Springfield, OR 97477 tfitch@ci.springfield.or.us, Fhins@fitch-huggins.com Hatfield, Lyle (Ward 6) 746-6684 518 North 68th Pl., Springfield, OR 97478 lylehatfield@attbi.com Leiken, Sid (Mayor) 726-9848 196 38th Pl., Springfield, OR 97478 mayor@ci.springfield.or.us, sid@maoregon.com Lundberg, Christine (Ward 1) 747-0571 127 Woodlane Dr., Springfield, OR 97477 CKLundberg@Prodigy.net Ralston, Dave (Ward 4) 2114 L St., Springfield, OR 97477, 746-7081, chess714@msn.com, Simmons, Fred (Ward 5) 312 South 52nd Pl., Springfield, OR 97478, 747-4283, fsimmons@ci.springfield.or.us ------------------------------------------------------------ EUGENE CITY COUNCIL 682-5010 777 Pearl St., Room 105, Eugene 97401 mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/ http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/Council/Agenda/AGENDA.htm http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/council/agenda/CCAGENDA.pdf Bettman, Bonny (Ward 1) 344-3150 2191 Friendly, Eugene 97405 Bonny.S.Bettman@ci.eugene.or.us Farr, Pat (Ward 6) 689-0542 1929 Praslin St., Eugene 97402 Pat.M.Farr@ci.eugene.or.us Kelly, David (Ward 3) 686-3343 2988 Chandler St., Eugene 97403 David.S.Kelly@ci.eugene.or.us Meisner, Scott (Ward 7) 338-9946 66 North Adams St., Eugene 97402 Scott.Meisner@ci.eugene.or.us Nathanson, Nancy (Ward 8) 686-3446 2516 Hawkins Lane, Eugene 97405 Nancy.L.Nathanson@ci.eugene.or.us Pape, Gary, (Ward 5) 349-9939 355 Goodpasture Island Rd., Suite 400, Eugene 97401 Gary.D.Pape@ci.eugene.or.us Rayor, Gary (Ward 4) 343-5070 2373 Washington St., Eugene 97405 Gary.E.Rayor@ci.eugene.or.us Taylor, Betty (Ward 2) 338-9947 1051 East 36th Ave., Eugene 97405 Betty.L.Taylor@ci.eugene.or.us Torrey, Jim (Mayor) 682-5882 Jim.D.Torrey@ci.eugene.or.us ============================================================ OTHER LINKS ============================================================ PEACEHEALTH - WILLAMETTE VALLEY http://www.peacehealth.org/Community/owv/ MCKENZIE-WILLAMETTE HOSPITAL http://www.mckweb.com/ OREGON DEPARTMENT OF LAND CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT http://www.lcd.state.or.us/ ARLIE & COMPANY http://www.arlie.com/ ============================================================ KEY ============================================================ "Health Options Digest" is best read with an email program that recognizes links to web pages. It includes leads from and links to stories and opinions from the following publications: RG = The Register-Guard SN = Springfield News EW = Eugene Weekly CN = Comic News ODE = Oregon Daily Emerald OR = Oregonian For some stories (in the SN and EW), two links are given. Use the first link if the story is still current; use the second if another issue has since been published. ============================================================ CREDITS ============================================================ "Health Options Digest" is published once or twice a week by the Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES) as a service to the community. It is intended as an unbiased digest of news and opinion related to proposed changes in health care options for the community. The purpose of "Health Options Digest" is to inform, not editorialize. Please forward your copy of "Health Options Digest" to a friend. If you know of someone who should be on the CHOICES email list, send email to rzako@efn.org.