Downtown ER

[Guest]

Alegent/CHI looking to open free standing ER downtown in the area of Sienna Francis house.

[Ben]

This makes plenty of sense. They committed to keeping an ER in the area as part of shutting down CUMC. I figured it was likely going to be somewhere not on the current CUMC campus, given that they'll have to have it open roughly when CUMC closes (July 2016), and construction before demolition of the current hospital facility would be difficult unless they decided to locate on a current parking lot.

In related news, I believe that the plan is for Alegent/CHI to sell the CUMC campus back to Creighton University for future development. Given that all of Creighton's recent expansion has been eastward, into North Downtown, it'll be interesting to see what they have in the works for this space, which is west of their main campus. Also, its a bit cutoff by the interstate...

[MD10]

I dont know if CHI has no plans to sell the hospital back to the university (remember Boys Town owns part of the structure to the South). Before the hospital was sold to Tenet, and to a lesser degree during Tenet onwership, CUMC has prided itself as being the hospital that serves the "under privledged". When Alegent took it over, this changed. From the beginning, they planned on closing the hosptial. Shortly after the sale, public comments made by the CEO saying that Omaha has "to many unfilled hosptial beds in the city" and "how much money it would cost to repair its infustracture", was to prepare the city for the future announcement of its closing. However, behind the scenes there was all sorts of resistance that came from many community activist, as well as the university. So Alegent had to back pedal and decided it will remain open, but that services will be scaled way back. Then CHI took Alegent over. People who worked for CUMC thought they had it bad when it was owned by Tenet, got a real eye opening after CHI took over. CHI will close the hospital eventually. This ER is being planned to show the area they remain "committed to it". In 2-3 years when the trauma service moves over to Bergan, you will see a CHI try to divide the city into districts where it will take the trauma patients that are west of 72nd street and south of dodge. This will give them the best chance to get insured trauma patients. This ER will benefit the area minimally and the operating logicstics will be great. Much of this information is from golf friends who work, or until recently, had worked as physicians there, as well as one who was "upper management" (wont say that persons title). The rest of the info comes from my experience having worked for two of there hospitals, one in denver and one in des moines. CHI is all about the bottom line and revenue.

[bigredmed]

I dont know if CHI has no plans to sell the hospital back to the university (remember Boys Town owns part of the structure to the South). Before the hospital was sold to Tenet, and to a lesser degree during Tenet onwership, CUMC has prided itself as being the hospital that serves the "under privledged". When Alegent took it over, this changed. From the beginning, they planned on closing the hosptial. Shortly after the sale, public comments made by the CEO saying that Omaha has "to many unfilled hosptial beds in the city" and "how much money it would cost to repair its infustracture", was to prepare the city for the future announcement of its closing. However, behind the scenes there was all sorts of resistance that came from many community activist, as well as the university. So Alegent had to back pedal and decided it will remain open, but that services will be scaled way back. Then CHI took Alegent over. People who worked for CUMC thought they had it bad when it was owned by Tenet, got a real eye opening after CHI took over. CHI will close the hospital eventually. This ER is being planned to show the area they remain "committed to it". In 2-3 years when the trauma service moves over to Bergan, you will see a CHI try to divide the city into districts where it will take the trauma patients that are west of 72nd street and south of dodge. This will give them the best chance to get insured trauma patients. This ER will benefit the area minimally and the operating logicstics will be great. Much of this information is from golf friends who work, or until recently, had worked as physicians there, as well as one who was "upper management" (wont say that persons title). The rest of the info comes from my experience having worked for two of there hospitals, one in denver and one in des moines. CHI is all about the bottom line and revenue.

That has UNMC concerned that they will be the dumping ground for the knife and gun club crowd of the trauma world. That is why they went for the level 1 designation. As the level 1 center, all trauma has to go there according to regs. Better to take all the trauma and get some insured, then let CHI skim off the suburban skateboarders and leave the rest for TNMC.

[Coyote]

CUMC and UNMC were level 1's and split the week up. UNMC was already getting the 'uninsured' trauma cases.

[lmdramos]

They were both level 1 trauma centers at the state level but not at the national level verified by the ACS. That's Level 1 certification they are going for as they are currently level 2.

[MSizlack]

Exactly right on the ACS designation. For years CUMC has functioned at level 2, lacking specialty service availability very frequently, one of the reasons TNMC decided to go 24/7 and get their ACS level 1 certification. We will know in July if both, one or neither obtain this.

[MSizlack]

Also, yes, the uninsured are a huge concern to both these systems, but more so for TNMC. While nobody wants to be the preferred provider to the "Knife and gun club", these cases are a very valuable teaching tool for residents. A free standing ER downtown will not benefit the severely wounded/injured as these patients require an OR. A primary care clinic with an urgent care would serve the community so much better. But, care provided in an ER is billing at a much higher rate than an urgent care...