[Vision2020] Gritman's Community Service

[B. J. Swanson]

Donovan & Visionaries,

The cost of healthcare is certainly a concern for everyone.  Instead of a
Social Security crisis, the nation probably has a worse healthcare crisis.
It's not just Moscow.

You may think Gritman is a huge for-profit, corporate hospital, but it is
not.  Gritman is non-profit.  It is owned by the community.  The Board of
Directors are all volunteers from the community and receive no pay.  We do
contract with Quorum Health Resources for management of Gritman.  Jeff
Martin is the only Quorum employee at Gritman. If you have ever looked at a
Medicare Cost Report or one of the 300+ contracts Gritman maintains, you
would clearly see that to stay in business and provide healthcare that the
community expects, we contract with a company that specializes in hospital
management.  It's an extremely complicated and costly industry, but it also
saves lives.

Gritman does way more than provide hot chocolate, coffee, etc. to the
community.  Last year, Gritman expensed over $11 million in charity care in
this community.  We care for everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Gritman is also the largest private employer with nearly 400 employees.

The direct healthcare areas of Gritman are tax exempt.  Properties that are
leased or not directly related to healthcare are taxed.  Gritman will pay
it's fair share of a BID assessment if it is approved.

You will find that many hospitals in Idaho started out like Gritman; owned
and supported by the community.  Most have gotten into trouble, sold
themselves to for-profit companies or gave themselves to the Counties and
became taxing districts.  Pullman Regional Hospital is funded by a taxing
district.  The residents of Pullman are taxed to support their hospital.
Gritman is not a tax supported hospital.  You will find no line item on your
tax bill to support Gritman.  It is tax exempt, but you do not pay taxes to
keep it running either.  Most communities that now have tax supported
hospitals would much prefer an arrangement like Gritman.

I challenge you to think of Moscow without Gritman and tell me if you would
be better off.

B. J. Swanson
Chairman of the Board
Gritman Medical Center

----------------------------------


------ Forwarded Message
From: "Donovan Arnold" <donovanarnold at hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:46:57 -0800
To: edc at moscow.com, CJs at Turbonet.com, editor at lataheagle.com,
vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Gritman's Community Service


 "Gritman provided hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies for participants of
the 
Holiday Parade.  Gritman also provides hot dogs and drinks for the
Homecoming Parade."

Don't forget the lolly pop and a free sticker if you don't cry during a
hysterectomy.

Really though, it is so nice for UI students to pay an extra $500 a semester
in addition to other fees so they can get free coffee and cookies at
downtown events. What a deal! And we wonder why students are leaving UI by
the hundreds. The logic just doesn't follow :P

Donovan J Arnold


---------------------------------



>From: Barbara Richardson Crouch <edc at moscow.com>
>To: <CJs at Turbonet.com>, <editor at lataheagle.com>, vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] NSA
>Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:55:11 GMT
>
>Phil,
>
>Gritman is a not-for-profit corporation.  The hospital is controlled and
>operated by a board of directors comprised of community members.  Gritman
>provides millions of dollars per year in unreimbursed care to our local
>residents.
>
>Gritman provides various services and supports downtown events.  Gritman
>provided hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies for participants of the
>Holiday Parade.  Gritman also provides hot dogs and drinks for the
>Homecoming Parade.  Plus Gritman supports finacially many, many events
>throughout the community.
>
>Barbara Crouch
>
>---------------------------------
>
> > Kai - If NSA  and Grittman (since Grittman is  FOR PROFIT) were paying
> > property taxes there would not need to be  a BID.
> >
> > Phil
> >
> > -------Original Message-------
> >
> > From: Kai Eiselein
> > Date: 02/24/05 09:06:41
> > To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> > Subject: [Vision2020] NSA
> >
> > Rose, you may want to take a closer look at the BID. I am rather
>ambivile> nt
> > about it, but I did write an article in the December 9 issue of the
>Latah>
> > Eagle about the process.
> > According to the documents I have, a tax exempt entity is not exempt
>from>
> > the a BID levy. That would include New St. Andrews College and Gritman
>to>
> > name a couple. The BID in Twin Falls includes the administrative office
>o> f
> > the school district, as I recall, and they are subject to the BID levy
>as>
> > well.
> >
> >
> > Kai T. Eiselein
> > Editor
> > Latah Eagle
> > 521 S. Jackson St.
> > Moscow, ID 83843
> > (208) 882-0666 Fax (208) 882-0130
> > editor at lataheagle.com
> >