[Vision2020] Gritman's Community Service
Donovan Arnold
donovanarnold at hotmail.com
Fri Feb 25 05:06:07 PST 2005
B.J. Swanson and visioneers,
You write well. However, I don't think you are being honest with the
community. Let us shine some light on your points.
"The Board of Directors are all volunteers from the community and receive no
pay."--BJ S.
That is because they make their money off making decisions that result in
lining their own pockets. Let us take the case of a previous Board of
Directors Chair. He used his position at UI to require all UI students
purchase health insurance. This saved Gritman millions of dollars in having
to pay the indigent fund. After leaving as Chair of Board of Directors he
now works one day a week as the Director of Student Health, Benefits, and
Welfare at UI for $90,000 a year and he only works ONE day a week,
Wednesday, and I don't think he even shows up until after 9 AM. That is a
cushy job. That is why he doesn't need the token pay of the position. He
made millions for UI and saved millions for Gritman, at the expense of UI
Students, many of which cannot afford the crappy insurance, that costs more
and cut out vision and dental.
"Gritman is non-profit"-BJS
Maybe not for the hospital and community but it sure is for some of the
board of directors and some others that work there. At $20 for a band-aid,
money has got to going some where because is not going to the nurses or the
janitors.
"Gritman is not a tax supported hospital." BJS
If you believe that I got a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you.
Humm, as I seem to recall, the taxpayers donated an entire street to Gritman
and paid money to build on an entirely new wing to the hospital for private
doctors to make private profits. Not to mention providing all those
utilities. Now just because it doesn't show as a LINE ITEM on a bill doesn't
mean we are not paying for it. I think to suggest that the taxpayers are not
spending millions of their hard earned dollars on Gritman really is
dishonest and akin of the type of behavior and attitude that has been coming
out of the Board of Directors for the last few years. Taxpayers do support
Gritman and you should thank them for it rather than telling them they don't
and insulting them. Its operations are also supported by taxpayers because
the hospital is tax exempt and taxpayers have to pay higher property taxes
as a result.
" Last year, Gritman expensed over $11 million in charity care in this
community."--BJS
Correction, Gritman wrote-off on their taxes $11 million in charity care to
the community. Let us not get carried away. And at $20 for a band aid, how
much care was that? How much did Gritman collect and save from not having to
pay for indigent care by forcing UI students to have expensive health
insurance? How much has Gritman made from other tax supported entities? How
much of that charity was paid as a mandate by local, state, and federal law?
And where was most of the money directed? The answers to those question
began to paint a much different picture.
"Gritman will pay it's fair share of a BID assessment if it is approved."BJS
You mean Gritman won't break the law? Thanks for that agreement.
"I challenge you to think of Moscow without Gritman and tell me if you would
be better off." BJS
Oh please! Are you suggesting that Moscow Residents are to ignorant to
figure out how to staff a hospital if it were not for BJ Swanson and the
Board of Directors? That really is disturbing and insulting you people think
that about yourselves. If Gritman was not there, we would have a better
hospital like we did before it was taken over by a tax dodging and
profiteering form of management. We would not have people lining up to be on
the board of directors to make money off the position if it were not for
Gritman. We would not have as high of property taxes because the private
doctors making private profits would be paying taxing rather than being
supported by them if it were not for Gritman. And lastly, I would not be
forced to buy inadequate health insurance from UI at outrageous prices. The
Board of Directors cost me an extra $500 a year and my former quality health
insurance I had before. I think people in Moscow would have to filled with
a great deal of incompetence not to be better off with a different hospital.
Finally, it ought to tell people in Moscow something when a former members
of the Board of Directors at Gritman would rather be helicoptered to
Lewiston for treatment rather than be treated at Gritman. Maybe they know
something.
I know that Gritman has good workers and bad workers, just like every place
else. However, I think it gets worse when you have greedy profit driven
management. Greed should never be allowed to rear its ugly head in a place
that is suppose to provide critical quality care. The Gritman Board of
Directors, over the last several years, has placed the welfare of the
community second to huge profits.
Good Day,
Donovan J Arnold
Victim of Gritman
"How do you tell when a politician is lying? Their lips are moving"
>From: "B. J. Swanson" <bjswan at moscow.com>
>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Gritman's Community Service
>Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 20:12:29 -0800
>
>
>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
> > >
>
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