[Vision2020] Gritman wants to sell hospice

[Joe Campbell]

What the market bears is one thing, what we owe another.

Joe Campbell

On May 24, 2009, at 3:00 PM, "Bill London" <london at moscow.com> wrote:

> Gritman may sell home health and hospice
>
> Lewiston Tribune, May 23rd, 2009
> By David Johnson of the Tribune
>
> MOSCOW - Members of the Gritman Medical Center Board of Directors  
> are scheduled to meet Wednesday and possibly take action on a  
> proposal to sell the hospital's home health and hospice operations  
> to a private company, Board Chairwoman B.J. Swanson confirmed.
>
> But an article in the medical center's newsletter, published Friday,  
> makes it sound as though a final decision has been made. It appears  
> under a headline that reads, "Home Health and Hospice To Transfer  
> Ownership."
>
> The article states: "After spending a great deal of time  
> deliberating and considering alternatives, we are pleased to have  
> found a solution that will continue the high quality care that our  
> patients expect. Family Home Care of Spokane has a similar mission  
> and vision as Gritman. In transferring our Home Health & Hospice  
> services to FHC, our patients and their families can be  assured  
> that exceptional care will continue to be provided." That statement  
> appears in the newsletter above the names of Swanson and Jeff W.  
> Martin, president and chief executive officer of Gritman.
>
> Swanson, contacted Friday afternoon, agreed the situation is  
> confusing, but said, "It may seem to be a done deal, but it's not."  
> Until the board meets and votes, nothing is official, she said. The  
> center's executive board did vote to sell the services, but the  
> entire board must approve it, she said. She did add she fully  
> expects the board to approve the sale when it does meet.
>
> But Mike Curley, chairman of the Hospice of the Palouse Community  
> Advisory Board, has asked for more time to review the proposal.
>
> "We don't want to hold things up," Curley said. "We want an  
> appropriate amount of time to be diligent about the investigation of  
> these things."
>
> Swanson said the hospital has continued to lose money on its home  
> health and hospice services. "We certainly don't want to close our  
> doors, but the losses  have been significant," Swanson said, "to the  
> point that Gritman can no longer subsidize the losses."
>
> Curley said he's disappointed that advisory board members were not  
> asked to be involved earlier in the process. "They've been working  
> on a plan for over a  year to transfer home health and hospice out  
> of Gritman. It would have been easy enough for us to ride along with  
> it and maybe come up with other options."
>
> Advisory board members met recently, Curley said, and decided to  
> pursue two tasks - look for other viable options, and investigate  
> Family Home Care. "We're not against it (the potential sale) because  
> we don't know enough to be against it," he said. "But I think a  
> different question is what other options do we have? Who are these  
> guys."
>
> Swanson said Family Home Care is the same business that bought  
> Whitman Home Health and Hospice in Colfax nearly three years ago.  
> "We're pleased with the reputation they have. Our commitment is to  
> continue to provide home health and hospice services in the  
> community, even though Gritman is no longer able to do it because  
> hospital-based just doesn't work."
>
> Curley said there are legitimate questions about selling the  
> nonprofit services to a profit-motivated company. What's more, he  
> said, there is an $800,000 trust fund dedicated to hospice use,  
> adding advisory board members have questions about what will happen  
> with the money.
>
> "Our commitment is to use those funds for hospice patients," Swanson  
> said. "That will not change." The hospital's newsletter that was  
> issued Friday says: "Hospice trust funds will continue to be  
> retained by Gritman Medical Center in a separate dedicated account.  
> The funds will be used to honor the original intent of the donors by  
> assisting hospice patients of the Palouse."
>
> Swanson said she was "as leery as anyone" about selling to a for- 
> profit company. But she said she's met with the owner, Mike Nowling,  
> twice and has received positive reviews from Whitman Home Health and  
> Hospice officials about how their sale worked out. "They have an  
> excellent reputation in Whitman County and the Gritman board's idea  
> was to absolutely not close it down and leave a gap in our  
> community," Swanson said. "So we thought this was the best  
> opportunity we had and that's probably the choice we will make."
>
> Nowling said he has owned Family Home Care for about eight years and  
> the company has a 40-year history of providing quality care in the  
> region. He said  he's eager to work with Gritman and is willing to  
> talk with anyone who might have concerns.
>
> Swanson said Family Home Care could have office space at Gritman  
> Medical Center, and she predicted the company would do local hiring.  
> "So all of the Gritman Home Health and Hospice employees will have  
> the opportunity to work for Family Home Care," Swanson said.
>
> About 15 full-time employees work at Gritman, with another five to  
> 15 part-time employees.
>
> Nowling confirmed that if the sale is made, he will do everything  
> possible to hire locally and give current employees a chance to make  
> the transition. He said the quality of care currently provided is  
> excellent.
>
> As to Curley's concerns the hospice advisory board has been left out  
> of the loop, Swanson said, "There was an advisory board and I know  
> it has not met regularly lately. They've kind of left it up to  
> Gritman. We've asked them to make comments on this, and how we can  
> do this better."
>
> Curley said he and other advisory board members are trying to catch  
> up. "The advisory board is trying to be in the loop right now.  
> Things have been kind of going in stages, but somebody stepped on  
> the gas in the last week."
>
> ---
>
> Johnson may be contacted at djohnson at lmtribune.com or (208) 883-0564.
>
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