<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>What the market bears is one thing, what we owe another.<br><br>Joe Campbell</div><div><br>On May 24, 2009, at 3:00 PM, "Bill London" <<a href="mailto:london@moscow.com">london@moscow.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
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<h2>Gritman may sell home health and hospice</h2>
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<li><font color="#ae0000">Lewiston Tribune, May 23rd, 2009</font>
</li></ul><strong>By David Johnson of the Tribune</strong> </div>
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<p><br>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 <nobr><a class="GVAdLink" id="GVLINK_1_0_0" href="http://www.lmtribune.com/story/northwest/38165/#"><font color="#006600">health</font></a></nobr> and hospice operations to a private
company, Board Chairwoman B.J. Swanson confirmed. </p>
<p>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." </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>But Mike Curley, chairman of the Hospice of the Palouse Community Advisory
Board, has asked for more time to review the proposal.</p>
<p>"We don't want to hold things up," Curley said. "We want an appropriate
amount of time to be diligent about the <nobr><a class="GVAdLink" id="GVLINK_2_0_1" href="http://www.lmtribune.com/story/northwest/38165/#"><font color="#006600">investigation</font></a></nobr> of these things."</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>"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."</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>About 15 full-time employees work at Gritman, with another five to 15
part-time employees.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>---</p>
<p><em>Johnson may be contacted at <a href="mailto:djohnson@lmtribune.com">djohnson@lmtribune.com</a> or (208)
883-0564.</em></p></div></font></div>
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