Study backs kids’ hospital

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2001 | 11:15 a.m.

A task force strapped with the job of determining how best to address children's health care in Clark County has recommended a free-standing children's hospital, according to a report released Tuesday.

"The group concluded that no one alternative could entirely address the vast array of children's health care needs in Clark County," the report says. "They opted to base their assessment on the ability of each alternative to create a greater capacity for meeting the needs identified."

But the decision isn't entirely up to the 14-member task force.

Commissioners decided last year that before they went forward with plans to build a children's hospital at University Medical Center, voters would have to approve an $80 million bond issue to fund it.

Rather than place the question on last November's ballot, the majority of the board pushed for a task force to study the feasibility of an independent hospital and then place it on June's municipal ballot.

The commission's decision infuriated proponents of the project and board member Erin Kenny, who worked closely with UMC physicians to develop the proposal for building a children's hospital.

Kenny stopped short Tuesday of saying the task force was a waste of time, but pointed out its findings only affirm what two previous studies had shown: a county-operated children's hospital is the best option.

"It's extremely unfortunate we took away the opportunity for an overwhelming number of residents to vote by delaying it from November to June when expected (voter) turnout is less than 11 percent," Kenny said.

Commissioners felt ambushed last spring when Kenny, who had been working on the proposal for weeks, sprung the idea on them during a board meeting. The majority of the board voted to delay the project.

Commission chairman Dario Herrera said Tuesday that despite arguments delays will hinder health care in the future, he is confident the board better served residents by further exploring the proposal.

"From the beginning I thought the most responsible thing to do was to assemble a group of experts in the medical community to thoroughly assess the feasibility and need for a stand-alone children's hospital," Herrera said.

"It's prudent to be thoughtful of the process leading up to the children's hospital to assure taxpayers we've done our due diligence before we ask them to contribute a significant amount of money to a project of this size."

Before tax-neutral bonds are sold, the proposal must be approved by the county's debt management committee. The county commission will decide Tuesday whether to forward the task force's report to debt management.

While the task force only listed between three and six advantages to building a community-based hospital or adding pediatric beds to existing facilities, it rattled off nearly 30 benefits of a UMC children's hospital.

The primary benefit, according to most task force members, is that UMC serves all residents regardless of whether they are insured.

But proponents also argued that UMC would add competition to the children's health care industry, which ultimately could increase the quality of care and decrease costs. And because UMC is a public facility, philanthropic organizations might be more apt to donate money.

However, four advantages listed under the UMC proposal, which generally related to being a free-standing hospital, could have easily fallen under the alternative to build a community-based facility.

Task force members said while taxpayer dollars would be needed for a community hospital, infrastructure would be too costly, and it might not get the financial support that UMC would draw.

Also dismissed was the recommendation to add pediatric beds to the private Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center or hospitals with children's wings.

Allan Stipe, president and chief executive officer of Sunrise Hospital on Maryland Parkway, said he would prefer to see $80 million invested in specific needs such as children's mental health and respite care.

Stipe, a member of the task force, also said it might be too premature to build a children's hospital. Existing facilities won't exceed their bed capacity until 2010, Stipe said.

Stipe has long contended that Sunrise serves children adequately and although it is a for-profit facility, he said it has never turned down residents without health insurance.

"I had the opportunity like everybody else to voice opinions," Stipe said of the 18 hours spent with the task force. "But I don't agree with the majority opinion."

Bed capacity and whether residents have health insurance aren't the only concerns related to children's health care, Kenny said.

Children still must leave the valley to receive treatment for particular illnesses. Kenny said last year 1,300 children had to leave Clark County for treatment.

"That's unconscionable," Kenny said.