Re: Fw: letter to editor

["Sue Hovey" <suehovey@moscow.com>]

Mr. Steed,  You need to read more closely.  Lois Melina and Liz Molina are
two different people.  Lois was quite clear in her letter as to her
identity--and to the identity of her husband.  Liz is the chair of the
board.
As a person who has benefitted from  Dr. Melina's medical skills, I'm not
anxious for any merger that might place skilled medical staff such as he in
jeopardy.  And the rationale that a merger will lower costs to patients on
the Palouse flies in the face of what usually happens to costs when mergers
occur and competition, such as it is, diminishes.  The report was
interesting, but it did more to dissuade me than convince me that the
proposed merger is in the best interests of the residents of Latah County.

Sue Hovey
----- Original Message -----
From: <WMSteed@aol.com>
To: <lmelina@moscow.com>; <vision2020@moscow.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 1999 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: letter to editor


> Mrs. Melina,
>
> I find it interesting that the Chair of the Gritman Hospital Board is
married
> to an employee of the hospital who has a vested interest in not seeing two
> emergency rooms combined into one which would allow the reduction of
several
> emergency room physician jobs which would no longer be needed to provide
> staffing at a single facility.
>
> This is precisely why a combined facility is needed.  The duplication of
> physical plant, equipment and staffs at two hospitals, eight miles apart
is
> costing the citizens of the Palouse more than is necessary; whether it is
in
> medical insurance premiums or in co-pays or direct payments.
>
> Listen to what your consultant and the insurance companies are saying.  A
> combined hospital is the most efficient and economically practical
solution
> to this long standing duplication of costs and efforts.
>
> Walter Steed
>
>