RE: Regional hospital

["Jeff Goebel" <goebel@palouse.net>]

Bill,

Your post last week reminded me of one of the issues I always am cognizant
of when discussion turns to long-term infrastructure investments like
buildings, utilities and roads.

The poem at the following website address best describes this issue.  I am
sure some wonder why I question things so much.  And I wonder if we do
things because of a calf.

http://www.vgernet.net/diogenes/ex/calfpath.html

Thanks.  Jeff

Carl Jeffry Goebel
Goebel and Associates
Web page: www.aboutlistening.com

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	bill london [mailto:london@moscow.com]
Sent:	Friday, November 24, 2000 2:16 PM
To:	goebel@palouse.net
Cc:	vision2020@moscow.com
Subject:	Re: Regional hospital

J-
Of  course consolidation makes economic sense.  That's what drives the
incredible market conglomerations/mergers in this economy.
However, with public instituions, other factors are equally strong.  That's
why the Troy/Deary/Bovill/Elk River school district in Idaho is now
deconsolidating.  They are likely to break apart, partly because the Troy
people
and the Deary-Bovill people each want their own school and see it vital for
the continuation of their communities to have their own school.
Same with the hospital, it seems to me.  Of course, there are other factors:
the difficulty of meshing 2 very different hospitals, the inequality of the
hospitals' investment in a move, etc.
For a while it looked like the local surgeons were going to force the issue
by building a new surgical unit, but I don't know whether that is still
happening.
And I also like having Gritman in Moscow.  And I don't like the idea of a
new hospital midway between Moscow and Pullman becoming the center of new
Pullman Highway development there.
So, the status quo seems likely to remain.
BL