An indepth study recently conducted by the Catalyst for Payment Reform concluded:52 “Consolidation in the health care sector is ubiquitous. And despite the potential benefits, there is also fear—based on well-documented historical trends—that unless we manage it carefully, massing provider market power will lead to even higher prices and revenues.”

file:///Users/erikkingston/Downloads/HealthcareCommission-Report.pdf

Hospitals should not be called… ‘non-profit’. They should be called… ‘can’t not make a profit no matter how hard we try’

I agree with some previous posts that it is time for Mr. Pate to go back to Texas and quit playing emperor here.

Keep in mind that Mayor Dave just appointed a developer to the Boise city council, and the city’s director of planning and development services already is a developer.

Old message:
“Give us your streets or we move to Meridian.”

New message (as stated above):
“Give us your streets or you’ll die.”

The elephant in the room here is the fact that most population growth (including lots of kids) will occur naturally between Boise and the Oregon border. From transportation, population and land-use planning perspectives, Meridian makes the most sense and has the fewest conflicts with historic or neighborhood values. Anyone looking at this location objectively just shakes his or her head in disbelief.

P&Z even voted six to deny, one to defer the application “for the reason that it does not comply with substantial elements of the comprehensive plan.”

And yet the proposal is to build this industrial-scale development in the regional equivalent of a cul-de-sac, forcing everyone from three states to make their way through Boise to an already congested neighborhood.

St. Luke’s focus Tuesday was on people living within a half-mile radius who want to ride their bike from Foothills East or Warm Springs to the E.R., to get open heart surgery or receive cancer treatment. What about everyone else in their proposed 300-mile radius customer base? What about preemies from Parma or embolisms from Emmett?

At Tuesday’s Doc and Pony show, the VP for medical affairs said that St. Luke’s approached their ‘rainmaker’ surgeons and asked them what they wanted. That wish list was handed to the architects who were then told to come up with a plan unconstrained by other considerations.

This is essentially the same concept heard in testimony at the P&Z meeting from a professional consultant (never met the guy) who coordinates hospital expansions nationally—that relocation and expansion decisions are basically left to the handful of surgeons that generate the most revenue for the hospital. He and others have suggested that a few folks just don’t want to drive to Meridian. (I suspect there is more to it, but that’s what some folks—including St. Luke’s staff—have asserted).

A very large unasked and unanswered question remains: who will pay for the attempts to compensate for loss of a well-used public right-of-way? St. Luke’s employs the euphemism ‘improvements’ to refer to mitigation, but seems to fixate on cycletracks, when the biggest impacts will be to overall traffic congestion.

Nowhere do we see anything in writing that provides a detailed estimate of the proposed mitigations or who will pay for them. That may be due to the fact that the mitigations are a moving target. We also heard that the plan is construct a concrete and brick ‘shell structure’ that could remain empty for a decade or more, since health care is in such a state of flux. Who knows…we might even end up with another famous ‘Boise Hole’.

I’m guessing the taxpayers of Ada County will foot the bill for the pipes, streets, lights, services and mitigations involved. But then I’m just a guy who pays taxes.

See more citizen/taxpayer/outside expert perspective, LTEs, etc. at http://www.keepboiseconnected.com

Anyone wonder why Mr. Dr. Pate from Texas was NOT at the work session and why St Luke’s hired Teresa McLeod the mayors former chief community organizer was?

Why the traditional brick & mortar uber-expensive buildings?? Every University and similar secondary school I can think of, including large public universities, are moving away from the need for a desk & chair on campus for each student. Why not do the same with K-12. (aside from the obvious baby-sitting function of schools… but many don’t want that anyway)

Nampa is seeing far worse. The mayor appointed a good, close personal friend and developer to the city council. Both are working hard with current and former members of the city council to develop the area owned by the state on 11th Ave. North extension into a fancy neighborhood surrounded by two city managed, state land owned golf courses.

The list goes on and on all in favor of a few smooth talking developer types after another comes into town. Sound familiar? Gardner & Co. came to town and sold the previous mayor and city council on building a new police dept. (not needed) and a new library (needed, but the current mayor doesn’t think so.) and some shops around the new library. Last I heard due to cost overruns and who the leaser is (Gardner) no one wants to lease a store front at the library.

If the restaurant that closed in Idaho City was Trudy’s then no loss there just took way too long.