News

Who will keep inner city ERs open?

By Jeff Kurowski
Compass Assistant Editor

GREEN BAY -- Health care in the United States has evolved from a charitable ministry to a competitive business, thus creating a "world of confusion," said Jim Coller, chief executive officer of both St. Vincent Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center.

"The way we are doing things today, in my judgment, needs to be rethought," said Coller. "The competitive environment damages the service orientation of health care. There are Catholic hospitals closing throughout the country because of financial problems caused by intense competition, which encourages stealing patients and limiting health care options. We need to move back into a collaborative era to serve the people."

Coller will discuss "The Future of Healthcare in America" at Leadership Convocation 2007: We Believe, Friday, Oct. 5, at St. Norbert College in De Pere. In addition to addressing health care from the perspective of an administrator, he will also discuss his personal journey as a cancer patient. Coller said he also looks forward to opening the workshop to questions from ministry leaders.

"I want to see what people are thinking," he said. "Health care will be the number one topic in the 2008 election. Hillary (Clinton) will present a national health care initiative, as will others, but who is going to pay for it? Americans don't want more service taxes. The businesses may be called upon to pay for it, but that will lead to businesses moving outside the country to avoid taxes. I'm not in favor of a national or state initiative, and the competitive environment is not working. We need to find some middle ground."

Coller points to Miami as an example of the problems created by the competitive health care model.

"Let's say I'm in Miami for a Packer game and I break my leg," he said. "All the emergency rooms in the city have been closed in recent years. I would need to travel to a suburb to find care."

In Wisconsin, St. Michael Hospital in Milwaukee stands out as a similar case. In June 2006, the emergency room and most inpatient departments closed, leaving a void of health care in the city.

"The hospitals are moving to the suburbs," said Coller. "In the wealthy suburbs, the population is more insured. The doctors are less likely to have to deal with a knife fight in the middle of the night. Who is going to step back in and provide health care in the city? There needs to be adequate health care for all of us."

Coller said the opportunity to speak to ministry leaders about health care is a privilege. He praises faith communities that offer health care services including flu shots, screenings and presentations. The hospitals also support parish nursing programs.

"I would like to see more parish nurses," said Coller. "It's really up to the pastor and the parish leadership. We offer full support the first year and gradually wean our support. Right now, we actually have more non-Catholic churches utilizing the parish nurse program."

Coller said he will also discuss moral medical issues, including euthanasia and genomics.

"We are dealing with many issues created by today's competition, but health care still remains a pure ministry for Christ," he said. "We remain true to our mission."

(For a Leadership Convocation brochure, visit www.gbdioc.org and click on "Leadership Convocation 2007 We Believe.")