United Hospital To Shut Its Doors Forever

[x635 4,066]

Wonder what kind of train this will put on EMS, and the surrounding Hospitals that will have to pick up the slack? (Greenwich, Sound Shore, and the overburdended White Plains?

I guess PRCVAC's turnaround times will be going up as well.

Also, does anybody know which medical transportation ambulance company has the contract for United?

NY United Medical Center closing its doors leaving hundreds without a job  

News12.com

 

(12/17/04) PORT CHESTER - A Port Chester hospital that's been around since 1899 is closing its doors for good leaving hundreds without a job.  

New York United Medical Center is planning to file for Chapter 11. One employee says workers were informed about the decision in groups throughout the day Friday. Port Chester Mayor Gerald Logan says he was surprised to get the news. Logan says he thought the new management team would have been able to fix the problems plaguing the center.

Hospital officials say they are working with local health care providers, physicians and the New York Department of Health to ensure an orderly transition of patients to other health care facilities during the anticipated closing. They say the hospital will close within the next 90 to 120 days.

 

 

[SteveOFD 176]

Wonder what this will do to the new trunked radio system? According to the County's new FCC license WQBR539/WPVA646 this was going to be one of the transmitter sites for the new system.

[Pudge3311 5]

Guess this means even longer lines waiting for a bed in the ER. Maybe some of the other hospitals will soon pick up on the need for a bigger ER and some more ER Docs. Im sure its going to cost some money up front, but i would think that the money brought in by seeing more patients might actually help?

Anyone else with an opinion on that?

[LCFD994 8]

Well as someone who transports 911 patients to both Sound Shore and White Plains ERs, I cant imagine this is going to have a good affect to either hospital. Both are constantly on diversion for being overwhelmed as it is. I guess it wil be like the old days I remember at Lincoln Hosp, with 4-6 patients per room, and wall to wall stretchers.

As far as who has the contracts for medical transportation, I believe both PCRVAC and MetroCare are the primary agencies, but that coul of changed.

[WAS967 97]

I want to know what happens to the bed licenses from both United and St. Agnes. I mean between the two they have more than, what? 300 beds? If I were WPHC, I'd be jumping all over the chance to get more beds. WPHC is literally so swamped, they track patient time in the hospital not by days or hours, but by the MINUTE. Thats nuts. And since DOH hasn't issues any new bed licenses in ages, you won't see the hospitals' capacities expanding any time soon unless they buy some more licenses.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Welcome to the modern medical system. Its only going to get worse. The discussion about having specialized regional hospitals for certain types of conditions isn't going to be far off. If Westchester's EMS systems don't get their $hit together its gonna be a tough transfer when it happens. Don't know many agencies that can get 2 trucks out during the day, then take that and its mutual aid dependency both to the medical center with an MI becasue that's the regional treatment center for cardiac care and resource problem is coming. And its for several reasons already discussed on here...like:

not having a central dispatch

not having a realistic look at what your actually able to do

being reactive instead of proactive on an ems level.

Let's all hang on for the ride gang.

[Pudge3311 5]

the regional stuff is all great, but how bout stabalizing the patient first? Then they can be transfered by some commercial company if they want specialty care. Less strain on the 911 system, and much better for the patient IMO.

I once got QA'd for a call of a person hit by a vehicle. The patient had a leg fracture, no other complaints, other than his leg really hurt cause he could see his bones. We put him on the board, whole 9, and took him to the local hospital. I was asked why i didnt take him to a Trauma Center. What good is having a hospital in your community if you cant bring someone with a broken leg there? People dont want to go to them because they are trying to become some specialty place instead of focusing on the everyday individual who needs emergency medicine.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Much better for the patient?

Why do you think the modern day trauma system was developed. I've seen several instances where "stabilizing the patient" prior to transfer wasn't in the best interest of the patient. There is no stabilizing a stroke patient whom needs a regional stroke center. If you need a cath lab, you need a cath lab.

As far as your QA and I'm not monday morning QBing, hell I've made the same decision as you multiple times... I get the basic leg fracture local hospital thing as well and I'm right there with you. Open leg fractures, while generally treatable at the level 3 (I worked in an OR and assisted many ortho cases), remember that its also MOI. What if he had a small hollow organ injury or brain hemmhorage that was slow to show? What if he had to wait for an xray tech on call, CT tech etc. that is in place at the level 1, or if that open leg fracture is severe enough needs ortho reconstructive surgery its there. That is partly why IMO the BLS trauma protocol was changed to make it more likely that patients will be brought to the trauma center.

And you couldn't be more right on the situations arises where everyone wants to have a "specialty!!!"

[joetnymedic 43]

Unfortunately the new Medicare rates not only put a strain on EMS providers, but I'm sure it also has an impact on hospitals too. While paid services and hospitals, shouldn't be making a killing, has anyone ever looked at what services can get paid? It's ridiculous. I wouldn't be suprised to see more hospitals closing shop. And ya know what? It really stinks that medicare and medicaid have to nickle and dime everyone to death.

[Pudge3311 5]

Anyone know bout the financial stability of the other Westchester hospitals? We all know about the Med Center, they make the news every month, but what about WP, NWH, Phelps, Joes, Johns, Lawrence, MT. Vern and SS?

[Stench60 29]

=D>

United Hospital..... Good bye and Good Riddance

Time to put the cesspool back on the tax rolls...

[x635 4,066]

It may be early to speculate, but I wonder what they will develop the United property into? Will the main buiilding be demolished?

My money is on an asssited lviing facility.

Also, its a great thing for PCFD. Especially if they are going to demolish the structure. Awesome temporary training facility, hopefully they will invite tons of people for evolutions!

[Pudge3311 5]

x635, that would be an awesome training facility. Hopefully someone over in Port Chester will bring that up before anything happens if the building is in fact slated of demolition in the future. A building of that size has so many options.

[WAS967 97]

My money is on an asssited lviing facility.

The newspaper implied that the nursing home was to be closed as well. Now I know United had thier own long term nursing care center on site, so I don't know if this means Port Chester Nursing Home as well. I think they may be a seperate entity.

[Guest backupat24]

i can tell u from knowing that i am from port chester and united hospitial is a waste of time thank god it is going happy

[E64PCFD2044 1]

United Hospital is being turned into a truama center and an outpatient/ambulatory type deal

[WAS967 97]

United Hospital is being turned into a truama center and an outpatient/ambulatory type deal

Trauma center? Hospitals don't close and then become trauma centers. I can understand an Amb surg center (i think thats what became of the old Yonkers General), but not a trauma center.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

LOL. You got that right WAS. Lets go from making no money as a hospital, to really making no money as a trauma center. Can't stop giggling over that thought.

[E64PCFD2044 1]

GreenwichHospital is supposed to be buying it out because they dont want the influx of poor people going up there and transforming the place

[Guest]

[-X Where in the world did you here that one?

Do you honestly believe that Greenwich Hospital is going to assume $70 million dollars+ in debt and open themselves to discrimination lawsuits just to keep the "poor" people out?

[E64PCFD2044 1]

thats the word around here, WAS

[x648eng119 2]

As much as people don't like united, this is going to have a major effect on:

Port Chester EMS

Harrison VAC

M'neck EMS

Larchmont/M'neck Town VAC

WP Hospital

Soundshore Hospital

Greenwich Hospital

Westchester Medical Ctr

And I don't mean good effects!!

[x635 4,066]

Unfortunetly, United Hospital is closing. I cannot see anyone wanting any remote affiliation with the name, or wanting to assume the debt or aging, outdated facilities, or large amount of clientel with the inability to pay. If anybody wanted United, the deal would have been struck long ago. Greenwich/Yale Health System will not have anything to do with United, and part of that is due to United being in NYS, and Greenwich being in CT. Both are run under two completly seperate set of rules and state laws, and it would probaly be not advantageous for Greenwich to try and work against that. New York Hospital (Columbia/Cornell) obviously laid low and didnt want much to do with it. White Plains Hosp/Stellaris doesnt have the capital to buy it or handle the debt load, nor does Sound Shore.

The only company that I would think MAY want it would be Tenet Healthcare, but this may even be a stretch for them.

Westchester's population is growing, yet the amount of hospital beds declining, yet hospital admissions are growing.

Another problem with the WC hospitals is our proximity to NYC. Many of the yuppies who are invading and ruining what was once a very nice county have lived in Manhattan for years and choose to seek medical care there, and when they need hospitilization, they seek it there.

I feel bad for all the patients that grew to trust United Hospital and their staff, mainly the elderly who have gone to United for years.

I'm also quite suprised that the Port Chester community didn't rally against this. But then again, much of PC's residents are not citizens.. I don't think PC is what it used to be either. I wonder how these new Port Chester resident will be accessing healthcare now?

Whatever happened to charity?????

[Guest backupat24]

werenot lying were from port chester and we kno this it happens wen u have people on the inside greeniwch bout it out and whiteplains is suppsted to be in on the deal 2 i dunnno

[WAS967 97]

Dude. Typing lessons. Seriously. Anyhoo....

The only company that I would think MAY want it would be Tenet Healthcare, but this may even be a stretch for them.

Who the heck is Tenet? Never heard of them. I think if any effort were going to be made to save United, it would have been done already.

[x635 4,066]

http://www.tenethealth.com

Tenet is basically a hospital corportation. They own a bunch of actue care hospitals across the country. They own one in the Worcester, MA (Operating as Worcester Medical Center AKA Med City AKA St Vincents). They bought St Vincents after they shut down. I'm familiar with the one in Worcester because I used to work at UMass, another (seperate) hospital in that city. Med City,It's just like any other hospital.

One of Tenet's strategy's is to purchase a hospital post-closure, therefore they can get their hands on the facilities and sometimes employees and not have to assume any of the debt.

Unfortunetly, I think it would be a stretch for Tenet to buy United because of the lousy demographics. The only other place I could remotely see buying United would be, big laugh here, the Archdiocese...but Ifigure they would buy St Agnes first if anything.

[Skooter92 7]

United failed because its payor mix, in a word, sucked. A high percentage of uninsured, undocumented recent immigrants, some Medicaid, and a high percentage of Medicare recipients with poor secondary coverage, does NOT make for a good mix. Add to that all the wealthy, high-covered insured folks going to Greenwich, WPHC or even Soundshore, and that equals a major nail in the coffin. High staff costs due to bloated nursing budgets and administrator salaries........

No organization in their right mind would purchase and/or bail out United, after the St. Agnes-WMC fiasco. The plan is to seek DOH approval to operate an emergent care center at the United site-it would probably be a feeder for one or more of the area community hospitals like WPHC/Soundshore. In all reality, someone's gonna make bucks transferring all the really sick folks out to a real ER, as opposed to a doc-in-the-box.

[Stench60 29]

Where in the world do these rumours get started?

Greenwich Hospital IS NOT buying United solely or in conjunction with anyone else. United is now in bankruptcy proceedings, any deals to save the institution have to be made in conjunction with a judge and all the hospital's creditors.

Keep another thing in mind, the longer the hospital remains open the larger the debt load to be paid off or assumed by anyone else. Greenwich is not going to deplete their endowment ( $100million +) simply to keep people from seeking care. If these people have wanted to seek care at anytime up to now no matter what their economic or legal status it had to be provided by GH. Oh yeah, another reason; United, a Union Shop..... Greenwich, NON- UNION.

x635.... To answer about protesting the closure. There are people and groups protesting the closure but I honestly believe most people realise that we are better off without the place. The facility hasn't been maintained for years, the level of care has not been up to snuff for years, the board/administration has lied to the community for years ( see the million dollars in donations for the new emergency room and where they went) and as much of an asset as it has been over the years it has also been an even greater drain on village services. People don't realise the amount of property that the hospital corporation actually owns in the village and doesn't pay taxes on, this severely hurts the village tax base ( espcially considering the insane tax breaks given to the new development in the village) . Hell, they've even defaulted on the small property taxes they were supposed to pay last year ( driving up evryone else's village, sewage and school tax).

As to not paying, well why was the maternity ward closed? At the end, 2 out of 3 births were unpaid for and uncollectable. You can't run a hospital like that and expect to survive.

With Greenwich 4 miles up the Post Rd. and White Plains a few miles across 287, I honestly believe the village is very well served even without United. ( my home in Port Chester is actually closer to Greenwich Hosp. than United any way).

[Oswegowind 17]

need a poll on which hospital is next????

I think hudson valley is expanding...

[WAS967 97]

I think hudson valley is expanding...

As are White Plains (dramatically expanding thier ER and prompt care areas), and Phelps (whole new building with ER and the works). NWHC is expanding with the addition of a new Cancer treatment center and a planned ER expansion a few years down the road.