My View on Privatizing Logan Medical Center

As part of last week’s update, I wrote about a false rumor being circulated for political purposes. As the primary election date drew near, that rumor was repeated across House District 31 from the coffee shop in Mulhall to Sunday church service in Guthrie.

Of course the rumor, which concerned the possible closing of the Logan Medical Center, was completely false. Some of those who were advancing it were doing so for political purposes in an attempt to scare some of the most vulnerable residents of our community into voting for a certain political candidate.

I am a big believer in the free market. According to census estimates, this area is one of the fastest growing in the state. As the region’s demographics continue to explode, the same free market forces which have brought to House District 31 a Wal-Mart Supercenter, five Subway Restaurants and three Sonics will also begin to bring additional medical options (which have previously been unavailable to local residents) without requiring a commute to the metro area.

In other words, far from taking away health care options, the expanding demographics dictate that local residents will have more choices from multiple providers.

For the past 5 years, one of the items of debate at the local level has been oriented around the issue of whether these free market forces should be empowered to expand local health care options through the privatization of the county-owned Logan Medical Center. Earlier this year a group of local residents put forward a proposal to purchase the Medical Center and transition it from public ownership to private ownership.

I was asked by the Chairman of the Medical Center board to meet with the potential buyers and listen to the details of their offer. I was impressed by the sincerity of the buyers and believe their intent was a noble one. They wanted to assist with the privatization effort while maintaining a level of local control.

However, I did have some concerns that this effort appeared to be on a very fast track with little opportunity for a transparent review process through which the Medical Center could be assessed and a public process for which the privatization could be accomplished. My suggestion was that any attempt to privatize the Medical Center should only be done after a thorough assessment and a public process in which all options could be reviewed.

I believe transparency of this process would be greatly assisted if the County Commission would act on a currently pending resolution to televise County Commission meetings and if the Medical Center board would once again allow the telecasts of their meetings.

It appears that since the previously described meeting occurred, the Medical Center board has jumped from one privatization or expansion scheme to the next with little notice to their own board members and the public. Board members should never be asked to vote on a complicated privatization or expansion proposal without hearings and thoughtful consideration.

This is an important issue. The possible privatization of the Medical Center is a process that will only take place one time. The effects of this decision will have long-lasting implications on the region for years to come. It should only be accomplished in a deliberative, open and transparent manner in which the public can debate the merits of any particular proposal.