Health care in Flagler County is fast improving. Two hospital systems have been vying to mend our medical maladies.
I know we already have one hospital and many say it's great and many say it's not, but could we have two new hospitals? Zowie! Brand, spanking new, like a baby.
It's been interesting to see this evolve. Of course, we're not there yet and anything can happened, but I choose to be optimistic.
First, Memorial Hospital wanted us to vote on a referendum to extend the Flagler County one-cent sales tax to help fund its hospital. Before I could write an article supporting that proposal, Adventist came to our rescue and, with its deep pockets, bought out Memorial. It'll build the facility with its own monies.
If one cent on the dollar was good enough for Flagler to dispose of its trash, it's certainly good enough to keep our community healthy. That hardly takes a rocket (or social) scientist to figure. But some are against any tax for any reason. So what if we have to drive to Daytona or Jacksonville or St. Augustine for health care. Better that than paying that blasted penny. Of course, gasoline costs to commute to health providers would easily exceed the paltry pennies we'd pay.
It's laughable when put into the larger context. County leaders decided, after making alternative landfill arrangements and a $15 million surplus, that the tax should end before its original 2005 expiration date. But they couldn't or wouldn't (there's probably some regulation) stop it immediately. We have to wait until 2002, or nearly three years after we knew we didn't need the money anymore. Funny stuff, right?
But that's all moot, as Adventist, a.k.a., Florida Hospital System, has moved into town. You know the expression: that this town is too small for one lawyer, but it's not too small for two. Maybe it works the same way with hospitals.
Or maybe not. The latest from Halifax-Fish is that it's *** taking a wait-and-see posture about until the *** Adventist takeover *** is resolved one way or the other.*** But isn't Flagler big enough for Memorial's and Halifax's 81-bed and 75-bed *** renewed CON and accepted CON application,*** respectively?
Halifax-Fish was none too pleased when Memorial was stretching its wings and trying to give Flagler better facilities. I was particularly amused by its transparent 'campaign' against Memorial's effort to use public money for the hospital. Halifax-Fish would do it through a bond issue. That's better because everyone knows about and loves bonds. Only thing is that they're taxes, too, by another name.
I reveled in reading Halifax-Fish's nearly full-page ads bemoaning our pitiful circumstance: 60% of Flagler residents, it said, had to leave the county to seek quality hospital services. Imagine that. I guess Halifax-Fish wasn't particularly concerned when only 40% or 50% did that. It's odd how this deep concern emerged when Memorial was trying to expand.
No matter. We're on our way to building quality in-county health facilities (one, hopefully two) and I couldn't be happier. I'd expect our older residents are too, as a greater percentage of their time (and money) will be consumed by health care activities and services. At least these folks -- and I'll be one of them sooner that I realize -- won't have to worry about traveling as far.
I was unsuccessful in my attempts to speak with someone at the Agency for Health Care Administration (ACHA) which recently "renewed" Memorial's 81-bed CON (Certificate of Need). I wanted to know if Flagler qualified for two hospitals. Some believe we don't and that's why Halifax backed out. Ironically, though, ACHA allegedly approved the 81-bed Memorial facility about 10 years ago when Flagler's population was 32,000. Our projected 2005 population (nearly 64,000), which would be about when two hospitals would be fully up and running, is twice the 1990 level. Can't AHCA double CON when population doubles? Will our health be twice as good so only half of us will need hospital services?
If Flagler County wants to be more socially and economically vibrant, and I hope it does, we need, and have room for, two quality hospital facilities. Someone needs to convince ACHA (and others). Just like a child outgrows his or her breeches, we'll soon outgrow our economic and medical infrastructure.
Maybe I shouldn't be feeling better just quite yet.
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Fred W. Apelquist, III, M.Ed.
Approximately 700 words.
(c) 2000