My Brothers Keeper, the Belhaven Hospital Saga | Eastern North Carolina Now

    I am using the word "saga" in the sense of an old story that has repeated itself over an over through out history. The Bible asks the question "Am I my brother's keeper?" The simple answer is "NO" but our Christian teachings do not allow us to be unconcerned about him, his welfare or his spiritual needs. This leads us to another question: How should we be concerned, helpful or hurtful? Let's see now, the word Christian is in there. The word "Christian" alone gives us the answer. We are supposed to be helpful. To be hurtful would be not be Christian.

    There is no doubt the single thing that is standing in the way of reopening the Belhaven Hospital, now known as the Pantego Medical Center, Inc., is the Pantego Creek LLC. This is a non profit created by Vidant to own the Belhaven Hospital properties. The Pantego Creek, LLC has 119 stockholders, most of whom live in Beaufort County. It is managed by four appointed managers. They are Brantley Tillman, Debra Y. Sparrow, Darren Armstrong and Lynn Ross.

    After several promises to deed the property to the Town of Belhaven, the Pantego Creek, LLC gave their last refusal and indicated that the deeding would not take place until the new Vidant primary care building had been constructed in Belhaven. The LLC believes this will force the medical doctors in Belhaven to all move across town into the new building. Vidant will then control these doctors as their employees. They can then direct all medical referrals be sent to Vidant's operations in either Washington or Greenville. This, the LLC believes, will insure that there will not be a hospital in Belhaven. This is how the LLC becomes their brother's keeper. The LLC gave the hospital to Vidant and has repeatedly positioned themselves not to support having a hospital in Belhaven. The LLC has become their bother's keeper in a non Christian way.

    There is nothing new about some people believing they know best how something should be done. Frequently, through out history there have been wars, violence and political uprisings when the oppressed have had enough.

    The only thing standing in the way of opening the Belhaven hospital is possession of the property. The LLC refuses to transfer possession to the Town of Belhaven. All indications are the USDA loan of six million dollars, and the granting of the certificates of need will happen when Puungo Creeek Medical Center, Inc. obtains a deed to the property.

    Because of the refusal of the LLC to deed their small interest in the property to the Town of Belhaven, the Town resorted to eminent domain. The Town owns a major part of the property because of their donation with reversion clause and general statute for the use of a hospital. The small part that the LLC owns has been appraised and is valued at $643,000.

    The Town asked the Beaufort County Commissioners at their May 4 meeting to loan the money or to guarantee the loan so the eminent domain taking could be completed. The Commissioners refused. Hood Richardson's motion did not get a second. Why? Heavy lobbying and misrepresented information.

    Commissioners used excuses such as, thy did not know whether of not a hospital would be successful in Belhaven and the lamest of all by Gary "Stop the Nonsense" Brinn, questioned whether or not the people of Belhaven wanted a hospital.

    Nonsense Brinn and his trusted side kick, Ron Buzzeo, had presented themselves to the Belhaven Council and the citizens of Belhaven on several occasions during their commissioner election in 2012 promising to support the new hospital in Belhaven. These men along with Frankie Waters, Jerry Langley, Ed Booth and Robert Belcher have become their brothers keepers.

    There are conflicts of interest among three of the commissioners. Frankie Waters is Chairman of Tri County Telephone which is a stock holder in the LLC. He has been voting the Telephone stock against the hospital. Robert Belcher's wife has employment connections with Vidant. Ed Booth serves on a Vidant Board. These men have not been able to separate their personal interests from those of the community. My brother's keeper again.

    The LLC and their supporters have worked long and hard to convince all who will listen that a hospital can not survive in Belhaven. The Town has spent almost $100,000 for three independent studies that show a hospital can survive in Belhaven. The LLC and their supporters choose to ignore these facts. Those studies and reports are available for the public to examine. The LLC has nothing but their opinion. Even while Vidant was inefficiently running the hospital the patient numbers indicate the hospital can survive.

    The long term interests of the community's success are of the utmost importance. There will always be a need for health care in the Belhaven community. The economics of health care will not always be the same they are today. Improvements in income and the long term economic future of Belhaven and the area are dependent on the availability of medical care. The creation of new jobs and the preservation of hospital jobs are important to being able to keep local families together.

    It seems the socio-economic status of the 119 stock holders in the LLC is such that they can afford to go to Greenville for their medical care. Attracting more and better educated people to he Belhaven area does not fit into their need for a minimum quantity of unskilled labor.