An Open Letter to the UHS supporters | Eastern North Carolina Now

     Publisher's Note: We do very much appreciate this fine article on the BRHS debacle from our friends at the Beaufort Observer. It is the opinion of this publisher that complete reporting and analysis of this controversial issue is unparalleled in scope.

    The day following Community Health Systems' withdrawal of their offer to take over the Hospital, one of our readers posted a Feedback to the article reporting CHS's withdrawal that said:

    "What the UHS supporters should do now if any among them has any honor, is to push UHS to now up its offer to make it as good as CHS's was which they trashed."

    The more we think about that, the more we agree. So we would like to add our support for those who supported UHS putting forth just as much energy to get University Health Systems to make a more reasonable bid as these UHS supporters put into dissing CHS.

    The more we think about this issue it seems to us that it all comes down to this. On one hand we have a group that wants UHS to run the hospital. Their leaders, including many doctors/health care providers, are prone to say "it is not about money...it's about the quality of health care..." There is another large contingency in the County that says: "it is about money. We can't afford to give away our Hospital/$61 million etc."

    So our suggestion is simple. Let's work for both objectives. Bring UHS in without giving away our Hospital.

    If the community gets behind that concept everybody wins, including UHS. If UHS has stronger community support it will do better than if their presence in Beaufort County is resented. Remember, the people have to support the Hospital as customers but also as voters who will consent for the County to help support the Hospital. And the day will come that UHS will want the County's support, probably to build a new facility or renovate the existing facility.

    It's a complicated issue, but we would simply remind everyone that the property the County owns in the Hospital and environs is probably the most valuable asset in the county. But it is more than the real estate. It is also the Certificate of Need that is probably even more valuable than the real estate. While complex, those who are at the negotiating table know how important the franchise is.

    So we would suggest this for starters. First and foremost, UHS ought to match the best offer the Hospital Authority has or can obtain from someone else. We would contend that what a bidder is willing to bid on something is arguably the most valid way to put a true value on something. UHS ought to be willing to pay as much as anyone else would pay.

    The concept entails two fundamental factors: the "upfront net" and the residual ownership of the property, including the franchise (CON), at the end of the lease. UHS should pay as much as CHS was willing to pay upfront, factoring in the assets and liabilities, and they should drop their offer to purchase the real estate for a dollar (or less) and say they will pay fair market value at the time the transaction is done.

    We also think UHS should ensure that Beaufort (and every regional affiliate) has at least two seats on their ultimate decision-making board and that there should be a local oversight board that continues to operate. Ultimately, that will be more valuable to UHS than it is to Beaufort County.

    That's it. We think that if the doctors, health industry workers, business leaders etc., and even the WDN, who have pushed so hard for UHS would now work to get a square deal for the taxpayers of Beaufort County that this whole issue could be settled in short order and we could get on with fulfilling the potential that "partnering with UHS" actually offers.

    Now we are not naive enough to believe that UHS will bargain in good faith now that CHS has withdrawn. So we would further suggest that the Hospital Board re-advertise RFP's and this time specify that the end-of-lease residual will be that the County retains the property. In the meantime, we would suggest that the County contract with LHP or a similar management operation to run the hospital until a permanent partner can be found. If UHS is not willing to bid we suggest those in favor of UHS provide them whatever inducement it would take to get them to do so, without relying on the Beaufort County taxpayers to underwrite such.

    Our point is simple. UHS should be willing to match the best offer we've gotten. Why would they not?