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University Medical Center To Compete With Commercial Hospitals

AIR DATE: September 19, 2012
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University Medical Center CEO Brian Brannman argues that the hospital needs to change its governance system to be able to compete with more efficient commercial hospitals. He has been backed up in that push by the chairman of the Hospital Advisory Board, Dr. Anthony Marlon. Some other members of the board say the governance change is not the big issue and they prefer that the public hospital be governed by existing law. They'll tell us why UMC needs to be subject to the open meeting law and other rules governing public entities.
 
GUESTS
Dr. Nick Spirtos, Medical Director, Women’s Cancer Center of Nevada
Barbara Robinson, Attorney and Businesswoman
Amber Lasater, SEIU Local 1107

 



    University Medical Center To Compete With Commercial Hospitals
    I personally have witnessed horrific ...
    -Anne
    Considering that in a "public" business there ...
    -Tom Hurst
    The whole issue of the mentally ill and ...
    -Dan Musgrove
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    COMMENTS:
    I personally have witnessed horrific incompetence with UMC Hospital. This institution is a poor excuse as a medical facility. They are rude, unattentive and lack compassion. This starts with the ER all the way up! God forbid you or a loved one ate in an ambulance and they want to take you there...do yourself a favor and pay the ambulance driver to take you somewhere else!
    AnneApr 12, 2013 02:25:25 AM


    Considering that in a "public" business there is zero motivation to be efficient, and lots of motivation to be inefficient, expecting UMC to ever balance their budget is ridiculous. How about the county just get out of the hospital business and leave it to the privates? And, since we're seemingly stuck in the socialist business of paying for some people's health care, I'd bet that just paying the privates to treat them would be cheaper than running a county hospital.
    Tom HurstSep 19, 2012 14:00:50 PM


    The whole issue of the mentally ill and chronic inebriates in hospital emergency rooms is an entire show in itself. There has been a 10+ year effort to solve that problem through collaboration amongst the State, Local Governments and the Private Hospitals. Love to help you put together a show on just that subject. But know this...every citizen of Clark County pays a countywide tax rate that is supposed to pay for the regional responsibilities that the County has which includes indigent medical care. The County Commission could easily go to the voters and ask them to increase that rate.
    Dan MusgroveSep 19, 2012 09:55:34 AM


    According to a recent McKinsey Quarterly report titled "The next wave of change for US medical payment systems" patient portions for medical services represent ~30% of billable revenue for all providers nationwide. The report also indicated that practices in the US ultimately collect less than 50% of that allowable patient billed revenue. How much of the patient portion of billable services is UMC collecting now? and Could the hospital system benefit from increased collection efficiencies offered by some third party billing and collection services?
    Michael BleauSep 19, 2012 09:46:59 AM


    UMC is a Public Hospital and Everyone is welcome at UMC because the other hospitals wont allow them in without insurance. It's the last stand for health care for the poor and ACA (Affordable Care Act) will help the people UMC services. UMC should NOT try to compete with commercial hospitals. Should be Non-profit.(if it can) and keep helping the people of Nevada.
    Michael KnightSep 19, 2012 09:18:52 AM


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