U.S. Hospital System Disintegrates While Obama Hails Medical "Reform"

The current disintegration of the U.S. hospital system exposes the killer intent behind Pres. Obama's health care measures, as he brags about "reform." The physical means don't exist to take care of people. The delivery system for health care in the U.S. is being downsized and closed at a crisis rate—hospitals, clinics, equipment, staff, and public health capacity. Two breaking events, in New York and Washington, D.C. illustrate this.

In New York City on July 2, the North General Hospital of Harlem officially declared bankruptcy. This 190-bed facility has been a mainstay of this Manhattan local community since first built in 1979. Instead of a full-service institution, it is now to operate as a nursing home, and a "critical access" clinic. This downgrade was hailed as a good thing by Mayor Benito Bloomberg, who joined with Calif. Governator Schwarzenegger in 2006, to promote "Building America's Future" with this kind of Mussolini infrastructure scam.

In Washington, D.C., the District is in the process of a default-takeover of the 184-bed Greater Southeast Hospital, the only full service hospital in the poor section of the national capital. On July 9, Greater Southeast went over to the District, in a single-bidder auction, after its owner, Specialty Hospitals of America, defaulted, owing the District $55 million, and multi-millions to vendors of all kinds. The D.C. Council is meeting today to decide how to cope with trying to run a hospital Specialty acquired Greater Southeast in 2007, in a PPP sweetheart deal, in which the District committed $79 million to fix up the hospital, for Specialty to run it, which they did, into the ground.

The D.C. Southeast Hospital scandal came about in the wake of the shut-down in 2001 of the municipal asset, D.C. General Hospital, a full-service, 450 bed institution, under a stinking real estate scam. Lyndon LaRouche led an international mobilization to stop the shutdown of D.C. General, and expose the demented thinking and criminality behind such an action.

Nationwide, the particulars vary, but the pattern is the same of loss of medical facilities and capacity. In Manhattan two months ago, the St. Vincent Hospital was closed.

At the same time, clinics are closing. Up until now, clinics were touted over the past 15 years, as "replacements" for full-service hospitals, and from 2001 to 2008, under the Bush Administration, the numbers of clinics and "CA" hospitals (critical access facilities, where you are received then shipped out), increased. Now clinics and all kinds of health care centers are shutting or downsizing. The following are indicative.

* CALIFORNIA—SACRAMENTO COUNTY. Over the last 12 months, six clinics were reduced to three, with two of them to close within 30 days. The one remaining will have staff doctors cut by 50%, and shortened hours. The County Board of Supervisors has cut at least $3 million from the programs, slashing funding for conditions ranging from mental health services, to urgent gynecology and Hepatitis C. Lawsuits against the county have been filed by local indigent residents, the Loaves & Fishes charity.

* NEW YORK STATE—BUFFALO. Planned clinic closures this Fall at the Buffalo General Hospital—part of the Kaleida Health Hospital Systems—include the Wettlaufer Eye Clinic, which dates back to 1876, as well as the dental and oral surgery program. The Wound Care Center at Millard Fillmore Hospital at Gates Circle already has closed. The entire hospital is set to close in 2011. Later this Summer, the Millard Fillmore outpatient urology services will be partly shifted to the Buffalo General Hospital. The Womens and Childrens Hospital have two programs whose continuation is in doubt: the Western New York Poison Control Center and the Shaken Baby Syndrome Program.

* TENNESSEE—KNOXVILLE. The 19-year old Interfaith Health Clinic in Knoxville will be closing because two grants comprising 30% of its budget have run out. The clinic, which also supplies dental work to the indigent, has already cut 11 of 38 staff and hours.

* NEW JERSEY. Programs at 58 health care centers serving 136,000 patients statewide are at risk of cancellation or cutbacks, under a proposal for cutting $7.5 million. A fight is underway in the capital. On June 28, the legislature reinstated funding, taking money from a state employee prescription plan "that has grown less than expected." On July 2, nearly 100 Democratic Party state legislators held a press conference, challenging Gov Chris Christie (R) not to veto their funding resolution.