Gary Marks spent money on this repotr and, he spent money on half page advertisements in the papers to push a failing effort (the hospital district). Maybe Gary should consider that it is his poor decision making that is keeping the GRMC from making a profit?

So, Mr. Marks provided his own list of "related" businesses for the independent study?  Why didn't this guy call our Chamber of Commerce.  It was the COC that heralded this study more than anybody else.  Was Dr. Coker's business surveyed?  Were any competitors asked?  Oh, that's right, there are no other competitors in this town!  GRMC is a self-referring monopoly!

Maybe this Mr. H called the gas stations, as the several locals do find it cheaper to buy gas in Glen Rose than get lab and X-Rays done in Glen Rose.  Only the ones who know the dirty little secret that they can get lab and x-ray done at 1/10 (that's ONE TENTH!) the price that GRMC gouges you with.  Both Cleburne and Granbury have private businesses in their towns that offer COMPETITIVE prices, and the 1-2 gallons of gas costs maybe $4.00 when you can save $300-$500. 

But let's keep this quiet, because GRMC does not want you to know, and they have been very effective, so far, in preventing local competition and in keeping us naive.   Shhhhhh!!!!!

 "...at least some trauma equipment"?

I didn't say that very well. What I meant was this. I think that any hospital/clinic here needs to have updated equipment. At the same time, I've been told that many people end up getting airlifted, etc to other hospital that have either specialty equipment or better for emergencies such as heart attacks. If the GRMC is going to airlift people out for some types of emergencies no matter what, then it seems like a process of examining what is needed and what is not is in order.

When your coronary arteries are blocked (from too much ice cream?), you are not breathing, your heart is almost dead and you are turning blue when your family or the ambulance brings you in, then discussions about eliminating certain equipment for cost considerations becomes unimportant.  

Do you want a physician there when they bring you in? Do you want Laboratory? Radiology? Cardio-pulmonary services? Do you want an R.N. or a nurse's aid? Do you want a Pharmacy that can provide epinephrine and all the other drugs you might need?  Do you want a service that can fly you to a larger hospital with the sophisticated, state-of-the-art technology that only they have to save your life? Should there be house-keeping services avaliable to clean up the mess the physician and nurses and staff made saving your life so that the next emergency patient can be accommodated?

If your pregnant daughter, her husband and their 3 year old get t-boned in their small car by an oil field truck, do you want the local hospital to have enough equipment and personnel on hand to deal with 3-4 serious traumas? Have you ever experienced that kind of situation?

A 'process of examining' is called Triage in medical lingo and this is done quite competently by GRMC. 

If you think that the problems GRMC is having are unique to our facility, you are mistaken. Why do you think that our President wants to make healthcare reform a priority?

HB. I don't disagree with you. And you obviously have a much greater and expansive background in health care than I do. and I am not saying that I think cost considerations should trump health. But I also don't think that every single hospital/clinic in every town must be a Harris Methodist hospital. Where that line is drawn between what a hospital needs to have in order to care for local patients versus situations where patients go elsewhere I think should be a huge point of discussion before any next hospital district vote. If we the taxpayer are involved in this, then everyone needs to see the needs, and justifications. I definitely can be wrong and most likely am about trauma equipment and what is required. My background is computers and not health equipment. But I believe it's unreasonable for that type of discussion and education not to occur.

One more thing-I was told by someone recently (and have not verified) that GRMC is a level 4 trauma hospital. My basic understanding is that a level 4 does not have as much trauma related equipment or trained trauma doctors as a level 1. The question, to me, is, should every hospital become a level 1 trauma center? In a perfect world, where healhcare reform is the prioity instead of, say, the military, that may happen. Meanwhile, seems legitimate to me to ask whether, when there are procedures to get people to higher level trauma centers, it is necessary for every hospital to be a level one. That's what I meant by some traume. Now it may be that GRMC needs to bump up a level or two but I also think if a hospital district wants to have this paid for by the taxpayer, that the taxpayer is entitled to see the situation laid out honestly and openly.

I agree with you that this discussion should occur. Education is always a good thing and those who are not in health care could not possibly know first hand what the realities are. There are very definite lines for each health care facility as to what it can handle. GRMC has those guidelinesl It also has quite a diverse array of offerings for such a small community. I don't think that many people here realize this and I'm frustrated that many in our community are confusing the problems that are endemic in the health care system in our country with our local entity. But this is a problem GRMC must address if it wants the community's support.

I'm not acquainted with the exact requirements for different levels of Trauma centers. However, for example, if you came in with a gunshot wound in your abdomen, you would require immediate surgery (surgeon, anesthesia, OR nurses, intensive care, etc). GRMC could not provide that. It would be financially impossible to provide that kind of facility and to keep that level of staff on duty 24/7 in an area as small as ours. Modern medicine has become highly technical and all facilities cannot provide every technology. I think this is part of the differentiation of Trauma levels. 

The good news is that GRMC could patch you together, give you blood and get you to a facility that could save you life.

But that's exactly what they do now and so we agree, even though we come to it from different angles.