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Show THE ZEPHYR AUGUST 1993 PAGE 28 concern for some time now. I'm glad we're in agreement on their importance to file community. It's undear to me whether file Hospital Board sees these as a priority. The survey makes it dear that people want to get doctors here and find a way to keep them. They want the hospital as I knew the large majority did. I want it, too. I just don't necessarily want it at any price. Somewhere Left of ABSENT ISSUES Of course, the survey left a lot out. I guess I've always known that alternative health care doesn't exist in the minds of our Hospital Board. Never mind that the National Institute of I Iealth has a new "Department of Alternative Medicine," with its own research funding. (Thanks to National Public Radio for keeping me posted on what's happening in the outside world.) A homeopathic physician or a nutrition expert could have been listed as a possible visiting specialist. Maybe nobody does want them but me. You never know if you don't ask. health care Also conspicuously absent was anything about bringing in mid-levthe issue of rated of would have We'll know how never this professionals. group respondents Kfakfi other or professionals. recruiting LPN's or RN's or doctors provide far and above the most expensive health care to consumers. When times are tight, I think we need to consider stepping down out of that heady atmosphere and looking to health care professionals to round out our health care system. This is a tried and the mid-levtrue method of lowering health care costs all over America. I have to wonder why we can't even get the concept on a piece of paper with this hospital administration. el state-license- d nurse-midwiv- es el It's time once again to chew the fat about health care. Over the last year or so. I've tried to publicize the facte, and the new ideas being thrown out, in an attempt to encourage creativity. I believe that Grand County folks have die ability to make the right decisions for themselves, if issues and alternatives are presented clearly to them. What I hate to see is a majority of the residents being railroaded into decisions about our hospital, and about the kind of medical care available to us, without anyone really knowing what all the options and all the tradeoffs are. THE PEOPLE SPEAK ON HEALTH CARE Recently, the Hospital Board issued a survey. About 300 responses were turned in. The results were better than I could have hoped for. You folks are really on top of things out there! And no, I was not one of the survey respondents, never even saw a copy of it. Wherever they were distributed, I wasn't there. Here are the results, in case you haven't heard them yet. Survey Item 1. This was where people rated the "most important current services" dial are offered at the hospital The top Eve highest rated services were: Number 1 winner Emergency Services 2: Obstetrical Services 3: Acute Care Beds (Regular Hospital Stays) 4: Scheduled Surgery, InOutpatient 5: 24 Hour Emergency Surgery Survey Item 2. Here are the top five finishers for "What new service would you like to see offered?" Number 1 winner: Ginic for the Low Income 2: Nursing HomeLow Income Housing Complex 3: County Wide Insurance Plan (I IMO) 4: Birthing Room 5: Health Prevention Programs Survey Item 3. The top five you'd like to have as visiting specialists were: Number 1 winner: General Surgeon THE COST OF BIRTH What is the real overall "cost of being able to have our babies delivered at file hospital in Moab? It's obvious that most residents want baby doctors here. I want them, too, just for the small percentage of complicated births which occur. But, realistically, their presence in our small town will be a very costly luxury, as it is in all rural communities and small hospitals these days. It appears to me that a minimum of two obstetricians will need to be located here, to provide 24 hour capability with each doctor covering the other on days off. If we recruit two obstetricians to town, will there be enough business left for any new General Practitioners? Having fewer GPs may have to be measured as part of the cost of having d births at our hospitaL In our evaluation, we need to know if we will have to give up everything else just to have obstetricians practicing in town. If so, is that fair to other segments of the population, who will not be having children bom into their family? Our one obstetrician recently gave his notice; because he was on call 24 hours a day, with no backup, with no time off. I guess I don't blame him. 1 have no idea how this situation -- the loss of a doctor scheduled to come, culminating with the loss of our new doctor already here was allowed to occur. doctor-assiste- 2: ObstetridanGynecologist 3: Internal Medicine 4: Cardiologist 5: as "most pressing issue." lore are the top five Number 1 winner: Recruiting & Retaining Physicians 2: Affordable Medical Care for All I Mountain Flying Service BOATMEN'S SPECIAL Friday flight to Grand Junction for Pediatrician Survey Item 4. - vote-gette- rs 3: Community Support 4: Economic Viability of the Hospital 5: Obstetrical Services (The pressing issue of "Medical Office Building" was rated second to last.) Survey Item 5. About 83 of the respondents were in favor of putting the hospital property tax question back on the ballot this fall. Survey Item 6. About 82 wanted the county to pursue the addition of a 1 sales tax to fund the hospital instead of the property tax option. a movie, dinner, dancing and a blood tost. Office at Kyle & Carrie Bailey, owners Full kitchen Units Microwave ovens Away from noisy Main St. in a quiet atmosphere or write: 338 East 1st South Moab, UT 84532 N. Main in the Navtec Bldg. 50 SCENIC FLIGHTS Cottonwood Condos 801-259-88- 97 1 801-259-80- INSTANT ANALYSIS Without too much effort, even I can sort out what this survey means. People want emergency medical care available here in Moab. They want the hospital to be able to perform emergency surgery, and to take care of them capably if they're too hurt to go home. They want babies to be delivered at the hospital by obstetricians. A clinic for low income people and the related concept of affordable health care for ranks right at the top on two of the survey questions. These issues have been my main everyone Call 32 - CHARTERS |