Sunday, June 28, 2015

Statesman backs St. Luke's expansion, street closure; public responds.

See the Statesman's full editorial here

From the editorial disclosure:
"Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman’s editorial board. To comment on an editorial or suggest a topic, email editorial@idahostatesman.com. Disclosure: Publisher Michael Jung is a member of the St. Luke's Strategic Initiatives Committee."
Note. A KBC member alerted the Boise Weekly (BW) that the above disclosure had in fact appeared in the print and online version of the opinion piece. Mr. Jung's St. Luke's affiliation was not, however, disclosed to members of KBC when meeting with the Statesman's editorial board in May, which would have been appropriate. The editorial board has every right to its opinion, just like others following this process.

Everyone makes mistakes; we're happy to see the BW print a clear correction to its story. The BW is the only 'local and independent' paper that has consistently given coverage to both sides of this issue, which is what the Fourth Estate is all about.


Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/06/27/3872459_statesman-editorial-st-lukes-expansion.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
Public responses to the online editorial (none affiliated with KBC):



    • Jim Philpott ·  Top Commenter
      Until the Statesman addresses the credibility gap between its endorsements and "and can you believe this scandal…" coverage of the Otter administration, it's opinion will be ignored.

      • Bill Goodnight ·  Top Commenter
        The Editor parrots St. Lukes in citing the need for saving precious seconds in moving stroke and cardiac patients within their facility. They say nothing of the time it takes to transport emergency patients to the Northeast perimeter of our city when a logical place for emergency treatment exists in Meridian adjacent to the Interstate and where the center of Ada County's population exists.

        There is a reason why one Boise business after another is moving to Eagle road. That's where the people are! St. Lukes should be next, much to the benefit of their beloved neighborhood.

        • Jay Rais ·  Top Commenter · Northwest Nazarene University
          The purported reason that St.Lukes purchased all those additional bare acres of land surrounding their Eagle Rd. facility was FOR just this type of expansion. Now all those very desirable acres are off the tax rolls and they want to expand downtown. Seems they want their cake and eat it too.

      • Denise Baird · University of Idaho
        The traffic mess created by this expansion (with increased traffic and road closure) seems likely to add several minutes to the time that it takes for emergency vehicles to get to the emergency room - which will more than offset the 'seconds saved' once the patient gets to the emergency room. I simply do not believe that closing Jefferson is essential to hospital expansion - nor have I seen any 'innovative measures' from St Lukes to address the traffic concerns! Planning and Zoning did not like the closing Jefferson idea because it is not a good idea for Boise long term!

        • Jason Hamrick ·  Top Commenter · Nile C. Kinnick High School
          St. Luke's doesn't "deserve" anything. They have to earn it.

          • Benjamin Shelley ·  Top Commenter
            sounds like somebody was paid to publish a puff piece.

            • TJ Cullen ·  Top Commenter · Independent Contractor at Self
              These are the same people who urged everyone to reelect Otter for a third term after he spent the first two terms screwing over Idaho and Idahoans. Guess what Otter is still doing to Idaho and Idahoans.

              • Bill Goodnight ·  Top Commenter
                Yep! Here it is!

                St. Luke's Boise / Meridian Strategic Initiatives Committee.
                Jefferson Jewell, Chairman.
                James Bailey
                Art Berry
                Ted Bohlman, MD.
                Kenny Bolton
                Mike Brassey
                Stephen Brown
                Larry Chetwood
                Jeff Cilek
                Ed Dahlberg
                Sandra Dalton
                Darin DeAngeli
                William J. Deasy
                Michael Fery
                Gary L. Fletcher
                Jerry Frank
                Bill Gilbert
                Bob Glaisyer
                David D. Goss
                Dick Hackborn
                Steve Hanks
                George Harad
                James V. Hawkins
                Alice Hennessey
                Barton F. Hill, MD
                John Jackson
                Mike Jung***************************************************
                Joy Kealey
                Celeste Keller
                Jim Kelly
                Jim Kissler
                Vincent M. Kituku, PhD
                Peter Langhus, MD.
                Michael Ling
                Scott Madison
                David McAnaney
                Pat McMurray
                David Merrick, MD.
                Doug Oppenheimer
                Skip Oppenheimer
                David Palfreyman
                Dick Parrish
                David Pate, MD, JD.
                Herb Patriarche
                Rich Raimondi
                Bob Rice
                Tom Ripke
                Mark Rivers
                Mike Shannahan
                Walt Sinclair
                Gordon C. Smith
                Shannon Stoeger
                Scott J. Straubhar
                Duane Stueckle
                Michael W. Sullivan
                Jim Swartley, MD.
                Carolyn Terteling
                Karen Vauk
                Chuck Walter
                Jim Webb
                Bill Whitacre
                Tim R. Wilcomb
                Tom Wilford
                Barbara L. Wilson
                Charles Wilson
                John Witte, MD.
                Ed Zimmer

              • Bruce Parks · Union College
                The "unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman's editorial board" has the same pedigree as an unsigned letter to the editor published by the Statesman; unacceptable. The Statesman should provide the names of those expressing consent and their affiliations with any and all institutions, whether compensated or not by that institution. Is it true that Statesman Publisher Mike Jung sits on the St. Luke's Strategic Initiatives Committee? That sounds like a conflict of interest.

              • Bill Goodnight ·  Top Commenter
                Is it true that Statesman Publisher Mike Jung sits on the St. Luke's Strategic Initiatives Committee?

                • Evaly Poole · BYU (Brigham Young University)
                  I live 5 minutes from downtown St. Luke's and would be more than happy to have them build their expansion in Meridian. That is where they have the room and the population growth. I think that the people in Meridian are just as deserving of critical care for strokes as the people downtown are. Which brings up the point that St. Luke's would like us to believe that the only way to deliver critical care is if everything is located on the same floor. Is there any data showing this to be the case? Or is it like them telling us that we would all be better off if St. Luke's buys up every physician practice in the area because healthcare would be cheaper and seemless. That has not worked out - healthcare delivered by St. Luke's is more expensive, wait times are longer and the quality of care has not improved. I have had two foot surgeries done in a surgery center near Overland Road and Eagle because it was half the cost of doing it at St. Luke's downtown - and as I said, I live 5 minutes from downtown St. Luke's. St. Luke's has botched the Saltzer Medical Group deal which has cost the hospital millions of dollars. Dr. Pate and the rest of the decision makers at St. Luke's have not proven themselves to be capable and trustworthy business planners. They have lost millions of dollars in the lawsuits because they were convinced they knew what was best for the Boise community. They don't. Move to Meridian.

                  • Bill Goodnight ·  Top Commenter
                    The Idaho Statesman Editorial board consists of: Ben Ysursa, Angie Nelson, a Boise public relations manager, Statesman Publisher Mike Jung and editorial page editor, Robert Ehlert.

                    Ysursa and Nelson are long-time Boise citizens, Jung and Ehlert have each been in Idaho for less than four years.

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