HOSPITAL MERGER PANEL CHANGES PLAN

The committee studying a possible merger of Cape Girardeau's two hospitals has revised the document that outlines promises for community health care.

The Proposed Cape Girardeau Community Health Care Commitment is one of a number of documents being compiled in anticipation of a merger. It is a demonstration of the hospitals' intent to return benefits of the merger to the community.

The benefits listed in August haven't changed. They are establishment of centers of excellence, consolidation of operations, implementation of a two-year price freeze, and initiation and expansion of public health and wellness programs.

"Currently, attorneys who are working with the hospitals on the merger process are planning meetings with representatives of the Missouri attorney general's office in anticipation of later filing the official merger documents with the U.S. Department of Justice," said a joint statement from the hospitals released Wednesday.

No date is set for filing the documents. Before the final merger proposal is filed, the boards of both hospitals would need to formally approve the proposal.

The revised Proposed Community Health Care Commitment outlines the same guarantees, but wording has been changed, simplified and shortened. It also reflects developments that have taken place since August. For example, originally the commitment paper says a team will visit other merged hospitals. Those trips have taken place.

The earlier version was 13 pages long. The updated version is 12 pages long.

The hospitals also reiterated nine reasons merger talks started in November 1997 and have continued:

1. Maintaining the status quo is not a viable option. The health-care climate here and through the nation is changing and the hospitals must change with it.

2. For years, consumers have clearly indicated their desire for the two facilities to merge.

3. It is clear that with diminishing patient census and more stringent Medicare and Medicaid regulation, the hospitals cannot support continued duplication.

4. The improved efficiency of the Cape Girardeau hospitals would benefit employers and consumers.

5. To establish a single consolidated and integrated system that can achieve the highest quality of care and offer lower prices to consumers.

6. To create an integrated regional health-care system which will feature a full continuum of health-care services for "at risk contracting" with health-care payers.

7. To have a stronger regional presence and expand the geographic service area beyond the 10-county area.

8. To assure the availability of a broad range of services by maintaining local control, reduce outward migration and increase convenience to consumers.

9. Alternative buyers of one or both of the two hospitals are unlikely to support tertiary (specialized) care. These services and the specialists who provide them would be likely to leave the area.