HOSPITAL DISCUSSIONS EXPLORE KEY TOPICS

Cape Girardeau physicians represented by an ad hoc committee of the local medical society say they support hospital merger talks but aren't ready to endorse the plan. The seven-member committee, formed in October, met this week and decided more information and perhaps changes are needed before an endorsement can be given. The committee was formed by the Cape Girardeau County Medical Society, which represents about 90 percent of the practicing physicians in the county.

Dr. Billy Hammond, chairman of the ad hoc group, said, "We are supportive of the efforts thus far and are open to communication with the representative executive boards. But there remain a number of issues that are unresolved."

Specifically, physicians have questions about governance of a single hospital and want to see a written, five-year plan of action for the merger. They say they will send a letter to the hospital boards outlining physician suggestions and concerns.

"When you have an issue as important as this, there will be many different points of view," said Dr. Hammond. "We are an important part of the solution, and obviously we have to work together toward a dynamic plan for health care in the future."

Dr. Hammond stresses that physicians have to be part of the decision-making process. As stated here before, we agree.

Southeast Missouri Hospital's administrator, Jim Wente, said of the physicians' overtures: "We are delighted they are working together with us to try to work through the issues relative to governance. ... It takes a while to build consensus."

Physicians want to see changes in the proposed governing board of the merged institution. If the merger is approved, current plans call for a new board that include three physicians. The doctors want four of their number to be members and want to be heard concerning specifics of the merged entity. They also want to select their own members rather than having the hospital select them.

None of the physicians' suggestions that we have heard seem unreasonable. As written here before, it is to everyone's benefit for talks to continue and for an accommodation to be reached, if such is possible. We take this week's developments as a positive sign that physicians can work with the two hospital boards toward accomplishment of the difficult task of merging the hospitals.