LETTERS: QUESTIONS FOR HOSPITAL STUDY PANEL

To the editor:

The Southeast Missouri Business Group on Health would like to comment on the proposed study by a joint committee of Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center regarding the possibilities of affiliation by these hospitals.

Our main goal has been obtaining quality health care at competitive prices for employers and residents of the Southeast Missouri area. We have been very concerned with continued development of options and choices for purchasers of health care (individuals, employees and employers), implementation of outcome measures as they relate to the quality of patient care and patient satisfaction, and the achievement of efficiencies that benefit the consumers of health care in Southeast Missouri. Thus, we are very supportive of and interested in the results of any study that might recommend movement toward the achievement of these goals by our Cape hospitals.

While such an undertaking is a large task, this study could be a very important step toward the positive restructuring of health-care delivery in the Cape Girardeau area. We hope the joint committee will consider questions such as:

1. How can quality of services and patient outcomes be measured and meaningfully reported to allow patients to determine where they can received the best care?

2. How can both facilities, or a joint facility, become more efficient in the spending of its resources so that patients receive the most competitive price for needed services?

3. From the quality-of-care perspective and a patient focus, what should the role of the Cape Girardeau hospitals be in relationship to area physicians and clinics, outpatient facilities, other ares hospitals, St. Louis or Memphis tertiary-care hospitals and other centers of excellence or specialized-care facilities?

4. How can an environment of healthy competition for services be best facilitated to ensure both St. Francis and Southeast remain innovative and focused on serving patients with the highest quality of care?

We also hope that the full results of the study will be freely shared in an open community dialogue. In this way, patients may be best assured that critical information about the health of St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital is available for use when making decisions about where to purchase health-care services.

While there are many other areas of exploration for the joint committee, the answers to these questions will go a long way to providing direction as we move into the 21st century. We wish the joint committee much success in its efforts to accomplish this difficult task.

MARY DUNN, Executive Director

Southeast Missouri Business Group on Health

Cape Girardeau