Local officials are working toward a Feb. 19 deadline to prepare plans and bids ready submission to the federal government for a portion of the $825 billion economic recovery stimulus package proposed by President Barack Obama.Ray Humphreys, CEO of Delta Regional Medical Center, said the hospital has a master plan for land purchased several years ago. The property is on Colorado Street south of Lowe's, which is on Mississippi 1. “The primary purpose of that purchase was to find a location for a new hospital when we have the funds to build that,” Humphreys said. “The 180-acre campus would also have room for and has plans for other facilities to be on that campus.”
Humphreys said the facilities could include doctors' offices, a cancer center and various medical support businesses.“Those businesses like to locate near hospitals. What we want to do is go ahead and do something that will cause that development to start,” said Humphreys. “We can't build a new hospital right now, but let's go ahead and get an entrance road in there with underground utilities in place so that people can go ahead and start developing their facilities on that campus. We want to make it development ready.”
Although DRMC has been involved in a $6 million renovation for the past couple of years, the hospital is 55 years old and does not offer the kind of facilities necessary to attract some doctors practicing in specialties, he said.“This community needs a modern, new health care center so that we can address the needs in this area more adequately,” he said, adding that Mississippi leads the nation in incidences of many health problems, such as diabetes and hypertension." We've got to have the facilities from which to operate to attract doctors,” said Humphreys.
Humphreys said DRMC has had talks with University Medical Center and William Carey College about the School of Osteopathic Medicine they are developing to use the hospital as a residency and a training program.“We need to do those kinds of things,” he said. “It's kind of hard to attract medical specialists if you have old, out-of-date facilities. It doesn't give them the ability to practice the kind of medicine that they were trained to do.”
No thanks! said...
My response is more of a question. For all the millions spent on DRMC why is it out of date???? No, I do not want a new hospital on the south end of town....why?? For one, my taxes are stretched to the limit, as it is in this city. The last thing we need are more taxes through the city and county to pay for this new hospital.
Second? Let's see, go to any city, not just Greenville, and where ever that hospital is located you can bet the worst part of town is nearby. Most welfare recipients and all of the low income follow hospitals as to where they want to live because of convenience to get free medical attention when needed. The closer they are the less need of transportation or the cheaper it is for them to get there. I honestly am not trying to be racist, this applies to whites or blacks.....be honest and you will see what I am talking about.
Most hospitals were built years ago, the neighborhoods then were usually upscale and high class. Now those same neighborhoods are run down and the original owners are long gone.
Think of Jackson, the VA Center, Univ. Med Center....all dangerous areas to be visiting loved ones in the hospital.So, please, fix up, update the DRMC and keep the crime rate where it is without it expanding more to the south, thanks but no thanks!
There he goes again! $6 million dollars in renovations; $4 million for an ad campaign and now Ray wants a new hospital! Does this man ever quit?
NICU - Failed; Heart Center - Flop; Burn Center - Gone; KDH... why? When will Ray learn that hospitals are not about shiny new buildings, but about qualified medical staff who are treated fairly and are proud to work at that facility. The way to keep good nurses, physicians and ancillary staff is to create a work environment that is safe, non-threatening and fair to all. That's where DRMC fails.
In terms of having state of the art equipment, DRMC is doing rather well. Sure, everyone would love to have a new medical center, but would it improve health care in the Delta? Would building all new schools improve our educational system? I think not.
So, in the last two years, we have spent $10 million dollars to "build the next great hospital in Mississippi" and now Ray has realized that none of his ideas have worked. So now he is back in his field of dreams asking for money to build an entrance road with underground utilities. Another "road to nowhere" funded by guess who?
Forthright
Posts
14 comments:
I would like to see this hospital happen. First because it a lot closer to where I live (Avon).. Any type of development is a good thing for greenville. The new building that are on south Colorado now Look GOOD! I would rather go to a hospital in a good location then have to be where the one is now. I think the idea of a new hospital making a bad neighborhood is crazy.
Yet I do agree that the hospitals we have now are good enough for greenville.
Unless a hospital is in the middle of nowhere, which few are, I challenge you to give me one example of a hospital that does not have a higher crime rate around it in comparison to the rest of the city. Any city!!!
Gas is cheaper now and DRMC is only a few miles further down the road....make the time!
Greenville can not afford a new hospital after spending millions for many years on the present one and King's Daughters! We need our tax dollars in so many more places that have had NO tax dollars spent or very few.
I stand by my post. Thanks; but no thanks!
Ray forgets, it is not the hospital; but the city that discourages new doctors to come here. Being a welfare city does not encourage their attention. Having Ray as administrator is another deterrent. His reputation is well known all over the state. If he wants this hospital to prosper and grow...He should LEAVE! Do us all a favor!
To 12:14...I can cite an example of a very fine hospital that has only enhanced the area around it: River Oaks in Jackson.
Umm..... DRMC does not get money from the county. It is county owned but NOT county funded. Thus your taxes do not fund DRMC. Do your homework.
I guess that new shiny facility in Vicksburg was a bad idea.
Its not all about wanting a new shiny building. What you have to look at is the foundation holding that building up. The building is old and repairs are dangerous and costly.
River Oakes is actually in Flowood, MS. Oh!!! To have this ratio to our population in Greenville, MS!!! Then I would have no problem
with a new hospital....BUT WE DON'T!
General Characteristics
Total population
4,750
Male
2,258
47.5
49.1%
map
brief
Female
2,492
52.5
50.9%
Median age (years)
29.0
(X)
35.3
Under 5 years
404
8.5
6.8%
18 years and over
3,634
76.5
74.3%
65 years and over
210
4.4
12.4%
One race
4,716
99.3
97.6%
White
3,796
79.9
75.1%
Black or African American
790
16.6
12.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native
8
0.2
0.9%
Asian
90
1.9
3.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
3
0.1
0.1%
Some other race
29
0.6
5.5%
DRMC does not get tax dollars?? Are you kidding? Then, other than admissions, where else does the funding come from? State? That would be our tax dollars, grants?? that again would be our tax dollars? Donations? Please, oh wise one, educate us!
** http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090118/OPINION/901180333/1046
Mississippi has public hospitals that are owned by the state, or a subdivision of the state, such as a county. Private hospitals (both for-profit and not-for-profit) are those not owned by the state or a subdivision of the state. The only difference in funding relates to the Disproportionate Share Hospital, or DSH program. As mandated by the Mississippi Medicaid State Plan, only public hospitals are allowed to participate in this supplemental funding program.**
Doesn't this mean our tax dollars through Medicaid are funding hospitals?? Hasn't DRMC tried several times to get a loan/bond through the county that would eventually be paid for or suplemented by tax dollars??
Well, of course it does!!! Ray is hoping he can fool the city of Greenville to build him a road to his "field of dreams". The majority of the physicians who round at DRMC speak negatively of Ray. They are tired of his insane shenanigans. However, most of them are now "owned" by DRMC, so they can't be as vocal as they'd like. Ray does need to learn that a new building does not a quality hospital make. We need to get back to the basics and do those basics well -- like it used to be! Forget all of his high dollar services that are not (and never will). Do us all a favor and go back south, Ray.
Ha one thing that is funny about this Blog after all the talk about the hospital and Leland education.
The question has been asked:
Which issue concerns you MOST about living in the Delta?
No one has picked health care or education.
Tooo funny
That is because the health care is a done deal in most cases here. Without a better economy we will not get better physicans, etc. As for education, without industry, jobs will not happen and the population will remain the same, therefore tax dollars are limited to the few working, homeowners still here.
So yes, economy and our city leaders are foremost! Without improvements on both parts, we are stagnant and remain stuck in a welfare city!
Well, another one bites the dust. Kia is now closed. When will the ones like us still here get our heads out of our behinds and realize this place is dead. If we were smart we would rent our houses or even better burn them down and collect the insurance and get the hell out of here. I would have never thought I would see the day G'ville would ever be this way. Our only hope is the levee will break.
If we are building Mississippis next great hospital, then why cant we keep doctors? This past Friday. a friends wife severely broke her arm. She was taken to DRMC wher an emergency room doctor looked at her. She needed surgery,but guess what? the ONLY bone doctor still practicing at DRMC was out of town for the weekend.This family had to pack up and drive to cleveland the next day for surgery. I am sure the trauma center designation will be the next thing to go.GOD help us all who live in Greenville and have to depend on DRMC for our care
I almost never leave comments, but after reading through a lot of remarks here "Hudson and Humphreys: What a Team!".
I actually do have a couple of questions for you
if you do not mind. Is it just me or do a few of the responses come across as if they are coming from brain dead
visitors? :-P And, if you are writing at other online sites, I would like to keep up with
anything fresh you have to post. Could you list of the
complete urls of your shared sites like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin
profile?
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