Hospital facilities subject of ongoing debate

The six-month controversy concerning the existence of an outpatient facility in Bloomington was clarified Wednesday night when the Bloomington City Council amended the municipal code to alter definitions concerning the words 'hospital' and 'outpatient care facilities.' The debate began in February of this year when a for-profit specialty hospital was proposed by Dr. Kamal Tiwari. The debate sparked many within the Bloomington community to voice concerns about competition between the Bloomington Hospital and a new facility. Mark Moore, president and CEO of Bloomington Hospital, said he opposed the option of building a new hospital and maintained another hospital would have had a negative impact and not provide the best possible care to its patients.\nLocal attorney Mike Ellis said Bloomington Hospital lacks proof that the specialty hospital will be harmful.\n"We are proposing to offer patients and doctors healthcare choices that they currently don't have," Ellis said. "What has been missing from the hospital is evidence showing that revenue will be taken from the hospital or ambulance services will be gone."\nThe debate ended in a straw vote against the plan, in which five of the nine members voted against the petition, finding no need for another hospital in Bloomington. Four of the council members passed on the vote, wanting more time to go through information for next week's meeting.\nThe council then heard more arguments the following week of Feb. 17 when a packed audience listened as both sides discussed the pros and cons of having a specialty hospital in Bloomington. \n"We do not oppose a new medical complex being built," said Moore, in a \nstatement, "but we do oppose the possibility of a new hospital being built with inpatient, overnight beds that does not share our mission of serving all patients," Moore said.\nCreating a specialty hospital will create more jobs, and competition between the two hospitals will decrease patient costs, said David Goodman, executive director of Allied Employer Healthcare Coalition.\n"Having a specialty hospital will create a convenience of access," Goodman said. "A large general hospital is mandated by special interests, they have, by necessity diversification. A specialty clinic can develop overhead."\nThe Bloomington City Council unanimously denied a petition for the creation of a for-profit specialty hospital at the request of both the petitioner and the Bloomington Hospital at Wednesday night's meeting Feb. 26.\nIn a surprising announcement, the petitioner representing the physician trying to build a specialty hospital in Bloomington asked the City Council Wednesday night to deny the petition, citing a lack of support and the use of the word "inpatient" in the petition.\n"We had hoped to handle this differently. We understand that several groups are opposed to this petition, and we formally request that city council deny this request so that we can work to accommodate the city council," Ubecker said. "We ask the city council to give clear directions, and we ask the Planning Commission to give clear intent."\nThe controversy surrounding a new for-profit specialty hospital has divided the community for the last several months. \nMoore urged the council to deny the petition and thanked the public and fellow physicians for their support on the issue.\n"We oppose the use of inpatient care. If this is removed and the petition is firm, we will not oppose a future petition," Moore said. "Bloomington Hospital will continue to work with the city and county to make sure that anything regarding an inpatient hospital will go through city comment."\nDistrict V Rep. David Sabbagh was pleased with the outcome for now, but would like a clear definition of "outpatient."\n"I'm happy to see that the 'inpatient' is being removed from the petition," Sabbagh said. "I also want a good definition of 'outpatient,' consistent with current community standards."\nOn April 28, Dr. Tiwari announced his plans to move the hospital outside city limits and into the jurisdiction of Monroe County. His change of plans comes after the Bloomington City Plan Commission failed to give a recommendation to the Bloomington City Council.\n"City Council will not approve the zoning for my project," Tiwari said. "Bloomington Hospital has political influence over the City Council, and I didn't have enough votes. I only had four, they had five, and (the City Council) politically outmaneuvered me. So I decided to go somewhere else. The county was available and welcomed me."\nTiwari said the county approached him about moving his hospital even before the City Council had made its decision, but Tiwari waited until the final vote.\n"I wanted to give City Council the opportunity, and I did not respond to the county's invitation. So it was natural for me to look to other locations after my plan was rejected," he said.\nThe new full hospital will be located at Indiana State Road 37 and Fullerton Pike -- outside city boundaries.\nNow that the proposed hospital is out of city limits, the county only needs to review the proposal. The land is already pre-zoned, so the county will not need to accept or reject the plan.\n-- Contact senior writer Lindsay Jancek at lmjancek@indiana.edu.