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malthaussen

(17,066 posts)
Mon Nov 3, 2014, 12:42 PM Nov 2014

It's not politics, but...

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20141031_Merger_of_Abington__Jefferson_is_sign_of_the_future.html

Abington Hospital and Jefferson are planning to merge, as are Penn and Lancaster.

Growing up where I have, I have watched Abington slowly but surely eat up what seems like 90% of the township. Amazing how much profit those places make.

"Standard & Poor's this month affirmed its "A" rating for Abington, citing unrestricted reserves of $676 million, enough to pay for 338 days of operations and more than twice its long-term debt."

Good thing, too, my mother gets her pension from Abington.

-- Mal
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It's not politics, but... (Original Post) malthaussen Nov 2014 OP
I don't know how I feel about these mergers. Curmudgeoness Nov 2014 #1
It is better for Abington to merge with a secular hospital rather than a religious one. Dawson Leery Nov 2014 #2
Wow I missed this... MadrasT Nov 2014 #3

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
1. I don't know how I feel about these mergers.
Mon Nov 3, 2014, 02:12 PM
Nov 2014

On the one hand, I do like having options and don't trust any business that has a monopoly in an area. But on the other hand, I have watched the two hospitals in my area try to one-up each other by duplication of equipment and facilities that seem to be a waste of money, as well as making it more costly since they both have to pay for all this duplicate expense.

As to the amount of profit that these places make, it is shameful. We all know that when the profits are that high, everyone that needs the service (and we all need medical services) is getting royally screwed.

Dawson Leery

(19,348 posts)
2. It is better for Abington to merge with a secular hospital rather than a religious one.
Tue Nov 4, 2014, 04:42 PM
Nov 2014

A few years ago, a Catholic hospital attempted to take over Abington and all hell broke loose.

MadrasT

(7,237 posts)
3. Wow I missed this...
Wed Nov 5, 2014, 03:43 PM
Nov 2014
It's also not known what form a deal would take, or whether Penn would acquire Lancaster General, as it did Chester County Hospital in West Chester last year.


I was aware of the proposed deal between Penn and LGH but completely missed that it already happened at CCH.

Huh.

I have family members that work at LGH, haven't heard yet how the LGH folks are feeling about this.

Also I've had many family members stay at both Abington *and* LGH.

As much as I appreciate the technology and resources available to a larger hospital network... there is something comforting about small local hospitals. (Although by now Lancaster General is comparatively huge to what it was 30 years ago.) I stayed in Ephrata Community Hospital for a week back in the 90s after an accident and I was glad to be there. (As "glad" as I could be under the circumstances.)
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