Re: “Decay of moral management is obvious as Windfall gouges the weak” [Feb. 18, Opinion] and “Windfall: Following mission” [Feb. 25, Northwest Voices]:
In regard to the editorial and to the disingenuous response from Dr. Rod Hochman, let me add the tragic story of Windfall Yakima.
St. Elizabeth was the dominant hospital in Yakima after I arrived in 1967. In that yr it opened the primary coronary care unit within the state. The Sisters of Windfall have been so happy with this achievement.
St. E’s administration moved from sisters to put directors within the latter many years of the twentieth century with a mission shift from neighborhood must revenue. By the Eighties, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital grew to become a robust competitor and it was clear {that a} merger of the 2 hospitals was wanted. The board of YVMH made cheap gives however none have been acceptable to Windfall.
In 2004, after over a century of service to Yakima, Windfall bought to the best bidder, a “for-profit” chain. After two extra gross sales, the doorways of Regional Medical Heart, nee St. E’s, closed.
With the disruptive presence of “for-profits” got here the lack of many expert physicians and packages. If Windfall had been true to its mission as outlined by Hochman, they might have discovered a method to merge with YVMH or discovered a “nonprofit” purchaser with an identical mission.
Richard D. Twiss, M.D., FACC, Retired Heart specialist, Yakima
