Watcher's DMH BS Ad of the Week 10-22-06
This one isn't too hard to miss....the billboard on the south end of the 51 overpass.
DMH propagandists put out a billboard with all their employed cardiologists, touting them as the "only comprehensive" team in Decatur. To their credit, that is true.
HOWEVER...WHY IS THAT TRUE?
WHY?
Let's look back at the history of cardiology services in Decatur to find the answer.
20+ years ago, we had no cardiologists in Decatur. None. We had a few internal medicine doctors who had taken an interest in cardiology, and they functioned as cardiologists to a limited extent. Then, Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants came to Decatur, and literally overnight, Decatur had top of the line cardiologists. For many years after their arrival, PCC took care of patients at St. Mary's and DMH. They did heart catherizations and stress tests, and took care of patients in BOTH HOSPITALS. And by the way, in case you didn't know it, THEY ARE TRAINED TO PUT IN STENTS....don't let DMH's deceitful advertising fool you. But when Ken Smithmier threw together his open heart program at DMH, he told Prairie that they would not be allowed in the cath lab. He was even reported as telling one of the PCC team that he was going to run PCC out of town.
Today, DMH does not allow PCC docs to do stents. They could, but Ken Smithmier won't let them. Only his employed docs get to do that. You know, the group here in town that has had more turn-over than Burger King.
Good news, though. St. Mary's may soon be offering stent placement for their patients. As long as an area hospital has a surgeon within one hour's time from the stenting facility, they may do stents. Once this policy becomes law...DMH WILL NO LONGER BE THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN.
Choice in Cardiac Stenting between two hospitals. It has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?
DMH propagandists put out a billboard with all their employed cardiologists, touting them as the "only comprehensive" team in Decatur. To their credit, that is true.
HOWEVER...WHY IS THAT TRUE?
WHY?
Let's look back at the history of cardiology services in Decatur to find the answer.
20+ years ago, we had no cardiologists in Decatur. None. We had a few internal medicine doctors who had taken an interest in cardiology, and they functioned as cardiologists to a limited extent. Then, Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants came to Decatur, and literally overnight, Decatur had top of the line cardiologists. For many years after their arrival, PCC took care of patients at St. Mary's and DMH. They did heart catherizations and stress tests, and took care of patients in BOTH HOSPITALS. And by the way, in case you didn't know it, THEY ARE TRAINED TO PUT IN STENTS....don't let DMH's deceitful advertising fool you. But when Ken Smithmier threw together his open heart program at DMH, he told Prairie that they would not be allowed in the cath lab. He was even reported as telling one of the PCC team that he was going to run PCC out of town.
Today, DMH does not allow PCC docs to do stents. They could, but Ken Smithmier won't let them. Only his employed docs get to do that. You know, the group here in town that has had more turn-over than Burger King.
Good news, though. St. Mary's may soon be offering stent placement for their patients. As long as an area hospital has a surgeon within one hour's time from the stenting facility, they may do stents. Once this policy becomes law...DMH WILL NO LONGER BE THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN.
Choice in Cardiac Stenting between two hospitals. It has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?
posted by Watcher2300 at 10/24/2006 09:46:00 AM
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