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
6 Comments:
Did DMH ever get a cardiologist to take Dr. Meng's place? I heard the group from Bloomington isn't even here half the time.
Dr. Meng was a cardiac surgeon, not a cardiologist.
From what I've heard, the Bloomington group still covers.
I have not heard of anyone taking over full time.
Believe me, if there were, Ken Smithmier would have his mug on a billboard somewhere in Decatur.
The State Law requires DMH to have a Cardiovascular Surgeon in house/in town whenever one of their "Burger King Cardiologists" place stents into patients. Is the public aware of this?
That is certainly not what happens in Springfield, Champaign or any other legitimate program.
I spoke with my cardiologist friend who is involved in State Medical Policy. He said that there are already hospital in Northern Illinois that are operating under State permission without "surgical backup." This was done with permission of the State Health Department, something that to his knowledge had not been granted to DMH, unless they had asked for modification. According to him, St Mary's could have done the same as Northern, IL using St Johns as their backup, but wanted a quality program, instead a fly-by-night program. Prairie Heart is business-minded, but most believe want quality first. Disclaimer: I have no ties to DMH, St Mary's or Prairie
I guess that's it, huh?
Smithmier & Co got away with it
DMH has another billboard up that says "Drive time is life time." True to a certain extent.
Unfortunately cardiac surgery results are not that great at DMH.
Can't tell you how many patients who have had open heart surgery at DMH who are readmitted a few weeks later with life threatening infections.
Me, I'll take my chances and spend 30 minutes on the road to get a good surgeon.
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