Exactly...

Vote with your dollars, folks
To the editor:
There have been several letters to the editor written lately suggesting our community should support LifePoint Hospitals Inc. and Danville Regional Medical Center. While I agree the doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital are dedicated, caring, skillful professionals deserving of our respect, I disagree that we owe LifePoint our support or help.Remember, this is no longer a community agency, it is now a business not unlike any store or chain restaurant in Danville.It is not incumbent upon the citizens to “fix” anything at Danville Regional any more than it would be our responsibility to correct any problems at any other business in the area. I don’t think the officers at LifePoint need our help to run a hospital because they own more than 50. And furthermore, it is LifePoint’s decision to reveal any accreditation problems it has. They aren’t obligated to tell us anything.As a business, it is up to them to sell us on their product. To suggest that we should choose to have health care at LifePoint out of some community obligation is ludicrous.If you feel you will receive the best care possible there, by all means go. If not - and you choose to go elsewhere - it doesn’t make you a bad citizen.Hopefully with research and understanding, you will choose what’s best for you and your family. If you could buy a better car for less money with better service and more perks, you wouldn’t hesitate to drive out of town.Surely, your health care warrants the same.By its own admission, LifePoint’s corporate philosophy is to seek out rural hospitals with no competition. Obviously, it didn’t look at the geography of our region before buying us. Here they have more competition than they are accustomed to - and it is starting to show. It is up to them to convince us we should shop here. We are fortunate to have the Citizen’s Commission allowing us input, but that does not mean LifePoint will have to act on anything we say. In effect they are fortunate in that they are receiving a free customer survey, paid for by the citizens ($25,000 worth), and summarized and wrapped up in a nice package by the commission.If LifePoint wants good PR, then it is up to them to do the things necessary to get it. Internal problems must be addressed by employees. Citizens are powerless to “support” or “help fix” anything on the inside. If Home Depot were to move to Danville, I can assure you Lowe’s wouldn’t put out a call for citizen support. It would do what it always does and compete by upgrading service, lowering prices, and selling itself to its customers.Sadly, there was a time when all of the money you or your insurer spent at Danville Regional was kept here. It was used to pay for and retain staff, upgrade and clean the buildings, open new treatment centers and offer more services. Now, much of that money goes to Tennessee. Don’t be mislead - Danville Regional was making millions every year and probably still is. Unfortunately, a good part of that is going to pay shareholders and corporate salaries outside of Danville. But that is not going to change.It remains to be seen if LifePoint will do what is necessary to retain its customer base, but the ball is in its court. Our citizens can’t - and shouldn’t - be expected to “fix” whatever problems they created. Hopefully, soon the hard work of the many professionals at Danville Regional will prove we should keep our business in Danville. Until then, you are not a bad citizen if you go elsewhere - just an educated consumer.

STEVE
Ringgold