PMC Docs to Urge Yes Vote

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jbulger@journalnet.com

POCATELLO — Physicians associated with Portneuf Medical Center are poised to release a statement supporting the capital partner plan with Legacy Hospital Partners.

“It’s essentially a combined physicians’ statement as close as we can make it, short of me taking it to every individual physician,” PMC Chief of Staff Dr. Vermon Esplin said.

The choice of whether Bannock County relinquishes ownership of PMC to a joint venture that will be 77 percent owned by Legacy and 23 percent owned by a redefined Portneuf Health Care Foundation is slated for the November ballot.

The statement comes as no great surprise, as physicians previously voted in favor of the acquisition of a capital partner and voted for Legacy over LifePoint, the other finalist in the search.

“Are there some physicians who are against it? I haven’t run into one yet, but I’m sure there’s probably some differences of opinion,” Esplin said.

Greg Gunter of Rave Communications said he has been given an extensive draft of the statement that he believes will be ready for public dissemination early next week.

Legacy, founded in January, was formed by seven former executives of Triad Hospitals, a conglomerate of hospital partnerships acquired by Community Health Systems last year.

“This, as you know, has been a long process and sometimes painful,” Esplin said. “I think the direction we’re headed we’re very comfortable with as far as most physicians.”

Esplin said if the plan is not improved, the hospital will stay as it is, with “grossly insufficient” facilities. He said approval will allow Legacy to make good on its stated plans of making PMC a regional medical center that will be beneficial to Pocatello and all of Southeast Idaho.

“I think the medical staff as a whole has done an excellent job with due diligence of looking at all the options for the hospital,” said General Surgeon Drew McRoberts.

“While there are some members of the medical staff whom may be skeptical of the process, there are none who are going to vote no. All will vote yes.”

McRoberts said he hopes the physicians’ endorsement will resonate with the public.

“I hope it would receive its due respect from the general public, because we are not hospital employees — we are customers in every way that the patients are,” McRoberts said. “We aren’t going to make a recommendation for something like this if we don’t truly believe that it is going to make the quality and availability of medical care in Pocatello better.

“The worst case scenario in a yes vote will be better than the best case scenario in a no vote.”

Cardiothoracic Surgeon Jacob DeLaRosa believes the acquisition will be a boon to the area and for the community of doctors as well.

“I think this is a very good thing. As a heart center, we are already a regional referral, but by teaming up with Legacy, we’ll be able to move forward and grow,” he said.

DeLaRosa said services are currently being provided at two different hospitals, and that that plan approval will consolidate the two entities.

“That will not be accomplished without a partner,” he said. “This is the best way of unifying the campuses.

“This really is positive. This is a group that’s going to come in here and build up Pocatello,” he said. “The economics of it are going to be huge for the city, for the county.”

By John Bulger

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