Parkview Adventist Hospital May End its Affiliation with the Denomination
by AT News Team
Two major health care organizations in Maine have filed dueling proposals with the state Department of Health and Human Services to take over Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick. Similar proposals were made in 2008 and 2010, according to reports last week in the Sun Journal newspaper.
Central Main Healthcare operates hospitals in Lewiston, Bridgeton and Rumford. It has filed a letter of intent to take control of the Adventist hospital by amending the articles of incorporation and bylaws. “No financial transaction would accompany the change,” the newspaper reports in a copyrighted story. “Day to day operational control would remain in Brunswick” and the institution “would retain its physical properties and tax-exempt charitable status.”
Mid Coast Hospital has filed a different proposal which would liquidate Parkview Hospital and merge its 60 beds with the larger institution which is also located in Brunswick. The letter of intent from Mid Coast argues that there is no need to continue Parkview Hospital and that it can meet the entire need for health care services in the community. Mid Coast presented similar arguments on at least two prior occasions in recent years when other merger proposals were put forward by Central Maine Healthcare and Parkview.
Detailed document packages are still being prepared by both Central Maine and Mid Coast and until the full documentation is on the record, the state regulatory body will not make a decision. In the mean time, Parkview continues to be affiliated with the Northern New England Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
When the future of Parkview is finally decided it will be the terminus of a major trend that has washed over Adventist health institutions in North America over the past several decades or longer. Parkview is the last Adventist hospital in this part of the world to stand alone without being affiliated with one of the five Adventist health care systems in the country.
As health care has become a more expensive and risky business, with major for-profit players, it has become almost impossible for small, local hospitals to survive, especially those that lack major endowments. “We are at the end of an era,” a retired health care administrator told Adventist Today. “With the new health care legislation passed by Congress, whatever the political fallout from the upcoming election, health care in this country is really passing into a new era.”
For Adventists it will mean that no institutions beyond secondary schools will survive in New England where the movement began. Parkview Adventist Medical Center has 213 employees and $45 million in annual operations, according to Hoover’s, a Dun and Bradstreet company.
It is not exactly clear why this SDA hospital is a target. Has there been a suggestion by Parkview authorities that it is going under?
Having only 213 employees and $45 million in annual operations would make Parkview a small hospital and put them in a poor position for economic survival.
A great loss to the Northern New England Conference. A significant part of their tithe base comes from there. Too bad one of the larger Adventist health corps couldn't come in with a missionary purpose.
It hasn't really been an Adventist hospital for several years.
I helped start Adventist Health System in Orlando in the early 1970s. A few church leaders, hospital leaders and physicians from the Atlantic Union came to Orlando to see what we were doing. I have very clear recollections of their profound skepticism about the "system" concept. It was so negative that I don't even know why they came. I don't know if that same attitude has prevailed in the last few years, but they are reaping the whirlwind of rugged independence. While the hospital is important to Adventists, it is an minor player in its competitive healthcare market. It would be a struggling minor player even if it were part of an Adventist system. In addition to mission considerations, Adventist hospitals have to survive in very competitive marketplaces through great market strategy, sound management and decisions, and strong balance sheets. Sometimes they are casualties of the market when those things are not present.
Hospitals are closing around the country that have not been able to sustain viability in today's business and healthcare climate.
Florida's Adventist Health system is now the largest hospital group in the state, employing between 30-40,000 and creating $30 billion revenue. That's because it is run by business and hospital administrators, not ministers.
I would love to know more about how, after Glacier View, a number of high-ranking SDA employees suddenly became SDA hospital administrators at double or triple their former salaries. Simply transferred? Received a call? Friends of the right person who "set them up" with a lucrative job plus pension?
Thanks for filling in the gaps, Gailon. I had forgotten all the details about the demise of Parkview. I regret the demise of Poland Spring even more, since it was more in harmony with the counsel we were given regarding medical missionary work. Once Dr. Hansen left, there was no way it could continue to be the beacon of light it was when he was there.
Today, good intentions and mission is not enough.
I was favorably impressed with the Poland Springs facility when I visited it; too bad things went downhill.
BRMC was, in my view, a nice center but when one reads about some of the financial goings on before its fall, in my view, it no longer was representative of Adventism.
The demise of AUC was tragic. From what I have learned it was likely a president who engaged in what can be charitably described as racism that started AUC on its downward trajectory.
I just now recall that I have many details about the demise of the Old San (BRMC) in my word processor. Just reviewed some– probably need never have happened with prudent, honest, capable financial management as I read the reports. I agree it is sad that where Adventism had some of its beginnings hardly any representative medical or educational facility exists.
I find the level of understanding by the AT reporting staff and the insight and accuracy of the posted comments here quite remarkable regarding PAMC's demise given the secrecy and misrepresentation that has surrounded this sad affair. I would just like to say that even at this late hour, there is a providential "offer on the table" that would pay off Parkview's indebtedness to CMMC, retain the affiliation of Parkview with the Church, allow or rather encourage it to return to and strengthen it's mission of wellness, holism, and spiritual care, retain jobs, return governence to Adventist health professionals (as opposed to clergy), begin to once again treat its employees and staff with professionalism, kindness and respect, and to gradually regain an important role in the community, one that will be increasingly more important as healthcare reform kicks in. Since the present system is not sustainable, there will certainly be more public policy emphasis on (and compensation) for maintaining wellness of populations as opposed to treating illness. This is an area that Parkview and our Church and Parkview's founders have pioneered in this region! The 9 member "membership committee" that will be ultimately transferring ownership to CMMC, with glaring conflicts of interest (read–2 members and 3 votes of the committee being highly compensated employees of CMMC and also many being the same individuals ultimately responsible for getting things to this point) has refused repeatedly to even meet with representatives to fully evaluate the offer or to counter. The CMMC offer is a complete opportunistic takeover disguised by both Adventist leaders and CMMC as a wonderful gift to the Church and the community. It already has diverted valuable resources from the community to another region. CMMC purports to improve healthcare locally by maintaining choice and also lowering cost. Nothing could be further from the truth. In a small market, it will only cause more wastful duplication of unecessary services and expensive technology.(24 million dollars annually estimated) It also is misleading in that patients don't realize how it works till it's too late— that is being wisked off by ambulance or helicopter to Lewiston for care that can be obtained locally. Furthermore, the organization with the competing offer already has "Magnate" status, one of only three in the state. This is a very difficult to attain designation that only the highest quality healthcare oganizations in the country can aspire to.
As this sad story comes out in its entirety, and it usually does, (remember the New England Memorial Hospital/ Boston Medical Center stories that came out in the Boston Globe?) this will not look good for the local Church or the Church as a whole . It will go down as one in a string of wasted opportunities and scandals, and disrespect to the founders that sacrificed so much, similiar to Davenport, New England Memorial, Fuller, Harris Pine, now ADRA, AUC, etc, etc. What makes it more sad is that there is a viable, almost "too good to be true" alternative out there that our leadership and the membership committee thru stubborness, arrogance, ignorance as well as conflict of interest, refuses to seriously consider.
As the daughter of Dr. Ron Bettle, one of Parkview's founders, it has been very very sad for me to hear about the demise of Parkview. I grew up being inspired by the pioneering work of my dad and the group of dedicated doctors and business people who wanted to create a hospital of "scientific excellence" and also a place that emphasized treating the whole man. In many ways they were years ahead of their time in that regard. But, I have enough experience reading the stories in the Bible and history books, to know that change happens because of changes in leadership and vision. Having said that, I don't pretend to know all the reasons for today's situation and would be the last one to cast stones at anyone. I just know that in its day, Parkview was a significant force for good in Brunswick, and I am proud to have experienced its early days. It has significantly affected the way I live – and believe – today. I still believe people can dream dreams and make a difference.
It is always sad to see change, especially for those so close to the scene. But change and progress are how things grow. Hospitals are undergoing rapid changes and there will be many more in the future: some are forced to close and unless they can support the necessary employees, they cannot continue to operate. With the recent changes in healthcare law, there will be many more.
In response to Elaine's comments regarding change, I would just like to say that I'm not advocating resistance to change as it applies to Parkview's situation. Change is a given. What I would like to advocate for is that the leadership and membership committee be accountable and transparent, that
they consider the cause and effect relationship of their decisions, and to examine any options that could restore Parkview as an Adventist "force for good" in the community as skeeziks calls it. Like skeeziks, my parents were also among Parkview's founders. If we can influence change, shouldn't we do what we can to make sure that the change is the best possible?