Imagine for a moment that you own a tire store. A guy calls in and says he would like a new set of Michelin tires and would like to pay cash. You say,”…no thank you. We are not interested.” What? What kind of story is this?
That is exactly what happened at a local “not-for-profit” facility here in Oklahoma City. A company that already sends medical tourists to Oklahoma City (to our facility and to two other specialty facilities) loves Oklahoma City’s central location and wanted to establish a relationship with a full service, large hospital here. Keep in mind all of these patients are paying up front for whatever procedure they are going to have at rates that are profitable. They are also people who are willing to travel a long way to get care because they are either in a Canadian waiting line or live in some unfortunately backward place in Africa or Europe where facilities are not available or up to snuff. Wow! This is like a mission trip coming to you…you don’t even have to get all the shots for malaria to treat these people….and they are going to pay you up front? And the facility that said “no” is affiliated with a church. Ouch.
Why would they do this? There is only one answer I can come up with. They already have a ton of money. They are focused on control at this point….power. You see alot of guys that are bored billionaires that run for political office…same kind of thing…they have gobs of cash, they want to taste real power. This hospital system and the folks that run it have demonstrated another point, though, by saying “no.” They don’t care whether people get care or not.
I think they need to clarify their mission. Make it more transparent. Or maybe they just did.
G. Keith Smith, M.D.
