Take another look at LSUHSC
Last December, my husband was referred to LSU Health Science Center for ENT services. He is hearing-impaired, a problem that can no longer be managed with traditional hearing- aids. As such, he was found to be a good candidate for a cochlear implant, and that surgery, along with follow-up care and service, was performed at LSU Health.
Absent this specialized ENT services available at LSU Health, we would have had to travel out of the state – several times – to access such care.
After his surgery, I learned from a young friend that her toddler daughter had been diagnosed with a kidney problem that normally would have required her to travel to Texas or Arkansas for care. Instead, LSU Health has on staff a pediatric nephrologist – so there’s no need to travel any further than Kings Highway for what appears very successful treatment.
Nearly two years ago, I could not have been more appreciative of the services of an LSU Health heart surgeon for heart bypass surgery.
For over a century, the state’s system of LSU hospitals has been known as a “charity” system. But Shreveport’s LSU Health long ago progressed beyond the “charity” medical provider label.
Today, the health center serves a much broader population of northwest Louisiana patients – from all economic levels – through a diverse and talented group of healthcare providers, providing specialized services often not available from other regional health facilities.
The loss of LSU Health and its staff would create a major void in health-care resources for Northwest Louisiana.
While acknowledging the Jindal administration’s drive to transform the LSU health system of hospitals to a more viable scal path through privatization, it can’t be emphasized enough that great care should be taken to ensure that already viable hospitals such as LSU Health endure and grow.
And that endurance and growth must include the associated LSU Medical School.
Unfortunately, current indications do not re ect any such assurance of such care.
When the LSU Board of Supervisors signs off on breathtakingly incomplete contracts to turn management of the state hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe to Biomedical Research Foundation there should be many questions from the public, from lawmakers and most certainly the members of the Board of Supervisors and BRF. Apparently, board members are content to let state of cials and the LSU System president work out the missing details.
Some lawmakers have voiced serious concerns about missing parts of the contracts including major nancial elements, and that about 50 pages of the 200-page contract are missing – some of which would address lease terms.
Given that these contracts are for at least a 40-year duration, it sure seems the decision-makers would be greatly interested in knowing every single detail of these agreements before signing off on them.
Moreover, as these contracts obligate the state to whatever currently unknown provisions are later added, any problems or issues with these arrangements down the road could come back to taxpayers and citizens in costly ways.
Unnecessary speed and lack of detail are not con dence builders in the case of Jindal administration’s plans for the future of LSU Health Science. This facility is a critical element of the Shreveport-Bossier City health-care infrastructure, and any future plans for the facility should include a plan to continue and grow the excellent service now provided into the future.
If that’s not the case, perhaps it’s time to back up and re-group on the future of LSU Health.
Marty Carlson, a freelance writer, has been covering local news for the past 13 years. She can be reached via email at m_carlso@bellsouth.net.
