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So I just stumbled across this article about how WVU Medicine and Thomas Health Systems are going to be partnering together. I figured something like this would happen to Thomas eventually, and that WVU Medicine would eventually find its way into the Kanawha Valley to compete against CAMC. Imagine the chaos that will ensue with WVUMed virtually controlling (or at least a share of) all of the major markets in the state with the exception of Beckley and Huntington. Monopoly at its finest.
And as I was reading, I read that CAMC and Mon Health are merging?!?!? Is this true? I hadn’t heard that yet, and that’s even more monopoly happening. Pretty soon (and I mean real soon) the whole state will be controlled by possibly 3 healthcare providers! Three!!!
Someone please tell me why they think this is a good idea, because I’m failing to see the benefit. Sure WVU Med is a great system now. But I feel their offerings will start to become watered down the further they expand. Competition is a good thing for any business, especially in the healthcare industry. Makes them better.
Yes it is true- Given the state of CAMC with its poor leadership (who have done nothing but run a once highly reputable healthcare system into the ground) I can only feel sorry for Mon Health in this situation. I'd be curious as to what they saw in CAMC- Either UPMC or WVU (think it was UPMC) literally did not even want them because of their leadership! Hopefully Mon Health can get them on the right track but unless they fire almost all of CAMC top brass then it will be difficult. They'll of course still walk away with huge bonuses and severance packages regardless - they certainly don't deserve them!
Last edited by NOVAmtneer82; 04-20-2022 at 07:44 PM..
I don't claim to be an expert on health care, but I have spent an enormous amount of time inside CAMC facilities in the past few years, and people close to me have made use of the facilities in Huntington recently. A relative worked at Thomas for a number of years. We know a little about this.
WVU Medicine does a great job and has gotten so big that it concerns a lot of people. Right now they employ abut 15,000 people. Some of that growth was a result of taking in smaller hospitals in other parts of WV. That was necessary to get those hospitals into an organization big enough to run them.
CAMC operates four hospitals plus a number of clinics and outlying operations like imaging and lab services. They are doing just fine now, providing first class service and employing about 9000 people.
Mountain Health, headquartered in Huntington is a bit smaller, only employing about 6000 people, but operating on a level equivalent to the other two, with first class medical care available for people with highly specialized needs.
West Virginia has THREE organizations providing nearly all of the top level health care in the state. For smaller communities, a number of the hospitals are affiliated with the Appalachian Regional Hospital system. I don't know much about ARH, but it seems to be a way for the small hospitals to be part of an organization large enough to effectively run hospitals.
The problem I see is that these organizations need to work together instead of competing against each other. WVU already has a significant presence in Charleston. They have their own building on the campus at CAMC Memorial hospital.
People I know that have been watching this business have been expecting that Thomas Health Systems would need to affiliate with a larger organization at some point. This has bee obvious since they incorporated St' Francis Hospital into their operation about 15 years ago.
Personally, I thought it would have been a better fit for Thomas to associate with Mountain Health since doctors from Marshall's medical school (headquartered at Cabell Huntington Hospital) train there. Also, we don't yet know what kind of partnership they have entered into with WVU Medicine. However, I think it is still safe to say that WV has better health care available to the people than most places with such a small population. If you need highly specialized care, you can get that care in Morgantown, Huntington, and Charleston. There's almost nothing they can't do, and do well.
I do believe that streamlining service is a major benefit to WV residents, especially those in rural areas. However, I think that a lot of services that some of the state's small hospitals have will eventually be removed in the name of not duplicating services.
As I was looking into what is left in the state as far as "non-conglomerate" and noticed that Princeton/Bluefield is under WVU Med too. I'm surprised Raleigh General is still independent and not under the WVU umbrella given WVU's presence in Beckley.
The merger between Mon Health and CAMC is finalized now. I still don't know how I feel about healthcare becoming monopolized in this state, but I do agree that this will be a benefit for some communities that are tied into these systems. Not my area of expertise by any stretch, but I foresee some communities losing services in the name of consolidation. That would mean people would have to travel further for their healthcare needs.
Vandalia Health (CAMC/Mon Health) is in the process of adding two new hospitals to their system.
Quote:
Vandalia Health, which is made up of CAMC and Mon Health, officially took in Greenbrier Valley Medical Center earlier this month and last Friday a plan was announced to acquire Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill.
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