Wilford Hall to be Razed (beach, parking, nurses)

[dmarie123]

Originally Posted by rd2007

I won't take that bet dmarie

Overhauling Wilford Hall | Latest News | KENS5.com (http://www.kens5.com/latestnews/stories/20090217-WILFORDHALL.265b1adf.html - broken link)

Rd, did you say you "won't" take my bet that the building will still be standing... cuz the article you posted says "$440 million plan to give Wilford Hall a facelift, reducing the facility to half its size. That would make it a brand new outpatient clinic that would serve only military personnel and retirees. "It would take years to build a new facility," said General Travis. "In the meantime you don't tear down a facility before you build another one.""


This to me says a couple of things... YEARS to build a new one, Not going to tear down the old one yet... and... and... not going to be replaced with another trauma 1 center... it's going to be only half the size, and it's only going to be outpatient. Without inpatient services, that means no surgeries, not maternity ward, not even a place for sick patients to be admitted. They aren't even going to serve dependents in the new non-hospital. Not exactly a "replacement"... that's like saying they are replacing a Walmart with a Valero.


That hardly says demolished and "replaced" in a year.


The article also says, "Construction could begin by the end of this year."

Construction COULD begin by the END of the year. So now were adding a maybe to construction even starting in 2009...which basically means it will start in 2010... and really, really do you think it'll be complete in less than a year?

What did I miss?

[dmarie123]

Oh wow,
I think I'm an idiot. I think it's time for bed.
Rd- sorry about the rant. Now I think when you said you wouldn't take my bet, you met you wouldn't bet against me!
DOH!

I'm sitting here at my computer thinking, "Why would he cite that article in his argument"...

My bad... opps...duh...

Sorry!!

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by mojokitty

If I'm not mistaken, BAMC is a level 1 trauma center. I didn't think that WH was. I think BAMC is supposed to be the "hospital" and WH is supposed to turn into all clinic work.

It is, or at least it was as of last year when I last discussed it. There was a lot of concern about the plan to close it as a trauma center, as it's the first place to stop for people coming in from west of SA who are not critical enough to be air lifted but after a 3 hour drive with a sick one, anxious to get to a hospital fast. A lot of folks from Laughlin head there. BAMC is on the other part of town, which depending on the day can be another 30-60 minutes....

There are hospitals/small medical centers along the way, but no military ones and more critical or difficult cases get moved to SA anyway.

I honestly don't have an opinion one way or another, just sharing concerns I heard.

[rd2007]

that was the easiest argument I ever won

[mojokitty]

Originally Posted by Chaka

It is, or at least it was as of last year when I last discussed it. There was a lot of concern about the plan to close it as a trauma center, as it's the first place to stop for people coming in from west of SA who are not critical enough to be air lifted but after a 3 hour drive with a sick one, anxious to get to a hospital fast. A lot of folks from Laughlin head there. BAMC is on the other part of town, which depending on the day can be another 30-60 minutes....

There are hospitals/small medical centers along the way, but no military ones and more critical or difficult cases get moved to SA anyway.

I honestly don't have an opinion one way or another, just sharing concerns I heard.

I think it is from further investigation...though...from visiting there...you wouldn't get the impression that it was a level 1 trauma center! Especially with talks of it being razed? Um...that's scary to me. How can it be good enough to be a level 1 one minute, then razed the next?

[mojokitty]

Originally Posted by dmarie123

Rd, did you say you "won't" take my bet that the building will still be standing... cuz the article you posted says "$440 million plan to give Wilford Hall a facelift, reducing the facility to half its size. That would make it a brand new outpatient clinic that would serve only military personnel and retirees. "It would take years to build a new facility," said General Travis. "In the meantime you don't tear down a facility before you build another one.""


This to me says a couple of things... YEARS to build a new one, Not going to tear down the old one yet... and... and... not going to be replaced with another trauma 1 center... it's going to be only half the size, and it's only going to be outpatient. Without inpatient services, that means no surgeries, not maternity ward, not even a place for sick patients to be admitted. They aren't even going to serve dependents in the new non-hospital. Not exactly a "replacement"... that's like saying they are replacing a Walmart with a Valero.


That hardly says demolished and "replaced" in a year.


The article also says, "Construction could begin by the end of this year."

Construction COULD begin by the END of the year. So now were adding a maybe to construction even starting in 2009...which basically means it will start in 2010... and really, really do you think it'll be complete in less than a year?

What did I miss?

What scares me, is they are doing construction at BAMC AND now they are going to tear up WH too? Um...this is going to be unpleasant to put it nicely. Good luck finding good medical care and I have no clue where they are going to put the docs, nurses and staff.

[pr57001]

Don't you love how everyone is an expert?

Rather than inquire, "I don't understand why it would be cheaper to build a new building than renovate an old building?", it is assumed this is an absolute waste of money.

If that was TRUE, you would never see the private sector tear down buildings, because the evil-profit-hungry corporations that those with this same line of thinking also hate, would want to save every penny possible.

[dmarie123]

Originally Posted by mojokitty

I think it is from further investigation...though...from visiting there...you wouldn't get the impression that it was a level 1 trauma center! Especially with talks of it being razed? Um...that's scary to me. How can it be good enough to be a level 1 one minute, then razed the next?

It's not the staff that's poor, it's the old building. A bad building can still have good doctors and surgeons.

[Pontifikate]

Originally Posted by mojokitty

What scares me, is they are doing construction at BAMC AND now they are going to tear up WH too? Um...this is going to be unpleasant to put it nicely. Good luck finding good medical care and I have no clue where they are going to put the docs, nurses and staff.

I know, the construction on BAMC is complete and utter hell! I feel bad for the staff and patients.

[mojokitty]

Originally Posted by dmarie123

It's not the staff that's poor, it's the old building. A bad building can still have good doctors and surgeons.

I agree...I would say most of the doctors are the best I've ever come across. I happen to live with one. I think i meant, it's hard enough getting an appointment on base now...how is doing constructing on TWO military hospitals going to better patient care in this town? Not to mention, my hubby said even patients have to park away from the hosptal, take a shuttle, to BAMC right now. What a pain! I think there's so much confusion and so many parts of the hospital suffering right now from the work they are doing, they can't possibly better patient care while doing all of this. I hope I didn't come across as putting down the care that you get.