I really dont care about all this fighting among the doctors. The fact is that Summa Western Reserve is nice and clean. Akron General is big and gross. All the rejects go to AGMC whereas the normal tax payers go to Summa Western Reserve. When was the last time a gunshot victim was dumped at the ER at Summa Western Reserve?

@daniel, I find your comments pretty offensive. There are many, many "normal tax payers" that go to both AGMC & City hospital. Also, not every gun shot victim is a criminal, there are many innocent people shot as well. I would hope they are taken to the closest hospital but you make it sound as if Western Reserve won't welcome them. I think that's the point.

truth is after wrong diagnosis on me resulting in my walking out while being in their hospital care and screwing up on me on three different occassions, and also 2 brothers now dead who were in their care also, AKRON GENERAL SUCKS and summa city not only saved my life while undergoing cancer treatment but it is awesome with everything else,,,,after general screws up people to the dying point, they send them elsewhere to die in other hospitals ,like my brother, when there was no hope, they sent him to summa, and it was too late after all the damage they did to him undergoing cancer treatment also, but they did not even put the port in his arm correctly, and at hospice , summa agreed with me, it was not positioned correctly ......anyway.....summa city hospital and doctors and nurses are or were the best .....if you want to live, i suggest NOT going to akron general hospital, and their slandering other doctors and hospitals is representive of their total inadequate right to even be in the health care industry,.....the doctors and hospital (City hosp.) care more about saving lives than they do money....and they take more pains to not misdiagnose,....cause they know a wrong diagnosis and treatment can also kill!

There...i feel better for just having said what I did,but another way to put it is......I will never go to Akron General Hospital for any reason , even if i am on the verge of dying. I have told everyone I know , "do not take me to akron general hospital, no matter what happens to me", also have signs all over my apartment stating that also,in case something would happen to me!

I love it. AGMC sounds like they're crying in the sandbox because they were not included in this partnership. Too bad. It's called the free-market system - if you want to get in on the potential financial windfall that is a for-profit hospital, open one yourself and quit whining already.

Personally, I'd rather go to a for profit hospital like this - chances are if you get stuck in a semi-private room, you won't be sharing it with some Medicaid trash heap. True, not all people on Medicaid are trashy, but a whole lot of them are.

forget akron general they did't do anything for my mother if they would have she would still be here

agmc they kill your family, then they lose your records and get their scared,stressed out, and/ or paid off drs nrses to lie in court
... like the hospital mafia or something

AGMC, nor their physicians, can't come anywhere close to the amount of charity care given by Summa to the community. Here's hoping when the hospital moves up North they will maintain those same charitible philosophies.

It's gonna get to the point that charity cases go to the downtown/ghetto hospitals for treatment and people who earn insurance decide to go to the community or for profit hospitals. Not sure how that will play out for AGMC and CITY hospitals.

...and all of this is happening before a national health care insurance program is even voted on?

For a minute I thought I had jumped to the future and this was a conversation about a government run hospital.

Government run health care would be a disaster. As far as Summa vs AGMC...personally I prefer Summa...however we are lucky to have both as they are both fine health care institutions.

Does all of this bad-mouthing of AGMC need to be said? These critics of AGMC just seem eager to say something derogatory.

rmk/akron

I live in Fairlawn Ohio so Akron General is fairly close to home. I did go to Akron General for the birth of my first child. It was a nightmare; the nurses were rude, with the sensitivity of a rock. They don't even bother knocking when coming into your room, and let me tell you there are a lot of "alfresco moments" when you are giving birth:) Birth is not sacred to AGH. Children are not sacred. (Luckily I had my other children at Wadsworth Rittman Hospital---great care!)

I could go on and on; all of my experiences with Akron General have been bad. I have dealt with inept residents, rude nurses and inappropriate doctors ( who don't wash their hands when entering a patients room nor do they disinfect their
stethoscope)
GOODBYE AKRON GENERAL! I will never go back!

Really funny! The same hospitals squelching small businesses that are trying to sell Electronic Healthcare Solutions to local doctors, saying each is playing unfair! Well now Akron General understands unfair, deal with it!

I need a sleazy plastic surgeon, any recommendations?

Unfortuately both my husband & mother were hospitalized in Sept one week after the other. They were both admitted to Summa Western Reserve. The nurses, doctors & aids were very compassionate and gave great care. And I liked the fact that I could visit as late as I wanted to.
My mother is retiring and now will be forced to go to AGMC if needed.

bubblehead - try Canada, I hear the medical treatment there is so much better, faster, and cheaper....

There are pros and cons about every hospital you go to whether it be Summa or General or even dare I say it Barberton, just because something happend to you or a loved one doesn't mean that it happens to everyone that walks through those doors.

AGMC is reaping what they sowed. They frequently steer patients away from certain medical groups and physicians that they see as competitors. Just try seeing a doctor of your choice if you end up in the ER and need followup treatment. They will steer you right to an AGMC doc. They are running hard to clean up the mess left for them by their prior CEO. The solution is not to play dirty and slander competitors. At this point maybe nothing will work. And sometimes that's just how it goes.

Verdad - I experienced what you stated about steering towards there own internal physicians, but I stood my ground and they eventually let me go to a physician of my choice for follow up treatment.

why complain? it won't matter in a few short years when the government will control what you do where go and what treatment you receive. but I wonder if that would affect the privately owned hospital?

AGMC has a very good heart center but that is the only thing I can say good about this hospital.

The simple fact is, when Summa moved in, and offered their own health plans as well, my senior parents medical costs dropped drastically, and care improved greatly. This is free markets at work, and AGMC is losing where people have choice, and as is typical, they want government protection for a substandard business. Summa = Free Market Solution. AGMC = Government solution. As for me, Ill pick those greedy evil capitalists at Summa every time when I need care.

HAY try Barbertuckies best you'll be thankful for AGMC

AGHS is just so behind the times, thanks to all of their former executives. I'm just amazing also how hospitals think they are 'entitled' to people coming in their doors. The last I checked, we're still a capitalistic state.

I wouldn't sent my dead cats to Akron General.

I'd never set foot in a SUMMA again. A simple stitching procedure for a gashed finger lead to a serious infection which then I had treated at Akron General. Talk about dirty, maybe SUMMA needs to clean their facility better.

Akron General is the place to go if you're having a baby. My first, three years ago was born, needed special care and Akron Children's Hospital Doctors and Nurses are at Akron General for immediate care and response. Having a Children's Hospital Neonatal Specialist right there at delivery makes a huge difference. I have a healthy 3 year old because of it. I praise Akron General and their arrangement with Children's Hospital everday because of their response and care.

Excuse Daniel, he can't think I guess.

Wildfire has signs all over her apartment saying not to take her to city hospital if she's dying.. funny decor.. lol..

(and with all she said, she accuses others of slander)

IT'S VERY SAD THAT WE LOSE LOVED ONES,BUT ITS NOT SUMMA OR AKRON GENERAL FAULT WHEN OUR LOVED ONES PASS ON; THATS WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT!!!! GROW UP WE COULD SIT HERE AND THROW COMMENTS BACK AND FORTH FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES ABOUT WHO'S BETTER AND IT SOLVES NOT A THING. WE HAVE OUR OWN CHOOSE TO MAKE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR CARE....AND WE HOPE AND PRAY WE MAKE THE RIGHT ONE IF IT'S SUMMA OR AKRON GENERAL!!!!!

I have received excellent care at AGMC. The nurses and assistants bent over backwards to care for me. My mother has Summa coverage and goes to City Hospital for her care. She receives excellent care there as well. There is a standard of care at each facility. If you were not treated well, you should look at the patient. Being nasty and rude to the people who are trying to help you isn't a good way to get exceptional care. It's their oath to treat you, but they are human and respond to kindness and respect same as you.

Summa has it's faults too! No hospital is perfect. City Hospital need to clean the emergency treatment rooms better. The floors are disgusting. Some of the nurses and doctors are great in the ER. I would choose SUMMA over General anytime!

@farmboy1935: I agree. Thanks for stating the obvious common sense. When you or a loved one requires hospitalization ANYwhere, know that the best advocate for you is (drumroll)....YOU. Or be prepared ahead of time to appoint someone as an advocate. Be aware and be responsible for the care you get. Hospitals are HUGE business (whether non-profit or for-profit) these days - and although I usually resent bubblehead's sarcastic and arrogant comments, he has a good point here. The healthcare debate/vote affects every single one of us. Leaving little notes around your apartment on where you wish to be taken if you could ever be unconscious is just a first step. Having someone advocate on your behalf is a better plan! Wishing everyone good health - it's a jungle out there.

Had excellent care at Akron General for the couple times I was an inpatient there. (However, they did not deliver right food that was ordered, but that's another matter).

At Akron City, a relative had a stroke and paralyzed on one side, so could not get up. Had defecated in bed. I had to get workers to clean him better plus boot on him to prevent foot drop had poop on it. Asked for a new boot. They said could not have one. So a nurse finally washed out the boot. Relative later contracted MRSA and died. Found out later, 2 others in same area got MRSA and died in short time. I saw employees not taking precautions. MRSA can be prevented with care. Also saw LPN taking blood without wearing gloves. Tried to contact Quality Control, was told the person was on vacation and no one else would help. In my distress with everything going on, did not pursue. Docs didn't always wash hands coming in and certainly didn't wash stethoscope each time. I called one morning to check on things, as had received no call/update. Relative's blood pressure was dumping, temp was up (always a bad sign). I rushed there 10-15 minutes and saw relative blue/gray color. And I had to call them! Did not get this way in that amount of time!! They did not bother to call to tell me relative in distress this way !! Relative died that day. Other person told me Akron City was MRSA Central ! They dodged a bullet as I did not sue. Hope things are better there now.

Original Akronite...so sorry. Sounds like a nightmare for you and your family.

Some of the comments on this blog are upsetting and down right slanderous. You can have a bad experience at ANY hospital and also have a great experience at that same hospital. No nurse or doctor at any hospital purposefully killed your family member. It is the cycle of life. Doctors and nurses are human beings and not GOD. They do the best they can at ALL hospitals.

I take offense that those who receive medicaid are trash. My husband and I don't have insurance and my children are on medicaid. It's not by choice! Maybe if you were personally affected by the downturn in the economy you wouldn't be so quick to judge others.

If you want your choice to be a "for profit" hospital, then go there. That is your decision. Just remember that when your physician is steering you to the "for profit" hospital that he invested in, it may be for the sole purpose of putting more money in his pocket. Just a few short months ago that same doctor may have sent you to AGMC for what he considered the best care possible, but is now saying that suddenly the hospital he invested his own personal money in is the best possible choice.

Also, to make a blanket statement that all doctors at Summa are much better than at AGMC is simply not factual. You do realize that most physicians have patients in both hospitals and round on them, or choose hospitalists to care for them. The largest hospitalist group in Akron uses the same physicians to round at AGMC and all Summa hospitals.

This issue; could easily; be resolved; by every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church. Complying; with demands; of Natural Law: what Mother Nature, God, or Whatever Power decreed to be the reality of the real world, God, democracy, capitalism, the US Constitution, and free, fair, and affordable commerce.
Demanding every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church; markets the cost; in the wholesale and retail price of his or her product and service; Of every workers, consumers, and taxpayers living (including pension and health care); enabling; Every worker, consumer, and taxpayer; to pay healthcare insurance premium; or pay healthcare provider; and parents to love, nurse, nurture, discipline, protect, and provide for every child (job) they conceive; and fund schools, infrastructure, national security, government services, and etc.; with money derived from wages or independent business profit!

Akron General's doctors and nurses, especially in critical care, are the most rude people I have ever encountered. I wouldn't send my dog to that hospital ... it's filthy and their food stinks! My husband had surgery there and was billed $32,000 in miscellaneous charges. Whatever happened to receiving an itemized bill so you could dispute a lot of the charges? Talk about a rip-off!

You will find just as many people who have horror stories at one hospital as another, as well as people who rave about one over another. Death is part of life, and people just need someone to blame when they feel the grief of loss.

That being said, I do not like the profit motive. I have had the experience of visiting a person at Summa Western Reserve and I feel that corners were cut because they were making money. There's no way of knowing whether this person would have died anyway, but I believe they were just as happy to withdraw treatment, and not do expensive tests that may have not been reimbursed. Unfortunately, I was not in the position to make any of the decisions for this person, and there's no point in second-guessing at this point in time.

@Retired: It never serves anyone well to be a "victim". Call the hospital up and keep calling until you receive your itemized bill. You're retired aren't you? You should have time. Let's use common sense here.

I do not understand the paranoia that surrounds AGMC, You do not read nor hear this stuff from Summa, or Western Reserve/Summa . I have been a patient at all 3 and I must say that the staff A-Z at Summa and Western Reserve / Summa actually greet You and say hello to you, That small thing can go a long way (never happen's at AGMC) and inpatient care
is far better at Summa than AGMC. AGMC nurses are very rude
and its possible it goes back to the strike or strikes some time ago which split nurses against each other, those who crossed the picket line and those who stayed out . Proper
manners can go along way (and privacy) at AGMC its like the
Nurses are doing You a favor answering the call light (IMO)
Night and Day compared to Summa, I have never been a inpatient at Western Reserve but have been treated as a outpatient and everyone A-Z is polite , courteous and answers your questions and ask if You have any questions
Stop the whining, do inservice's on patient privacy and proper manners and AGMC will make a step forward possibly
I have no bias against AGMC just comparing my and my families experiences,

AGMC does not suck!!! It is a great hospital with excellent staff. The new facility on Hudson Drive is great. Summa is just trying to hone in on AGMC's success. Remember people, this is a business!!!

everyones talking about hosp bicering among selfs. wwhat about all the lies that rindler told all employies that no layoff or no fireing on his watch and i know as a fact that they lied to emmployees and did both to some of them . also discrim ,harrasing employees and not checking into any off this so if any hospital is at falt agmkc needs to stop the lies and police their own supers and their boss

And of course Loren Eberly continues the nonsensical remarks. Give it a rest! From now on, if I see your post, I will list it as abuse.

AGMC delivered two wonderful babies to me and my family.

All hospitals can be good and bad at any time. Please keep in mind, they are all trying to save lives. Without them, some of you would be dead by now anyway.

Both are fine health care systems. You will see many of the same doctors walking the hall's in each. I just prefer Summa's food. Silly but it matters to me.

@csndrs0395cs

"everyones talking about hosp bicering among selfs. wwhat about all the lies that rindler told all employies"

I have attempted to translate this post by using my SYSTRAN language translation software, and it has concluded that you must be from another planet.

@Loren Eberly

Ditto for you.

What are you blabbering about?

After seeing other posts, reminded of something else...Also at City...A patient pushed the call light and wanted either water or ice chips. I happened to be in the hall there visiting someone else. The nurse called out to no one in particular "What the hell does this he think this is, a restaurant?"

We all have bad days. But if this type of work is too much for you, GET OUT...NOW.

thank you abj for your censorship of my opinion that was appropriate.

Hospitals are made up of people, and people determine the kind of care a person will receive. The trick is to make people more accountable for the care that they give, and even the bathrooms they were supposed to have cleaned. Akron General is going out of their way to make people more accountable. My husband used the bathroom at Summa's New Intensive Care Unit the other day and he said, "Oh my God honey, that bathroom was filthy, and no my husband is not a fault finding person. It was just that bad. At Akron General a supervisor checks to make sure the bathrooms have been properly cleaned. And they have regular meetings to remind people to be courteous and to knock before you enter a room, and to wash your hands after you leave and before you go into a room, and all the other little things that mean so much when you're the one lying in the bed. But once again it all depends on the people. Some care, and some don't. At least Akron General is trying to get rid of the ones who don't. And that's a step in the right direction. And maybe Summa is too. But if you had a bad experience with either of them, it doesn't mean the entire hospital is bad, it just means someone working in that facility, didn't do what they were supposed to do, and we find that everywhere we go these days, at McDonalds, at Wallmart, everywhere.

ok, so you have spellcheck. AGMC is worried about Western Reserve and Summa not providing patients with a "Choice". They need to look inside thier organization and realize that they need to clean up thier own back yard. How can an organization expect sympathy from the public when they take the "Choice" of healthcare providers way from thier own employees and staff.

So, if I am getting this, Summa partnered with a bunch of doctors that wanted partner with them and invest in "the business", and Akron General docs are whining because they did not think of it first?

Just like SUMMA, AGMC has PLENTY of uber-wealthy doctors. That they choose not to re-invest in their own "interest" is not SUMMA's fault; but their own.

:0/

Sorry to disagree with Summa lovers but City Hospital killed my mother!!! I never saw such uncaring and unsympathic treatment from a nursing staff as I saw at Akron City in the ICU. I will die at home before I ever go to City. AGMC has always been my husband and my choice and it will continue to be our choice.

I personally take offense to all of these bashing comments about AGMC. Not every hospital is perfect and people need to take in account the amount of stress the employees go though within a work day. No nurse or doctor WANTS to lose a patient...everyone tries their hardest and I'm sure sunna loses patients as well. As being a family member of a nurse that works at AGMC, I know Mr. Rindler has held inservices for employees about patient care and so on. As well as mandatories that every employee is to complete to keep up to date with certain procedures. Also people who are bashing akron general need to look at some of the patients the employees are obligated to care for, not all are very pleasant. Yes they are sick, but the nurses and doctors are human beings too and deserve the same respect they give to you as a patient. Both Summa and General have their bad days as well as other surrounding hospitals. And it is against the law for a doctor to stear a patient away from a hospital and I think that was the main reason why akron general made this public.

is it possible that when a doctor puts cash in a hospital that they will send people there even if its not the best choice for them?
what do you think?
are there people being sent to that hospital now that never were sent there before?
what really changed?
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Doctors will send you to a hospital where they have been granted privileges. There are restrictions both ways. AGMC sounds like they are afraid, very afraid of losing business. You compete by offering better service. I was "treated" once at AGMC, I will not go back. I was "treated" once at Medina General Hospital because of a car accident, never again there too. Size of the hospital doesn't matter, the people working there make the difference. Both places were staffed with bitter and angry people, or perhaps they were just racist. I'm not sure; I was treated like I was bothering the nurses and doctors.

Summa delivered my baby. I didn't know I was pregnant! I thought it was gas. Anyway, they perform miracles there and my baby and I are doing quite well thank you SUMMA. We love you!

Summa & AGMC have both been top hospitals in the country for various services and specialties. Many people do not realize how good the healthcare is in our area.

As others mentioned, people can have bad experiences at either and I'll bet that if your loved one died you'd remember it as a bad experience.

To refer to them as the ghetto hospitals right now is absurd. But I think that is what they are trying to prevent. If a for profit hospital only takes patients with insurance then the remaining hospitals will have a major increase in uninsured patients. How would your business run if you only had customers that couldn't pay for your services?

I've personally been to both City & AGMC and had good care at both. Competition is very important but it's also very important to have all of these hospitals in our area. With the aging population, where would we all go for care if one of these establishments were gone? I don't think we need new hospitals but we do need to keep the ones we have. That's my opinion anyway.

If you have no insurance, would you rather have a less than perfect hospital experience or be rejected as a patient entirely because the hospital can't make a profit from you?

we are very fortunate to have 2 GREAT hospitals in our area!!! Don't forget...out insurance and employers dictate where we go. I've been to both over the years and they are equally matched.

I am disgusted with all of you who bad mouth AGMC . I bet if your life was on the line...you wouldn't care who saved it as long as your life was saved! I was a nurse at AGMC for 10 years, and at Summa before that. I will tell you that AGMC has absolutely outstanding nursing and physician care. There were some problems with the extreme upper mgmt over the last couple of years, but that has now been resolved. It is really foolish to criticize AGMC without facts to back up your claims. AGMC STAFF DEEPLY CARES ABOUT ALL OF THEIR PATIENTS!

@Bubblehead: Can I be the first to say "huh?!" I recommend not changing your Log-in Name.

I tell everyone of my experience at AGMC where my son was born. I had a dirty used bandaid in my dirty shower, and a hairball under the chair for visitors in my room. The nurses brought me sleeping pills that I didn't want, and I saw later they were billed to the insurance. My dr. was wonderful, but AGMC? Eh,not so much!

Ah...the free market economy and capitalism in action.

I don't see a problem.

My competitors steer clients away from me and I do the same to them.

its the American way......

Akron General needs to fix their upper management problems and stop worryng about what others are doing. Stop paying Vice-Presidents and Department Chairs hundreds of thousands of dollars as kickbacks for referrals. Stop stealing other doctors patients and filtering them to your hospital owned doctors. Your facility has one Vice President in jail, another ER doc in jail, and two ER doc's that committed suicde. It's time to look in the mirror and stop pointing fingers at others. The interim ceo is a joke and has made no major changes and is just collecting a fat paycheck.

What an ??? has proven to be; the 2 Doctors that committed suicide from the ER were both wonderful Doctors and for you to make a reference that working at AGMC had anything to do with that, you are one ignorant human being. All of us have a life away from our work place, so I suggest YOU find one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ Farmboy. I knew them personally also that is why i am upset and know they were not supported there

I've experienced very good and some not so good care while at AGMC. In general, my family has only had very negative experiences with City hospital.

So what does all that say? Nothing. Each person will have an experience that is unique to the staff they encountered with the health problem they present.

I'm just thankful that we have such good medical care very close to home. I have family that live out West, and they are over 50 miles from a hospital. We should be grateful for the wide variety of care so conveniently located!!

Doctors have owned and operated "Western Reserve" clear back to when it was Green Cross in the sixties and seventies. The quality of care provided there continues to improve. Give me a small efficient hospital anytime. Last and only trip to Akron General I sat and bleed on the waiting room floor for 45 minutes. AGMC is my clear last choice

The real problem here is the City of Stow..

In their greed for this new hospital they have decided to run a new sewer line on Seasons to service the proposed hospital and then CAP it at the Cuyahoga Falls border.

They are running over 1 mile of sewer line and capping it at the Stow Border (yet the City of Stow won't provide a sewer line to the remaining six home on Seasons Road) in Cuyahoga Falls. Which would be ok if that was the end of it..

BUT.. Then the CITY OF STOW files eminent domain on THOSE VERY RESIDENTS OF CUYAHOGA FALLS taking a portion of their property by EMINENT DOMAIN and at the same time denying them a sewer.

Who ever heard of a community (you don't live in) taking your property by eminent domain??? Who ever heard of running a sewer a mile long and not running another 0.1 miles to finish the road.

The whole thing is screwed up. Akron General already has an emergency room and beatiful workout center at Steels Corners and Allen Roads - Cleveland clinic is building in Twinsburg there are plenty of hospitals. We don't need to carve up the wetlands for this one.

OriginalAkronite

...just so you know, every local hospital and nursing home, and school is MRSA CENTRAL. It is being found in the community when people are first admitted to the hospital. It used to be thought that it was caused by the hospitals but WE are finding in on healthy people as carriers. It has been found living in the Atlantic Ocean on beaches. The workers in the hospitals do not know a person has it until a test has been done to isolate it. In the mean time, hospital workers should use standard precautions such as hand washing and gloves. Its OK to NICELY remind everyone to wash there hands.

Throckmorton, keep telling it. The truth is hard for some people to accept.

@ontheoutsidelookingin,
Yet you pay for your ISP?????

OMGGGGGGGGGGGG
How do you NOT know your pregnant???????
I dont believe it at all.

@Reality2electricbogaloo

Great point about competition. But, how would you feel if you were required by law to accept customers that couldn't pay while your competitors were only seeing customers for profit? You wouldn't feel it was so fair then. This "for profit" hospital is partnered with an organization -- SUMMA -- that gets government funds and tax breaks for charity care. That's from the taxpayors. Should they still get the tax break and have a "for profit" hospital associated with them? We're paying for this you realize?

I have been to both City and General and found each nice for their specialities. Satyed as little as I could and then headed to the best - usually the Clinic in Cleveland.

Having said that at least for alittle while longer medical care is a PAID service and not a right (I don't recall seeing this anywhere in my copy of the Constitution). I would expect Summa docs to steer me towards their hospitals no less than AGMC docs to steer me to theirs. That's what free markets are about. I am looking forward to WRMC/CFGH/Green Cross to move to Stow/Hudson... the farther away from Akron the better. That will allow WRMC to minimize nopays and uninsured coming in their doors. Look around... Cleveland, Youngstown, the big urban hospitals are closing (Mt Siani, St. Lukes, Southside, etc) because they cannot keep taking the uninsured 19-yr old gunshot victim from a drug deal gone bad.

In this country at least, you get the best medical care you can afford. Want socialized medicine?... move to the UK, Canada, or Germany. I work hard to ensure my family has a better standard of living INCLUDING access to best medical care. If ya chose to be a dropout lowlife you get the dregs... too bad ! As they say, live hard and die young ! That's why the hospitals are falling over themselves to locate in the wealthier suburbs where the insured are located.

@Honestcitizen, great point. Will the doctor invested in the for-profit hospital send you to the place that will take care of your illness best or the one they have a financial stake in?

They'll be looking at your ability to pay first, then decide where your best care will be. Is that what people want for themselves and their loved ones?

you guys are fighting over hospital ethics. need I say more...
Besides all the good doc's already left Ohio because of ins. rates.

If you local folks would leave; you would see that we're not quite what we think we are...In this country it's just high tech-voodoo

These hospitals are the real OHIO GAMBLING problem

Whatever happened to nurses being pretty? All I see is cows with really bad hair and complexion wandering the halls.

It just aint right!

@knowsbetter. You dont know a thing. Summa Western Reserve Hospital has the same charity care policy as the other hospitals and actually did more free care in last three months than it did the year prior. get your facts straight or keep to yourself

Don't worry, in time Summa Western Reserve Hospital will have its share of problems too.

This article and the ignorant responses to the article would not have made the headlines in the Beacon Journal if not for the pro Summa bias of this staff writer. Akron City and Akron General are both fine institutions that provide the best patient care they possibly can to both the insured and the indigent. Only time will tell what happens once Summa Western Reserve is up and running in northern Summit Co.

Poor bubblehead said:

Whatever happened to nurses being pretty? All I see is cows with really bad hair and complexion wandering the halls.

It just aint right!

******************************************

Bubblehead

You fell a sleep in the barn again!

@Throckmorton, I do have some facts actually. Western Reserve is a for-profit hospital and Summa is a non-profit that gets tax breaks. AGMC is also a non-profit that gets tax breaks. Do some searching on non-profit vs for-profit hospitals around the country.

There's a good place to start:

Rosenau, Pauline. "Performance Evaluations of For-Profit and Nonprofit Hospitals in the U.S. since 1980"

peebs: I assume ISP means internet? No, actually, we don't pay for internet service. We have a family member who has us on their web service, so it is free to us.

@KNOWSNOTHING The fact that SWRH is a for-profit hospital and does the large amount of free and charity care is amazing. These doctors put up all their own money to run this hospital and still do all the free care. WITHOUT all the tax breaks. Get a clue. And if you look at the data on for-profit hospitals it is all "specialty hospitals" and not full-servece hospitals like SWRH. Get a clue. Get educated

http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2006/06/do_nonprofit_ho.html

Everyone can throw facts and heresay around all they want

But If the AGMC claims are valid this is wrongdoing
on the part of the Doctors and disrespect towards
the doctors patients.

And the patient is the pawn in this.

Summa's generalized statement that:

"They're all following the letter of the law in regard to what the regulations are,''


rings suspicious.Reciting letter of the law usually
means a loophole is being used somewhere.

You guys may want to look in to the recent Justice Department fine of a for-profit hospital system in Mcallen Texas that was fined twenty million dollars for paying physicians large salaries for chairman positions and other sham employment. This s very similar to what AGMC does with their Chairs of Departments. You never know who is next to feel the wrath of the Department of Justice!!!!!!

@KNOWSNOTHING DID YOU JUST CITE A BLOG AS A SOURCE OF INFO????????? WOW THE IGNORANCE!

@ontheoutside,
How very nice of them to do that for you.Cool..thanks for clearing that up:-)

@Bubblehead,
Wow...you sure have a lot of nerve to put peoples looks down,when you go to the hospital for gas and end up having a baby!!!!????!!!!

I still dont believe you DIDNT know you were pregnant!!!!!!

I would never go back to Akron City Hospital.I had babies delivered at both Akron General and Akron City Hospital.At Akron General, the nurses took excellent care of me and my babies.They were very attentive throghout the entire process.At Akron City,my baby's heart rate went down and the nurses were chatting and paying no attention to the monitors.The nurses were alot nicer at AGMC than at Summa.If my life depended on it,AGMC would be my choice.

@Throckmorton, I hope attacking me makes you feel better. I also cited a report on summarizing over 20 studies comparing non-profit to for-profit and the non-profits were more efficient and had HIGHER quality of care. The blog cited was a great example of how some hospitals select where they will build in order to control how much charity care they do. It's just an example of someone else's opinion. Wasn't meant to be used as 100% fact for Akron, Ohio. Take a breather!

I have said before that I had good care at both Cit & AGMC, I'm not attacking either of them. I'm questioning the tax status only.

@Throckmorton -- one more thing, I will agree with you on your comment about who the justice department will target next. The whole profit vs non-profit tax status has been an issue for years now. I hope they all follow the law.

I worked at AGMC for 10 years and was a patient 3 times. Until they learn how to treat their nurses with the respect they deserve again, I will go to Summa. Happy nurses=happy patients

Your heathcare is based on the balance of your checkbook or the limits on your insurance policy( if you can afford one) Doctors are not allowed to practice medicine. They have been forced to practice medicine based on what your insurance covers, what drugs the drug companies are pushing or and where you can recieve medical care and to top it off where they pay to have the right to preform their servives. Insurance companies need to get out of medical care business and allow Doctors to practice medicine. I recieved excellent, affordable care at Cuyahoga Falls General when it was owned by Doctors. That day ended when Summa took over. Insurance owned medical care was a bad idea.