Spokane7
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June 13, 2011 in City
Group Health closing CdA clinic
Group Health Cooperative is closing its Coeur d’Alene Medical Center after failing to sustain adequate numbers of patients.
In a letter to patients, the Seattle-based organization that has earned national accolades as a model for reform said, “organization efforts to grow our enrollment have not been successful, and we have determined that the Coeur d’Alene Medical Center is not on a sustainable path.”
Group Health’s business model has focused on enrolling larger employers in Coeur d’Alene.
Though its medical center there is closing, Group Health will continue to offer health insurance plan coverage in Kootenai and Latah counties though Group Health Options, Inc.
The closure will not affect care for patients who have Group Health insurance but see an independent doctor.
They will, however, need to find services such as pharmacy, vision, lab work, and radiology at another provider.
The medical center employs 30 medical professionals and serves 3,200 patients, including 1,700 who are Group Health members and 1,500 patients with other insurance, according to a news release.
“Recognizing the special relationship between our staff, our patients and the Coeur d’Alene community — we know this news is especially difficult,” said Dr. Tom Schaaf, Group Health’s regional medical director. “We will do our best to honor those relationships while we set our course in a new direction.”
Parishes giving $1.5 million toward settling sex cases 
liberal_in_right_wing_land on June 13 at 11:04 a.m.
In other words, they are not getting enough suckers they can screw out of money.
mikeln on June 13 at 11:26 a.m.
Health care for profit, what a disturbing idea. Oh, wait, lets let it thrive at the expense of our health and financial health, another distubing idea. I believe if this was brought to a national vote we would find that most of america wants affordable health care, not for profit health care. This will never happen as it would show how small the group of people is that keep telling us that the majority wants a few people to reap billions at the expense of others suffering.
Dazzeetrader11 on June 13 at 11:59 a.m.
Nope lib…market forces at work. Pure and simple.
Provide a better, cheaper service and there is growth.
You don’t, you go home. SImple how it works.
Obamacare would prop GH up with taxpayer money….which will happen if it goes through in it’s present form.
If you’re Obama’s friend ( pay him off with donations or make false statements supporting him) you’ll get funded.
Corrupt isn’t the little fellow. Heck you might even get an “exemption”….the other 2000 exemptions…for his union friends. Liberal you’re a fiesty lil sissy today. Get better soon;)
mikeln on June 13 at 12:14 p.m.
Health care keepes getting more and more expensive by the day. The price of insurance keeps on growing bigger and bigger every day. How does this fit into provide a better, cheaper service? Dazzee, you are both blind and ignorant. Affordable health care could help you with the blind part, however, the ignorant part is probably beyond medical science.
Scoutster on June 13 at 12:47 p.m.
Yup, Daisy is right..market forces.
A practice with 3,200 patients isn’t even viable anymore.
Imagine what it would be like in a small, rural area.
I guess those folks just need to move to big cities, huh, Daisy?
Market forces.
selkirks on June 13 at 1:13 p.m.
For-profit healthcare is a disturbing thought. Seriously.
Dazzeetrader11 on June 13 at 3:08 p.m.
Sorry Selkirk..might disturn you. Not everyone else though. SOmething for nothing…never will work.
You want good care? Best motivator is, indeed, MONEY!
No dough….or Obamacare? Bad care. Sorry…just the way it is. Obama cannot change that no matter how goofy/fetching is his plan. Like everything else he’s promised…it’s a dream, a fantasy for votes. No substance and he knew it when he did the “show” of it.
Some will get the Obamacare………while others, like me, reject it. I’ll buy what I want not what he is trying to force me to buy. His junk is fine for others.
I know the system.
I’ll get the first rate service not what others will be forced to buy with Obamacare.
Dazzeetrader11 on June 13 at 3:09 p.m.
disturb=disturn ( sorry) . Going to fast today. Monday is manic.
Scoutster on June 13 at 3:25 p.m.
Daisy…
do you have any concern whatsoever about access, or do you figure if you live somewhere without coverage, it’s like cell phones==tough luck?
mrd on June 13 at 6:25 p.m.
Its not about the patient, its about the amount of profit we can make. A little is good, a lot is better.
Byrdie714 on June 13 at 7:26 p.m.
Apparently the decision is based on finance, don’t blame them if they can’t make a profit. Afterall—that is what doctors are in the business for….to make money, not to give out free healthcare.
Dazzeetrader11 on June 13 at 8:05 p.m.
Scout….yes. People who chose to live wayyyy out there should be prepared to drive wayyyyy in there where the MD’s or PA’s are. I’d expect the same thing if I CHOSE to live in Tanganyika.
Just too far away. Afterall, A lake there is 450 miles long if you want a geography lesson:)
Nope brd and byrdie. Lots of MDs on staff fo voluteer up to 20-30% of their time. You might be surprised that it’s not like the media would have you believe.l
crazyivan44 on June 13 at 9:23 p.m.
Same thing if you decide to build a house in Timbucktoo outside of a fire service boundary and complain when nobody shows up for the housefire…or that it takes an ambulance 2 hours to get to you when you live 30 miles up a forest access road…there is common sense to be applied here, but subsidizing certain things, like a doctor for a town of 50 people, is ridiculous when they can be in an area serving far more people.
Nevermind the overworked crappy conditions many of them work in which contributes to a shortfall of people wanting to become doctors, therefore standards being lowered to attract more into med school, etc etc. Is greed a problem? Sure! That isn’t a problem because of capitalism. Blue Shield practically owns Idaho and you can play semantics all you want, but I will call it essentially a monopoly. They have some great coverage…if you can afford it. Why not pass legislation that allows buying insurance across state lines? If the same coverage in Texas costs $40/mo why should I pay $130/mo? Deregulation will lower prices faster than government mandates. If they can’t maintain national debt before government healthcare how the heck does anyone believe they will maintain it better WITH government healthcare??
Dazzeetrader11 on June 13 at 9:49 p.m.
In a nutshell though, GH quit because they offered something the people did want. Nothing magical. Free enterprise in action.
Goodnews_Dirne on June 16 at 4:41 p.m.
For neighbors of ours who may be concerned about their access to care, Dirne CHC has extended a warm invitation to find their new medical home just up the street - 1106 Ironwood - with the community’s private, nonprofit Community Health Center.
Dirne Community Health Center is a medical home to more than 10,000 local residents, providing affordable healthcare to Kootenai County for more than 25 years. It is comprised of a multi-physician Family Practice, Counseling Center and Dental Clinic. More than one hundred volunteers and staff provide services for patients in our facilities and community locations across the county. Dirne Community Health Center is committed to its mission of improving the health of community by providing high quality, compassionate care with state-of-the-art equipment in convenient, comfortable facilities for patients and families.