Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Kellergate Is Now




From a concerned resident of Lauderdale County:

1) The people of Lauderdale county and their leaders need to petition the governor to intervene and encourage the CON board to act upon the original request for 300 beds. The more the better. We can all make a difference if we call or write to his office. If he is serious about helping create growth and jobs in Alabama, this is a no-brainer.

2) If the businesses in Colbert county will not support the growth and stimulus that this would add to the community, then don't support them with your dollars either. Let them know that if they continue to support the efforts by HKH to stifle this project, that you can spend or send your dollars elsewhere as well. Let's face it, pocketbooks talk. We saw in the TD yesterday where some businesses left Colbert county to open in Lauderdale because up to 2/3 of their customers were from Lauderdale county. We can use that to our benefit. 

3) Let your physician know that that you support this project and encourage him to do it as well. they don't have to practice or admit to the hospital to know that what is good for the community will be good for them.

I think the reason for all of the ads by the HH and HKH administration has been to solely place the blame on RegionalCare when they decide not to build a hospital. They know that Regionalcare will not build a 220 bed hospital to replace a 350 bed facility. That is why they have never openly said they did not want a hospital, only a smaller one. This way they save face and make it look like RC is the bad guy. One of their own commissioners made the statement in the hearing that they would have no problem with it if it was being built in Colbert county.

We agree with our commenter 100%. In the past we have supported Colbert County (and Franklin and Limestone) in any endeavor. Now we're presented with the hard cold truth that Colbert not only doesn't support Lauderdale County, but has placed a knife in the county's back. Note the last paragraph of our reader's comments; hence the title Kellergate.

We realize not all citizens of Colbert County oppose the new hospital, but a financial boycott seems to be the best way to make Lauderdale's voice heard. Our readers may do as they please. My personal expendable income will no longer be spent in Colbert County.



Shoalanda

1 comment:

  1. Financially it will hurt Keller some, but for the most part they've already been drastically affected. The root of the problem was when ECM chose to sell to a private company. When Regional bought ECM, the majority of Keller's daily admissions became non-insured patients from Lauderdale County and parts of Tennessee. This was due to the fact that the only hospital in Lauderdale County had become a private hospital. When the majority of our area's populace doesn't have insurance and need medical attention...where else will they go? If something doesn't change, Keller may very well be in the same situation that ECM found themselves in. Time will tell.

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