The Future?

When someone tries to predict the future, it always reminds me of the story of the man who looked in the crystal ball. He got crystal in his eye. In spite of that challenge, here is my shot at 21 years of observing the area's health care competition.

We have been permitted, and that word was not accidentally selected, to have two very good years here at WMC.  We have had 24 months of considerable growth; growth that has allowed us to feel the comfort of at least believing that we can have a positive future.  Having worked with the individuals currently charged with creating success at the neighboring hospital, it is not difficult to predict what they would need to accomplish to claim complete success in the local market. 

A few weeks ago, we saw the announcement and local editorial endorsement of a Back to the Future health care decision to create a MedWell type facility less than two miles away from WMC that will be open to patients on off hours. Obviously, one of the measures of success that would be applied to this facility would be that of capturing those patients now coming to Windber Medical Center's Emergency Room between the hours of 3 and 8 PM and on weekends.  If their service is fast, inexpensive, and thorough, they will impress patients, and perhaps capture market share that has shifted to WMC from the local geography.  The new target will also be the hundreds of employees coming into the region this summer and fall.  After all, convenience and the prejudice of bigger is better will both potentially come into play at a facility like this.

The other phenomena that has taken place locally has been one of uniting numerous independent surgeons into one group. This is something that only one or two things might have caused; the Pennsylvania malpractice insurance crisis that has discouraged seasoned surgeons from attempting to pay exceptionally high insurance premiums and the potential promise of a new surgi-center would both fit into the category of "tipping point" phenomena that would contribute to this perfect storm.  Realizing that these individuals have been in fierce competition for decades makes this union even more suspect.  Following the logic previously outlined, it would also make sense that these surgeons would consider moving their secondary, less complicated work to a new surgery center in the area where the most growth is occurring, the East Hills, about 1.5 miles away from the only even slightly serious competition in the area, WMC.

Finally, with surgeons and walk-in patients coming to the very old Richland High School where the neuroscience center, MRI, PET/CT and other x-ray modalities are located, only one other major move would make sense to attempt to capture the 150,000 plus patient visits coming to WMC. That would be to move as many Richland based physicians into that same building as well.  These physicians could then feed the new center.  Because they already own the building, construction costs would be minimal, and potential profits would be higher.  (Watch for construction crews at an old school near you.)

So, as I look into my crystal ball, the solution seems to be very clear. We at Windber Medical Center must prepare for the worst, and "continue to work to be the best."  

The only way that WMC will survive into the future is for our employees to provide service that is so far above and beyond the norm that any potential patient would literally have to be dragged away from our optimal healing environment. 

Although the percentage of patients represented at WMC is only about 8% of the health care volume in the area, it is the closest and easiest 8% to target.  If anyone looks at Bedford, Somerset, Altoona and Indiana's growth since Lee was closed, it is clear that leakage of patients from this area is occurring at much higher volumes, but, like Willie Sutton supposedly said when asked why he robbed banks, "It's where the money is."  If you asked our neighbor why they have abandoned the heart of town and targeted the East Hills, they would have to say, "It's where the patients are." 

My friends, this is neither brain surgery nor rocket science, it is what it is -- competition, and only the best and brightest with the most carefully laid out survival plan will succeed.  Remember, our patients are our future, and our philosophy, our smile, our skill and our attitudes will result in our future being bright.