{"id":13710,"date":"2013-12-17T13:40:29","date_gmt":"2013-12-17T18:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/?p=13710"},"modified":"2013-12-17T13:42:07","modified_gmt":"2013-12-17T18:42:07","slug":"its-legal-for-massena-memorial-hospital-to-privatize-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/2013\/12\/17\/its-legal-for-massena-memorial-hospital-to-privatize-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s legal for Massena Memorial Hospital to privatize, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Massena<\/a>

Massena Memorial Hospital. Photo: p4hinc.com<\/p><\/div>\n

The law firm that the Massena Memorial Hospital (MMH) Board of Managers hired to do a study on potentially privatizing the hospital has announced that there’s nothing legally preventing it from becoming a private not-for-profit organization. That’s according to North Country Now<\/a>. But, as the Watertown Daily Times reports<\/a>, that doesn’t mean a whole lot if it doesn’t make sense financially.<\/p>\n

The hospital has hired a financial consulting firm to answer that question, and it’s now looking at financial statements and employee benefits.<\/p>\n

The proposed privatization of Massena Memorial Hospital has been controversial, to say the least. Proponents say privatization will save much-needed funds and streamline health care<\/a> in our region; opponents say it’s not clear privatization would save money<\/a>, but it is <\/em>likely to negatively impact health care in our area<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once the board gets the financial study, hospital CEO Charles F. Fahd II told the paper it will talk with the public about what they’ve find about privatization: “I think both our attorneys and our financial consultants are of the mindset there needs to be, for lack of a better term, some public meeting, whether it\u2019s a town board meeting or a special meeting.”<\/p>\n

Much more detail in the article. Meanwhile (and unrelated to the privatization issue), the Children’s Miracle Network has made a $3,000 donation to the hospital, to fund autism education for physicians and personnel (North Country Now<\/a>). It’s not a new grant; the hospital has received it several times in the past. MMH operates the biggest pediatric and adolescent practice in St. Lawrence County.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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