Hospital system shows signs of healing

Dimensions manages the Prince George’s Hospital Center, Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital and Nursing Center, Laurel Regional Hospital and Bowie Health Center. The hospital system, which serves 180,000 patients annually, has long suffered from a lack of insured patients and the need to pay off an outstanding pension plan balance. Cash infusions from the county and the state over the years have kept it afloat but threats of imminent closure have continued.

The months prior to last week’s meeting displayed a series of tit for tats between Johnson and Dimensions: Johnson demanded that the board be restructured, the board refused. Johnson withheld funding, so Dimensions sued the county. And then a series of appeals were launched.

Before Johnson began clashing with Dimensions, county officials couldn’t come to an agreement between themselves. Johnson had formulated a bailout plan with Gov. Martin O’Malley, but in the 11th hour of the General Assembly session earlier this year, the County Council rejected the deal. Similar incohesiveness was evident in 2004 when Johnson reached an agreement with former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. but failed to consult the County Council, which led to the plan’s demise.

Now, with seemingly every official on board, the end of the hospital’s financial problems may be in sight.

Kudos to Johnson and Williams for realizing that county leaders, not the courts, should be deciding the future of the hospital system. The simple act of sitting down at a table together not only saved taxpayers’ money, but it also energized a united effort to come to a solution.

The work has just begun, however.

Del. Doyle Niemann (D-Dist. 47) of Mount Rainier plans to introduce a new bill aimed at saving the hospital during a General Assembly special session starting Monday that was called by Gov. Martin O’Malley to address the state’s $1.7 billion budget deficit. Niemann’s bill seeks a new manager of the system, and for the county and state to provide millions of dollars to the hospital system over the next several years.

How much money will come from each and how the money will be raised – a sticking point last time around that may be worsened by the budget deficit – could easily put officials at odds again.

Johnson, County Council members and state leaders must come to an agreement that resolves the issue once and for all, in a manner that displays the dedication of everyone to saving the health-care system.

If agendas are not set aside and individuals are not open to compromise, not only will the image of the county’s leadership suffer, but – more importantly – thousands of patients and hundreds of hospital employees will too.