by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
St. Vincent’s HealthCare President and CEO Scott Whalen addressed the Rotary Club of Jacksonville Monday at the Wyndham Hotel and said he and his staff are counting down the days.
“As of this morning, we are only 200 days until we take over management of St. Luke’s Hospital. It is a very big challenge for both us and Mayo (Clinic). There is a lot of coordination of patient care as the day gets closer.”
The name of the hospital will remain the same, but the specialties offered at St. Luke’s will change somewhat, as will much of the medical staff.
“The transplant services currently provided by Mayo won’t be provided by St. Vincent’s. We will focus on other areas including spine and brain injuries, cardiac care, cancer treatment, women’s services and orthopedics.
“In addition, 60 percent of the Mayo doctors are leaving and we have the credentialling process underway for more than 500 community physicians. St. Luke’s represents a complicated transition,” said Whalen.
Services and staff won’t be the only changes when St. Vincent’s assumes the management of Jacksonville’s oldest hospital. Whalen said $80 million will be invested to expand and improve patient access and “make the design more intuitive” as well as remodeling patient rooms.
He said St. Luke’s is part of St. Vincent’s mission to maintain its strategic direction and reputation as a regional health care provider while keeping a close eye on the bottom line.
A wide range of health care services are offered by St. Vincent’s including inpatient care and surgery, a network of primary care clinics, nursing home and rehabilitation services, patient transport and laboratory and pharmacy services.
“St. Vincent’s is much more than bricks and mortar and we’re very proud of the work we do,” said Whalen. “We want to reach out and treat all members of the community, especially those who can’t care for themselves. St. Vincent’s has put literally millions of dollars into the community to provide health care for the poor. We believe this community has a right to have health care that works, is safe and leaves no person behind, but it’s a major challenge because like other hospitals, we provide primary care in the emergency room. It’s a crisis because payment structures don’t support health care that is a right.”
Whalen added the acquisition of St. Luke’s will be a major step, but one the corporation has prepared for for almost a century.
“St. Vincent’s has been here for 91 years. With 27,000 admissions annually, we are the largest provider of adult inpatient services in Jacksonville. We just have to have a sustainable model to ensure we’ll be here for another 91 years. That will require an emphasis on responsible growth and operational efficiency,” said Whalen.