Bake sale to cover medical care?

Sanford Health is a HUGE medical organization in my neck of the woods.

About Sanford Health

Sanford Health is an integrated health system headquartered in the Dakotas. It is one of the largest health systems in the nation with 43 hospitals and nearly 250 clinics in nine states and three countries. Sanford Health’s 27,000 employees, including 1,400 physicians, make it the largest employer in the Dakotas.

Nearly $1 billion in gifts from philanthropist Denny Sanford have allowed for several initiatives, including global children's clinics, genomic medicine and specialized centers researching cures for type 1 diabetes, breast cancer and other diseases.

www.sanfordhealth.org...

The community hospital is a "15 bed critical access hospital" originally owned by the city and was built in 1950. In 2005 a medical center was added which provided services from three family medicine providers and visiting specialists. The hospital and clinic, along with an independent living home, employees around 120 people.

Because of "increasingly complex health care regulations" the facility became managed by MeritCare in 2009 but after a few years of talk, officially merged with Sanford Health in July 2011. The name was changed to Sanford (town name) Medical Center and the employees became Sanford Health employees. Sanford "owns, leases or manages" it's many hospitals and clinics. After Sanford took over, medical care prices immediately increased. Unnecessary lab work also became the norm. In the good old days, my 5 minute semi-annual check up for BP meds visit would be $150.00. If a person (me) could afford it and desired to, they could pay their bill immediately on the day of service and receive a 50% discount on most routine doctor appointment fees. This didn't include labs, shots, procedures etc. Just the doctors fee. Once Sanford took over (back in 2011), this benefit was terminated. My medical appt. which once cost me $75.00 is now $282.00. The times they are a changin!

So, on to my point. Yesterday, I had some copies to make and faxes to send so I went into my local library to tend to my business. The library has a very large bulletin board in the entry to accommodate flyers and such which anyone can affix their info to. One flyer in particular caught my attention so I took it into the library to copy. I have uploaded an edited picture - deleting the town name, below.

Oh, and for the record, the town is in a state which has very high taxes overall and state medical for the low income. It has around 1,500 people. The hospital rarely has patients but the clinic can be a bustling place at times.

Even though I believe in communities supporting local businesses, a large multi million dollar business like Sanford holding a bake sale for "bettering" pretty much non existent hospital patients experience and the average clinic business, I find concerning. How much better could it be? The wait times at the clinic are minimal, the hospital NEVER has wait times. It's an average looking hospital, inside and out. No shortage of staff. I was wanting some feed back on this issue. Are we really at the point we need to hold bake sales to finance medical care?

Thanks.

Here's the pic:

Depends on what they are trying to accomplish. If it's to buy candy striper uniforms and balloons, that's one thing. If it's to buy essential medical supplies, quite another.

Besides, because of Obamacare, you're insured, right?

Oh, wait....

a reply to: schuyler

No candy stripers in this town. Nothing of the sort. Medical supplies? A bake sale? That would mean a TON of brownies! Most people only go to this hospital for emergency and are quickly escorted via ambulance or life flight to Fargo for "real" medical care. Because of past failures and low quality care by medical personnel throughout the years, even the hospital refuses to treat patients on an ongoing basis for critical care. They provide emergency care only and transport. It is SOP. If you have the flue, non critical care, people can stay in hospital. Many patients have their medical procedures, critical and non critical, done in Fargo or another large city and come to convalesce in this hospital, close to home. Again, SOP.

I cant afford health care. I had to see a doctor almost 5 months ago and the visit is now costing me almost 10 grand. I was sick and needed checked out but since I cant afford insurance and at the moment in out of work means I'm not paying 10k for a doctor visit. Next time I'm sick and experiencing heart murmers and passing out I hope that people just let me alone.

a reply to: Brotherman

No insurance here either. What I'm trying to do is make sure I maintain a healthy lifestyle and habits. It can make a difference.

originally posted by: StoutBroux
a reply to: schuyler

No candy stripers in this town. Nothing of the sort. Medical supplies? A bake sale? That would mean a TON of brownies! Most people only go to this hospital for emergency and are quickly escorted via ambulance or life flight to Fargo for "real" medical care. Because of past failures and low quality care by medical personnel throughout the years, even the hospital refuses to treat patients on an ongoing basis for critical care. They provide emergency care only and transport. It is SOP. If you have the flue, non critical care, people can stay in hospital. Many patients have their medical procedures, critical and non critical, done in Fargo or another large city and come to convalesce in this hospital, close to home. Again, SOP.

Doesn't answer the question. What will the proceeds of this sale be used FOR? Without an answer to that, you don't really have anything to criticize. You could be making grand pronouncements over the state of health care in the country based on a mis-perception of an innocent event. Or it could be serious.

We don't know from the information provided.

a reply to: StoutBroux
I have some on going issues from my 4 tours of a small country in the middle east as an infantry marine. Life in America since has really been hard for me shy of suck starting a pistol because I'm depressed or falling out of bed at night because I constantly shake or bad dreams and don't sleep. This sucks sometimes I just cant afford care or manage my life quite right yet, I havent given up though

originally posted by: StoutBroux
a reply to: Brotherman

No insurance here either. What I'm trying to do is make sure I maintain a healthy lifestyle and habits. It can make a difference.

Prevention is all probability based, you can do everything right yet still get sick. If you can't afford health insurance when that happens you're in trouble. In some states it's better than others, the 26 or 28 Republican states almost unanimously voted against expanding medicaid which was meant to address this issue. In other states the gap doesn't exist.

The beauty of states rights.

a reply to: schuyler True, I don't know. I do know there are no rumors going around about lack of supplies, staff or equipment. I also know these type of events around here don't raise a lot of money. Couple that with people who are already unhappy about the cost of medical care prices, supporting a large financial organization like Sanford Health with a bake sale seems a bit out there.

"All proceeds will be utilized to improve the patients experience and care" is so general, I'm having a hard time imagining what it could possibly entail. Decorated potty pans????? Balloons???? Seriously, I am at a loss.

I haven't had a chance to discuss this with others but I will tomorrow, hopefully getting a feel of others opinions. I will also go to the event and find out if I can what the money would buy.

I only posted the thread because I thought it might be interesting to someone else and also, give a break to the Cruz sex scandal, lol.



a reply to: AazadanAn ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Of course sickness and illness can happen in spite of it living a healthy lifetyle. But I guarantee you, if everyone practiced that cliché, there would be a lot less sick people in the world.