This Just In!

Benefis Healthcare, Great Falls' monopolistic healthcare provider, has by a letter dated August 23, 2005, asked to "end its affiliation with and sponsorship by Providence Services."

What? You mean our community hospital will no longer be sponsored by a charity? I thought its charitable nature was supposedly one of the safeguards preventing predatory practices once it became a monopoly by merger of the old Columbus and Deaconess hospitals. Any such safeguards will be gone.

And if this was requested a month ago, where has the Tribune been? Is Benefis keeping it hush hush, or is the Tribune burying the story? I would like to know, because I think this will have a huge impact on the provision of healthcare in this community.

If you know any of the Benefis board members, call them for some insight. Maybe you could post their comments in a comment. They are:

Jim Cummings
Chris Ebeling
Pam Guschausky
Richard Blevins, MD
Bill Bourret
Rick Evans
Greg Hatley
Susan Humble
Bill Macfadden
Bill McGregor, MD
Mary Sheehy Moe
John Molloy, MD
Dale Schaefer, MD
Rev. James Peterson

Given all of the discussion, hand-wringing, and opposition to the merger, why is this not a highly publicized event? Why is it being handled so quietly? I have my suspicions, but I won't hazard a guess quite yet.