WHY are the FCPS Admin's allowing this to happen???

Watch Local High School Games on the Web 
If you can't make it to the big game -- just catch it online.

Frederick County Public Schools is partnering up with www.GamedayMagazine.com to stream high school athletic events live on the internet.

The website offers play-by-play audio and video coverage of Sherando, James Wood and Millbrook High School football, basketball and baseball games.

Subscribers can watch and listen from anywhere in the world.

School officials still encourage fans to attend games, but say this is a good alternative if they can't make it.

"It's good for parents who aren't able to get to the game or are maybe traveling when the games take place, and for family members who live out of town. A lot of our student-athletes have relatives who live out of town and can't make it to the game, this gives them the opportunity with just a few clicks of the mouse to see their relative performing on the athletic field," said Steve Edwards, director of communications for Frederick County Public Schools.

The fees range from $9.99 for a 3-day pass to $119.99 for a year-long pass. If you sign up using your school's coupon code, they will get a portion of the proceeds.

The schools' coupon codes are as follows.

Millbrook Pioneers
Annual: 417D0BC894
Monthly: F9E097BE02

Sherando Warriors:
Annual: ADC106F7E8
Monthly: 086B1388A0

James Wood Colonels
Annual: 1287
Monthly: 768D

Source: TV3-Winchester

Everyone's first reaction should be, WHY are the Frederick County Public School Administrators allowing this extra revenue to float out of the school system is beyond me?  WHY allow an outside group from over the mountain to make money off the school system and local businesses?  Are not the local school systems struggling with their respective budgets?  Are middle school sports in danger of being extinct?  Any and all extra revenue could help foster the middle school sports.  WHY didn't the FCPS Admin's research this more thoroughly to explore other options that would allow more children to get more involved with an opportunity to get a jump-start on a communications degree while in high school?  WHY not collect ALL of the potential revenue that can be harvested through each respective high school broadcasting any event, just not sports alone at your own discretion.  WHY not OPEN it up to the debate club and other clubs/groups within the school system?  The technology is already in place, as one would be very surprised that each school did not have the following: laptop, high-speed internet access, video camera and headset.  Well, maybe the USB headset would have to be purchased but I am confident those other key ingredients are already in place.

These other opportunities that FCPS need to explore: YouCastr that is free to schools to use and viewership rates can be determined by each respective school administrators and UstreamTV is 100% free.

Just because Loudoun County Public School is using GameDayMagazine, does that dictate Frederick County Public Schools or Winchester Public County Schools need to follow suit?  If LCPS admin's jump in the middle of the road of flowing traffic, are the local school administrators going to the do the same?  One would sure hope not.  Seriously, is not everyone getting tired of hearing that we need to be competitive with Loudoun County.  The taxes are getting high enough.  We do live in America, correct?   It’s the land of the free where we have choices to make each and every day.  Ok, a choice that local educators have to make, to travel over the mountain to Loudoun County or not.  For those who made a decision to leave the local system, good luck and someone else will fill the vacated position and will be very much qualified to do so.

The YouCastr and UstreamTV suggestions were shared with the local Athletic Directors back during early fall of 2008 with no interest.

Questions:

- Are you locked into a contract with GameDay?  If so, then that should have been a red flag itself.

- How much of the $9.99 10-day and $119.99 annual membership actually goes to the school?  It's very clearly stated that if school codes are not entered, then the school will NOT get their portion, whatever that is.

- How much of a local business sponsorship will actually go to the school?  

Local businesses need to BE AWARE of GameDayMagazine solicitors coming knocking on your door and please question them and get in writing, how much of your money is actually going to the school.   Better yet, here’s an idea for the local businesses, IF you want to help support a respective high school, why not just write  out a check to them directly vs. allowing an outside group over the mountain make money off you and the school.

Bottom-line, the perception is that the FCPS administrators were sold on a sales pitch.

On the web:
www.YouCastr.com
www.Ustream.TV

Fact or Fiction? Shenandoah University getting a NEW baseball facility?

There has been many conversations that have occurred as a result of Shenandoah University's new president's statements made in front of the baseball team that they will have a new baseball facility within the next two years at last year's team picnic.  This picnic was hosted at the president's residence before the team ventured off to the DIII World Series tournament in Appleton, WI last May.

With that said, within the next two-years means a new baseball facility somewhere by the spring of 2011.

That is a very courageous statement to be made by Dr. Fitzsimmons, so something must be in the works for it to be revealed in front of the entire members of the baseball program.

Does anyone have any idea where this new facility will be constructed or does Shenandoah University have plans to make a substantial investment into the renovation at Bridgeforth Field?

In last week's article in the Winchester Star, Shenandoah University was not listed as a contributor with the current renovations happening with the remodeling work on the press-box along with the dugouts.  The work is being completed by students of Handley High School’s carpentry class which is headed by Mr. Jimmy Robertson.

To close ... Fact or fiction: SU Baseball program had to purchase their own Regional Championship rings. [FACT]

For anyone who might have any inside information, feel free to leave a comment as "anonymous" are welcomed.

Valley Health / WVU-H discord on War Mem'l Hospital will be resolved in late January 2010?

Hearing focused on size & services of new hospital
by Kate Shunney - 10/21/2009
The Morgan Messenger

Officials from Valley Health Systems and WVU Hospitals rolled out their competing visions of a new War Memorial Hospital when they and their lawyers appeared before the state’s Health Care Authority in Charleston last Tuesday.

That body will determine if Morgan County can sell its license to operate War Memorial Hospital to Valley Health, and if Valley Health can proceed with their plans to build a new $30 million hospital in Berkeley Springs.

Their decision is expected in January 2010 at the earliest.

All those involved in last week’s public hearing told The Morgan Messenger they felt the process was fair and thorough, and each of the participants got a chance to raise their key issues before the health care board.

Hearing was “routine”

Tom Jones, president and CEO of West Virginia United Health Systems, said the certificate of need hearing was “routine” and short compared to some he has attended.

His testimony on behalf of WVU Hospitals focused on three main issues: the size of the proposed hospital, the financial viability of the facility and the fairness of the bidding process.

“Although we had concerns about the certificate of need that was presented by Valley Health, we all agreed there is a need for a new hospital,” Jones said on Monday.

“The important thing is to recognize the needs of Morgan County for a hospital and, one way or another, get to that end,” he said.

If the current proposal doesn’t get the okay from the Health Care Authority, Jones said West Virginia University Hospitals would be interested in making a hospital proposal to Morgan County officials.

“If there was a request for proposal that was put out that would allow us to respond in a way that was appropriate, we’d do that,” Jones said.

He emphasized that his company has already spent $80,000 and many man-hours studying Morgan County’s health needs and drafting proposals for a new War Memorial Hospital.

“If the decision goes the other way, we’ll get on with life,” Jones said.

Despite the fact that the public hearing was prompted by Jefferson Memorial Hospital and City Hospital claiming status as “affected parties” in War Memorial’s future plans, officials from those hospitals didn’t testify at the October 6 hearing.

Jones is the head of the health care system that oversees West Virginia University’s hospitals in Fairmont, Morgantown, Martinsburg and Jefferson County.

No new issues

War Memorial Hospital President Neil McLaughlin said questions raised at the hearing were ones he has anticipated.

“We’ve been so over and under this project, it would have been difficult to come up with a question we didn’t expect,” he said.

McLaughlin felt there were three major disagreements about a hospital plan.

He said West Virginia University Hospitals questioned the need for 25 beds instead of 15 beds. He said they argued a new hospital would need only one, not two operating rooms as planned. WVU Hospitals officials also questioned the viability of having a nursing home in the new facility.

McLaughlin agreed that the nursing home component of the hospital would not be the most profitable part of the facility, but said it is key to the mission of War Memorial Hospital.

“People wouldn’t be waiting on a waiting list for the nursing home except this is where people want to be if they have to be in a nursing home,” he said.

McLaughlin said downsizing the hospital to 15 beds would be like building a two-bedroom home for a family with twins on the way.

“We’d have to really consider whether moving into a 15-bed facility would work, whether it’s a project we’d be willing to finance and build,” he said.

In order for War Memorial Hospital to retain its legal status as a critical access hospital, a new facility would have to maintain 75% of the current services, retain 75% of its employees and serve 75% of its current clients, said McLaughlin.

Cutting rooms, hospital size or doing away with the nursing home component would jeopardize that critical access status, he said.

McLaughlin said WVU Hospitals conceded that Morgan County needs a new hospital, but they seemed to suggest they could offer a better alternative to the Valley Health proposal already accepted by the Morgan County Commissioners.

In the end, the Health Care Authority must evaluate Valley Health’s plans on two key features — whether it meets the State Health Plan and is financially feasible, McLaughlin said.

Support was impressive

County Commission President Brenda Hutchinson, who also testified at the hearing, said officials there were impressed by the show of support for a new War Memorial Hospital.

“I think it went very well. I have confidence they’ll weigh the evidence and make a fair decision,” she said of the Health Care Authority.

Will Valley Health become a monopoly similar to Carilion of the Roanoke Valley

To finally bring a conclusion to this informative mission after what I have learned of what is going on down in the Roanoke Valley with Carilion, one can easily develop a similar perception of what is taking place with the rapid growth of Valley Health in the Shenandoah Valley/surrounding regional area.  That why it’s important that the citizenry of the Shenandoah Valley be more informed on Valley Health.


It’s well known that Valley Health’s mission is to have a large presence in the regional area.  Valley Health has not hidden that fact with the $178,000,000 Winchester campus expansion, while continuing to purchase much smaller regional hospitals that appear to have a standard price tag of $30 million for a new facility.


Valley Health’s plan to build a new $30 million hospital in Morgan County, WV  to replace War Memorial Hospital in Berkeley Springs is currently getting resistance from West Virginia University Hospital officials.

WVUH-East President Albert Pilkington has a differing opinion of the events. He has been in this position since January 2009.

"We asked for the hearing because we had serious concerns about the scope of the project, and who put the bid package together," he said. "We felt the size hospital asked for in the bidding package did not fit with the state health plan or our own analysis, and we had additional questions whether we could bid on a project or specs that were designed by an unknown party."

Pilkington said WVUH-East wants to ensure a fair and independent bidding process.

WVU-H East offers more than ‘bus stop’
By Albert Pilkington III, president and CEO, WVU Hospitals-East, Martinsburg

Valley Health has spent a lot of money and time to develop a PR campaign aimed at discrediting our interest in providing health care for the citizens of Morgan County. Beyond all the rhetoric, I ask you to simply consider one basic concept. Do you want a hospital in Berkeley Springs or a medical bus stop for Valley Health?

Ultimately, that is the real question. Our approach will be the same as it has been in Jefferson County in that we believe in building and growing services within the community as opposed to the Valley Health model of using small hospitals as a feeding system for the big hospital in Winchester, Va.

If you are satisfied with driving to Winchester for the majority of your medical needs as if Berkeley Springs were a suburb of Winchester, then we are not your best choice. On the other hand, if you are interested in the development of your own unique community with services provided locally, then that is the approach we offer for health care.

Truly, beyond all the PR and rhetoric, this is the only real question at hand as both companies will give you a new building.

Below are other articles that have appeared in the Martinsburg Journal over the last month and half and I do not recall reading anything about this protest in any of our local media outlets: The Winchester Star, TV3-Winchester or the NVDaily.

(Correction 10/20/09, found NVD article: WV hospital project challenged, WVU-East puts brakes on plans for New War Memorial),
(Correction 10/21/09, found WincStar article: Valley Health's plans for aging WV hospital to get hearing)

Hospital hearing set for Oct. 6
By Erienne Greene, Journal Staff Writer
Posted September 27, 2009
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/525721.html

 

Approval of hospital plans urged
A resolution is passed by Morgan panel
POSTED: September 25, 2009
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/525622.html

 
Delay in hospital construction upsets commissioners
By Tricia Lynn Strader / Special to The Journal
POSTED: September 21, 2009
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/525422.html

 

War Memorial construction delayed
WVU Hospitals files for hearing before panel
By Tricia Lynn Strader, Special to The Journal
POSTED: September 20, 2009
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/525387.html

Another grave concern is “The Lucrative Life of a Nonprofit Hospital” which was a feature by Wall Street Journal blog reporter Jacob Goldstein on August 28, 2008.  Valley Health’s “charges” appear to be competitive at the present moment, but for how long?

“The Lucrative Life of a Nonprofit Hospital”
Jacob Goldstein, WSJ blogger
August 28, 2008
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08/28/the-lucrative-life-of-a-nonprofit-hospital/

ROANOKE, Va. -- In 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice tried but failed to prevent a merger between nonprofit Carilion Health System and this former railroad town's other hospital. The merger, it warned in an unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit, would create a monopoly over medical care in the area.

Nearly two decades later, the cost of health care in the Roanoke Valley -- a region in southwestern Virginia with a population of 300,000 -- is soaring. Health-insurance rates in Roanoke have gone from being the lowest in the state to the highest.

Nonprofit medical centers are big business these days. Carilion Health System, in Virginia’s Roanoke Valley, had profits of more than $100 million last year, Carilion is Roanoke’s dominant health-care player, and it charges high prices for some procedures — $4,727 for a colonoscopy, which is four to 10 times what a local endoscopy center charges, the article says. The area now has some of the highest health-insurance costs in the state.

Critics say big medical centers like Carilion use near-monopoly power to charge high prices; Carilion says it needs to charge more for some procedures to subsidize other parts of its business, such as care for the uninsured. And the hospital says an HCA-owned hospital in a nearby town offers competition.

Carilion has recently started buying up local medical practices in an effort to move to a multispecialty-clinic model. The hospital CEO says this arrangement will cut down on fragmentation and improve care.

But the move has alienated hundreds of local docs, who circulated a petition and launched a Web site. Those who haven’t sold their practices to the hospital say they’ve seen their referrals plummet.

This "Nonprofit Hospitals Flex Pricing Power" is a MUST read and pay attention the epic profit increases from 2003 through 2007.  Do you remember reading about Valley Health's epic increase from 2001 through 2005?  Yes, it was an eye popping 383% increase for that time period as exact figures for 2006, 2007 and now upcoming 2008 has been an unsuccessful challenge to obtain.

Nonprofit Hospitals Flex Pricing Power
In Roanoke, VA, Carilion’s Fees Exceed Those of Competitors;
The $4,727 Colonoscopy
Thursday, August 28, 2008
http://webreprints.djreprints.com/2017630549095.pdf

Since Valley Health is a not-for-profit, why are not their financial records readily available for public inspection.  Makes you wonder, is Valley Health is trying to hide something?  For example, review Lehigh Valley out of Allentown, PA as their financials are very much unguarded for the public to review:

IRS Form 990:
http://www.lvhn.org/downloads/lvhfinal07.pdf

Financials and Annual Reports:
http://www.lvhn.org/aboutus/Annual_Report_Archive/2008_Report_to_the_Community/2008 Financial_and_Operational_Report%7C4523


 

Below is a very informative video of Frank Cotter speaking to Citizens for Responsible Health-care of the Roanoke Valley speaking out against Carilion.

We are all grateful that Valley Health provides quality care for our regional area but everyone should have much concern about their growth to become the regional authoritarian of medical care and hope more individuals within the regional area will be keeping an eye on them while asking reasonable questions.


In closing, let’s all hope that Valley Health of the Shenandoah Valley doesn’t become a monopoly that is the perception of what Carilion has done within the Roanoke Valley.

NONPROFIT PARADOX : Valley Health

Valley Health brings in millions of dollars tax-free,
but it also gives millions away
    By Jason Kane
    The Winchester Star
    January 12, 2009


    Winchester — Free medical care for some area residents costs big bucks for health-care systems such as Valley Health.

    Tens of millions of dollars, in fact, are given away each year by the nonprofit organization.

    “Our mission is to help the entire community, regardless of ability to pay,” said Michael Halseth, president and chief executive officer of the Winchester-based system that operates five hospitals in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

    But with generous tax breaks from the city, state, and federal governments, many critics say nonprofit hospitals are receiving a terrific deal without providing enough give-backs to the communities they serve.

    In 2007 — the last year for which data were available — Valley Health spent more than $56 million on charity, bad debt, and uncompensated care, including community education, health screenings, and similar projects.

    Of that, $18.9 million went toward assisting those who couldn’t afford to pay for health services, $10.8 million was absorbed as a loss for caring for Medicaid patients, and $17.5 went toward bad-debt write-offs.

    “We try to work with folks,” said Craig Lewis, the organization’s chief financial officer. “Especially if people are going through struggling times, as they are now with the economy.”

    In exchange for their goodwill, nonprofit hospitals escape the vast majority of state and local income, property, and sales taxes — in addition to federal taxes. That can add up to hefty savings in growing markets such as Winchester.

    At the moment, no federal guidelines specify the percentage of charity care nonprofit hospitals must provide to their communities.

    Institutions such as Winchester Medical Center are simply expected to care for those who walk through their doors without the ability to pay.

    In effect, Valley Health will provide patients with free service — even complicated procedures such as open-heart surgery — if their income falls below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of four, that’s roughly $40,000 per year.

    For individuals whose incomes fall between 201 and 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, the system offers discounts to its normal fees on a sliding scale.

    Lewis said this policy is fairly generous compared to other hospitals in the state. WMC ranks 14th out of 83 Virginia hospitals in the amount of charity dollars it provides. That number would be higher if the area had as many low-income families as central Richmond, for example, he said.

    “We could have a more liberal policy of writing off bills but not have as much charity care — percentage-wise — as other hospitals, simply because the demographics of our community don’t allow us the opportunity to take care of more people for free,” Lewis said.


    Fear of monopoly


    Between 2001 and 2006, the combined net income of the 50 largest nonprofit hospitals jumped nearly eight-fold — to $4.27 billion — according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the American Hospital Directory.

    Under federal law, the revenues that remain at the end of a year for a nonprofit organization must be funneled back into the company to bolster programs, equipment, and facilities.

    Within Valley Health, that money rarely goes toward bringing down costs for patients, Halseth said.

    “We’ve already kept our prices within the lowest quartile in Virginia for years and years,” he said. “A lot of times we’re in the lowest 10 percent.”

    Rate increases over the past several years have been between 3 and 5 percent — set to keep pace with inflation.

    The primary concern that some people have with nonprofit regional systems such as Valley Health is that their tax breaks will allow them to purchase every health facility in the area, creating a monopoly and later driving up prices.

    Last year alone, the company acquired hospitals in Luray and Romney and Berkeley Springs in West Virginia.

    The organization now includes Winchester Medical Center, Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, Shenandoah Memorial Hospital in Woodstock, Page Memorial Hospital in Luray, and Hampshire Memorial Hospital in Romney. It is awaiting permission from West Virginia authorities before officially beginning to operate War Memorial Hospital in Berkeley Springs.

    Valley Health also oversees the Winchester Rehabilitation Center; Valley Home Care of Winchester, Front Royal, and Woodstock; Urgent Care of Winchester; Quick Care of Stephens City; and Valley Pharmacy of Winchester.

    “I would say that fear [of monopoly prices] simply hasn’t been borne out in our history,” Lewis said. “Yes, it’s nice having our regional hospital and system base, but I don’t see us using it in an adverse way for the community.”


    A charge for reform


    Statewide, the amount of community benefit provided by Virginia’s tax-exempt hospitals exceeded the value of the exemptions by more than $195 million, according to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.

    But that number can be deceptive.

    “A lot of hospital systems across the country were putting in everything but the kitchen sink,” Lewis said.

    In September, the Government Accountability Office released a report concluding that significant variation existed in the types of activities nonprofit hospitals define as community benefit, as well as the ways hospitals measure the costs of these activities.

    Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has been spearheading a charge for reform, recently saying: “As long as there’s such uncertainty and inconsistency in the definition of community benefit, it’ll be impossible to gauge whether the public is getting a fair return for the billions of tax dollars that tax-exempt hospitals don’t pay.”

    This year, the Internal Revenue Service rolled out new 990 reporting forms for nonprofit hospitals that require them to report costs rather than charges, and restrict them from qualifying bad debt and Medicare shortfalls in their definition of community benefit.

    Grassley seemed partially satisfied, but pledged to continue pushing for minimum levels of charity care.

    “While the new IRS Form 990 will help, Congress may need to fill in the blanks since hospitals still get to choose how they calculate their costs,” he said.

    Part of Grassley’s worry is that hospitals — especially the nonprofit ones, due to their tax exemption — generate hundreds of millions of dollars and too often use their surplus funds unwisely.


    Where the money goes


    For 2009, Valley Health expects the retail price (gross revenue) of all of its services to be $1.1 billion.

    After subtracting insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and charity care, it should earn a net revenue of $693 million, with expenses of $659 million.

    That leaves many wondering what Valley Health officials do with the $34 million left over.

    The company invests a portion of its surplus in stocks, bonds, and other assets.

    “We try to be good stewards of the money,” Lewis said. “We try to make sure we have a balanced portfolio, to diversify risks and provide optimal returns [often used for building campaigns].”

    A portion of the money is used to finance new facilities, such as the $17.1 million Wellness and Fitness Center on WMC’s Amherst Street campus or the upcoming $178 campus expansion, which will nearly double the size of the flagship hospital.

    Some funds go back into programs to provide flu shots, informational seminars, or resources for free medical clinics throughout the area.

    Lisa Zerull, a registered nurse who has been working for Valley Health for 19 years, helped the company to devise a number of successful community-based programs.

    Her ideas “don’t generate revenue but do generate community support,” she said.

    In 1993, for instance, Zerull helped to establish a group of nurses who visit the homes of frequent hospital visitors to help them with tasks such as medicine compliance, dietary changes, and exercise.

    By preventing health problems before they occurred, the hospital saved money on the patients’ monthly trips to the emergency room.

    “The program is still in existence, which speaks to its success,” Zerull said.

    And then there are the ventures which have been raising eyebrows.

    Among them: Valley Health recently opened ShenSpa — a branch of Shenandoah Memorial Hospital in Woodstock that offers manicures, pedicures, waxing, and facials.

    Or the new Wellness Center. A number of Winchester gyms lodged complaints with city officials before the center opened, saying Valley Health’s nonprofit status gives the facility an unfair advantage.

    In turn, local leaders asked Valley Health to pay property taxes on the facility, Lewis said.

    Still, officials say the spa, the gym, and other such ventures are all approved by the company’s board of volunteer community leaders — another requirement of a nonprofit hospital.

    “Our board is always sensitive to our charity care policies, assuring that we’re being as fair to our communities as we can possibly be,” Halseth said.

    Even if management is not thinking exclusively about consumer benefit — whether regarding charity care or the impact of a spa within a nonprofit business structure — Halseth said, “I assure you our boards are. And it’s healthy for us to have a board not just looking out for us.”

    

    — Contact Jason Kane at  jkane@winchesterstar.com