Trinity: No contact, no comment

By Bob Belcher

June 26, 2007 08:27 am

— When Trinity Mother Frances Health Systems, through advertising placed in local media last week, said the local clinic was in “transition,” it was the first local government officials had heard of the company’s plans to “down size” the clinic by as many as 50 percent of the medical staff.
Both Connie Standridge, Corsicana’s city manager, and Navarro County Judge H.M. Davenport Jr. said they had not been contacted by officials with Trinity Clinic or Trinity Mother Frances about any changes the company was considering, including its April announcement that a promised new hospital would not be built in Corsicana.
Reaction to the news was not surprise, but a hope for the best medical services available in the county.
“As in two years ago with (Trinity’s) decision to purchase the Medical Arts Clinic, I assume that was a business decision for Trinity Mother Frances at the time, and I can only assume that the reorganization that is going on now is a business decision for them,” Standridge said.
“I think that the city’s position is that we want the city of Corsicana to have the best health care possible,” she added. “Our hope is (Trinity’s move) doesn’t affect our citizen’s ability to seek health care.”
Standridge was optimistic about Navarro Regional Hospital’s construction of a new clinic, and its future in providing health care to Navarro County.
“That certainly seems to be their intent. Their intent is to make an investment in the community, so I hope that is a positive thing.”
Davenport’s outlook regarding Navarro Regional was similar to that of the city manager.
“Certainly with the hospital improving its infrastructure, I don’t see it adversely affecting us, at least not all that much,” Davenport said Monday. “The hospital is basically gearing up to take up the slack.
“If (the hospital) is up to speed and hires in the doctors it needs an so on, certainly it should be able to take care of the health needs of the county,” he said. “To those doctors (leaving Trinity) who choose to open up other offices, they don’t have to leave Corsicana and go somewhere else unless they want to.
“I know (the hospital) in conversations I’ve had with the folks out there is striving to maintain the best health care possible in town. Given that, I feel confident it will succeed in doing that.”
Lee McCleary, economic development director for both the city and the county, said having a vital health care community “is of critical importance” to the work he does attracting industry to the area.
“It is certainly encouraging news to learn that several of the physicians affected by the Trinity Mother Frances transition may be able to join the Navarro Regional Hospital staff,” McCleary said.
“Hopefully, all of the physicians and their staff who are affected by this announcement by Trinity Mother Frances will be able to realize a smooth transition of their practice and patient care within our community that continues uninterrupted as the Navarro County residents deserve the very best available medical care.”
Monday, Trinity remained as tight-lipped as they have been in recent weeks about any explanation of the “transition” taking place at the clinic, its spokesman claiming he “was not aware of any changes” in advance of last week’s advertisement.
Spokesman John Moore of Trinity Mother Frances declined any further comment Monday in response to several questions regarding the announcement, the number of physicians leaving Trinity and its failure to provide any official news releases regarding the changes.
Moore said the ad placed in the Daily Sun was done while he “was gone.” However, a radio commercial that began airing locally late Friday, containing essentially the same information as the newspaper ad did, was voiced by Moore, who is a former broadcaster.
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Bob Belcher may be reached via e-mail at belcher@corsicanadailysun.com