For the last several months, the City of Burlington has been trying to decide how to address Aurora’s decision to close the maternity/obstetrics department at Memorial Hospital of Burlington.
The city has weighed options – which include inviting United Health to build another hospital – and tried to get a feel for what the community and the health care market could handle.
Now the ball is in Aurora’s court – at least for another month.
City of Burlington Mayor Bob Miller and City Administrator Kevin Lahner confirmed Tuesday that, following continued meetings of a special advisory committee, the decision remains to see what Aurora comes back with in terms of a long-term commitment to the City.
Miller said the decision was made after listening to Aurora representatives, and also presenting alternatives, which include the possibility of building a new hospital with United Health Care.
According to Miller, Aurora is looking at a new plan, one that will be presented to its corporate Board of Directors at the end of May.
Aurora representatives have told city staff that, following that presentation, it will be better able to answer questions about the company’s long-term commitment to Burlington.
“They told us after it’s been to their board of directors, they can disclose long-range plans to us,” Miller said.
But while the City sits back and plays the waiting game now on Aurora, there are some doubts about just what kind of answer will be coming in June.
Miller said he hopes to have answers come June, but he’s not holding his breath.
And Lahner said he just did not know what would be coming from the health care provider.
“There are so many possibilities, I have no idea,” Lahner said.
The communication – or lack thereof – from Aurora has both Lahner and Miller frustrated.
“I think that the message we’re hearing from folks is the reason that there are issues with Aurora … there’s a perceived lack of listening from Aurora, and a perceived lack of communication to our community,” said Lahner, who quickly added that people are separating their doctors – and their experiences with them – from the Aurora corporate issues.
“A lot of people have a good relationship with their doctor, but the company isn’t good with community relations, and hasn’t been for a long time,” Lahner added.
Miller said the feedback he’s gotten from the community has been more direct.
“What I’m getting is a very vocal response to closing OB and moving it out,” said Miller, who added that the people he’s spoken to are more worried about that exact issue than any long-term ramifications.
However, while individuals may not be looking there, the city – and the advisory committee – are.
“I think what we’re seeing is that the committee is looking for options,” Miller said. “Looking for some firm commitments from somebody to maintain a hospital in Burlington.”
One of those options could be United. Lahner said Tuesday that the city is discussing a number of different models with United, including the idea of a public/private partnership or a local investment in building a hospital.
Lahner said those plans will likely involve enough profit from hospital billing to cover any investments made in building a new hospital, but cautioned that the numbers are still very tentative.
“Very, very preliminary, like back-of-a-napkin sketches,” Lahner said. “The initial look at it, you could easily pay off any debt you issue through hospital bills and not touch the tax rate or anything else.”
Lahner also stressed that those discussions are taking place as a theoretical, dependent on how the city chooses to pull the trigger on the decision – or even if, given what Aurora could or could not come back with.
“What I said to them is that we’re willing to talk,” Lahner said. “We’ve said that to any health care provider.
“We’ve always taken a position at the city level that we’re always able to do good business deals that make sense for the city.”
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