With universal healthcare as one of the stated goals of the current administration I wonder why we will need a county hospital in the future.
Maybe there is a good reason for El Paso county taxpayers to be funding $150 million for new clinics.
I don’t see one.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Duh…#1 those funds are spent in El Paso and do not trickle down from Washington DC or Austin. Again not all the money just to fund “Needed Clinics for easier access to care” but upgrade three floors of a 50 plus year old building to provide great inpatient care and educate our much needed future Doctors and Nurses!!
I would invite all of you critical of UMC to come and visit….see for yourself.
I see it !
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Most methods of book-keeping indicate that 50M in capital improvements are put in as a loss. That means Mr Valenti lost 50M plus the 19M loss he reported for 2012. Add it up!
He is giving the taxpayer of El Paso additional investments to loss more money. Duh?
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Dear Taxpayer,
Our county safety net hospital is THE local healthcare center for indigent care.and Major Trauma (service area of 250 mile)…Health Care is “free” for those who can’t or do not pay..not a money making enterprise. The bigger problem is the other healthcare systems in our town also do a lot of free care too! If you can treat for example high blood pressure or diabetes as an out patient it is much less expensive than treating the complications in any hospital. Thus the needed outpatient clinics.
UMC (Thomason) Facility was neglected for 50 years (by our elected leaders) and all the current upgrades-expenses-are now to bring the facility inpatient and outpatient up to date. There is now a 1st Class Medical School and another nursing School in El Paso that will be fundamental to bring more physicians and nurses to our undeserved area. They will train at UMC…
The rules and regulations that govern health care today are onerous, oppressive and expensive…ask any Doctor or hospital administrator.
The truth is health care is most expensive, complicated but most necessary. The share of El Pasoan taxes to support UMC Hospital district in our state are among the lowest in the state of Texas.
Regards.
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El Paso now has an academic medical center – the combination of the medical school and county hospital. The clinics are a feeder system into this complex. This all has the potential of becoming an engine of economic growth via bio-medical research and product development. Will it employ unemployed garment workers? Maybe to mow the lawn, but more important it will employ UTEP and NMSU science grads.
That said, follow the money! In this town, the Usual Suspects normally figure out how to tap the cash flow for their own benefit. Stay alert and critical-minded and never accept the “official” explanation for anything.
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There may be a rift growing between the school and the hospital.
The hospital did not renew some of the school doctor’s contracts at the hospital.
Rumor has it that the school is looking to build a hospital on the west side.
Big players involved?
Brutus
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The Mission of UMC is to provide access to care for all…The TTU Mission is to educate and do research….It should work…TTU needs another teaching site…I do not understand why HCA nor Tenet do not allow students on their facilities????
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