Future of Ashland hospital: Concerned Ashland residents to address City Council at today’s meeting

One of the entrances to Asante Ashland Community on Maple Street in Ashland, purchased by Asante from the city of Ashland in 2013. Ashland.news photo by Holly Dillemuth
August 6, 2024

Orthopedic surgeon, former surgery manager among group set to advocate for transparency from Asante

By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news

A group of concerned Ashland residents, a majority of them from the Ashland medical community, plan to address the Ashland City Council during public comment on Tuesday evening about the future of Asante Ashland Community Hospital.

Dr. John Maurer, an actively licensed physician and orthopedic surgeon in Oregon since 1975, is among them. Maurer told Ashland.news via phone that, since the city of Ashland sold the hospital to Asante in 2013, a recurring question has been posed among some in the medical community: “What will become of (Asante) ACH?” That question has gone unanswered, Maurer said.

“‘There is no plan other than to keep it open as a hospital’ is the retort one gets when probing the highest levels of the Asante organization,” Maurer said in a written statement. “Yet actions speak louder than words.” 

Maurer established Ashland Orthopedic Associates in 1975 and has presided over both the Ashland Community Hospital medical staff and the Jackson County Medical Society. Maurer has prepared a statement to share with city councilors. Others will join him in speaking up during the public comment period, he said. 

Maurer formerly chaired the Ashland School Board, where he served in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He also chaired the Board of Directors of the Ashland YMCA in the 1980s and has served non-consecutive terms since the 1970s.  

“With that experience I’ve come to understand what makes Ashland a unique community,” Maurer said in a written statement provided to Ashland.news.

“It is not my intent to vilify Asante nor my purpose to launch torpedoes at a sinking ship,” he said. “Without Asante’s survival, ACH is doomed. Rather the time has come for the citizens of Ashland to be apprised as to what the future of health care will look like  moving forward with the hope their united voices will have some impact on that vision.” 

Maurer referenced the closure of Asante Ashland’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) 18 months ago. He said that the move by Asante impacted elective surgeries on “high risk” patients in Ashland, especially those with ongoing cardiac and/or pulmonary issues that make them vulnerable to general anesthetics.

“There are rating systems … that anesthesia uses on all its patients categorizing them as to what their potential risk postoperatively is going to be, and if there’s a good chance that they may require a day or two in intensive care, you can’t afford to (treat) those people if you don’t have an intensive care,” he added.

High risk surgeries are now diverted to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Maurer said.

“It clearly did have an impact,” Maurer said. 

Maurer said the failure to renew a contract expiring this month with the long-standing team of anesthesia providers raises the question of whether there will be a surgical service come September.  

“The diversion of obstetrical patients to Medford has reduced the patient volume in the Birth Center to a mere trickle of what existed in 2013,” Maurer said. “These actions on the part of Asante extrapolate into the future of our hospital being reduced to little more than a referral dispensary to the ‘Mother Ship’ (what is known as Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center).

“Simply keeping the hospital open is not a plan,” Maurer added. “Rather it is a mandate as was recorded in the 80-page Affiliation Agreement between the City and Asante executed on (July 31, 2013).”

Suzanne Haveman, a former surgery manager at Asante Ashland Community Hospital for more than three decades, echoed Maurer’s sentiments prior to the City Council meeting. Haveman currently works part-time as a registered nurse at Ashland Surgery Center.

“Those years at Ashland Community Hospital were golden years and, as a manager, I heard from medical reps and others who worked in other hospitals that Ashland Community Hospital had an excellent reputation from Portland to the California border as being one of the finest hospitals in the state, delivering a gold standard of care to their patients and valuing their employees,” Haveman said. “ACH is different. The mantra used to be, large enough to serve you, small enough to care. 

“This hospital is essential to this community,” she added.

Haveman said that many patients who come to Asante Ashland Community Hospital are relatively healthy and only need a medical or surgical condition taken care of on an outpatient basis. 

“Surgical services such as total knees, total hips, laparoscopic, surgeries, gynecology … and our retina services can be done on an outpatient basis,” Haveman said.

“When these medical and surgical services are offered, we also have to continue to provide lab services, radiology, physical therapy, housekeeping, so it is a full care facility,” she added. 

“I believe we can redesign Ashland Community Hospital to continue to meet the needs of this community, and the challenges of finance found in this day and time.”

If you go (or watch)

The City Council business meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Ashland City Council chambers, 1175 East Main St. “Public Forum” is the eighth item on the agenda.
Meetings can be attended in person or watched remotely through Channel 9 or Channels 180 and 181 (Charter Communications) or live streamed via rvtv.sou.edu (select RVTV Prime). 
Public testimony will be accepted and can be delivered either via Zoom, in person, or as written comment. To sign up for public comment, fill out the public testimony form.

Asante is obligated to maintain the hospital as a “General Hospital” defined in Oregon Administrative Rules as including surgical and maternity services as well as an emergency room until the agreement sunsets in 2028.  

“Failure to do so requires Asante to pay the city (of Ashland) a $4 million default penalty,” Maurer said. “Hopefully, with this sizable stick at the ready the city can influence Asante to be more transparent with the future of Ashland’s health care.”

Haveman said she can empathize with Asante in light of the current financial climate, but also posed the question: If Asante Ashland remains open, what will that mean for patients and employees?

“Are we going to have general hospital facilities? Are we going to have the departments to support a surgical service and a medical/surgical floor?” Haveman said. 

Haveman said she would like to see a task force created that would identify a strategy moving forward.

In a subsequent interview with Maurer via phone Monday, Maurer urged Asante to share their plans publicly.

“The community deserves at least a transparent statement from Asante as to what they’re going to do,” Maurer said.

Sources close to the situation said that Asante has hired a consultant to study how to move forward with Asante Ashland Community Hospital, with a report due to be completed by September.

Asante responded to a request for comment from Ashland.news with a written statement late Tuesday morning.

“Asante Ashland Community Hospital is a treasure in our region, known for delivering healthcare in an intimate setting,” said Desirae MacGillivray Myers, Asante director of Marketing and Communication. “We are excited to complete our strategic planning efforts that are currently underway so we can invest in the facility and plan for the future needs of our community.”

A request to interview CEO Brandon Mencini, who started in his role on July 22, was declined at this time. Asante did agree via email to an interview with Ashland.news in the near future.

Reach out to Ashland.news reporter Holly Dillemuth at [email protected].

Related story: Asante Ashland Community Hospital ICU to close by Jan. 1 (Dec. 16, 2022)

Picture of Bert Etling

Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

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