Reader’s View Troy residents deserve high-quality health care

I was born in Samaritan Hospital in November 1979, at 10 lbs. 5 oz. I’m told I was the largest baby in the hospital at that time, and my parents can still recall their time and interactions at the hospital like it was yesterday. Over the years, I made numerous trips to Samaritan and St. Mary’s hospitals for everything from broken bones to visiting loved ones in their care. Of all the places I have gone, all roads lead back here to Troy, and those hospitals in particular.

While living in the Boston area for much of the last 15 years,. I would often visit home and routinely tour the city of Troy to keep in touch with its constant changes and evolution. There was a time when I would look upon the hospitals with concern, whether upon passing or through utilization of services. I would ask myself: are these places thriving? Do they have the resources they need to serve the population? Will they have to close someday? My opinion after seeing the reach and impact of New England health institutions over the years was that people here at home deserve the same type of quality care, modern facilities, and cutting edge technology necessary for addressing our communities’ needs as our neighbors to the east. When I had the opportunity to return home to work on behalf of advancing St. Peter’s Health Partners mission in Troy, I jumped at the chance.

Within our area here, I know many people like myself who share strong feelings and affiliations for these hospitals. I think all would agree that a plan that allows these two campuses to coexist and operate effectively long into the future is a good one. Looking back at the time of the merger of St. Peter’s Healthcare Services, Northeast Health, and Seton Health into St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP) in 2011, Samaritan and St. Mary’s had until that time been two hospitals within a mile of one another, in direct competition, du- plicating services, filling only half of their available beds with inpatient volume declining, and “moreover, neither of the emergency departments nor the hospitals’ intensive care units [were] sufficient to meet current acute care needs.” Without consolidation of inpatient services in Troy, the two hospitals combined would lose in excess of $14 million per year by 2018.

It was determined that the hospitals needed to be reconfigured and consolidated to provide greater access, efficiency, and fiscal sustainability, with the ultimate goals of a reinvigorated healthcare presence in the community. A feasibility study concluded that Samaritan Hospital was best situated to become the acute care and inpatient facility in Troy, and this autumn will see the opening phases of the Heinrich Medicus Pavilion at Samaritan, complete with a new, state of the art, spacious emergency room, ICU, PCU, private medicalsurgical rooms, and modernized endoscopy suites. St. Mary’s Hospital is the optimal site for ambulatory care in our area, and will host vital services such as the Hildegard Medicus Cancer Center, Interfaith Medical Respite Program, Women’s Health Center, and the Samaritan School of Nursing, all serving as future anchors in this historic institution.

It will take time to implement these plans and an enormous commitment of resources to bring them to fruition. The seeking of public partnerships is always important for a project of this scope, but this is a defining moment in the history of healthcare in Troy and your support is needed now more than ever. My colleagues and I at the Northeast & Seton Health Foundations in the Center for Philanthropy of SPHP recently launched the “Troy Hospital’s 100 Challenge” in an effort to complete our $25 million capital campaign as part of this $99.9 million investment in Troy. Philanthropy is always a personal subject, but so too is providing care for people close to us when it matters most. That is why it is necessary to create this groundswell of support to see these two hospitals through the finish line, effectively preserving top notch health care in our area for the next 100 years.

Our goal is to accumulate 10,000 gifts of $100, demonstrating the kind of community support which literally led to the founding of these hospitals years ago. Back then, there was a serious need to care for the sick or wounded, and a group of motivated volunteers created a coalition of support to build these compassionate centers of care. Now, in these times, we are asking for our community’s participation to ensure that our friends, neighbors, friends, and families have the best kind of care right here at home.

Anyone from or familiar with our area knows the importance of these two hospitals to Troy and the surrounding community. I can say with certainty that SPHP and staff at both hospitals are working diligently to use community feedback to continuously shape the patient experience and best prac- tices that are central to our success as an organization. But for me, this goes beyond healthcare and philanthropy … this is about pride in where I’m from, wanting the best for everyone here at home, and wanting to be a part of something meaningful and sustainable.

If you share equally passionate feelings about these places and subjects, then I hope you will visit Troy100challenge.org to learn more about what is happening in Troy, consider pledging your support, and then encourage others close to you to do the same. When they look back 100 years from now to understand how we were able to preserve these two historic destinations, what will they see? I imagine they will first encounter a list of people who stepped forward in their community to demonstrate support for our mission and vision for the future.

Thank you for your consideration and support.

Ryan Parker represents St. Peter’s Health Partners Center for Philanthropy.