The Emporia Gazette

May 17, 2008

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Sen. Jim Barnett’s controversial comments about Newman Regional Health during a forum at the Lyon County Courthouse weren’t a surprise to retired Dr. Gould Garcia. But Garcia doesn’t believe that Barnett’s comments should cast doubt on Newman’s ability to serve patients.

From what Garcia saw in 35 years as an internal-medicine physician at Newman, Barnett’s remarks about an adversarial relationship between the hospital and its doctors are reflective of something that’s long-standing because of interests that don’t always coincide.

“And there are potentials for conflicts, always,” Garcia said. “And I don’t think it’s any worse now than it’s ever been or will be.”

Several retired longtime doctors who collectively practiced at Newman in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s describe Emporia’s medical community during that time as being high-quality. So does Dr. Ken Wright, who came to Emporia in 1976 and still practices here while serving on the hospital’s board of trustees.

Emporia had two hospitals during that period, Newman and St. Mary’s Health Center, until St. Mary’s closed in March 1991.

“Emporia was noted for the fine medical care,” said Dr. Don Coldsmith, a retired family practitioner who came to Emporia in 1960 and practiced until 1988. “I was in my internship in the Kansas City area, and an old-timer came around and said, ‘I hear you’re going to Emporia, Kansas.’ I said ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Good.’ He says, ‘You’re going to practice in the town that has more good medical care per unit of population than any place in the state.’”

Dr. Ed Campbell, a retired family practitioner, arrived in Emporia in 1962 and practiced for 33 years. His impression was that the quality of care during his time of practice was “quite good,” despite the number of specialties, such as neurosurgery, that did and continue to remain uncovered in town.

“The doctors that I joined were skilled and experienced,” Garcia said. “... They were World War II veterans who had seen a lot of the world, and I think had a perspective on life that I think might be a little different than what younger doctors now have. And they were good. They were very good physicians, good people. I’m not saying they’re not now — the day I retired, they brought in a bunch of people that I didn’t even know.”

“We just had a lot of very good physicians, and they worked well together,” Coldsmith said. “And some of the guys you liked a little better than some of the others, but that was just a personality thing, and any doctor in town would turn out for any other doctor in town who needed him. And consequently, the patients get better care.”

Campbell said back when Newman and St. Mary’s were coexisting, there was some head-to-head competition between the two.

“And just like Ma Bell,” he said, “a little competition’s a good thing, with any field, I think.”

He said St. Mary’s had good people working for it, but went under, in his opinion, because of poor management. To Garcia, though, it was immaterial whether one of the hospitals decided to close. He said the question needed to be asked whether Emporia needed two hospitals.

“The community, as it developed after I came, was not large enough to sustain two hospitals,” Garcia said. “There was too much duplication of services. It was counterproductive to duplicate the services with the number of patients that we had.”

The management at Newman was considerably better than at St. Mary’s, according to Campbell.

“In my view, I thought they were doing well,” he said. “I disagreed with them on some issues, but certainly I would always have disagreed. I’m sure there are things that I see one way and an administrator’s going to see another.”

Although acknowledging that he hasn’t practiced for nine years, Garcia said hospitals and their physicians always have differing interests, and it was that way throughout his time at Newman. Having known Barnett for years, Garcia trusts his judgment when talking about a perceived current divide between doctors and administration.

“He’s one of my former partners, and I have the highest regard for him. He’s one of the best doctors that I’ve ever seen,” Garcia said. “He’s extremely intelligent, his judgment is excellent and his motivations are good.”

But quality of care isn’t something Garcia is worried about as a result of Barnett’s perception of Newman.

“I do not feel there is any dire medical emergency here in town,” Garcia said. “I feel perfectly at ease going to Newman for my medical care, as I have in the past.”

Wright describes the current quality of care at Newman as “good to excellent.”

“From people like nurses that care about taking care of patients, they may use different equipment, but they tell you you have to be concerned about how the patient is doing,” he said. “And that was here when I came 30-some years ago, and it’s here now.”

Wright, whose name was signed on the board of trustees’ letter to The Gazette last Thursday in response to Barnett’s remarks, said he was disappointed to read Barnett’s take on the situation at Newman. He said he didn’t think Barnett’s perception that Newman administration is running physicians out of the community was accurate.

“Maybe his experience has been different than mine,” Wright said. “Obviously, no place is perfect. When you’re dealing with physicians and hospital staff, you’re gonna have conflicts, which is in any place. So I’m not saying Newman is perfect by any means, but I don’t think it’s as negative as he portrayed it.”

Garcia said he does share with Barnett a concern about the fact that Emporia is losing physicians. After having 42 active staff members in 2003, Barnett said, the hospital was to have 32 as of last Thursday. But Garcia said staffing goes in cycles, and he thought that Newman and the community’s physicians would address that issue.

Campbell said that when he read Barnett’s remarks, he was surprised he had the courage to say what he did.

“Because it would make me nervous (what) kind of a treatment I’d be getting over there after that. ... I’m glad he had the courage to bring it up for air,” Campbell said.

“Nobody else, in many years, has had the courage to come out and say anything.”

Wednesday: How health-care delivery has changed and doctors speak out on Barnett’s allegations.

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