Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

The recent article on the changes at St Mark’s and opinions from Dr. Shannon Juno and Judge Dan Mueller framed the current situation and the history behind this business. That one word, business, is definitive; St Mark’s Hospital is a business whose operation must be sustained by sufficient margins of income that exceed costs.

When the tax district controversy vote of 2019 unsettled so many citizens, we were told the debt at that moment was $13 million. Four years later, that debt remains the same, yet Fayette County Record readers have observed numerous ads, editorial support, hospital staff expansions and even special newspaper inserts. These promotions have not changed the bald reality: St Mark’s was completed in 2005, but its design was based on an outdated medical business model already changing in the early 1970’s.

Rarely do businesses succeed by fighting obvious market trends.

My business uses local suppliers in the county for welding, machining of parts and fastener supply. When I needed steel castings, I found an excellent source in Victoria. But I do not depend on Texas for motors and pumps; I am well-served by manufacturers outside the state.

Hospitals and medical services are similar: when rapid response is required it can be found locally; emergency services provide quick answers and their triage directs us to nearby service able to ensure our recovery.

St Mark’s Hospital served me in such a triage which lead to a cardiac stent installed in my heart by an Austin hospital. I am certain the triage model now being considered will serve our community well although a radical change from the 2005 model.

I implore our county commissioners and the St Mark’s board to undertake adjustments that properly balance the Hospital and real local needs.