Both the Indio Planning Commission and the Indio City Council have unanimously approved the project, proposed by Indio-based Joint Replacement Hospitals of America. Recently, however, 130-bed John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio filed a lawsuit against the city, demanding a detailed review of the project’s impact on local healthcare and requesting a temporary restraining order against the project until that review is completed.
Using a familiar argument, JFK Memorial alleges that the facility would skim off higher-paying patients, forcing it to reduce services in areas such as the ED, which would harm healthcare for the community. Here, Richard M. Warner, CEO of Joint Replacement Hospitals of America, explains why the joint replacement hospital would benefit the community and even complement JFK Memorial.
1. Growing need for a joint replacement hospital. Demand for orthopedic surgeries is on the rise, driven partly by the aging baby boomer generation, while the number of surgeons in the field is decreasing. Joint researcher Dr. Thomas K. Fehring estimates that by 2016, nearly 200,000 patients who need hip replacements and 750,000 patients who need knee replacements will not be able to get them because there will not be enough orthopedic surgeons to perform the procedure.
2. Both the joint replacement hospital and the general hospital can thrive. At least three studies, completed from 2003-2009, have found that general hospitals remain relatively unaffected when specialty hospitals do open nearby. Learn more at www.jrhamedical.com/indio.
3. New hospital will provide $20 million annual tax base and new jobs. If ever there were a time to create well-paying jobs and contribute to the city’s tax revenue, it’s now. The joint replacement hospital will employ surgeons, nurses, administrative staff and maintenance workers. The bottom-line financial impact of the new hospital will be unequivocally positive for the city of Indio.
4. Real benefits to local businesses. Local hotels, restaurants, retail stores and recreational facilities will get new patrons by way of the patients, families, friends and staff visiting the joint replacement hospital and the facility’s medical learning center.
5. Quieter operations. Unlike a general hospital, the joint replacement hospital will not require ambulance services for patients and, therefore, will be a quieter addition to the neighborhood. A 2005 government study of specialty hospitals validated this by reporting an appreciation for, among other things, the lower noise levels of specialty hospitals.
6. Thoughtful architectural design. Soderstrom Architects [the designer of the new joint replacement hospital] specializes in designing attractive, sustainable and environmentally friendly medical facilities that compliment the aesthetics of the surrounding area. Lush grounds and buffered parking will ensure that the center is a beautiful addition to the community.
7. Good neighbors. The city will take pride in knowing it has the only joint replacement hospital in the Coachella Valley. As part becoming part of the fabric of Indio, the new hospital will make the new facility available as a venue for community events.
Learn more about Joint Replacement Hospitals of America.
