The West Side Health Crisis Coalition (WHCC) was officially launched during an evening awards banquet on April 21 at Mandell United Methodist Church (5000 W. Congress Pkwy.). The goal of convening these Westside community groups, including the South Austin Coalition, is to bring attention and solutions to the problem of racial disparities in health care.
Coalition Chair Rev. Gregory Livingston cited dire Westside health care statistics that include childhood obesity levels of 53 percent in North Lawndale and 47 percent in Humbolt Park, high levels of diabetes cases among adults and a growing number of uninsured adults.
Rita Jackson, director of the Morise Organization, singled out Advocate Health Care, the city’s largest health care provider, as an abuser of its “community and faith-based covenant” through allegedly practicing racial redlining in their investment disparities between their urban and suburban hospitals.
Advocate operates with Bethany Hospital which is located at 3435 W. Van Buren St. A recent study by the Hospital Accountability Project of the Service Employees International Union showed significant discrepancies by Advocate in its capital investments at suburban hospitals vs. urban facilities like Bethany.
“The reason for the discrepancies is that Bethany serves a predominantly black and minority community, while the suburban hospitals serve a predominantly affluent, white clientele,” said Jackson.
Mattie Holmes, resident leader for the South Austin Coalition (SAC), introduced the coalition’s new “Proposed Community Benefits Agreement” with Advocate. The agreement encourages Advocate to work together with the West Side Health Crisis Coalition to develop a plan to upgrade Bethany Hospital into a state-of-the-art hospital on a par with those in the suburbs.
The terms of the agreement requires that Advocate and the coalition work with political leaders to identify land for purposes of expansion, and work together to provide the following services to the community:
? Mental health services for children and adults, including access to psychologists and psychiatrists, and a pilot project that trains local pastors as therapists
? A state-of-the art diagnostic center with the emphasis on providing affordable testing for the uninsured
? A 24-hour inpatient and outpatient pharmacy
? A rehab and fitness center
? A cardiac care center
? Dental and optometry services for children and adults
Other terms of the agreement involve assuring adherence to the agreement. It requests that there be an “Oversight Committee” composed of WHCC and other community, clergy, and labor organizations, whose charge it will be to meet bi-monthly to monitor and carry out this agreement.
Advocate is also being encouraged to enter into a conduct agreement with SEIU to protect workers’ right to organize and invest $1 million per year for each of the next 20 years into the work of congregations and community groups, which would be determined and monitored by the Oversight Committee.
“We have to make sure the disparities going on in our community are challenged. That’s what we’re trying to do with this agreement,” said Rev. Clarence Kelly, president of Metropolitan Alliace of Cogregations West, and a coalition member.
“Advocate receives great tax breaks for services it is supposed to provide but does not. We need to get some of that invested back into our community,” said Rev. Kelly.
Members of WHCC include SAC, the Morise Orgaization, Jobs With Justice and Coalition of the Homeless.
At the banquet that jumpstarted WHCC, there was an award ceremony honoring those who helped impact the health care system on the West Side. The recipients included nurse Joann Clausell, who was honored for her organizing efforts and work with health care unions.
Her firing from Bethany Hospital resently, sparked a community rally held by members of the WHCC and other community groups on May 4, alleging that the rationale behind her firing seemed out of step with her personality and believed she was really fired because of her work organizing unions.
“According to representatives of Bethany, she was fired because she’d had a verbal altercation with a fellow employee, which completely contradicts her personality,” said Elce Redmond of the South Austin Coalition.
“I’ve known her for a few years now and can attest to the fact of her being very soft-spoken, so I don’t believe the ‘official’ explanation. We think she was fired because of her union organizing, which is clearly in violation of her constitutional right.”
Following the rally, leaders marched to the hospital and demanded a meeting with hospital President Lena Dobbs-Johson to have Clausell reinstated. They were told that details on the case were ‘confidetial’ yet they plan to go over her head and arrange a meeting with Advocate CEO James Skogsbergh.
“We have every intention of seeing Ms. Clausell reinstated and our agreement agreed upon,” said Redmond. “We deserve the best health care in our community.”
New coalition seeks agreement with Advocate Health Care
West Side Health Crisis Coalition held a rally to highlight the issues and lay out terms of an agreement they hope will improve Bethany Hospital.
By ROBERT FELTON
The West Side Health Crisis Coalition (WHCC) was officially launched during an evening awards banquet on April 21 at Mandell United Methodist Church (5000 W. Congress Pkwy.). The goal of convening these Westside community groups, including the South Austin Coalition, is to bring attention and solutions to the problem of racial disparities in health care.
Coalition Chair Rev. Gregory Livingston cited dire Westside health care statistics that include childhood obesity levels of 53 percent in North Lawndale and 47 percent in Humbolt Park, high levels of diabetes cases among adults and a growing number of uninsured adults.
Rita Jackson, director of the Morise Organization, singled out Advocate Health Care, the city’s largest health care provider, as an abuser of its “community and faith-based covenant” through allegedly practicing racial redlining in their investment disparities between their urban and suburban hospitals.
Advocate operates with Bethany Hospital which is located at 3435 W. Van Buren St. A recent study by the Hospital Accountability Project of the Service Employees International Union showed significant discrepancies by Advocate in its capital investments at suburban hospitals vs. urban facilities like Bethany.
“The reason for the discrepancies is that Bethany serves a predominantly black and minority community, while the suburban hospitals serve a predominantly affluent, white clientele,” said Jackson.
Mattie Holmes, resident leader for the South Austin Coalition (SAC), introduced the coalition’s new “Proposed Community Benefits Agreement” with Advocate. The agreement encourages Advocate to work together with the West Side Health Crisis Coalition to develop a plan to upgrade Bethany Hospital into a state-of-the-art hospital on a par with those in the suburbs.
The terms of the agreement requires that Advocate and the coalition work with political leaders to identify land for purposes of expansion, and work together to provide the following services to the community:
? Mental health services for children and adults, including access to psychologists and psychiatrists, and a pilot project that trains local pastors as therapists
? A state-of-the art diagnostic center with the emphasis on providing affordable testing for the uninsured
? A 24-hour inpatient and outpatient pharmacy
? A rehab and fitness center
? A cardiac care center
? Dental and optometry services for children and adults
Other terms of the agreement involve assuring adherence to the agreement. It requests that there be an “Oversight Committee” composed of WHCC and other community, clergy, and labor organizations, whose charge it will be to meet bi-monthly to monitor and carry out this agreement.
Advocate is also being encouraged to enter into a conduct agreement with SEIU to protect workers’ right to organize and invest $1 million per year for each of the next 20 years into the work of congregations and community groups, which would be determined and monitored by the Oversight Committee.
“We have to make sure the disparities going on in our community are challenged. That’s what we’re trying to do with this agreement,” said Rev. Clarence Kelly, president of Metropolitan Alliace of Cogregations West, and a coalition member.
“Advocate receives great tax breaks for services it is supposed to provide but does not. We need to get some of that invested back into our community,” said Rev. Kelly.
Members of WHCC include SAC, the Morise Orgaization, Jobs With Justice and Coalition of the Homeless.
At the banquet that jumpstarted WHCC, there was an award ceremony honoring those who helped impact the health care system on the West Side. The recipients included nurse Joann Clausell, who was honored for her organizing efforts and work with health care unions.
Her firing from Bethany Hospital resently, sparked a community rally held by members of the WHCC and other community groups on May 4, alleging that the rationale behind her firing seemed out of step with her personality and believed she was really fired because of her work organizing unions.
“According to representatives of Bethany, she was fired because she’d had a verbal altercation with a fellow employee, which completely contradicts her personality,” said Elce Redmond of the South Austin Coalition.
“I’ve known her for a few years now and can attest to the fact of her being very soft-spoken, so I don’t believe the ‘official’ explanation. We think she was fired because of her union organizing, which is clearly in violation of her constitutional right.”
Following the rally, leaders marched to the hospital and demanded a meeting with hospital President Lena Dobbs-Johson to have Clausell reinstated. They were told that details on the case were ‘confidetial’ yet they plan to go over her head and arrange a meeting with Advocate CEO James Skogsbergh.
“We have every intention of seeing Ms. Clausell reinstated and our agreement agreed upon,” said Redmond. “We deserve the best health care in our community.”
