HCA buying out Health Midwest in Kansas City area

[eddy]

Ok. Heard through the grapevine that HCA's offer to buyout Health Midwest which consists of several of the largest facilities in the Kansas City area is going to go through. It is expected to be finalized sometime next week. They have hinted in the news that they were confident that an agreement could be reached as early as next week. Some people I know in the Health Midwest system say it's all but done already and it's more a matter of getting all the "signatures in the right place" at this point.

This is unfortunate in my opinion as the Health Midwest system has always been considered tops in the area. HCA doesn't exactly bring with it that kind of track record in many cases.

Anyway, I thought I would drop this note for anyone interested.

[mark_LD_RN]

sorry you had a bad experience but obviously its just like any oither corporation. some are good some are bad the ones i been at have been any where from good to excellent. definitely staffed better than the other local hospitals in my area.

[perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN]

There were two major hospitals in a town I used to live, one was HCA and one was originally freestanding and then became part of Wellmont. The HCA hospital was notorious, and the other hospital was always considered much better even after it too was corporatized (not sure if that's a word but you know what I mean). and that is in TN not Florida.

[perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN]

but after reading some of these other posts maybe the hospital in that town was just a bad apple

[mattsmom81]

HCA is a big corporation and something to remember is the corporation has it's way. They also like to buy up lots of hospitals in an area then close down a few with zero notice, so beware. Nurses here were given promises of no close down ... then one week notice and the place closed down.

I have since worked at Columbia HCA facilities but am always wary and keep my eyes and ears open. My favorite little community hospital changed a whole lot (not for the better unfortunately) when HCA took over.

Like all stigmas, there's always some truth to it. A corporation that changes handles every few years to avoid their own name has a negative stigma, and rightfully so IMO.

[Edward,IL]

Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago was at one time a premier hospital with one of the largest medical residency programs in the US and a large diploma nursing program.

In the 1980's, Humana took over, did their damage then sold this hospital (and other damaged hospitals) to Columbia HCA. The place is now independent, struggling to pay their bills (they may even be in Chapter 11 by now, I don't know). We're all just waiting for the place to close and become a lakefront condo development.