Lincoln Medical Center

Mr. Jim Perry, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lincoln Health System (LHS), has announced the appointment of a special Board Committee assigned the responsibility of investigating future affiliation options for LHS.  While the idea of appointing such a committee was endorsed by the Board at a planning and educational session that met recently, LHS has, for some time, included the option of affiliation in its long term strategic plan.

According to Perry, “The Board is committed to preserve and expand an appropriate mix of health services for Lincolnton and Lincoln County.  The healthcare industry has become much more challenging even for the largest of hospitals and hospital networks.  Although Lincoln Medical Center has enjoyed being a free-standing community hospital since its opening as Lincoln County Hospital in 1969, we also have not been provided the economic benefits available to members of large networks.  Medicare payment cutbacks, in particular, are now forcing all healthcare providers to seek every way possible to reduce expenses without compromising the quality of patient care.”

 The seven-member ad-hoc Affiliation Committee is comprised of health system board and medical staff representatives.  Jim Perry will serve as Chair and be joined by Bob Tull, Beverly Smith, and Jim Hallman from the LHS Executive Committee; Gordon Crowell, MD, as a member-at-large from the Board; Peter Fortkort, MD, as the Chief of the Medical Staff; and David Paschall, MD, as an at-large representative of the medical staff.  Pete Acker, LHS’s President and Chief Executive Officer, will hold an ex-officio seat on the committee.

 No decision has been made by the health system Board to affiliate, but the committee’s deliberations will allow the Board to consider that important question in the future.  The committee’s first order of business is to identify what affiliation options are available and what benefits may be associated with each model.  An outside consultant will likely be used to assist the committee in this stage of its work.  In today’s healthcare marketplace, affiliation can mean anything ranging from a ‘good-neighbor’ agreement such as LHS currently maintains with Carolinas Healthcare System, to an operating lease of the facility, all the way to outright sale of the hospital and its affiliated programs.

 This information-gathering and planning process must also consider the views and opinions of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners.  While Lincoln County Hospital reorganized to become LHS in 1995 and achieved some level of independence from the County, several affiliation options involving transfer or use of hospital assets by a third party would require Commissioners’ approval.  Added Mr. Perry, “We share a common goal with the Board of Commissioners in our mutual desire of providing the best possible health care to our citizens.  I trust that as we learn more about the affiliation process we will continue to meet this shared goal.”

Lincoln's Getting a YMCA

The Family YMCA of Lincoln County is getting closer with each passing day. With construction well under way, anyone driving by can see the progress. The YMCA,   located on the Lincoln Medical Center campus, as planned (January 2001 open date) now will have:

• a warm water pool
• gymnasium
• indoor walking/running track
• fitness center
• community room
• wellness annex sponsored by LMC
• locker spaces

"Hopes are to have classes available, and of interest, to every member of the family. We'd like to see diet & weight management, personal fitness planning, and cardiac rehabilitation," said Bob Tull, who also serves on the YMCA's Provisional Board. The Family YMCA of Lincoln County will function as a branch of the YMCA of Charlotte. As an entity of a larger group of YMCAs, the facility in Lincolnton will be able to benefit from the many tools and resources already available to that network of 12 other branches.

Anyone interested in learning more about the YMCA, membership options, becoming involved in fundraising efforts, or wishing to donate funds should contact Kevin Dean at 748-9311.