HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution #0752,r
RESOLUTION N0.
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE PROPOSED NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH PLANNING.
WHEREAS, Public Law 93-641 authorized the Secretary of Health,
Education and Welfare to "issue guidelines concerning national health
planning policy"; and,
WHEREAS, on September 23, 1977, the Secretary of the Department
of Health, Education and Welfare issued proposed National Guidelines
for Health Planning which outline some service-specific, quantified
standards for the appropriate supply, distribution and organization
of health services; and,
WHEREAS, the priority given in this set of national guidelines
is to short-term control of institutional health care costs; and
WHEREAS, the application of the proposed guidelines to the
Illinois Central Health Service Area yield some significant impli-
cations; and,
WHEREAS, Guidelines 1 through 5 concern the number of non-federal
hospital beds in a health service area, average annual occupancy rates,
obstetrical services, and pediatric units; and,
WHEREAS, while these guidelines may be realistic in metropolitan
areas, there i.s no allowance for a rural hospital serving a large but
diffused population. While the reduction of beds is designed to insure
a high occupancy which is more cost effective, the Guidelines do not allow
for the typical peaking of hospital admissions, separation of patients by
age, smoking preference and they assure the return of hall beds and
emergency transfers of patients to hospitals some distance from their
home town; and,
WHEREAS, while the guidelines establishing minimum number of deliveries
in a hospital may be realistic where the alternative to the patients is
another hospital in their community, no allowance is made for a rural
hospital which provides the only obstetrical care within a large rural
area; and,
WHEREAS, the guidelines establish a minimum number of beds for a
pediatric unit and a minimum occupancy thereby depriving users of rural
hospital services of pediatric care within reasonable proximity of their
homes; and,
WHEREAS, these guidelines remove the perogative of the citizen to be
cared for by the physician of their choice; and,
WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the Health Consumer and
citizen of Central Illinois that said guidelines be withdrawn or sub-
stantially revised; and,
WHEREAS, on January 20, 1978, the Secretary of Health, Education
and Welfare revised the proposed National Guidelines for Health Planning
but said revisions do not relieve the detrimental impact of said Guide-
lines on Graham Hospital Association or its service area of Fulton County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CANTON, ILLINOIS, AS FOLLOWS:
1. That the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and
Welfare withdraw or substantially revise the proposed national guidelines
for health planning as they leave no room for what local citizens feel
to be an efficient and desirable level of health service.
2. That the City Clerk of the City of Canton, Illinois is hereby
directed to send a certified copy of this Resolution to Jimmy E. Carter,
President of the United States, Joseph A. Califano, Secretary of the
Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Charles H. Percy, United
States Senator, Adlai E. Stevenson, United States Senator, and Thomas
R. Railsback, United States House of Representatives.
3. That this Resolution shall be in full force and effect upon
its passage by the City Council of the City of Canton, Illinois and
approval by the Mayor thereof.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Canton, Illinois and
APPROVED by the Mayor this ~ t ~ day of ~ 1978.
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APPROVED : _~je' - ~ YOR
HARLAN E. CROUCH
ATTEST: ~. ~ . ~dI Q,, CITY CLERK
-~~/ ~ NAN S . WHITES
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ADLAI E. STEVENSON III
ILLINOIS
Crtirf eb ,~f of e~ ,~e~af e
WASHINGTG N, D.C. 20510
April 26, 1978
Ms. Nancy Whites
City Clerk
City of Canton
210 East Chestnut
Canton, Illinois 61520
Dear Ids. Whites:
Thank you for letting me know of your opposition to the proposed
National Guidelines for Health Planning published by the Department
of Health, Education and Welfare. I believe that the original
guidelines were too rigid, and I joined with other Senators in
urging Secretary Califano to require the guidelines to respond to
the special circumstances of small communities.
Some hospitals are operating far below capacity and some are
trying to provide complex and expensive surgica~ procedures which
are not used often enough to justify costs and maintain profes-
sional skills. These conditions are helping to raise hospital
costs for all patients. The guidelines are an effort to improve
area health planning in order to control costs and insure that
patients requiring complex care will be treated by doctors and
nurses with proper skills and experience. For these reasons, I do
not object to the Department's efforts to develop standards. How-
ever, I believe it would be a serious mistake to impose them
rigidly and uniformly on all communities regardless of size and
other special circumstances.
The Department received more than 55,000 letters subsequent to
the issuance of the guidelines. As a result of these comments,
Secretary Califano issued a revised set of guidelines on January
1;8. These new guidelines are intended to b e more responsive to
the needs of small hospitals and emphasize more involvement at
the state and local levers. The revised guidelines became
effective on March 2.8.
The Department has assured me that the planning guidelines will
not result in the closure of any hospitals. However, I believe
there should b e periodic review of these guidelines and the effect
they have on health planning in small hospitals. I assure you
that I will consider corrective legislation if the guidelines
cause serious problems.
Sincerely,