AdventHealth North Pinellas — BrandWiki

AdventHealth North Pinellas

Overview

AdventHealth North Pinellas

org group	AdventHealth
location	1395 South Pinellas Avenue
region	Tarpon Springs
state	Florida
country	United States
coordinates	28.1326°N, -82.7586°W
healthcare	Private hospital
funding	Non-profit hospital
type	Community hospital/General hospital
religious affiliation	Seventh-day Adventist Church
standards	Joint Commission
emergency	Yes
beds	168
former names	Tarpon Springs Memorial Hospital Tarpon Springs General Hospital Helen Ellis Hospital Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital Florida Hospital North Pinellas
constructed	1927
opened	1927
website	https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-north-pinellas

Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation Inc doing business as AdventHealth North Pinellas,[1][2] is a non-profit hospital campus in Tarpon Springs, Florida, United States. It became part of the AdventHealth hospital network following a merger with University Community Health in September 2010. The medical facility is a tertiary and primary stroke center that has multiple specialties.[3]

In the 1990s, there was a feud over the hospital between Tarpon Springs and the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation. Before merging the hospital had been in debt and owed over $31 million, due to this Standard & Poor's gave it a "junk bond level". AdventHealth North Pinellas has been evacuated four times due to hurricanes since 2017.

History

1995

In late January, at a special meeting with the city commission government some residents of Tarpon Springs were not persuaded of the partnership with Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation. While other residents and commissioners needed more information before deciding.[9] In early April, the city commission government terminated the partnership that Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital wanted with Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation with a 4-to-1 vote. By doing so there was no special referendum for voters.[10] Missing at the meeting were administrators from the hospital network, the foundation's board members and the lawyers for both organizations. The hospital was told to look somewhere else for a partner. An audience of 60 people praised the decision.[10] The reason why the city commission government terminated the partnership was, because they preferred Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital to be part of a not-for-profit instead of a for-profit corporate giant.[11] They questioned the finances and management/ownership of the hospital. And it also was unhappy that it was not provided sufficient information from the organizations.[11] Tarpon Springs spent $137,000 to terminate the partnership that Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital wanted with Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation, while the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation spent $449,000 to make it happen.[12]

In early September, Tarpon Springs threatened to raise taxes or dissolve the Tarpon Springs Police Department, if residents did not vote yes to the referendum to be held in early November of that year.[13] In late September, the hospital board members decided not to challenge the city commission government, which planned to ask voters if Tarpon Springs should sell Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital. The hospital board members instead decided that they would have a campaign to convince voters to reject the sale.[14] In early October, the hospital put 30-second ads on television and radio. Also ads were put in the local newspaper and direct mailing was done.[15] In early November, the following hospital networks that were interested in purchasing Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital were: Adventist Health System, Bon Secours Health System, Columbia/HCA Healthcare, Health Management Associates, Morton Plant Mease Health Care, OrNda Healthcorp, Tampa General Healthcare, Tenet Healthcare and Universal Health Services [16]

1998-1999

In early March, 1998, there was a controversial referendum to amend the city charter to make it more clear the relationship between Tarpon Springs and the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation.[18] Before the referendum Tarpon Springs put neutral advertisements in the North Pinellas Times for a month and then later advertisements asking residents to vote yes. All total the city spent $428,000.[19][20] The Hospital Springs Hospital Foundation bought television advertisements that were shown on local cable stations, it also put advertisements in the North Pinellas Times. In the advertisements asking residents to vote no. All total the city spent $1.2 million. Its reason that the referendum would give Tarpon Springs control of Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital.[19][20] At a city commission government meeting the mayor denied that the city wanted to take over the hospital and considered the advertisements by the foundation to be misleading. While the city manager considered them to be false.[20]

In January 1999, Standard & Poor's lowered the bond rating of Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital by three grades to BBB− which is a "junk" bond level. This happened after five consecutive poor financial quarters. The rating agency believed that the hospital would not be able to repay its debt of $31 million back.[21][22][23] In late March 1999, at its annual meeting, the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation announced that the hospital made a surplus of $720,000. The hospital did this by cutting spending and by treating more patients.[22] In early June, at a meeting the city commissioner, the chairperson of the Health Facilities Authority and the hospital administrator agreed for the hospital to survive it must have an affiliate. They preferred it becoming part of a non-profit to reduce its debt.[24] In early July, the debt of Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital had been reduced to $28 million. And the hospital networks Adventist Health System, Columbia/HCA Healthcare and Health Management Associates were still interested in the hospital.

In early August 1999, Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital announced that it that it had contacted 25 non-profit hospital networks for a merger or a joint venture. Only three responded to the struggling hospital. The partners Adventist Health System and University Community Hospital. Also Morton Plant Mease Health Care and the third to respond was Tampa General Hospital.[26] In late October, at a meeting with the city commissioner government the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation introduced Choice Health Alliance to manage Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital. Choice Health Alliance is a partnership between University Community Hospital and Adventist Health System.[27][28] In early November, the city commission government supported leasing Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital to Choice Health Alliance for thirty years. Hospital employees and board members of the foundation praised the decision.[29] In a referendum voters would decide on the lease to Choice Health Alliance.[30]

Feud and aftermath

Since 1994, Tarpon Springs has been unhappy with the foundation for trying to surreptitiously partner with Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation without consulting the community.[74][75]

In early July 1995, the Tarpon Springs Ministerial Association intervened between the two feuding parties, as neither party was communicating with the other.[76] A three question referendum which was scheduled for July 25 was cancelled.[76] If it would have taken place the voters had a choice to sell Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital to the foundation, sell it to a non-profit hospital network or to have the city file a legal action against the foundation.[76]

In late October 1995, the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation sued the city, in response to a letter from the city attorney instructing the foundation to pay the city $12,000 within 30 days to cover the city's legal fees against the Health Facilities Authority (as paying these fees was a part of the lease agreement between the city and the foundation), or face eviction from the Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital.[77][78] The lawsuit filed by the foundation also asked the court to mediate on disputed parts of the lease, and to prevent future intervention by the city until the scheduled expiration of the lease agreement in 2021.[6][78] Tarpon Springs subsequently counter-sued the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation, seeking to gain further leverage over the hospital by cancelling the current lease agreement.[6][75][79] The foundation also sued the Health Facilities Authority when it intervened to try forcing the hospital to pay these fees,[19] and the Health Facilities Authority also counter-sued the foundation in return.[79] The city and the Health Facilities Authority asked to have the lawsuits dismissed, but the sixth circuit court Judge Crocket Farnell rejected their request.[78]

In late October 1996, Judge Crocket Farnell ruled in favour of the foundation, denying the city's request for the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation to pay the disputed $12,000 fee [80]

In October 1997, the city asked the Florida Attorney General for their opinion on the ongoing feud. He agreed with the city's request for the hospital's records and meetings to be made open to the public.[81][82] The St. Petersburg Times subsequently tried to obtain the hospital's records,[83] however, the foundation responded by suing the Florida Attorney General and the St. Petersburg Times.[81][83]

By early February 1998, the attorney fees for the three parties were: Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation $1,256,000; Health Facilities Authority $100,000 and Tarpon Springs $428,081.[12] Also in early February, the city and the hospital foundation had a meeting over a document that the foundation had given to the city in early December. In it the foundation had three requests that it should be permitted to continue operating Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in secret, that it wanted the lease to be extended for another sixteen years and that they wanted the city to ask the state attorney general to change his opinion. Also Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital wanted land east of the building.[83]

In early June 1998, Judge Crocket Farnell ruled against the foundation, ordering it to obey the Florida Public Records Law and the Florida Sunshine Law. He also ordered the foundation to pay the Health Facilities Authority's attorney fees, which had increased to $200,000. He also ruled that the foundation had to pay the $28 million bonds that it owed to the Health Facilities Authority. The judge also supported the city's original demand for the foundation to pay the city within 30 days, or face eviction. The city government and the Health Facilities Authority both praised the judge's decision.[84]

In early June 1998, the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation appealed the ruling, stating that the judge overlooked a new state law on "public hospitals". Both the city and the Health Facilities Authority responded by filing motions claiming that Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital is not a public hospital, and that the ruling should be upheld.[79] The state law in question only passed two days before the verdict was announced, so the judge was unaware of it.[79][85] In early September 1998, the judge heard the appeals from the involved parties,[85] and, by the end of the month, he reversed his prior decision, due to the new law, ruling in favour of the hospital foundation. The city and the hospital both accepted this verdict, and the feud ended; at a total cost of $4 million in attorney fees.[86]

In early May 1999, a Leon County, Florida judge denied the St. Petersburg Times request to see Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital's records.[82]