CoolBuddy06

Thought I'd bump up this topic with project website:

http://www.hardyconnector.org/

By the way can anyone tell me which HB&T rail line was relocated? I'd like to see the before and after map.

And the hbj could probably explain better that texas childrens west tower connects every floor to the 1954 building they are talking about which is why tch may want it. It is impossible to tell when you leave tch and go to St Lukes at that spot. In fact the McDonalds is right there too.

It is Abercrombie building. back in the days when I work in TCH I always turn to tour guide when giving directions to clueless visitors. "Right here you're in TCH, one step further you're in St Luke's", I'd say.

Not for the initial phase, which is what we'll see built soon. The reversible toll lane will snake through the current interchange as you can see in this exhibit:

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/hou/sh288_us59/harris_county_clear_creek.pdf

 

Ultimate plans do call for the interchange to be rebuilt when the reversible toll lane is expanded and rebuilt into a 4 lane tollroad. When that happens, the toll lanes will run through the interchange where the current 288 mainlanes are, and the 288 mainlanes will be relocated to run through the edges of the interchange.

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/hou/sh288_us59/bw8_ih610.pdf

Thanks for the clarification. I forgot that 'little' detail about the initial phase.

So will the 610 and 288 interchange be rebuilt then to accommodate the new lanes?

Absolutely. It's in the plan.

Memorial Hermann is planning for a 12-story trauma center in that space between the ER and TMC garage 4 on Cambridge opposite the zoo. They also plan to tear down Robertson Pavilion and build it into something bigger and modern. This is from grapevine. I'll find out more.

Just getting to this thread...

I recognize that IAH is a United hub, but they're not the only airline that has international flights to and from the airport. So, isn't there already competition for United in international Houston-based travel?

Admittedly, I don't really know how all of these arrangements work, so could someone explain to me why this is such a big deal?

It's only big deal to United. Southwest is gonna kick their you-know-what with cheap prices. On their flights originating from Houston, United make most profit per mile on Caribbean, Central and South American destinations. They will lose a big chunk of that slice. Another factor that I think is important but hardly mentioned is that Hobby is closer to majority of Hispanic population in Houston, so even if United were to match SW in price (which I seriously doubt), many people will still prefer to fly out of a closer, smaller Hobby Airport compared to IAH. This seems to me to be the reason why United want SW to bring her proposed international business to IAH. United's 'Keep IAH strong' mantra is just a load of crap.

Some exciting news......

http://thecoopwaterlights.com/

I will believe it when it opens. For Waterlights District you're safer to bet on their announcemets turning up false.

Thanks for the news though.

Healthcare is often thought of as having inelastic demand schedules, meaning that the price can vary without greatly affecting the quantity of care demanded. For many kinds of healthcare, that is true. If you're running a 107-degree fever, you need to go to the ER, and it really doesn't matter what the cost is or who is paying for it. That's a potentially life-or-death situation. But many procedures are basically luxuries and are considerably more price elastic. The quantity of healthcare services for price elastic procedures will vary greatly depending upon what is or is not covered by government or insurance. I cannot predict what the ultimate outcome will be, however I can assure you that any attempt to bring about an increased amount of patient care while simultaneously lowering the cost of care as it is experienced by both the government and the private sector is not possible. Supply and demand dynamics within the labor markets rule out this possibility.

The bean counters certainly will be affected by changes in policy, however you count on that the number of beans in the pot will affect capital budgeting.

Obviously, you're not in healthcare. Although it doesn't discount your point, next time just use 103 as an example. 107 is more like a death situation.

Wow, this may belong is the Historic Houston thread. For those that remember, this facility when new, was the magnificent replacement for the Memorial Baptist Hospital that was downtown. Look for Memorial Hermann to dump other former Memorial facilities in the future.

My two kids were born in MH Southwest. Now they will never know the hospital by that name.

It makes every sense for Memorial Hermann to dump this facility. It is losing money, and they're moving the corporate offices out to Memorial City. So why not get out of the area completely?

Memorial Baptist predates me. Which are their facilities? If Memorial City is part of them then I can tell you they're not going to sell that. It brings in money.

I hope they do buy it. Only 2 hospitals serving the un-insured in Houston is not enough. Ben Taub and LBJ arent enough.

(Besides the health centers and clinics.)

There is also Quentin Mease Hospital on MacGregor and Scott, but they're still not enough. The southwest part needs its one to take the pressure off Ben Taub.

County wants to buy Memorial Hermann SW

Hospital district purchase could run to $185 million

By PEGGY O'HARE

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Aug. 6, 2009, 9:36PM

The Harris County Hospital District has tentatively agreed to buy Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital this fall with hopes of expanding medical care access to the uninsured and underprivileged, hospital officials announced Thursday.

The sale, if approved by Harris County Commissioners Court, would allow the county's hospital district to add 600 beds to its system to keep up with public demand. Officials with both hospital networks declined to release the cost of the move Thursday, saying a confidentiality agreement prohibits them from discussing that, but County Commissioner Steve Radack said he had heard a potential price tag ranging from $165 million to $185 million.

The district entered into a non-binding letter of intent to buy the hospital. The acquisition, scheduled to close by late November, will not result in a tax increase, hospital district officials said. The hospital district said it plans to operate the facility as a full-service hospital serving privately insured patients, as well as those on Medicare, Medicaid and those without medical insurance, they said.

Dan Wolterman, chief executive officer for the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, said his nonprofit network initially had no plans to sell the hospital at 7600 Beechnut, but noted the county hospital district's proposal to purchase the building “just made good sense” when further studied.

Though Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital has remained profitable, its earnings have declined in recent years as the demographics of its patients have changed and other nearby hospitals have closed, Wolterman said.

“Ideally, we would not have ventured out to do this, but this is the right thing to do,” Wolterman said Thursday night. “The southwest (Houston) market is a difficult market. Just going back seven or eight years ago, there were multiple hospitals serving that market — today the (Memorial Hermann) Southwest Hospital is the only one there.

“The neighborhood surrounding (Memorial Hermann) Southwest Hospital has experienced significant demographic decline over the last 10-plus years. That has caused some difficulties in running this hospital efficiently as you are inundated with uninsured and underinsured patients and government patients from Medicare and Medicaid ... We have seen a slight deterioration in its profitability and in the volume of patients we treat on any given day. But it's not been significant — just a slow, steady erosion.”

Wolterman said the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System's network is not overleveraged or overextended. He also said the proposed hospital sale was not driven by a need to “dump” some of its property.

The entire Memorial Hermann system just experienced one of its most successful years ever, he said, with the nonprofit network's earnings exceeding its budgeted income by 62 percent. Actual earnings across the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System as a whole have exceeded budgeted income for nine consecutive years, he said.

“This (proposed sale) was not done out of a position of weakness or problems,” Wolterman said Thursday night. “This was done out of a position of strength. We are very strong financially and have been.”

County hospital district officials stressed they have no plans to close any of its other hospitals, such as LBJ Hospital.

Besides adding more beds, the proposed purchase also will allow the county hospital district to pick up more Medicare and Medicaid patients, as well as privately insured patients, which will ultimately help subsidize the costs of its charity and indigent care, said David Lopez, chief executive officer of the Harris County Hospital District.

“The demand for acute care is going to continue to grow,” Lopez said Thursday night. “This gives us an opportunity to take responsibility for the individuals that are considered gold-card members in our community. So there's a lot of reasons why this makes sense for us.”

If the hospital sale is approved, Lopez said, he hopes to staff the facility with a mix of doctors already working there and physicians affiliated with the county hospital district.

Memorial Hermann officials said they do not anticipate any layoffs will occur as a result of the proposed sale. If any jobs are eliminated, employees would be moved to other Memorial Hermann hospital campuses, Wolterman said.

The county's proposed purchase encompasses the hospital building and four medical office buildings, a Heart and Vascular Institute, an accredited cancer center, a surgery center and an outpatient imaging center. The wellness center and the University Place Retirement Community on the hospital campus would not be included.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said more health care facilities are needed on Houston's southwest side and the deal could benefit both institutions by shifting patients who rely on Medicare or Medicaid to a public facility.

Members of Commissioners Court were told recently that a deal was in the works, Emmett said, but hadn't been provided with details before Thursday's announcement.

County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia said she is open to the proposal if the price is reasonable and no tax increase is required.

“Anything the hospital district can do to enhance its delivery of services and increase the access to care is a positive thing,” Garcia said.

But Radack was more skeptical. “Obviously, this is a huge potential expenditure,” he said Thursday.

Radack said he is particularly concerned the hospital's location, near Fort Bend County, will make it a magnet for residents of other counties seeking free health care.

“I've been very concerned, now more than ever, with all the free care we've been giving to people from other counties, which needs to stop,” Radack said.

The Chronicle's Mike Snyder contributed to this report.

I'm not generally a big fan of loud religion, but from a marketing perspective I don't really object to this. With the prominence of the Med Center, it's tough for other inner-loop hospitals to attract attention to themselves, and St. Joseph's has been struggling to survive over the years. Somehow I see this more as an attempt to draw attention to its differentiating characteristic (its Catholic affiliation) than to blast Houston with religious symbols.

What has always seemed strange to me about St. Joseph's is that its professional building is across the Pierce Elevated from the hospital. It's not exactly a dense section of downtown today -- when it was built, were all the blocks north of I-45 occupied?

That's the problem. The cross causes some confusion. St Joseph is no longer affiliated to the Catholic Church. It's been bought by Hospital Patners of America, a struggling hospital group that also owns River Oaks Hospital (formerly Twelve Oaks) and pockets of hospitals in Austin and one of the Carolinas.

Nonsense. HPA moved tangentially away from Christus' philosophy when they bought the hospital, modified the name, imposed a star on the cross in their logo so much that you hardly notice the cross, giving the impression that it will be strictly business henceforth.

Then after struggling for about two years with their poor business concept, they did what even Christus never do, put giant crosses that makes me think of the building as an annex of the Vatican more than a professional building. Still doesn't make their business concept better. Just my opinion.

That's funny. They already have the developer's info on 'coming2011', they'll move waterlights district to it in 2011 I'm sure.

Can you discuss your choices?

Feeder roads are not themselves "freeways".

I used to think like that until I didn't see a park on St. Joseph's Parkway. Just kidding. You point makes more sense than mine.

I think those names belong to the feeder roads, the mainlanes always go by their freeway designations. That's what I conclude from street and directional signs. I could use some education here.

HAIF sighting: I was at a presentation this morning. The presenter used the picture of a midrise in Montrose. Engraved at the bottom of the picture is Artefaqs.com

Neato; the structure of the tower portion is really interesting. Looks like it will be some sort of atrium, or stairwell, unless they intend to close the openings.

Thanks for taking the pics, mate!

It's a stairwell. It is designed to "turn", "looking" towards Texas Children's main campus.

The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute is topped out now, email says.

Great! How many schools within 2 mile radius!

Sure to check it out April 10 when they present Beauty and the Beast.

An e-mail from Texas Children's did say that Baylor and Rice signed MOU on the merger, meaning that talks are still going on.

My rate for the four months is 15.3 cents average. I called TXU to ask for a lower rate and their 'better rate' will be 15.4 locked for a year.

If you know any Champion sales associate send their link to me so they can get referral bonus.

Some antiwar guy interviewed by Rachel Maddow tonight was standing with Houston skyline behind him. Shell Plaza and Wells Fargo Plaza were obvious.