Wednesday, August 6, 2008

LETTER: NewsLanc's LGH Report #2 disappointing

After reading NewsLanc's LGH Report#2 (as part of your series of financial reporting on the plentiful treasure chest owned by not-for-profit Lancaster General Hospital), I am dismayed at the lack of edge that the NewsLanc.com reporting offered.

In report #1, each point was very neatly summarized for the financially-illiterate reader, such as myself. I found these consolidatng statements very easy to read and apply toward LGH's overabundant balance sheet.

I found that your report#2 was very praising of LGH. With writing such as "LGH facilities have been redecorated in a tasteful manner" and "five star ambience" when describing the millions of dollars spent on aesthetics. I would have preferred more cutting-edge newsreporting stating that a "four star" ambience could have been achieved and the money in saving "the one star" could have been used to better address the purpose of Lancaster General Hospital -- patient healthcare.

Perhaps this "one star saving" profits could have been used toward Amish Healthcare (as reported in the Wall Street Journal).

I also read that LGH has been recently viewed less favorably by the US News & World Report. Is this drop in patient healthcare ratings an expression of poor patient healthcare despite a $136 million dollar profit in the most recent financial calendar year. Perhaps LGH should seek annual rankings from Zagat's or Conde Nast as LGH aesthetic draw raves.

NewsLanc.com, please regain your edge in reporting as an alternative news source. Lancaster County and its citizens need your edge to challenge the monopolistic Lancaster Newspapers.