Patient care is not PCI's only concern

Regarding Physicians' Clinic of Iowa's “roller-coaster ride” (May 14 Gazette editorial). My comments are based on observations made from working in the health industry for 20 years.

The Gazette criticized PCI for not paying attention to the views of local citizens as they planned their medical mall. The Gazette also gave PCI a pass because its personnel are health care professionals who are “only concentrating on providing the best possible care to patients.”

However, patient care is not their only concern. Our U.S. health care system is driven by profit. Profit, along with health care, is a concern. I believe PCI is as capable as any other profit-making business of assessing the public perception.

PCI held locating in Hiawatha over the heads of the City Council. I question if this was ever a real option. Physicians want to be near the hospitals. Driving between Hiawatha and downtown Cedar Rapids is not profitable. This leads me to question the negotiating skills of the City Council with PCI. I question the concept of improving coordination of services and reducing duplication by having medical providers in the same complex.

They are already in proximity. What will really accomplish this goal is development of a comprehensive electronic medical record-keeping system. Fortunately, our president and a Democratic Congress incorporated this into the 2010 health care reform act.

Let us hope that as The Gazette says, “this will be a good project for Cedar Rapids and for PCI's patients.” Especially, for the patients.

Marcia Swift

Cedar Rapids