ER Problems Persist, New Apartment Construction Starts Soon, More Pizza in Town, A Guaranteed Income, "Hamlet,"and a Wine-Lover's Class
The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell
WE’D LOVE TO tell you that the situation in the UPHS Emergency Department has improved since we detailed some of the dysfunction there back in April, as seen through the eyes of five doctors, but we really can’t….The reported numbers for July: the average wait for a patient in the waiting room was 40 minutes, a steady increase since April. The hospital’s target is only 20 minutes. The good news? The average was way down from its peak of 55 minutes back in December.
Other numbers: the average time to get an Emergency patient to upstairs care—7 hours. Again an uptick over the last few months…And then there’s this number: 3.3% of the patients arriving in the Waiting Room end up walking away without care, again an increase since April, but down from the peaks of late last year.
So.
So we requested an interview with UPHS-Marquette CEO Gar Atchison to ask about these less-than-encouraging numbers, and other reported problems at the hospital—a lack of doctors in various specialties, nurse burnout, corporate interference, morale, sale rumors, etc…as well as any positive news that Atchison might wish to bring up…UPHS “politely declined” the interview.
It should go without saying: Despite the criticism, we all want the hospital to succeed. We want to hear both sides of the story. And we want transparency.
IT AIN’T PRETTY out front, unless you’re fond of construction zones and weeds…We’re talking about the Gaines Rock townhouse development on Lakeshore Boulevard…No landscaping in yet for the 26 units which were supposed to have been completed way back in the Spring of 2022…And there are additional problems inside, punch lists not completed. “Sixteen or seventeen of the units still have some problems, but we’re going to take care of them soon,” says developer Bernard Glieberman…He attributes the delays to a contractor who is no longer in charge of the project…The landscaping, he hopes, will go in within a few weeks.
THE LAND’S BEEN cleared and, within a few months, we should see the foundation taking shape…That’s the prediction of developer Jim Conlin who’s heading up the project to build the Rolling Meadows Apartments on 553…It’ll be workforce housing, which means reasonable rents for regular folks who live and work here, not for wealthy retirees looking for summer homes…All of them rental apartments, 56 in the first phase, ultimately a total of 160, on a 17 acre plot…”We’re still waiting to fully secure financing but we’ll get it,” Conlin says. “We have banks eager to be part of this.”…If all goes well, (fingers crossed on both hands), Conlin says the first residents could move in next summer.
THIS IS BOUND to generate controversy…According to Bridge Michigan, the state of Michigan is investing $16.5 million in a program that will pay expectant mothers in Flint, one of the poorest cities in the state, up to $7500 to help care for their infants during the first year of their lives. No strings attached…A private foundation started the program. The idea is that the first year of a child’s life is extremely important, and any help that the mother can get at that point will increase the likelihood of a better future for her child…Kinda guessing here that not everybody will be on board with the program.
SO YOU’RE SAYING we don’t have enough pizza places in town. Problem solved! Pizza@, the new tenant at Third Street Marketplace, is scheduled to hold its soft opening in the next few days, with a grand opening to follow…They’re promising locally sourced ingredients and…get this…a Pasty Pizza!…Seriously, the restaurant is a welcome addition to the Marketplace where beer-drinkers at Kognisjon Bryggeri (easy for you to say) can now enjoy either pizza or fish—from Fish Express—while downing their brew.
APPARENTLY WE’RE MAKING money, at least some of us are…The S&P 500 Index, a broad measure of the stock market, just closed the last 12 months with its largest gain in 26 years—up 21%…Looks like we’re feeling good about things because recession fears are fading, inflation is cooling, the Federal Reserve may soon be halting its rate hikes, and the unemployment remains below 4%…Now, if housing prices would just stabilize…
SHAKESPEARE RETURNS TO Marquette…UPShakes presented “Hamlet” in the rotunda of the Marquette Regional History Center Friday night. Performances continue tonight (Saturday) and next Thursday, Friday and Saturday…It features an all star cast of Marquette talent, led by the commanding presence of Alastar Dimitrie as Hamlet…The play is 2 1/2 hours long, and admittedly, Shakespeare isn’t for everyone, but for fans of The Bard or just great theater, “Hamlet” is a must-see…As always, we’re struck by the quality of talent in this small town tucked away on the south shore of Lake Superior, and by the dedication and genius of director Jamie Weeder.
YOU LIKE WINE? You wanna learn more about it? NMU’s got just what you need this fall…It’s “Intro to Wine Studies,” a class taught by Marquette sommelier Marcella Krupski, of Everyday Wines…”You will definitely educate your palate,” she guarantees. “You’ll be able to distinguish between varietals, you’ll learn about aging, climates, and soils, and the history of wine. And we’ll have fun!”…The good news is the class is open to students seeking academic credit, and also to non-students who…uhh…like to drink wine…The 16-week class starts August 28th.
POEM OF THE WEEK
Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep:
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starshine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry:
I am not there; I did not die.
—Mary Elizabeth Frye
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The plan to give mothers a great deal of money to care for the first year of their child's life, while admirable, is silly. There appears to be no oversight on who gets the money. There is no punch list on what their money can be spent on. Yes, Flint is one of the poorest cities in Michigan, but throwing this money at women who may have children for the sake of money, is not being responsible. Other women, in other states will move to Flint to have their babies and take the money. Give this money to seniors, whose income is really fixed and they are hurting. Don't throw this money away.
It should come as no surprise that the hospital's powers that be do not want to meet and discuss the problems facing it. We are like unwanted step-children in their eyes. They are not, nor were they ever been, interested in us or our community. Every time we leave the area for medical care, UPHS loses money. Don't need to be a scholar to figure this out.
Brian, I don't know what chart you're reading but according to my charts, the S&P 500 is only up 8.4% YOY and TRUE inflation (not the CPI), depending upon the measure you use (such as the Chapwood Inex), is up at least that much if not more. So actually, you're losing money. Credit card balances have hit a record surpassing 1 trillion dollars. Federal and state tax revenues are declining precipitously. Truck freight volume and spending has plummeted dramatically. The ADJUSTED unemployment figures are up substantially. Delinquency rates for commercial real estate mortgages are skyrocketing. The US debt rating has dropped from AAA to AA+. The percentage of Americans who cannot even afford a $400 emergency expense continues to climb. And on and on and on. All of these are harbingers of impending economic disaster. Plus, the stock market is basically being propped up by only 7 stocks and by Fed buying through the Exchange Stabilization Fund. You think this is good?