OU-COM Medical Clinic Board votes to privatize

By Leesa Brown

The medical clinic operated as part of Ohio University's College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) plans to become a not-for-profit enterprise July 1, 2003, Jack Brose, dean of the college, said today.

Privatization will focus the clinic's attention on being a self-sufficient business dedicated to the care of its clients, and will allow the college to direct its scarce resources on training doctors to serve the region, Brose said.

Dramatically escalating medical costs, including malpractice insurance premiums and decreased reimbursements, forced the clinic and the college to take action, Brose noted. Restructuring the clinic's operations will allow it to be more efficient, even more responsive to the community and will increase services.

Brose told the approximately 114 clinic employees last night that the privatization decision includes a number of provisions to help them find new employment over an 18-month period, beginning Jan. 1. Options include:

• Implementing a universitywide soft hiring freeze beginning July 1, 2003.
• Establishing a one-year extended employee group beginning July 1, 2003, for displaced UOMC/OU-COM employees.
• Continuing to offer the tuition waiver benefit to transitioning employees and their spouses. Children born on or before Sept. 30, 2003, will be eligible for the tuition waiver.
• Ongoing assistance from the University's Human Resources office.

The new practice plan will continue operating in its four existing locations -- Parks Hall, the Medical Center of O'Bleness Hospital, the Harper Street Clinic in Nelsonville and Coolville -- while plans for a new clinical facility are being discussed.

The transition should be relatively invisible to the clinic's patients, Brose said. There will be no interruption in service, no change in price structure. Over time we hope to be able to offer even more services, especially specialized services needed by the community. We may be able to offer more flexible hours of operation, more physicians and even more convenient practice locations. That is our objective.

Brose noted that updates for patients and employees will be posted regularly on the University's Web site.

Leesa Brown is assistant vice president for communications with University Communications and Marketing.