County Board ill-equipped to make health care decisions (letter to the editor)

Waukesha Freeman, Apr. 5, 2006

Waukesha Countys population is growing. A significant segment of our population is aged. In addition, our need for high quality and cost-effective medical care is increasing across the board. These demographic trends indicate that the demand for acute medical care in our county is strong and will likely increase in the future.

Will the supply of acute medical care in Waukesha County be sufficient to meet our growing demand for hospital care? Is a new medical center needed in our county?

In our health care delivery system in particular and our economy in general, such questions of supply and demand are best answered by informed consumers, not by bureaucrats and politicians. The competing acute care systems are increasingly becoming more transparent about cost and quality issues. That improved transparency will empower consumers with the information they need to intelligently select which hospitals they will utilize for their acute care needs.

Fundamentally, it is not the appropriate role of county government to determine whether a new medical center is necessary. The County Board of Supervisors is illequipped to pick and choose among the competing acute medical care providers. Instead, market forces, driven by the economic actions of informed health care consumers who will vote with their fee, should decide the fate of the proposed medical center in our county.

Jeffrey P. Clark
Brookfield