Just watched the press conference on CBS 42.

I am working at the hospital today and heard that

$450 million deal

At what point do we say UAB is big enough? UAB is nearly a total health monopoly in this state as it is.

I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if it will pass the regulatory hurdles? I wonder if the Ascension employees will get the UAB benefits?

I would expect yes to both questions

Been in the works for a while. They have had a collaborative between the 2 institutions for about 5 years or so. Crazy to think when I moved here in 97 there were 13 hospitals in the B'ham market. Now there will literally be 3 choices.

Only a hand full of hospitals from the middle of the state north that won't be owned by UAB or Huntsville Hospital. I hate to say it, but if anyone believes that this will help with the cost of their health care or the quality they receive, they're wrong.

Exactly. This is bad news for patients.

Same thing happened in Orlando. Advent used their Covid millions and bought up every practice and corner in town. Destroyed my wonderful family doctor office so went too for 30 years.

Should bring me a lot of work as they swap over hopefully.

It doesn't matter. Ascension and the benevolent Nuns were a woke social justice group just as bad as UAB. No real difference there.
I never met a nice Nun there and hated their socialist policies. Public never saw it, but I and other workers did.

I don't care for UAB, but I won't miss the Nuns either.

Bingo

My dermatologist joined the UAB medicine in Montgomery.
She removed a pre-cancer that was under my lower eye lid. It turned out to be basal cell and she is sending me to Birmingham to their UAB Dermatologist surgeon to get it all out. Problem is that he and the UAB Ocular dermatologist plastic guy, have to get together at the same time. One does his thing and then the other does his all in one morning. It has been a cluster @#$@ to get this scheduled. I called my dermatologist in Montgomery after two weeks, to ask if they had heard anything. The front desk got short and a little rude with me. Like I was bothering them. I called one time at two weeks is all. I waited 5 weeks and then called again. She got on the phone with Bham and I guess had to wait. So she just gave me the number to Bham. I called and a nice lady there said the girl was out that day, for scheduling. She took the message and said the other person would get it Monday morning and will call. Sure enough she called and apologized for being so late getting the appt. Forgot more than likely. Then called that afternoon and has it set up for July 22. It took from May 14 to July 22 to get this done. I don't like this new stuff and sure as hell do not want to go from Eclectic to frigging Bham, at likely 4:30 am to get there at 7:30 am. Can't I just use someone in Monkeytown? Guess the surgeons are busy sewing up all the shooting victims there in Monkeytown. I don't like going there either. UAB? Sucks so far. Have they taken over Jackson or Baptist hospitals?

Why??

This is not good news and yes, I would consider this a monopoly!

Tenet is a disaster so the only hospital left to compete will be Grandview. Wait and see how many specialty groups flock from Ascension to Grandview!

Bad news

Agree about Tenet. They're a horrible hospital corporation.

Agreed. Will definitely be interesting. I am amazed that Tenet is still in business. Last few times I worked at the 3 Brookwood Baptist facilities, they were all a shell of what they used to be. I think it is just a matter of time before Princeton shuts down (already shut down OB). They have done some shady stuff the past couple of years that would cause lawsuits and could lose their CMS status. As stated, this is not good for the consumer and much like The Affordable Care Act, inches us one step closer to socialized medicine.