City amends Helen Ellis Hospital lease to allow merger

Tuesday night, city commissioners amended the city's lease with the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation, clearing the only hurdle Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital faced to become part of the University Community Hospital-Adventist Health Systems merger.

Commissioners welcomed Adventist officials, noting the excellent health care it provides and its ability to fund improvements to Helen Ellis.

Several months ago, Adventist, which operates 18 hospitals in Florida and another 20 throughout the country, announced plans to merge with UCH, which operates Helen Ellis under a long-term lease. The only sticking point to Helen Ellis becoming part of the merger of medical giants was the city's agreement with UCH and the Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation that stipulated the local hospital must remain secular.

AHS follows the precepts of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, placing religious articles in its hospitals and allowing for prayer.

Local attorney Michael Kouskoutis, a member of the hospital board, said most people care about the quality of care they receive, not what is displayed on its walls. He thinks most people in the community would be happy to see Helen Ellis coming under the Adventist umbrella for the quality of care.

Jeffrey Bromme, Adventist senior vice president and chief legal officer, assured city officials: "There would be no change at all, except in a strengthening manner, with respect to the core delivery of medical services. Delivering high quality medical care is at the heart of the AHS mission, as reflected in its mission statement: Extending the healing Ministry of Christ."

He emphasized AHS provides treatment without regard to religious persuasion. Most hospital employees are not part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Religious art, scriptural texts and the hospital's mission statement adorn the walls of AHS hospitals. Nurses and others are not discouraged from praying with willing patients. Following the precepts of the Old Testament, pork and shellfish are excluded from menus in the hospital cafeteria and abortions are not carried out, except to save the life of the mother. The hospital observes the Hebrew Sabbath of the Old Testament. Offices are closed from Friday night to Saturday night and events are not planned. Elective surgeries are generally not scheduled for Saturdays.

Commissioners welcomed the Adventist partnership as a way to keep Helen Ellis in operation. Helen Ellis is poised to be able to offer open-heart surgery services and plans to expand its emergency room service.

Former Mayor Anita Protos, who presided over an earlier, cantankerous era, when the Hospital Foundation was seeking a suitor, said she is glad to see the Adventists here. She noted she had sought the Adventists as a hospital partner during that earlier search.