Not true.
Update on the land seizure. Three years before breaking ground for the new patient tower and then they will go back to voters in 10-15 years to rebuild and expand (?) the hospital and trauma center. I guess, on the smaller 9 acre tract ? Or maybe it would be more feasible at that time to just take more public park land.
Maybe even the 11 acres they are supposedly planning to give to the park ?
They really need to look at long term needs better this time and not repeat history
of failure to plan.
Porsa said not much forethought was given to future expansion needs when the hospital was constructed in the 1980s.
The other statement by Porsa is even more telling.
“This is not a land grab, not a power grab, this is truly the only way I can see a future for Ben Taub Hospital,” he said.
The only way he can see a future for Ben Taub. I’d respectful say he needs to
stick to hospital administration and leave urban planning and pursuit of other optional real estate locations for county services to other professionals. And if they
are so sure of themselves, put it on the ballot for citizens to vote on.
Condemnation approved unanimously by Harris Health board. Their decision still has to be approved by Harris Co Commissioners Court.
I am disappointed by the greed there is. You dont need to be in the medical center. And thats how it starts, one piece here, one piece there. This is bs and the city should be ashamed. They have gone without answering questions this entire process or leaving it to a vote by the public.
Its not about the plot of land being disconnected, its about how its happening and what comes next.
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I’m somewhat surprised the mayor has not at least addressed the issue,
but maybe I missed it. Guess he is taking the no comment approach is
best way to let it all just blow over.
Well, Ben Taub is already in the Medical Center. Not sure if it makes sense to move it out of the Medical Center.
Agreed.
I think it does, because they are talking about
replacing all of their buildings over the next 10 years. Be wise to spread it out over the larger
Houston areaThey can buy more land at a cheaper price and accommodate future growth.
Duplication of services? Where have I heard that before? But the Med Center has is advantages, like Life Flight.
I don’t see a duplication of services discussion here.
As for life flight it can land at any hospital with
helipad. That’s not a must be in TMC requirement thing.
FYI - Life Flight operates 5 (was 6) helicopters. They are not all homed at the
TMC.
Life Flight Helicopter Bases
- Central Base:John S. Dunn Helistop at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
- North Base:Services from Hooks Memorial Airport and Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital
- West Base:Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital
- East Base:Baytown Airport
- South Base:Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport
- Additional Locations:Other locations are used as needed.
As we’ve discussed, Houston only has a very few trauma centers. The one in the Med Center is the one Life Flight will take you to if you’re seriously injured. I doubt they’ll take you to the Baytown Airport.
But no valid reason has been given why the new Ben Taub( not just the new planned tower) targeted to be built in ten years , can’t be located elsewhere. Their very arguments are there was insufficient planning for growth
when the current Ben Taub was opened in 1980. Why repeat that mistake of shoehorning
again ?
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No valid reason that you agree with, but these guys are probably more educated in the matter than the public. Right? Plus it still has to pass the county. Whitmire is a city mayor not county so he probably has no sway in the matter.
Rubber stamp incoming.
You guys realize that even if Ben Taub was moved somewhere else, the Hospital District would still have to condemn someone’s land, right?
How is that a solution to condemning this land?
They could actually make a legitimate offer and buy it, and if they move outside the Med Center, they can do that more cost-effectively. To this point, it sounds like they haven’t even made an effort to purchase from the owners who will own the soon-to-be-taken tract.
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True
Maybe. You may get flown to UTMB Galveston if it’s a burn emergency.
As for Ben Taub, it doesn’t have a helipad. Per AI…
Life Flight, operated by [Memorial Hermann](transports patients by helicopter to Ben Taub Hospital, a Level I trauma center, but Ben Taub does not have its own helipad. In such cases, patients are flown to a hospital with a helipad for landing. Life Flight chooses the closest and most appropriate hospital based on the patient’s condition, and for serious injuries, Ben Taub is a destination option for trauma care.
So I think we have to conclude Lifeflight service is not a reason that Ben Taub has to be located in the TMC.
Hopefully, in ten years when they replace Taub, they will have the foresight to include it in planning.
It is a city park, so yeah it’s his responsibility to defend it.
But he has remained quite on it.
Update on the land grab. Found this interesting; Porsa didn’t say what
other sites had been considered. Final vote in March.
Lambright said conservancy leaders believes that Harris Health is in violation of Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 26, which requires that an entity must demonstrate no feasible and prudent alternative to taking protected park land. That point was disputed, but when asked by residents which other areas the county reviewed to determine all other options were unfeasible, Porsa didn’t say.
A public hearing on the project will be held during a January commissioners court meeting, when county leaders will discuss the findings of the town hall meetings. A final vote on eminent domain proceedings is scheduled to take place in March.
Edit -
And then there is this. Dr Porsa may be a great doctor and hospital
administrator, but he apparently is not covering all the bases and needs
to say what other sites were considered. Time to move level 1 trauma center
to non flood zone location.
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Just saw a breaking alert that Harris County has voted to use the land for the hospital expansion. I assume lawsuits will follow.
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Hope so.
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