The Times-Picayune

SMH film is a hit at conference

Sunday December 07, 2003

By Paul Bartels
St. Tammany bureau

When the leaders of a grassroots coalition that successfully fought the sale of Slidell Memorial Hospital were invited to a conference on protecting nonprofit health-care assets and services, they didn't expect to be the stars of the show. But they were. In fact, "The Slidell Story," a 30-minute documentary filmed in the three days leading up to the April 5 referendum on the proposed sale, opened the three-day event last month at The Wyndham Hotel in Chicago.

The conference was attended by more than 200 consumers, health-care advocates and others from 41 states and Canada, including Slidellians Jim Towler and Kathy Goss of Save Our Slidell Memorial Hospital and Gene and Mary K. Bellisario. The four Slidell residents, who were key panelists at the conference co-sponsored by the West Coast office of Consumers Union and Boston-based Community Catalyst, were surprised by how much attention they received and how well-known their success story had become.

The documentary was made by Marjorie Strum, a filmmaker hired by the Consumers Union. "I was totally surprised that 'The Slidell Story' was made a centerpiece of the conference, since we're a small town," said Goss, a family therapist, counselor and arbitrator. "But it was apparently very encouraging to the other attendees."

Save Our Slidell Memorial Hospital (SOSMH), formed early this year, and leaders of Military Road Alliance, a longtime coalition of subdivisions just east of Slidell, worked together to thwart the sale of 44-year-old Slidell Memorial to hospital giant Tenet Healthcare Corp., which owns rival NorthShore Regional Medical Center. Voters in the four eastern St. Tammany Parish wards that make up the hospital service district killed the sale with 77 percent of the vote despite the referendum having the support of much of the local political, banking and business establishments.

MRA and SOSMH leaders also helped state Rep. Tom Schedler, R-Slidell, in the public input meetings on alternative solutions to the hospital's financial difficulties and in drafting a new law that created a more professional governing board less subject to political influence than previous ones. Gene Bellisario, a senior financial analyst in corporate consolidations, said the fight to save the hospital "provided me the opportunity to demystify an asset-purchase agreement and allow the general public to understand what they need to look for during a potential hospital conversion."

Towler, a retirement planning counselor, said it's important for community health-care advocates everywhere to know that "even when you face what seem like overwhelming odds, you can prevail and protect your community, not-for-profit hospital." Mary K. Bellisario, a health-care marketing specialist and parish School Board member, stressed the importance of "developing your message based on documented facts, of holding public forums . . . and providing solutions to problems instead of vague promises."

"The Slidell Story" production, financed by Consumers Union, isn't yet available for distribution but is expected to be within a month. . . . . . . .

Paul Bartels can be reached at pbartels@timespicayune.com or at (985) 645-2854.

[PHOTO]

Local participants in the recently held Protecting Community Health Assets conference in Chicago, Ill., are, from left, Gene Bellisario, immediate past president, Military Road Alliance; Julie Inouye, executive director, WeCAHRE (Community Action for Healthcare Reform and Education), Marina del Rey, Calif.; Dr. James Moore, chief information officer, WeCAHRE, Marina del Rey; Mary K. Bellisario, Military Road Alliance; Leslie Bennett, staff attorney, Consumers Union, San Francisco; Jim Towler, co-founder of Save Our Slidell Memorial Hospital, Slidell; and Kathy Goss, co-founder, SOSMH. The Bellisarios, Towler and Goss were guest speakers at the conference that was co-sponsored by the Consumers Union and Community Catalyst of Boston.