When a city seeks to build a "medical district" to compete with Mayo, what do you think

[Skidmore]

will happen to the cost of medical care in that community? Cedar Rapids, IA, is having a forum tonight to discuss the building of such a district. It will involve the investment of millions of dollars in new facilities. It is my experience that when fancy expensive buildings start going up, the cost of care goes up. UI in Iowa City now has a concourse at the entry which looks like the lobby of a five star hotel. I can see putting together a functional clean environment in which to provide care, but I'd rather see affordable services offered first.

[liberal N proud]

1. Are they trying to turn the Highway of Saints in to a Medical Highway?

Iowa City - Cedar Rapids - Rochester

[Skidmore]

3. I don't think it is anything that coordinated, but it is definitely being

treated as a way to create jobs. The entire area has suffered job loss due to 2 major floods within less than a decade. My objections are that medical care should not be used in this way. It should be available as a response to a need in the community for care, not as a profit driven industry.

[glinda]

6. Did they detour to St. Cloud, MN.? Huge medical there right now being built.

[SoCalDem]

2. Good Luck with that...n/t

[KamaAina]

4. Booby Jindal has a similar plan to "revitalize" an area of NOLA hard-hit by Katrina

by which he means tearing most of it down and replacing it with shiny new buildings for both LSU Medical Center and the VA. This while the iconic "Big Charity" Hospital just sits there, untouched since the storm.

[patrice]

5. Research Vermont. My niece who lives there says that's the way they do

all of their medical/health resources, but I don't imagine it includes anything like a five-star interior design.

[damntexdem]

7. Hold the Mayo.

hadda be said

But hold on to the Mayo, and reject the new center.

But what will stop it. Health planning effectively ended under Reagan. Although most states kept certificate-of-need, their CON has tended to be toothless. Does Iowa really have the power to stop new building? And if it does, will it?

[lbrtbell]

8. Mayo is horrible

They were anti-union long before it became cool. Barbara Bush, the elder, was on their board of directors, and things haven't improved much since.