North Ridge Medical Center in Oakland Park to shut down -- Hosp...

Holy Cross Hospital surprised its doctors, employees, patients and competitors Tuesday by deciding to close its former rival, North Ridge Medical Center, the day after buying it.

[Dave]

I was just in North Ridge 2 weeks ago after collapsing for unknown reasons. The staff there was great they REALLY seemed to care about their patients. They treated me well and also cared about my girlfriend and her mother who stayed in my room as long as visiting hours allowed. I had never been to this hospital before and now it looks like I never will again. I wish the satff there all the best, I hope they all find good jobs.

[FORMER EMPLOYEE]

WOW! What a slap n the face from the "sisters of mercy". Never in all my years at North Ridge have I seen the sadness and gloom to this extent. Double Cross comes and tells us we have no jobs after 60 days and, gee, we hope we can a place for you but don't guarantee it.
Ah, CHRISTIAN love and mercy!

[Italian-American in FL]

Money Money Money

[Red Foreman]

Put bars on the windows and put the illegals there for deportation, that will fill the building. If it still has room start throwing the dumb*asses* in there too, we have plenty of them.

[interested party]

It is so nice to know that Holy Cross has 20 million dollars to burn on a rival hospital and then shut it down. They had too much capacity to begin with, now they have an entire building of underused capacity. Why not take the 20 million and improve patient care at their existing facility. why not take the 20 million and give raises to their current employees instead of the 2% cost of living raise that they received. What a great PR move for a so called Christian hospital. Sounds as if despite their low census counts, the hospital is making enough money to throw it away on properties that are losing money. I'm sure all the doctors that were treating patients at North Ridge (because they didnt like Holy Cross)are really disgusted with this move not to mention all the nurses and staff that this affects. I think the Board of directors of Holy Cross should all resign because they certainly do not know how to manage their finances.

[Republicans R Bogus]

Ok, so who is going to fire the idiot at Holy Cross that bought a hospital for a huge price and then decides they have to close it. That's almost criminal waste of money. The Northridge has been in the middle of a huge upgrade and recent stay there for a relative, the Heart Patient OR area is excellent, the best of everything, best after the operation care, etc. Only negative, sad but the cafeteria food was horrible. Everything else excellent to superior. The Pharmacy staff actually works, not like the Pharm staff at Holy Cross , where they prefer to talk and the men chase the nurses.

[interested party]

the headline to this article is missleading. it should not say that North Ridge is shutting operations, it shoud read "Holy Cross Hospital is shutting down North Ridge Hospital"

[Ft Lauderdale]

Wow...I've been a pt at North Ridge in the ER and had several procedures there as well as all needed testing over the years. I have had family members in the hospital there as well. I really liked having the choice of using this hospital facility and I am sad to hear that Holy Cross is closing it. Everyone who works there is very friendly and helpful.

[bullshit]

they should let the doctors run in instead of closing the doors it is a shame what holy cross is duing to all the employees at the ridge

[On The Beach]

The 800 pound gorilla here isn't Holy Cross or the few remaining Sisters of Mercy. It's CATHOLIC HEALTH EAST http://www.che.org/
"The System includes 33 acute care hospitals, 4 long term acute care hospitals, 36 freestanding and hospital-based long term care facilities, 12 assisted living facilities, 5 continuing care retirement communities, 7 behavioral health and rehabilitation facilities, 25 home health/hospice agencies, and numerous ambulatory and community-based health services. Catholic Health East facilities employ approximately 50,000 full-time employees as partners in ministry."
Believe it, some profitable business will come to North Ridge Hospital - and the VA clinic land across the street that Holy Cross owns too.

[Hey Holy Cross]

Hey Holy Cross, here is an idea...why not make North Ridge a 24 hour ER facility.....stitches, broken bones, dealing with flus and the like....I was at Holy Cross ER with a friend needing stitches for 8 hours, watching as awoman puked in a bowl in the waiting room, then left her puke bowl on the floor when she and her whole family were called in. They came and went, left the bowl, and when I asked someone to remove it, it still sat there.

Mr. Johnson, Holy Cross is NOT handling the volume of patients well, and to further limit the options for the community is a disgrace. No wonder an aspirin at Holy Cross costs $40...

[Tis The Truth]

Hey Holy Cross wrote:

Hey Holy Cross, here is an idea...why not make North Ridge a 24 hour ER facility.....stitches, broken bones, dealing with flus and the like....I was at Holy Cross ER with a friend needing stitches for 8 hours, watching as a woman puked in a bowl in the waiting room, then left her puke bowl on the floor when she and her whole family were called in. They came and went, left the bowl, and when I asked someone to remove it, it still sat there.
Mr. Johnson, Holy Cross is NOT handling the volume of patients well, and to further limit the options for the community is a disgrace. No wonder an aspirin at Holy Cross costs $40...

This is the best comment so far. Holy Cross ER will let you die before you get back there.

[Ken]

Ft Lauderdale wrote:

Wow...I've been a pt at North Ridge in the ER and had several procedures there as well as all needed testing over the years. I have had family members in the hospital there as well. I really liked having the choice of using this hospital facility and I am sad to hear that Holy Cross is closing it. Everyone who works there is very friendly and helpful.

Iwas admitted to north ridge for a stroke. My doctor never saw me,I was awakend at two am by a nurse and when i asked where i was they tied me to the bed and left me that way until the next day. I was in the room next to the ICU desk and my doctor would call my room to talk to me from the desk which was 15ft.from my room.the only time anyone checked on me was when i pulled off the monitoring equiptment and set off the alarm.Bad hospital,Bad doctors,Bad staff.no wonder they clossed it.

[usc grad]

why not let the feds take it over and run it for the thousands of people in broward county with no health insurance

[Linda]

Yes, the area hospitals on average are underutilized, but this is a highly seasonal area. On Feb. 26th of this year, when my mother was taken to Northwest Medical Center, her doctor was contacted at 3AM by the emergency room physician. Since her doctor does not practice at Northwest, only at Holy Cross, he tried to arrange a transfer to an ICU bed at Holy Cross. But there were no ICU beds available. And there weren't any ICU beds at Northwest either. I agree that the summer and fall months find area hospitals almost empty, but what are the stats for the winter season? Is Holy Cross going to increase its ER capacity, which currently is horrible, or its ICU? Apparently this problem was not an isolated incident during snowbird season.

[CAT]

Is this the same Holy Cross that build a parking garage without a Building Permit, and who's cjhief share holder used to own North Ridge and had bad feelings becahe after he sold it the refused to continue to pay him? And is North Ridge the same Tenet hospital with Jeb Bush on the Board of Directors?

I still love John Paul---and Ringo too!

[What We Need]

Holy Cross needs to build a school there where parents can put their children. The public school system has become a dumping ground for deliquents and criminals and there is a desperate need for education that is structured and has strict discipline. Public schools are unable to control the criminal element and it only takes one kid out of control to kill the learning environment for all.

[we got screwed]

it is a shame what is happening to all us employees here at the ridge
tenet and holy cross say our jobs will be eliminated on june 30 and there are no openings for the employees holy cross screwed us tenet screwed us mr johnson is a character they say they are gonna help the employees of nrmc find jobs
there full of shit

[caml]

Bottomline is $$$. Healthcare has become corporate. I think this is funny -- more proof that hospital leadership is all about lining their own pockets. They don't care about the people who work for them nor the patients they are supposed to care for.

[disconnected]

Is it within your idea of a Christian Spirit to keep a hospital open that is losing 37 million dollars a year? That seems like a complete waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere. Holy Cross is less than a mile -- two traffic lights -- away. Big whoop! I know that it is difficult for those who need to look for another job, but look on the bright side: if North Broward Hospital District, or a consortium of physicians had bought the hospital, they probably would have kicked the employees out on the street without ANY help or compassion.

FORMER EMPLOYEE wrote:

WOW! What a slap n the face from the "sisters of mercy". Never in all my years at North Ridge have I seen the sadness and gloom to this extent. Double Cross comes and tells us we have no jobs after 60 days and, gee, we hope we can a place for you but don't guarantee it.
Ah, CHRISTIAN love and mercy!