Northwest Indiana can support at least two Level II or III trauma centers, but a new teaching hospital isn’t economically feasible, according to a study accepted Thursday by the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.
Compiled by the Indianapolis accounting firm of Katz, Sapper & Miller, the $418,000 state-funded study will be forwarded to the State Budget Committee and a legislative health finance committee.
RDA Executive Director Bill Hanna said the study, authorized by a 2013 law, must be delivered by November.
“The state is a key player and the nexus is in the education component,” Hanna said. “My hope is this study would promote Northwest Indiana to its benefit.”
The study dovetails with the independent efforts of area hospitals to attain trauma level status. Earlier this month, Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus received a “in the process” Level III designation from the state. It has two years to achieve full Level III status with the American College of Surgeons.
It’s expected that Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer and St. Anthony Health in Crown Point will apply for “in the process” status in the next few months.
The study recommended that those hospitals gradually move up the ladder, attaining Level I status by 2017-18.
David Blish, a health care manager at Katz, Sapper & Miller, said building a new hospital just to have an academic medical center would hurt existing hospitals because demand isn’t there to fill beds. He endorsed a model that would provide 36 resident positions in local hospitals and 300 statewide.
The Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest in Gary typically sees its graduates serve their three-year residences in Chicago because no hospitals in Northwest Indiana offer residencies, which require a full-time faculty.
Blish said IU’s medical school in Evansville is launching a model this year that places residents in Evansville hospitals.
The study profiles each Northwest Indiana hospital, evaluating bed capacity and the amount of care going outside of Indiana.
While there’s an assumption a lot of trauma cases are being lost to Illinois hospitals, Blish said it’s just 5 percent. He also said Indiana doesn’t have a well-development trauma framework.
“What’s going to Illinois are the nontrauma cases. Retain those in Indiana and you will realize the benefit. That’s the key driver. Increase the capacity for trauma and residency teaching,” he said.
Hanna said the study’s data points to tight competition influenced by the Chicago market. He said the region has an opportunity now to raise the quality of care for patients here.
The next step in the process is the development of a task force including the IU School of Medicine, local hospitals and business and community leaders to examine funding and educational aspects.