"Walla Walla General Hospital (WWGH), a health-care facility wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Walla Walla, Washington, is being sold to the Catholic-owned Providence Health & Services for $14 million dollars payable in installments over 24 years.
In a video statement, Joyce Newmyer, the bejeweled president of Adventist Health, Pacific Northwest Region, stated in gushing terms how:
It was repeatedly said that this is not a sale, but rather a transfer of "control" or "sponsorship" or "membership". There are at least three reasons for doing so including:
1. If it was called a sale, IRS regulations on the sale and transfer of ownership of non-profit legal entities would be come into play.
2. By it not being called a sale, the parties avoid numerous state regulatory concerns.
3. By not calling it a sale and depending on the bylaws of the hospital and Adventist Health itself, it may avoid having to have constituent approval vis-a-vis a duly called constituency meeting by the
North Pacific Union and/or the Upper Columbia conference to approve such a sale. Again, the voters in the pews seem to have no say in that which impacts them most.
So, this sale is even worse than the process as was done in Colorado when our hospitals were given away to the Catholic church's Centura Health, with little to show for it except they let us keep the name "Adventist" on the front of the hospitals. Centura Health is a partnership in Colorado by which the Catholic Health Initiatives partnered with Adventist Health System. But it was an unequal partnership with the Catholic Health representatives maintaining a majority of the managing board, keeping full control.
One thinks back to the entreating words of Ellen White, "You are not to unite with unbelievers in medical work" (Medical Ministry, p. 45).
But make no mistake. Legalese aside, this IS a sale. The Catholics get a hospital and the Adventists get $14 million. How much clearer can it be?
It could have been that if the needs had been made known to the SDA church at large, and proper administrative measures taken in line with established church policy regarding medical missionary work, that perhaps the hospital could have been saved. Now one wonders what other institutions owned by our church can be just sold off to the highest bidder if a board decides to do so. Is Walla Walla University up for sale or maybe a few academies and publishing houses? What about local churches?
Not only will the hospital be taken over by the Catholics, but they have even offered to run the student clinic at Walla Walla University and there are discussions being made on this. No word on if any other discussions are being held on having the Catholic church run other programs at WWU.
"If a worldly influence is to bear sway in our school, then sell it out to worldlings and let them take the entire control; and those who have invested their means in that institution will establish another school, to be conducted, not upon the plan of popular schools, nor according to the desires of principal and teachers, but upon the plan which God has specified" (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p25)." Fulcrum7
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
2 Corinthians 6:14
In a video statement, Joyce Newmyer, the bejeweled president of Adventist Health, Pacific Northwest Region, stated in gushing terms how:
"This is an opportunity for Adventist Health. We will be able to explore new expressions of our mission. And through the new foundation fund, [the $14 million dollars] have resources to invest in innovative initiatives that build on the Adventist legacy of wellness and prevention."She offered no statement on what and/or who led to the current failure and if the same failed leadership model would be responsible for spending the $14 million dollars.
It was repeatedly said that this is not a sale, but rather a transfer of "control" or "sponsorship" or "membership". There are at least three reasons for doing so including:
1. If it was called a sale, IRS regulations on the sale and transfer of ownership of non-profit legal entities would be come into play.
2. By it not being called a sale, the parties avoid numerous state regulatory concerns.
3. By not calling it a sale and depending on the bylaws of the hospital and Adventist Health itself, it may avoid having to have constituent approval vis-a-vis a duly called constituency meeting by the
So, this sale is even worse than the process as was done in Colorado when our hospitals were given away to the Catholic church's Centura Health, with little to show for it except they let us keep the name "Adventist" on the front of the hospitals. Centura Health is a partnership in Colorado by which the Catholic Health Initiatives partnered with Adventist Health System. But it was an unequal partnership with the Catholic Health representatives maintaining a majority of the managing board, keeping full control.
One thinks back to the entreating words of Ellen White, "You are not to unite with unbelievers in medical work" (Medical Ministry, p. 45).
But make no mistake. Legalese aside, this IS a sale. The Catholics get a hospital and the Adventists get $14 million. How much clearer can it be?
It could have been that if the needs had been made known to the SDA church at large, and proper administrative measures taken in line with established church policy regarding medical missionary work, that perhaps the hospital could have been saved. Now one wonders what other institutions owned by our church can be just sold off to the highest bidder if a board decides to do so. Is Walla Walla University up for sale or maybe a few academies and publishing houses? What about local churches?
Rick Bockmann, current WWGH president and CEO, was a former vice-president at the Catholic-owned Centura Health. This raises questions as to exactly why he was brought in to run WWGH at the late date of October of last year. Was he brought in to sell WWGH? As a result of the sale, WWGH is being subsumed into Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla.
Not only will the hospital be taken over by the Catholics, but they have even offered to run the student clinic at Walla Walla University and there are discussions being made on this. No word on if any other discussions are being held on having the Catholic church run other programs at WWU.
"If a worldly influence is to bear sway in our school, then sell it out to worldlings and let them take the entire control; and those who have invested their means in that institution will establish another school, to be conducted, not upon the plan of popular schools, nor according to the desires of principal and teachers, but upon the plan which God has specified" (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p25)." Fulcrum7
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
2 Corinthians 6:14
