Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Wondering about Lakewood Hospital?


The current lease with the clinic expires in 2027. The lease obligates the Clinic to provide very specific services through out the term of the lease.
The question to be asked and ultimately answered is: What should a community based health care service and facility look and behave like in 2028?
The compelling issues to ponder include:
  1. Who will pay and how much will be paid and for what service?
  2. How will technology continue to change the health care and medical delivery systems?
  3. What trends are apparent today that render systems built in the last century obsolete?
(For example, pharmaceuticals have minimized the need for heart bypass surgery. Hip replacements are soon to be done on an outpatient basis. early diagnostics will make prevention the focus rather than intervention(sick in bed).
Once we understand these trends and their implications, we must identify strategies to be implemented  to address them.
This will not be quick nor easy. It will be very interesting and very important to our community and citizens.
We will begin to address all of these issues and questions in 2013. This Fall, the Hospital Trustees will be shaping a framework to lead us to the best solution for Lakewood. Citizens will be engaged in a thoughtful manner.
I believe it is appropriate to begin this thoughtful and complex journey while time is our ally.
As news and information develops, I will share it on this blog.

#1LKWD www.onelakewood.com

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Listen to Lakewood - I mean, "TWEET" Lakewood

Attention Gen Y'ers and Millennials of Lakewood!

Ready, Set, Tweet!

Listening to citizens is a very important part of my job. Citizens are my bosses. I have 52,136 bosses. Citizens   provide feedback regarding our service quality. They help identify emerging trends. They spot problems that are difficult to see.  All of which helps us improve.

Thirty five percent of our citizens are between the ages of 20 and 39. This generation of citizens is very connected to their “universe” by using  social media. This generation takes a “virtual” approach to place versus physical place.  Thus, being available via social media is just important, if not more important, than being in the same room.

For all of the above reasons, I am experimenting with a new (to me) communication vehicle to make City Hall more accessible to Citizens.

On Tuesday, August 21  from 5:30-6:30 PM I will be at my keyboard, logged onto Twitter ready to field questions and comments.

"stuck on ready" to tweet!

My twitter handle is @LakewoodMayor


 I am looking forward to Tuesday August 21st. For this baby boomer, it will be a great adventure.


Future “physical “ Listen –to-Lakewood dates and locations: (all start at 5:30PM)
September 11th at Mahalls.

October 9th at Around the Corner
November 13th at Buckeye Beer Engine

December 11th at Trinity Lutheran Church
(no comment on 3 bars and one church!)

 #1LKWD  www.onelakewood.com