Colorado AG Weiser solicits input from Puebloans on proposed UCHealth and Parkview merger

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser came to Pueblo last week to solicit input from residents about the proposed merger between UCHealth and Parkview Health System before his office approves it.

Weiser told the Chieftain his office wants a “full understanding” of the merger and came to town to hear Puebloans' thoughts and concerns.

“If we weren't able to do a full analysis now, the risk would be to approve it thinking one thing when really something else was the case,” Weiser said.

Weiser has been collecting input from people in Pueblo on the merger since March 10 and Puebloans have until March 31 to submit their comments or concerns to UCHealthParkview@coag.gov.

Some people in attendance for Weiser's listening session last week expressed concern about what the community oversight would look like on Parkview’s board of directors. The proposed merger announcement from UCHealth and Parkview stated Parkview would maintain a local board of directors composed “predominantly” of Pueblo residents.

“That’s something I want to make sure is set up in a proper way,” Weiser said.

In the merger announcement, both entities said the proposed merger would see UCHealth invest nearly $200 million into the Pueblo community over a 10-year period and help the hospital continue its partnerships with local universities and community colleges to develop the state’s health care workforce and help stabilize Parkview’s finances.

They also said a $5 million donation from UCHealth to the Parkview Foundation would establish a long-term fund to support patients.

Theresa Trujillo, a community organizer, said the community has concerns about how that $5 million donation will impact Puebloans who have medical debt, which she described as “significant.” She said the hospital is not solely responsible for that debt and that denied claims from private insurers contribute to the issue.

More:Pueblo's Parkview Health System and UCHealth finalize merger

“What does that (donation) mean for things like community benefit, when we’ve seen a lower uninsured rate overall in the last decade but not additional investment of community benefit dollars in the community?” Trujillo asked.

Others in attendance spoke about the financial woes Parkview has faced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed hope that a merger could alleviate some of those struggles. Some people pointed to those financial challenges as the reason for Parkview’s decision to close its 25-bed, in-patient adult psychiatric unit.

A Parkview spokesperson last year told the Chieftain the hospital experienced “decreased utilization by payers for inpatient psychiatric services.”

That closure, some shared Wednesday, has left Pueblo with one less resource to address mental health needs across the community and puts more pressure on organizations that do provide mental health services. Weiser called it a “disconnect” to not have or have a limited amount of those services.

“Whether it’s in the context of this merger or more broadly, (that’s something) I’m going to keep focusing on,” Weiser said.

Weiser added that he did not have any specific concerns when he first heard of the proposed merger but is aware that it “means change.” He mentioned during the session that he hadn’t yet had a discussion with UCHealth about the merger but wants to hear their responses to the questions, thoughts and concerns people have sent to his office.

“Anytime you have change, there’s always risk,” he said. “Sometimes there’s benefits, too, so you want to understand what the potential benefits and risks are and ... determine if it is a positive change or not.”

Weiser’s office is reviewing the merger as required by the Colorado Hospital Transfer Act to ensure it doesn’t “result in a material change in the charitable purposes to which the assets of the hospital have been dedicated and that assets don’t leave the state,” the AG's office announced in a news release earlier this month. His office also said the state attorney general must consider “whether there are reductions in the availability or accessibility of health care services in the communities served by the hospital.”

UCHealth and Parkview, each of which are nonprofits, said the former would not assume operations of the latter until at least mid-2023.

Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Colorado AG visits Pueblo to collect input on Parkview, UCHealth merger