The following statement was issued by the PSL in Pittsburgh.
In 2008, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center announced that it had made $103 million in net income.
On October 16, 2009, UPMC announced that it was closing its hospital in Braddock.
 Braddock Hospital shutdown protest of about 200 residents, patients and political leaders, Nov. 19 Photo: Lake Fong/Post-Gazette |
This decision, by an organization that falsely claims to be not-for-profit, promises to devastate a community already ravaged by decades of economic decline. Once a center of industrial activity, the town had a population near 20,000 in the 1950s. However, when the big steel corporations could no longer turn a profit off of the residents, the region as a whole began a long and painful decline. When the last census was taken, Braddock had a population of less than 3,000 and was mired in poverty.
The intended closure of the Braddock Hospital is a cold, calculated move by UPMC designed to maximize profits. The hospital is desperately needed by the community, and is home to the town’s only restaurant and ATM. UPMC claims that they decided to close their facility as a result of “underutilization.” However, according to the Pennsylvania Health Department, the occupancy rate at the Braddock Hospital was 72.4 percent for 2007-2008, higher than several other UPMC hospitals. Occupancy rates have consistently been higher than the national average. UPMC manipulated utilization statistics by excluding patients not admitted to the general medical section and including areas whose residents generally use other hospitals. In a move that blatantly shows the organization’s profit-driven decision making, UPMC also announced that it is planning to construct a hospital in the wealthier community of Monroeville. Clearly, greed and absolute disregard for the people of Braddock are the driving factors behind the hospital’s planned closure.
Sadly, similar situations can be found across the country. The sickening injustice in Braddock is part of a much larger trend of hospital closures in response to the recent economic crisis. Instead of taking losses, medical corporations are shifting the burden to those who depend on them the most. This is the tragedy of capitalism. The economic system we live under prioritizes profit over all else. Meeting human needs is not the goal of UPMC or any other capitalist enterprise. This creates tremendous wealth for a privileged few. The annual salary and benefits of UPMC President and CEO Jeffrey Romoff amount to more than $4.5 million, which, according to the most recent census, is 344 times the per capita income of Braddock. In other words, Romoff makes in one day what most Braddock residents earn all year.
UPMC’s assault on working-class communities won’t stop with Braddock. Already, there’s talk that the hospital in McKeesport may be shut down. The anticipated Jan. 31 closure would set a dangerous precedent for the entire region and put other vital infrastructure at risk that is not health care related.
Wherever you live, it’s time to take a stand with the people of Braddock.
The only way people can fight back against such vast wealth and power is through unity and struggle. For all their millions, the executives of UPMC are helpless in the face of a mass movement.
The fight for Braddock Hospital is the fight of everyone who has been denied or has been threatened with the denial of basic services simply because they are not wealthy enough and don’t generate enough profit for corporate giants. Together, we can win!
The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) stands with the people of Braddock and the local grassroots organization “Save Our Community Hospitals-Save Braddock Hospital,” who are fighting the closure of their hospital and demanding “Health Care Not Wealth Care.” We seek to build support for the people of Braddock from Pittsburgh and other surrounding communities.
