Hospitals advertize

Isn’t there something wrong with hospital’s advertizing?   A generation ago hospital’s didn’t advertize; what has happened?

 

Let’s take the University Hospital Rainbow babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

From their web site, [1] UH states:

 

We will lead our industry in developing and delivering the next generation of consumer-driven health care."

 

This UH “vision”  is a very frank statement. 

 

 UH describes itself as an “INDUSTRY” that “delivers”   to “CONSUMERS”.   This makes UH exactly like Exxon-Mobil and General Electric.

 

Does the fact that UH is a not-for-profit, and Exxon and GE are for profit, make any difference?

 

Let’s get back to the big painted billboard in the image.  

The sign is illuminated all night by (10) 1,500 watt unmetered flood lights.  When I took the image on August 18, 2009 in bright sunlight at 4:00pm (2) of the 10 flood lights were on.  

86% of electricity in Ohio is generated by coal.  For its part, UH’s Medical Center Company coal fired power plant is one of the top 10 air pollution contributors in Cuyahoga County (see list of criteria air pollution contributors in Cuyahoga County [2]). Air pollution is a cause/contributor to asthma and other pulmonary diseases. Children are particularly susceptible to asthma.  Even without day burners, these lights consume aprox. 5,400 KWH of electricy per month. 

 

(I called to speak with Cleveland Publlic Power - the supplier of the electricity - and was on hold for 32 minutes- that investigation is for another day}

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When I started writing this report I was going to say that lighting a big hospital sign all night didn’t make any sense.

I have talked myself out of that viewpoint.

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Honestly, whether or not you think hospitals should be advertizing, this sign - being electrically illuminated - is a disgrace.   Between increased asthma, global warming, power used for advertizing rather than for someone's winter heat....on and on...  UH  - please pull the plug immediately.