June 8, 2001

The following questions were addressed by Samuel O.Thier, MD, president and CEO of Partners, and James J. Mongan, MD, president of the MGH, at the Partners Town Meeting June 6.

Q: I understand that many people at the MGH and Partners were close to Joe Moakley and that he was helpful to the hospital and the system. Will Moakley's death have any effect on Partners?

Thier: Congressman Joe Moakley was a unique individual who gave us a tremendous amount of support and protection through the years. Congressman Moakley will not be easily replaced. His influence and compassion were unmatched. Rep. Ed Markey now will be stepping into Moakley's role. Partners representatives have good relations with Markey, and hope that he will prove to be a helpful ally as well.

Q: Will employees be getting raises this year?

Mongan: The budget is in the process of being worked out, but I am optimistic that we can offer some kind of pay increase in the next fiscal year.

Q: Why must the MGH's surplus be used to subsidize other Partners entities, especially when BWH employees are better paid (in general) than MGH employees?

Mongan: The question of Partners' worth was well answered in the recent series of managed care contract negotiations. It should be clear in everyone's minds that being part of the Partners system was essential to settling on these favorable contracts. As a result, I hope we can focus more on the benefits of Partners rather than any kind of "sibling rivalry." Still, there are things we can learn from each other, and a program called Project Compare is a way to do that. Project Compare will help us evaluate the similarities and differences between the MGH and BWH. It is difficult to compare the two institutions fairly because both hospitals provide different services to varying patient populations. The payor mix varies between the MGH and BWH, and employee salaries also vary depending on the position — some higher at the MGH and others higher at BWH.

Thier: We never meant for this to be a homogenous partnership. We have to be flexible in our institutions because of the different backgrounds and cultures of our member hospitals. Both the MGH and BWH are robust medical centers. They are full, and demand for their services continues to grow. Other hospitals in the area aren't doing as well.

More questions and answers from the Partners Town Meeting will be published in future issues of Hotline.