Tree Festival fundraiser far from a masterpiece

I was 12 when I attended my first Kootenai Health Foundation “Festival of Trees” event at the newly constructed Coeur d’Alene Resort. I returned each year with my family to listen to the local school choirs sing Christmas carols and admire the uniquely decorated trees.

The Festival of Trees is one of the most fruitful fundraisers in Coeur d’Alene, raising $450,000 annually. I credit the success of this event to a diligent Foundation board and a generous community.

However, have you ever wondered what our community gains from these donations? The Foundation is quite clear that its mission is not exactly a charitable one. In fact, on its website, the Foundation states that its purpose is to raise money for Kootenai Health to be used mainly for expansion and the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment. In other words, donations are collected by the Foundation and passed along to the hospital for development and marketing.

In keeping with its purpose, the Kootenai Health Foundation announced that this year’s Festival of Trees donations will be used to purchase a surgical robot called Da Vinci. If this simply were a business decision reached by the hospital board of trustees, I could understand, but it is not — it is a call to action to the community for charitable contributions. Its aim, in truth, cannot be considered “charitable” at all.

Unless you are a trained surgeon, you probably don’t know what a Da Vinci robot is, and may think it capable of painting a Mona Lisa. Da Vinci is a robotic tool that makes it easier and more comfortable for surgeons to perform a very limited number of surgical procedures. It is an incredibly new technology and the only commercially available system in the United States. The unit will cost $2 million with an annual maintenance fee of $200,000.

So, while the Foundation may hope to raise enough money for a down payment, you, the health care consumer and taxpayer will ultimately pay for this latest marketing scheme. The price for robotic surgery will increase by $3,500 when compared to traditional techniques. This rise in health care costs will add to out-of-pocket expenses, increase insurance premiums, and further burden the already vulnerable Medicare and Medicaid systems.

The retort to this argument may be that robotic systems are cutting edge technology and, therefore, better and safer for everyone. This argument fails. A recent study from Johns Hopkins University reported that when compared to traditional surgery, robotics were no safer with similar complications and mortality rates. In addition, the study found that patients were charged, on average, $3,000 more, but spent similar amounts of time in the hospital following the procedures. There is no quality evidence that robot-assisted surgery is superior to conventional tried-and-tested surgical technologies.

So why should our collective contributors pool their precious resources to buy this robot? They shouldn’t. Such frivolity is akin to purchasing a $2 million Ferrari to satisfy the transportation needs of one member of the many working poor who lack a reliable means of transportation. It robs resources from the many to serve the few.

I have a suggestion. The most recent community health assessment conducted by Panhandle Health District identified three key health priorities that have the largest impact on our community:

(1) Access to Primary Care;

(2) Mental Health / Suicide; and

(3) Substance Abuse.

A mental health exam or wellness exam costs $150. If this year’s Festival of Trees Gala raised $500,000, we could pay for 3,000 wellness and mental health exams. For the price of a new Da Vinci robot, we could provide nearly 30,000 wellness and mental health visits over the next 10 years. Imagine the impact access to such services would have on our community.

If Kootenai Health continues to hold itself out as our local community hospital and to enjoy its tax-exempt status of a county hospital district, then it needs to act like one. And it can start by engaging in charitable fundraising for a beneficial and meaningful purpose.

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Jeffrey R. Owens is a Coeur d’Alene resident and local attorney.