News from May 19, 2005 issue


Stork dropping hospital
Increasing malpractice insurance premiums coupled with a declining number of annual births is prompting Crittenden Health Systems to stop delivering babies at the end of August.

Dr. Scott Graham and Dr. Thomas Rousseau, obstetricians at Crittenden Hospital, have delivered an average of 133 babies a year since 2001, down from 179 in 2000.

Rousseau's last patient will deliver at the end of this month, and Graham will deliver his last child in August.
Graham has been delivering babies at Crittenden Hospital for 17 years, and has delivered an estimated 680 in his career in Marion. When he learned of Rousseau's intent to phase out his obstetrics practice, he too decided to call it quits.

"I will miss it, but I definitely have mixed feelings," said Graham, whose practice is at Fredonia Family Practice Care. Between now and the end of August, Graham expects to deliver 20 babies before ceasing.
Hospital CEO Claudia Eisenmann said the doctors cannot offset the increasing cost of malpractice insurance with the small volume of deliveries.

"The tragic point is, and I've seen it in many states, that you can no longer justify the added expense of malpractice insurance premiums because there is more of a risk associated with obstetrics," Eisenmann said.

A USA Today survey found that in 2003, malpractice insurance premiums accounted for 6.7 percent of obstetricians' expenses, higher than pediatricians, cardiologists and general surgeons.

Graham said malpractice insurance for obstetrics is generally over $100,000 a year, and obstetrics accounts for about 60 percent of his malpractice premium.

Eisenmann said the inflation of malpractice insurance in Kentucky is due in large part by the lack of tort reform, or a limit to legal claims associated with personal injury.

"I hate it for the local women of the community, because they have to travel now an hour away (to see an obstetrician)," said Eisenmann. "But we have held on longer than any of the other smaller hospitals in the region." Caldwell, Livingston and Union county hospitals stopped delivering babies several years ago.
Both Graham and Rousseau will continue their respective practices, which will include gynecology andpediatric care.

 

Mae Flanery turns 100
When Mae Flanery was born, Albert Einstein had just introduced his theory of relativity and the cost of a first-class postage stamp was two cents.

Since her birth 100 years ago Tuesday, Flanery has witnessed the gradual increase in the cost of the postage stamp to 37 cents and lived under the leadership of 18 U.S. Presidents, beginning with Theodore Roosevelt.

Flanery hit the century mark this week with a bang. The celebration included a party at Crittenden Hospital where she was a charter member of the ladies auxiliary. Aside from being hospitalized a week ago with pneumonia, Flanery has been in great health, still going out to dinner, occasionally attending meetings and living in her own home. In fact, Flanery drove herself to hair appointments and to church until she was 97.
"She has been in good health all of her life," said Margaret June Johnson, a long-time friend who compares Flanery to her second mother and a grandmother to her children and grandchildren.
Though her hearing has deteriorated and she has trouble climbing stairs, Flanery remains remarkably fit despite 10 centuries afoot.

At her birthday party, Flanery wore a new suit and corsage and had her hair fixed before being greeted by well-wishers in the Crittenden Hospital cafeteria. Guests included a multitude of friends from the community, including her church family at Marion United Methodist Church and relatives from Illinois and Canada.

Flanery and her late husband, Clarence, married in Shawneetown, Ill., in 1920 and moved to Marion in 1929 from Rosiclare, Ill. Clarence Flanery was employed by the Franklin Fluorspar Company which had operations in Crittenden County, and later he and the late Creed "Pid" Threlkeld purchased the Standard Oil Company where Mae was a bookkeeper.

She also worked as a bookkeeper at Johnson's Furniture & Appliance for 25 years while living next door to Mrs. Johnson and her late husband James. She taught Sunday school at Marion United Methodist Church for 15 years, was active in the Ellis B. Ordway American Legion Post 111 and its auxiliary and the Woman's Club of Marion. She was a volunteer for Crittenden Hospital Auxiliary for more than 20 years.

Flanery is one of the very few living World War I widows. Her husband served in France for 18 months during the war against the Kaiser.