Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1058375
27 27 CEO/STRATEGY Why Jewish Allegheny General president spoke to synagogue shooting suspect at hospital By Alyssa Rege A er allegedly killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pa., on Oct. 27, the shooting suspect was taken to Pittsburgh-based Al- legheny General Hospital to receive treat- ment for injuries sustained during the in- cident. While there, he was visited by the hospital's president, Jeff Cohen, MD, a Jewish physician with ties to the synagogue and local community, according to ABC News. While in custody and receiving medical treat- ment at Allegheny General, Robert Bowers, 46, allegedly told a SWAT officer he wanted all Jews to die and that Jewish people "were committing genocide to his people," according to the police criminal complaint obtained by CNN. Dr. Cohen, who lives down the street from the synagogue, told ABC News he heard the gun- shots from the mass shooting. He told the televi- sion station he went to visit Mr. Bowers, 46, while he was being treated at Allegheny General. "I stopped to see him, I just asked him how he was doing. Was he in pain, and he said no, he was fine," Dr. Cohen told ABC News. "He asked me who I was. I said, 'I'm Dr. Cohen; I'm the president of the hospital.' I turned around and le." "I thought it was important to at least talk to him and meet him," Dr. Cohen said. "You can't on one hand say we should talk to each other, and then I don't talk to him. So you lead by example, and I'm the leader of the hospital and I have a powerful voice in the community." Dr. Cohen said two other Jewish individuals were part of Mr. Bowers' care team while he received treatment at the hospital: a nurse and a physician. "We have a very simple mission at [Allegheny General Hospital], and I imagine it's exactly the same at the other hospitals in the area: We're here to take care of sick people. We're not here to judge you," he said. "We're not here to ask do you have insurance or do you not have insurance. We're here to take care of people that need our help." Mr. Bowers entered the synagogue Oct. 27 armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and three handguns, CBS News reported. e incident lasted roughly 20 minutes, during which 11 people were killed and at least six were injured. Mr. Bowers eventually surren- dered himself to police. Among the 11 killed was Jerry Rabinowitz, MD, a 66-year-old primary care physician from Edgewood Borough, Pa., who was affili- ated with Pittsburgh-based UPMC. Mr. Bowers faces 29 charges, including 11 counts of using a firearm to commit mur- der and multiple counts relating to two hate crimes, according to CNN. n "We're here to take care of sick people. We are not here to judge you." — Dr. Jeff Cohen, CEO of Allegheny General Hospital Partners, Care New England end partnership talks with Lifespan By Alyssa Rege B oston-based Partners HealthCare and Providence, R.I.-based Care New England have ceased part- nership talks with Providence-based Lifespan after roughly nine months, according to the Providence Journal. Lawrence Aubin Sr., chairman of Lifespan's board of di- rectors, confirmed the news in an Oct. 29 statement to the Providence Journal. "Lifespan worked creatively and tirelessly toward a poten- tial partnership with Partners HealthCare and Care New England. Unfortunately, Partners HealthCare and Lifespan could not reach an agreement and talks have ended," Mr. Aubin said, adding that the health system remains open to potential partnerships in the future. The three organizations announced plans to partner in February to improve access to healthcare in Rhode Island. As of Oct. 30, Partners was negotiating terms to take over CNE. The systems announced the prospective merger plans in January. Despite ending discussions, representatives from Partners and CNE told the Providence Journal both systems remain in communication with Lifespan. "Our plans with Care New England continue to move ahead, and we are working closely with state and fed- eral regulators to formalize our longstanding partner- ship. While our current discussions with Lifespan are not moving forward, we are hopeful that in the years ahead we can continue to work collaboratively with them to ensure that patients in Rhode Island have ac- cess to excellent care," a spokesperson from Partners told the publication. n