Bon Secours Richmond welcomed the positive statement from the Richmond Health Coalition about its plans to improve health care in the East End, which the Free Press reported in the April 6-8 edition.

“Bon Secours appreciates the coalition’s willingness to have private, meaningful conversations with us about our ‘Community Today, Community Tomorrow: Pathway to Wellness in the East End’ initiative,” spokeswoman Jenna Green stated in response to a Free Press request for comment on the statement Brian Bills, a coalition leader, issued on behalf of the coalition.

According to the statement, the coalition declared a ceasefire on further criticism of Bon Secours, viewing the plan as enabling Bon Secours to meet its obligations.

The coalition, though, promised to monitor the hospital system’s actions to ensure that it followed through on its promises.

Ms. Green stated that the three-year Community Today, Community Tomorrow plan unveiled in January was developed using “data

gathered from the East End community, for the East End community.”

She stated the plan has four components: Increasing access to medical services, focusing on wellness and prevention, growing Bon Secours’ partnerships and recruiting and training physicians and associates. That includes expanding and upgrading health care services at Richmond Community.

“Bon Secours is confident this plan will positively impact health outcomes” among East End residents, she continued, adding that quarterly updates on the plan would be posted on a dedicated webpage, www.bonsecours.com/communitytodaycommunitytomorrow.

The health coalition was organized last fall in reaction to a New York Times exposé alleging that Bon Secours had improperly spent millions of dollars from a federal drug discount program that it received through Richmond Community.

The newspaper claimed the Catholic health care system diverted program funds to build clinics and operations in wealthier suburbs while cutting back services the East End hospital. Bon Secours denied the allegation as baseless.