SUN HEALTHCARE

INTRODUCTION TO THIS WWW PAGE
This page links to the bulk of the material dealing with Sun Healthcare on this www site.

Sun Healthcare is representative of what has happened in nursing home care across the USA in the last 10 years. It is a story of meteoric growth during the 1990's, exploitation of Medicare, fraud, misuse of the vulnerable, and neglect of the frail elderly in the drive for profit. It is also the story of financial mismanagement leading to bankruptcy. Some of this is addressed in the current section on Sun Healthcare. The section on its Australian activities and the steps to remove it are addressed more fully in the Alpha Healthcare section.

CLICK HERE -- to go to the story of Sun Healthcare in the USA

CLICK HERE -- to go to the story of Sun Healthcare and Alpha Healthcare in Australia.

UPDATE INFORMATION August 2000

Sun Healthcare is sold off as much as it could including its International operations and the rump of the company is owned by its creditors. Andrew Turner, Sun's founder was forced to resign but there were very credible rumours which suggested that he planned to use his remaining wealth to purchase Sun's international operations and continue to manage them. I wrote an analysis of Sun's culture and Turner's thinking so that the likely impact of his control over Alpha could be evaluated. I also wrote a review of recent articles in August 2000.

CLICK HERE -- to go to an analysis of Sun's culture and Turner's thinking

CLICK HERE -- to go to the section about Sun Healthcare in an update review of articles in August 2000,

UPDATE INFORMATION MARCH 2001 and August 2003

Turner left Sun Healthcare and was extremely busy making a new mark in aged care. I followed this until Sun departed Australia without Turner taking over when I stopped following his career. Sun traded out of bankruptcy but is not doing well and may go under.

CLICK HERE -- for the update.

In addition copies of two 1996 articles, an interview with Turner and a description of Sun's growth which are very revealing have been put on the site.

PAST PAGES DEVELOPED IN DEALING WITH SUN HEALTHCARE

The following pages were written and most were put on the www after Sun entered Australia and before knowledge of the patient care scandal reached Australia.

Sun Healthcare enters Australia: Overview

Sun Healthcare received approval from the Foreign Investment and Review Board in to enter Australia in August 1997. I had supplied FIRB with documents. In granting access the FIRB process disregarded my objections and the objection of the state of New South Wales. When I obtained documents under Freedom of Information (FOI) in October/November I was horrified at the deceptive way in which Sun had been allowed into Australia. I wanted to make this information available and also needed to inform people of the situation. I wanted to create a context within which to evaluate Sun Healthcare. I made photocopies of key sections of this material and sent it to relevant people in Australia. As the material was bulky I wrote an introductory criticism and then a critical review of the material itself.

I put this material into web pages during 1998. While the pages address Sun Healthcare's failings they repeat and review some matters which are dealt with elsewhere in these web pages. Some is original. I had to argue the case all over again, meet any arguments and protect myself by justifying my actions in publishing this material.

CLICK HERE -- to go to the introductory overview page to this material.

CLICK HERE --go directly to a brief criticism of the politics of what happened on this page.

Purchase of Alpha Healthcare and Moran Health Care Group: Criticism

I wrote an introductory criticism reviewing the US marketplace, the behaviour of our politicians, and Sun's alleged conduct. It sets out the arguments against a corporatised health system and Sun Healthcare within the context of our obligations as citizens.

CLICK HERE -- to go to this criticism of Sun Healthcare and its entry to Australia.

OVERVIEW OF DOCUMENTS SUPPLIED TO SUPPORT CRITICISM

The documents included those obtained under FOI and were bulky. I wrote an overview pointing to the main points in each and commenting. In retrospect the critical comments are longwinded but nevertheless make the points! This material and the two documents were sent to health authorities and politicians.

CLICK HERE -- to go to "OVERVIEW OF DOCUMENTS SUPPLIED"

Alpha Healthcare - response to FIRB

In February 1998 I received additional material under FOI including a letter from Alpha Health care indicating Sun's plans to enter aged care. I wrote a criticism of this letter which is also included as a web page. This letter is also referred to and criticised in the Overview of documents above.

CLICK HERE -- to go to the Alpha Letter

CLICK HERE -- to go to the page criticising this letter

I also lodged objections to nursing home licences with the Federal Dept. of Health and to licences for pathology laboratories with the Health Insurance Commission (HIC). The HIC acknowledged the documents then procrastinated and did nothing. The Federal Department of Health refused to acknowledge the documents until the president of the Australian Medical Association and a senator took the matters up on my behalf. Sun never entered aged care.

DEFICIENCIES IN FIRB

I had since 1993 been writing pressing for a revision of the deficiencies in regulations governing the Foreign Investment and Review Board (FIRB) and closing the loopholes which allowed unsuitable multinational health care groups into Australia. After FIRB approved Sun's entry into Australia I tried again.

CLICK HERE -- to go to the 1998 criticism of the FIRB process

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LINKS TO MAPS
Central Map ..... Initial Map ..... USA Map ..... Australian Map ..... International Map ..... Corporate Practices Map..... (to print)

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Path
Home Page .... US Corporate page .... Aged Care

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Sun Healthcare pages
The story ... Culture ... Updates .. References ... Turner interview ... Sun Growth

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Sun's entry into Australia
Overview ... Arguments ... Documents ... Criticism letter ... FIRB

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Overview and the other corporate chains
Overview ... Sun Healthcare ... Beverly ... Vencor/Kindred ... IHS
Genesis... Mariner ... Extendicare ... NHC ... Centennial ... Guardian

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This page created April 2000 by Michael Wynne
Last Modified August 2003