After reading the Paris News'article about the lawsuits, I was not really clear about a couple things:
How many lawyers were mentioned (one)
Who he represented (it wasn't Essent)
Who was suing whom (Suit, counter-suit)
But, are they really going to wiz in the Wheaties of Paris's largest employer? Heck, when Christus owned it, they did not publish a peep when they laid off over a hundred folks from Lamar Medical--despite assurances that Christus gave just two months previous to the layoff. There was nothing published when the suits were flying between Health Solutions (for profit, owned by the hospital) and the docs over the practices that were purchased and the Rabbi Trusts that were lost when they bankrupted HS. One doc had been putting all her earnings into it. Bet she didn't intend on working for free....
So now the gloves are off, one would assume. The hospital is trying to evict two entities based on a lawsuit against one. Since they are being evicted, and all the miscellaneous mis-representations and outright falsehoods that have been handed around like lobby popcorn, the radiologists are pulling out of the hospital, not the community. They are still offering all the services that they did at the hospital, but on an outpatient basis. And, it is cheaper to go there, than the hospital!
As to the million dollars that Essent is putting into the radiology department (Essent ad, Sunday in the Paris Snooze), two years ago they said that they would be putting six million in, almost immediately. Their timeline and reality have some serious disconnects.
7 comments:
The million dollars that is referenced is apparently for a PACS, and will have to be running this week. On Friday, the current imaging stations, digitizer, and routing goes away as of 5PM (all property of the radiology group.)
The locum radiologist that was found will have to be up and running with the system as of that time (or be present), or the CTs, MRs, ultrasound exams, and nuclear medicine studies will remain unread until she can. Friday night in the ER should be interesting.
The hospital could certainly have used some of that money for their machine that took my xray in the er. It didn't take twice, and it sounded like it needed wd40 with all the squealing. The person taking the xray said it was older than they were!
Hmmmmm, a million dollar bandaid. One that, supposedly, will be up and running in a week. All snafus and bugs worked out of it. Operating at peak. And the system that was purchased is not intended for hospital usage more for clinic operations. Gee, wonder who brilliant idea THIS was. Apparently wearing cammies on a bi-weekly basis has really gone to their heads. Wonder if they hand out Kryptonite at those "special" meetings as well.........HAHAHAHA, does the story "The Emperor's New Clothes" ring a bell with anyone?????
The PACS that PRMC purchased has two hospitals listed that currently use it, so it might not be too bad. Apparently it is more structured for imaging centers, but we'll see.
However, the fastest implementation of the system has been 45 days, apparently. This should be an interesting experience with installing, setup, and debugging in less than a week.
Normally, you would want to run load tests to verify that the new system and the network can accept a full workload at all times, and that all the functions are implemented. Training for all the personnel concerned takes time as well. And then there is always the Oops factor....
Let's hope the program specialists are on hand for at least the first full week!
$1,000,000 isn't for a band-aid, it's new equipment. The six million that had been alluded to was for upgrades and repairs that haven't been done.
New paint on a '70 Pinto.......... A lot of Bondo is needed.
Money aside, the fact remains that it is doubtful that there has been a great degree of planning for PACS implementation. Planning being the operative word! The effects of knee jerk management will present itself all to quickly I'm afraid in the form of ER/inhouse physicians screaming for results on patient's radiology exams, and HEY, let's not forget any trauma patients that may present thru ER during this time frame. But then Xray management will notoriously be unavailable (as per usual) at this time. Leaving the worker bees to take the heat for their ineptitude as managers. But, hey if they can't work out problems Mon-Fri, it's not really a problem, right?
PACS
The Six Phases of a Project
Phase 1: Enthusiasm (We don't need no stinking radiologists)
Phase 2: Disillusionment (Whoops, maybe we do)
Phase 3: Panic (What are we going to do???????)
Phase 4: Search for the Guilty (I'm hunting wabbits)
Phase 5: Punishment of the Innocent (You made a student cry)
Phase 6: Praise and Honors for the Non-Participants (I'm not the director....)
ESSENT in a nutshell
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