Thursday, March 16, 2006

Hud and his bud--3/22

Medical Staff was a doozie. Knife fight and all. But, we all know about the guy that brings a knife to a gun-fight...he loses.

One of the things that earmarks a loser is a lie. RRVR had a contract for service: They were not paid by the hospital. Instead, the hospital gave them exclusivity for the reading, and billing, in return, the group provided coverage--weekends included, but far beyond that...as demonstrated by the absence of such, now. When the hospital was in breach of contract, RRVR agreed to stay without a contract, hoping against hope that things would improve. But, that begs the question: Who ended up with the $100,000 per month that they were supposed to have received from E$$ent??? E$$ent is, after all, loaded with bean counters....and bean counters never lie...right!

J.R. led the charge before, happily participating in the "big lie", but since the radiologists' distain for him was plain, that was a given, merely a payback of sorts. He was certainly a prime example of the Peter Principle. As the link references, there is no going back, so he was setup for failure. He might have been competent in one or two areas, his only mistake being that of accepting the promotions as they were lumped on.

But, that typifies this organization, and the one that Hud left. Increase the areas of responsibility and place marginally qualified individuals in supervisory positions. Not necessarily Administration, but directors with only an associates. They have a tendency not to rock the boat, and will never question their marching orders. Maybe that's why the BDU boogie goes on. Not for teamwork, but for subservience.

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

"If you're feelin' blue and you don't know what to do...
Purghhhhin' onnn thezz Reeeeerrrghhsts!"


Sorry...I just had to post that...

Anonymous said...

Well I am sure there was so much fertilizer coming out of our fearless leaders at that meeting that the Sudan could become the new Corn Belt....
The real question to me is why would you throw out a group without having a backup team waiting in the wings? That's like selling your car and then realizing that you now need to walk or call a cab to get to work, etc! If E$$ent was so unhappy with RRVR then sure...sever your ties...but only after obtaining a new group to step up to plate as soon as RRVR vacated!! D'oh!!
Seems to me the first requirement for a management position at E$$ent is to be a complete moron.

Anonymous said...

JR has home health, wonder when the rug will be pulled out from under that.

I wouldn't say I-gor, no, what was the name of the pasty white character that was always cowering in the "Lord of the Rings"? Yep, fits!

Anonymous said...

JR is like a precursor of DOOM....and Gollum fits to a tee, wonder if he was promised THE RING!!! Wonder if he walks in circles whispering "my precious"...HA!

Anonymous said...

Think that's what our problem is, we stuck around due to our professionalism and dedication, and are getting screwed for it, royally.

RRR was only one of the victims, they still have a lot of remaining folks to go through!

Bette Davis comes to mind on this one............bumpy ride my foot, more like a combo of avalanche and earthquake!!

Anonymous said...

WE ONCE AGAIN SEE THE TRUE SIDE OF THE DIRECTOR WHO STOOD ON HER SOAPBOX REITTERATING HOW SHE STANDS BEHIND HER EMPLOYEES, ANOTHER ONE (ANOTHER SEASONED,COMPETENT RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST) NOT AN UNLICSENCED STUDENT, HAS BEEN TERMINATED (FIRED). HEARD HE DID'NT FIT THE PROFILE OF THE DEPARTMENT (SUCKS TO HAVE A BRAIN AND BE RECONIZED FOR IT). GEE.. AFTER WHAT 8 YEARS THEY REALIZE THIS. DOES MANAGEMENT THINK HE WAS FAC-P?
NOT A CHANCE, FAC-P EXISTS IN ALL OF US. AS LONG AS THE ESSENT WAY CONTINUES, YOU CAN NOT STOP THIS.

ESSENT, THINK ABOUT THIS. YOU BETTER FIRE ALL OF YOUR PEOPLE, IF YOU WANT EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE NO BRAINS, MORALS OR ETHICS.
WOULD BE HARD TO RUN A TRAUMA ALONE WONT IT.
I HAVE AN POSITIVE IDEA, LOOK REALLY HARD IN THE MIRROR.
IS THIS WHAT YOUR MOTHER WOULD BE PROUD OF?... THEN CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE AND MORALS.

Anonymous said...

GUESS YA'LL SHOULDA BEEN WARNED,
YOUR DIRECTOR WILL ALWAYS BE
STANDING BEHIND YA, (WITH A KNIFE)

Anonymous said...

Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth and whatever you feed it is never enough.

Anonymous said...

Too many people watch too many movies!!!

Anonymous said...

They can't seem to see the consequences of their actions.

I think the reason is, that they keep everybody silenced. Someone who actually works can tell them what x is going to do if they do y, but they fire them or hound them until they quit if they tell it.

Anonymous said...

Straight and simple, they fear any person who is capable of pointing out their inadequacies as managers, and defintely don't appreciate those who tell them, NO......when something is inappropriate or possibly even dangerous for a patient! Or because it will endager this persons licensure in medical care. No skin off their backs, but they will surround themselves with "yes men", and it will be Essent's demise as a result. They simply want unexperienced people working for them, who have NO clue as to how it SHOULD be done. It safeguards their little world and makes them happy campers. But at whose cost......the PATIENTS!!

Anonymous said...

After reading the "Peter Principal" Fac_p I tend to agree with you. Essent does that from the bottom to the top.

What's worse is that when they promote these people, instead of arming them with leadership skills to improve, they keep them in the dark.

I wonder how much they have let J.R. be the fall guy. I wonder if he even knows there is a lie. If they are lying to him, maybe he believes it.

I mean they have told a bunch of them, and I believed them for a while. Christus said that they believed that Essent would be good for the community.

They said that if you survived the merger, we would be well rewarded.

Look at their ads., websites, etc... They are full of lies. What about in the Paris news when they told the community, that they were good to their employees?

And to the person that commented we watch to many movies---What Lies Beneath comes to mind.

Anonymous said...

Somebody fill me in on the J.R. thing. I remember him as being over the cath lab yet I see all these posts referring to him and radiology, him and home health, etc. What gives? Was he fired or is he Essent's stooge? Since I've moved to greener pastures I out of the loop.

Anonymous said...

This is just the tip of the iceberg. This type of madness will continue and will affect all departments of the hospital. When Essent has finished it's departmental cleansing, then we will really see the animal for what it is (We've had a small glimpse, so far). Money mongering at it's best. Healthcare here in Paris will be non-existent. The only way it will change is if the Doctors assemble and finally do something.....like another hospital. Again, we will be faced with a healthcare split, but perhaps it would be best. Sometimes ashes do present a better model by which to work with. And then, maybe,this community can begin to have effective healthcare, with employees that hold their heads, principles and profession high. Without pride in one's work and the employer they work for, it is an ever descending maelstrom of discontent, and ineffectiveness.

The bans have been hung by Essent, and they portend disaster. And NO ONE who currently works for them, OR the community can avert the inevitable end result. The powers that be in this town should be hanging their heads in shame, as they are as greedy as this corporation. For the sake of the almighty dollar, they too are as guilty as Essent in my opinion. So when our local people start the handshaking and asking for votes, they need to be reminded of their actions. Somewhere, there has to be someone who, in a position of power, will take the forefront, and actively try to end this travesty. But, that too, is never a popular postition to hold. It will take a person, or group of individuals with a great deal of wherewithal and courage to make a stand. But, should it ever begin to happen, I think it will be a heavily supported endeavor. Much to the dismay of Essent. Money can only buy so much loyalty......and I don't believe Essent has deep enough pockets to take this to perpetuity. Let's hope not anyway!

Anonymous said...

Ahhhhh, yes the "saga of JR", now there's a tale to be told. Someone who is better than myself at compressing THIS story should write it. End of tale reads like this...........he came, he saw, he bought the lie, he crashed and burned........oh but wait, he's a convenient whipping boy, so let's keep him!!! Makes us feel better about ourselves. AND, while on the subject..........who the heck is this Bice guy they hired, understand he's a little different. Are we being subjected to a NEW facet of the Essent gem?? And I wonder how they manage to attract such characters. Is there a special trade magazine strictly for the "bad guys", or do the headhunters have them on the "sucks at management/no morales/principles" list?? I've heard of magnetism, but didn't realize the negative end of the pole was so diversified a pool!

Anonymous said...

I think J.R. did well for the cath lab. He was fair. After that, I'm not sure. I know he moved up the ladder, and started taking over many departments.


I did hear they were selling home health to another company, but that is hearsay.

Anonymous said...

I just read the Paris News. One of the letters to the editor was about the fire fighters not getting a raise, and the turnovers.

What's the matter with the people in this community?

What is wrong with us for letting all of this happen. The people who risk their lives going in burning houses, with ammunition going off, and roofs falling in on their heads. We can't try to keep them or pay them decently.

What about the PD. It's pretty close to the same story.

Not too far back, EMS was facing these issues. They still may be for all I know.

The people who take care of our community, are getting dumped on. What is up with that?

I think the hospital employees, need to get together with the fire fighters, EMS, and PD.

Before there is no one left to help us when we need it.

Kimberly Clark in Wisconson is going under, what does that mean for our Kimberly Clark? And their Insurance?

Anonymous said...

It amazes me that when you do your job, you are more likely to be terminated, than say the individual that abandoned his shift (with a computer screen full of ER exams) to play golf with JR and lower managment of Xray. Oh yeah, these three got a good laugh out of us calling to inform our boss what had transpired. We were told that this individual would be back to do his job AFTER THE GOLF GAME WAS OVER.........PER JR HIMSELF! Not to mention in his list of escapades being caught in the CHAPEL OF ALL PLACES in "flagrente delicto", and disappearing for a week at a time with no phone call to management to explain his inability to cover his shift, but this schmoe is STILL EMPLOYED!! As per policy, these are ALL firing offenses. Yeah right! While the rest of us are concerned about the patient, the community, OUR JOBS, we are faced with the few who are in the bosom of management and have a Teflon coating, they can do NO WRONG, and will NEVER be fired! Seems that this is a pretty good example of the morales and principles of management as it stands today.

Oh yeah, we ALL have a great deal of respect and belief in the statements and actions of management THESE days!

Anonymous said...

Awhile back there was a post about the spouses of Essent management spouting off about how much they HATED Paris, it would seem the only thing keeping them here is money. Wonder if HUD and BUD got a "good job" pat on the back from the investors group that was there. This way, they could go home to the spouse and say, "Well, we pulled it off, got a reprieve to siphon off a little more cash in our pockets. Sorry Honey, can't sell the house and move just now, fat lady isn't singing yet."

Anonymous said...

Andrew, the other day you were talking about this blog and how some of the comments upset you and that you couldn't understand why the nurses were so upset after all you had done for them. I am not trying to be sarcastic, but what have you done for the nurses?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 8:53

OMG! I would say I can't believe that, but I would be lying.

Like the proverb says, if you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house.

I guess evil won't leave until Essent does. I hope it leaves then. And I hope it leaves soon.

Anonymous said...

Was J.R. caught in the Chapel with another employee?

Anonymous said...

8:53

If what you say is true, I'd say that one of a few things is happening, either

A. J.R. has some major blackmail on someone in upper management

B. He does make a great whipping boy

or C. the morals and values are so bad with this company they encourage this behavior.

It may be all 3. I know there are some similar things that have went on with other directors in that hospital as well.

I think the Peter Principal may have double meaning. Peter heads of departments. Or my Peter is the Principal reason I go to work at Essent. I know== I need to keep it G.

Anonymous said...

When a relative of mine called to change Home Heath coverage, JR called to try to intimidate to stay and said the NEW Home Health was so "good" he was leaving the hospital to work for them. Wonder of that is true or just another lie.

I heard the home health was bought by the same group who has the SNF on 4th floor of North campus. Their rep is not that great either.

Anonymous said...

I'm just wondering who Andrew thinks he is in the picture: Gene Wilder or Peter Boyle? Seems pretty obvious who, if Hud was parading the money guys around...the 'dud'.

fac_p said...

Thanks for the link....

Anonymous said...

No, it wasn't JR caught in the chapel...

There is currently a survey out to find out what things need to be done to improve the city of Paris. I urge everybody to fill one of these out...and be sure to write in "Fix the hospital!"

I have to say I still feel like a Jew in Nazi Germany. Each day the writing on the wall gets bigger and bolder and we stand there, blindly trusting that basic goodness said to be in everyman, hoping that we're wrong...that PRMC's upper management isn't going to destroy this hospital.

The Big Question: What is the direction the hospital is going? Since not going in that direction is now a firing offence!

Anonymous said...

Ohhhhhhhhhh here's a little story about man named JR
Keeps a big tab at the local bar..
One day while tending his cath lab chore
Admin said Here! Have a few more!
Soon he was over lab and xray too
Alas not being a tech he had no clue!
Soon those Depts said JR! Get Out of Here! So he got promoted to Whipping Boyee!

~~Not by Flatt & Scruggs

Anonymous said...

No it was not JR caught "en flagrente dilecto", it was an Xray Tech..........who has had the blessings of JR, Beverly and Wayne..........pure and simple, someone has the goods on someone. And if THIS site upsets Andrew, SO BE IT! If he's acting like he DOESN'T KNOW what's going on, it's just another ruse on his part to be able to say "EVERYTHING IS OKAY", especially when it isn't. Get a grip Andrew, if you're firing nurses for talking about equipment failures when it's true, instead of saying "I wasn't aware of that, I'll take care of it." Then you deserve what this site reveals not only about the hospital, but the way management handles problems.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, the direction they're going is circling the bowl...for one big flush.

Heard Andrew might be headed that way...there goes the corporate stock options....

Anonymous said...

Upper management may be clueless as to what is going on, but it is their own fault if they keep everybody silent. If they don't want to hear it, than it is just leaving lower management to do whatever they want.

Its a license to kill basically, because nobody can talk about it or risk getting fired.

The patients, can talk about what is going on that they see, but they only see employees, not management. If an employee gripes about service while a pt in the hospital, it seems to be another story all together.

In my case of employment, I went to my director, who was my chain of command with a couple of problems. There were a couple of hundred problems, but I chose my battles that needed to be addressed.

After my director, blew me off, and basically changed the story to fit her needs, who knows from there where the chain of command goes. I had talked to a few house supervisors, to try to get the problem resolved without relief.

I think the confusion of chain of command is another ploy actually. I expressed the abuse I suffered at my exit interview. I guess they didn't want to hear that either.

The 2 that I was suffering abuse from, were friends of the director. So if you sit around and talk to the director, instead of working, you get a license to kill basically.

The good ole boy system.

So Andrew, if you actually don't know what's going on, find out. Some of your directors, are not fair. If you want to fix morale, hire a staff advocate, who is fair, and does have good morale fiber. Someone who is going to get to the bottom of what is going on.

A great choice for this job in my opinion would be Paul Swasko.

Give raises, decent ones. Check with the ANA and get started on nurse friendly work place. They have some great conferences coming up, that would greatly improve workplace morale, by giving directors leadership skills, that they need.


That would show me that you want to improve. It would show me that you care what is going on. I know from experiance, that you can't always help what your employees do. But educate them, so it won't happen over and over again.

Anonymous said...

What about Connie? She has had no real floor experience in years and when she does try to "help out" on the floors, she doesn't even follow her own policies. Also, is it not her job to be a nurse advocate? Then where is she? Has she forgotten her nursing vows now that she has her MBA. You know David Kreye wanted her "To make numbers look good"

Anonymous said...

I would have to say that the times I have talked to Connie, she seemed concerend about issues. She would at least give me the time of day to talk to her about it. She came into the ER a few times when we had a problem.

I don't know if she is powerless to help, or if the directors change the stories to fit their needs, and the whole issue gets blown off or what.

I've been in some of those administrative meetings, and it seemed to me, that issues weren't getting addressed because people were afraid to speak up.

People who are usually very verbal, were silent, I'm talking directors. I would speak up, and they looked at me in terror, like you are fixing to get your head in the guillotine.

During one of those meetings, Connie did kind speak out in defence of my concerns.

I think the directors may have had the skinny on why to keep your mouth shut, but didn't fill me in on it, in hopes that the issues would get fixed, and they wouldn't have to be the bearers of the bad news.

Maybe they let the harassers harass because I was a thorn in their side. Kill the messenger because of the message.

I don't know. Maybe I've just read too many conspiracy theories.

Anonymous said...

Ethics?, Morals?, Honesty? foreign concepts to Essent.

Money, Greed, Profit, Exploitation. These are the concepts that Essent understands.

Essent will deliver the lowest quality of heathcare that they can get away with. The quality of care rests firmly on the shoulders of the doctors and nurses. Essent takes no responsibility when it comes to quality of care.

Nurses need to file safe harbor again and again, perhaps form a union. The doctors need to consider a union. Poor care? Take them to court.

You see, Essent knew who we were. A Catholic hospital with nuns!! The wolf had a much better picture of St. Joseph than St. Joseph had of the wolf. But then again, it was Christus that fed St. Joseph's to the wolves.

Anonymous

Anonymous said...

If your director and Connie were buddies, do you think Connie is going to listen to the employee, or her bud?

Don't know, but I can only guess. Administration listens to administration. Everybody else is just peas in a pod.

If one person in administration, is sleeping with another in administration, does it give them twice the power? I don't know, I can only guess.

Anonymous said...

Where is the Paris improvement survey, so I can fill one out?

Who is conducting this survey?

Are they more interested in trash pick-up or saftey and health care needs of the community.

Has anyone from this blog ever been to a city council meeting? It's time. We need to go and stand up for our firefighters, pd, ems. We need to create a voice for them. I bet it will be a great investment, in which we will get a great return.

Not only could we gain their support, we win in health care and community saftey.

Anonymous said...

One time, the triage room ceiling was falling in on the triage nurse. It was dripping water on her head, and the equiptment, and the patients.

We called and called to get it fixed and couldn't. We were told to deal with it. An administrator that happend to come in, saw it and called once, and someone came in to fix it.

It was like he had to see what was going on before something was done.
There is more to the story, but I'll leave it at that.

I don't see why administration won't see the other problems that are just as obvious as that ceiling falling in, and fix it.

If you didn't happen to pass by the triage, would you know the ceiling was falling in? If she spoke up and told you the ceiling was falling in out in the hall, and you had not have seen it for yourself, would you have thought she was exagerating?

Would she be fired for speaking up about the ceiling falling in? Should patients and nurses continue to get dripped on until somebody opens their eyes?

Anonymous said...

Remember, Connie is a nurse so she knows exactly what to say to make nurses happy. I have worked very closely with her and personally have seen her write up people who have complained about staffing and the care that was given to the patients

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Directors... Has anyone noticed the Director of IM? What a joke....

Just another prime example of Essent hiring folks that are incompetent so that they are more easily influenced by upper management. I beleive this pattern holds true for several other departments as well.

Anonymous said...

I agree more nurses should file safe harbour, but if you do they make you go to peer review, shouldn't that be ilegal?

To the director who said bad staffing was job security- just being a nurse is job security, but if I loose my license due to a law suit where does that leave me... or you???

Anonymous said...

Anonymous made the comment about the x-ray tech getting caught fornicating in the prayer room....and not a word was spoken to him...........no reprimand, no days off, no firing! I don't get it.

The Three Amigos; JR, Beverly and Wayne turned their usual blind eye. Why?

Pretty simple, actually. Against company policy and the policy of probably every hospital in this country, this so-called technologist (using that word loosly)is not a technologist at all. He holds a state license but has never passed the national registry requirments so therefore could never be employeed by a real hospital.

One needs to ask why this is important. It's important because the Three Amigos can ask/tell or demand he do anything and everything and in return he performs like a seal because he will be unlikely to be hired at any hospital in the US (except perhaps Oklahoma that has no such requirements)if he is fired. Subserviant? I think so.

Yet, this group of misfits and incompetents continue to charge forward, destroying careers, firing people and generally making life miserable for the "worker bees".

They have allowed exceptional talented and dedicated staff to leave over trivial issues that could have been easily resolved. But keep so-called technologist's who injected patients with 100cc's of air instead of contrast (dye) material for a CT scan,(twice in a two week period) this is documented fact, let a "selected" few dissappear for hours or weeks at a time that had more mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters die and getting berevement leave than any human derserves. And that was only one employee!

And how about leaving your post (I think it's called job abandonment) during a major trauma case, actually three at the same time, to hand carry a request for CT to the north campus. Gee, Fax machines and phones have been around for a long time. Duh. Yep, no problem; chosen few.

Oh, and in closing I only wish I could have taken an almost entire shift to go and repair the stereo system at my Baptist church!

Yes, the Lord moves in mysterious
ways.

Anonymous said...

I love the mysterious ways comment. Anybody know an old has been- Stallings (yeah, docs the one who helped let Christus go bankrupt, letting the Rabbi fund go to the birds)He yells and screams at the nurses (with Darrel Bulldog at his side) when his family and friends are in the hosp. and things aren't going his way. Even calls his confused neighbors PCP and demands to know what is going on and asking inappropriate questions, talk about abusing so called power. Why is he still on the board? I don't think his actions would be condoned by the Lamar Ave. Church of Christ that he goes to (with D. Bulldog)

Anonymous said...

I think it's past time for a class action suit againt these Essent folks.

I know of at least 50 people who left or were fired for little or no reason. I also know that Texas is a right to work state and one person has little or no voice, but if our voices were put together in concert, we could make a difference.

We need a REAL lawyer group, not one of the good ol boys from Paris, but kick ass big dogs to take this issue to the courts.

Some of us, me included, would like to get our good names and reputations back.

If someomeone has the means to begin this process, sign me up!

Anonymous said...

6:22 post

Peer review is not supposed to be a bad thing. In fact, I would rather be judged by my peers, than management by far.

I would rather have peer review for my evaluations, than management. My peers know that I work my butt off, and they know my character.

My peers know that what it does to patients and staff when we are short. So, if peer review is used corectly, its a good thing.

It sounds scarey, and PRMC uses it to sound scarey, but it's not a bad thing.

Anonymous said...

6:22

And to the director, who said this short staffing is job security---she needs flogging. JOB SECURITY MY A$$.

The nurses that work in the hospital, are getting sicker everyday, the constant stress on their hearts, their backs, their minds. They will be in the hospital with some sort of breakdown before long, but who is going to take care of them.

What perspective student is going to choose to be abused for a career? It's like that commercial, when I grow up I want to be a yes man. NOT.

If she thinks that killing off the nurses we have now is job security, she needs to take a good look at ecology. You kill off a predator in the food chain, and the varments will take over.

What's even crazier is, there is no real shortage of nurses in Lamar county. There is just a shortage of nurses willing to work under such terrible conditions for next to no pay, with no autonomy in thier job, no voice, and not enough nurses.

Anonymous said...

Paris City Survey--I got one at Paris Eye Physicians but there are more at the front desk on North Campus! But mail them in...don't use the drop box on North!

Anonymous said...

The IM director is a joke. NEVER there. And I mean NEVER. Messages go unanswered. Emails go unanswered. Sits on sign-on requests. Doesn't know what's going on. And bosses around other people's employees!

Anonymous said...

Regarding the IM Director, sounds like the negative end of the pole again!

Or close kissin' cuz to the Director of Radiology.......heh,heh!

Anonymous said...

Back to the 100k per month: If E$$ent is paying it out, who is getting it? Corporate is saying that it is going out, RR says they never got it, who does that leave??

The guy with a Rolls-Royce (see, RR did get it, just not the right RR!)

If the money guys were there, maybe this is a diversion to keep them off their (E$$ent) backs....follow the money....

Anonymous said...

Face the facts! The management of this hospital suffers from RMS...RETARDED MANAGEMENT SYNDROME. Case and point. Let's hire temps to fill in when needed and then scream incessantly about the budget. Oh,and by the way,let's jack with one of the biggest moneymakers in the hospital,RADIOLOGY! After all,radiologists are a dime a dozen...right?

Anonymous said...

To the ESSENT POWER RANGERS, are you really so stupid as to not know where your life-blood is? It lies in the physicians and the EMPLOYEES! You know...the people that DO WHAT YOU CANNOT DO-TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS! Which by the way, that happens to be the business you are in...PROVIDING HEALTH CARE! And not just anyone can do that. However,ANYONE can get you involved in a major lawsuit!

Anonymous said...

T-shirt contest entry:

Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?