Retaliation...11/10

Commenting in the blog has been risky, but the courts have made it likewise for employers. A dismissal for cause is hard to justify on the basis of suspicion. In a right to work state, however, you can be fired for wearing the wrong style of shoes. Right to be fired for any reason might be more appropriate. So the northeastern crowd has the advantage.

One of the things that I was referred to was a legal guide for bloggers, which may turn out to be quite handy.

But, as they say: "Don't worry, be happy...."

Free Speech...or is it?...10/31

Apparently, according to sources, Essent has filed a complaint with the Texas Attorney General's office against the blog. The Attorney General is progressing with an investigation as to validity of charges.

While not a public company, Essent certainly has a public presence. Everything published in the blog is available on the net for the price of a connection. Generally, links are included. Any comments from individuals, with the exception of spelling/grammer, are published verbatim.

But, who knows, they actually might be able to shut it down. Hopefully not. Based on the popularity and contributions from readers, it seems needed.

If it is taken out of play, it would seem that freedom of speech is becoming very limited in the state of Texas!

For the Best...10/19

I guess it is for the best: an interventional program that was top-notch, reduced to "we do most." If you saw the original write-up for the interventional suite, it seems a shame to have all that potential going to waste. But, the alternative is to have radiologists working in unfamiliar settings, with unfamiliar staff and equipment, doing procedures that they haven't practiced in possibly years. Not what I would call a best case scenario....

But, here is what others are saying:

Check it out! Essent updated the website. They removed all of the procedures that they no longer perform in the radiology department. So the listing on this site now is the only record of what used to be available. Still the site says, "All radiologists affiliated with the program are board-certified." Technically, this is true since there are currently NO radiologists affiliated with the program. It would also be correct to say that "All radiologists affiliated with the program shoot themselves in the head each night before going to bed." This would be equally true because once again, there are NO radiologists affiliated with the program.

Regarding all of those wonderful nuclear medicine scans that the new website mentions...funny that it doesn't mention that none of them can be read after hours on call. So if the ER doc needs a V/Q scan...better wait until tomorrow if you want to get it read. As to the after hours sonography...better hope that the sono tech knows what he/she is doing. There will be NO radiologist to consult until sometime tomorrow, and that radiologist may be in another state!

And, I've heard that Paris Imaging is jumping in the Nuclear Medicine market with their own camera. Sounds like the hospital is going to get a run for their money. So all the outpatient studies will be available in a new facility, and generally cheaper. Too bad our insurance (the hospital's) won't cover the entire cost, but you know, I figure it would be worth the additional expense....frank

...and Then There Were Two....11/20

MRMC narrows list of suitors to two
Phoenix Staff Reports

The Muskogee Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees selected Community Health Systems and Capella Healthcare Inc. as final candidates to run the city-owned hospital.

The board voted unanimously Friday morning on the two suitors after emerging from an executive session to narrow the list of choices.

Board Chairman Chris Condley said that some time during the next 10 to 12 days, each candidate will sign a letter of intent stating they want to move forward toward a definitive agreement.

After the letters are signed, the hospital will have the right to conduct more research on each company, and the companies will have the right to investigate the hospital.

Condley said the board hopes to decide on one company before the end of the year.

Guess Friday the 13 was bad luck for Hud!

yer out!

Out of date...Out of their minds....10/31

E-mails keep on coming, and this is a beaut. Actually, it combines a couple....

Have you checked out the website that Essent maintains on PRMC lately? The information is so out-of-date that it is laughable. Still, PRMC's own website documents the services that USED to be available in the Radiology department rather than what is actually available now.

It is a sobering thought to realize that most of these interventional procedures
have been shut down by the actions of Essent and are no longer available--to the detriment of the patients:

-Angiograms, Vena Cava Grams
-Peripheral Angioplasty
-Arteriograms, Artery Embolization
-Arthograms
-Biliary Stent Placements
-Biopsies
-Cyst and Abscess Aspirations
-Intra-Vascular Stent Placements
-Nephrostomy
-Renal Infarctions with Alcohol
-Spermatic Venograms, Varicocele Embolization
-Compression of False Aneurysm
-Occluding Embolization
-Transluminal Atherectomy
-Transhepatic cholangiogram
-Thrombolitic Therapy for Dialysis Shunts
-Thrombolysis Therapy
-Percutaneous Gastrojejunostomy Tubes
-Renin StudÆ
-Ureteral Stent Placement

There was a time when the hospital was proud of its radiology department and loudly proclaimed its services and expertise. The procedures listed above were virtually unheard of in a town of this size. We truly were a "regional medical center".

Unfortunately, an outdated website is the only remaining evidence of how outstanding this hospital used to be. And how is this for false advertising: "Radiology Department Prevention and Treatment Paris Regional Medical Center's progressive radiology department performs all diagnostic and most interventional procedures. All radiologists affiliated with the program are both board-certified and interventional radiologists. Radiographers, members of the hospital staff, work closely with the physician radiologists. They, too, are highly trained and board-certified."

Gee...is there a true word in that last paragraph???

progressive radiology department --They must be kidding, right? Now,
how old is that equipment? How responsive is their servicing?

performs most interventional procedures. --Really??

All radiologists affiliated with the program are both board-certified and interventional radiologists --Tell that to all the doctors who order interventional procedures and are told to wait until next week or the week after next when one of the locums who does some interventional procedures might be in town.

Radiographers, members of the hospital staff, work closely with the physician radiologists. They, too, are highly trained and board-certified. --Where do I begin. Many radiographers are temps--hardly members of the hospital staff. Just how closely do you think that temp radiographers work with temp radiologists?? And don't we have some non-licensed/limited licensed techs employed?

Computerized Tomography
"Technically known as the Picker PQ5000V Spiral Computed Tomography System, the equipment lessens ...." There hasn't been a licensed Picker PQ5000v on either campus for years, per state records.... The picture is current, but not of a 5000. What they have is better, but it still falls far short of a current state of the art...but maybe their computer folks have more pressing issues to take care of---spying on employees comes to mind....

No More Famous Quotes???...10/19

Suitor tells MRMC he would answer questions, but not in public
By Donna Hales Phoenix Staff Writer
The chief executive officer of one of four suitors seeking to purchase Muskogee Regional Medical Center said he will answer any questions from the board, but not in public.

MRMC officials told the Phoenix last week it had “tough questions” for W. Hudson Connery Jr., president and CEO of Essent Healthcare, Inc., based in Nashville. MRMC set up a public board meeting Monday evening for Connery to answer those questions.

However, Connery wrote MRMC Board President Chris Condley on Sept. 29 that he would respond fully to questions MRMC told the Phoenix it wanted answered, but not at the public meeting.

Connery could not be reached for comment.

The board posted a note at MRMC saying the meeting was canceled because Connery declined to attend. In the letter, Connery told Condley that most of the questions already had been answered in information sent to MRMC.

Condley said the negotiations with suitors bidding for MRMC is in the analyzation phase and he could not make any comments. Condley also said it would not be appropriate for him to comment on any suitor.

Condley would not say why MRMC didn’t release Connery’s written reasoning for declining to attend the meeting.

Connery wrote that he was deeply concerned that the private proposal process — involving confidential exchanges of information by both parties — is evolving into a public proposal process.

Connery’s letter to Condley said he understood that “Essent alone of all other bidders will be asked in a public forum to answer specific bid or planning questions not publicly asked of other bidders in a process very different from that originally outlined to us.

“What’s more, to fully and truthfully answer these and other questions you may have, we must reference the private MRMC information you have provided to us, which would violate confidentiality agreements we have signed with you if used in a public setting. In brief, we believe a public discussion is an untenable process for both of us, and Essent cannot participate in it.”

Connery said he understood from a Phoenix article that some of the expressed concerns stem from Connery’s absence during MRMC’s recent visit to Paris Regional Medical Center, an Essent facility.

“It is our philosophy that the corporate CEO does not attend those visits to provide the visiting board unfettered access to local hospital leaders, physicians and community members. We believe that this practice provides visiting boards the best opportunity to see the value of our work,” Connery wrote.

It would appear that Hud is getting gun shy. Since it's a community based hospital, doesn't the community have a say??? Apparently not. As to violating confidentiality agreements, a signed waiver of liability & indemnity from the hospital would probably do the trick.

But, Essent is not a public company, and maybe they do have something to hide...as opposed to the hospital, which must maintain a higher degree of open records....

One would think that the undisclosed reason that he failed to appear might be this forum....