Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Essent should keep community informed....12/7

This is the first time I've seen the Paris News take a chunk out of the hospital:

Staff reports
The Paris News

Published November 26, 2007

Officials at Essent Healthcare, the parent company of Paris Regional Medical Center, need to keep this community informed of events such as a change in leadership at the top as happened earlier this month in Nashville, Tenn.

The Paris News became aware through a third party, and almost a week later, the companys founder, Hud Connery, had been forced to step down as chief executive officer by the companys board of directors and that Mike Browder had been named acting chief executive officer.

Essent public relations specialist David Jarrard did respond to a request for information for a Nov. 19 story, but an e-mail communications problem prevented us from receiving a response in time for that days edition.

Jarrards response was brief, stating the board of directors has a commenced a search for a permanent chief executive officer. He also said in the written statement that Browder joined Essent in 2001 as chief financial officer and that he served in a similar post for TMC HealthCare. From 1993 to 1999, Browder served as vice president of finance operations for Health Management Associates, Inc., where he was responsible for financial operations at 32 hospitals.

We should have received that information as soon as an event of this magnitude took place, not a week later and only at our request.

Members of our community should be kept abreast of what is going on with Essent. Paris Regional Medical Center is one of this communitys largest employers and serves the medical needs of the majority of our residents. In the past this newspaper has been supportive of our local hospital, but being left out in the cold about major events does little to help a relationship. After all, it is the responsibility of this newspaper to keep residents informed. A change in Essent leadership certainly warranted an immediate notification.
Actually, Hud's change in status happened in October. I posted the news on the 9th of November.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Years of Essent in Paris and only now the paper says they care about the medical community. Did they come out of the closet or are their feeling hurt because they covered for so long for a problematic institution and are still left out in the cold.

Anonymous said...

Remember, folks, the Snooze is no fan of this particular blogsite. You heard about Hud's sacking here first, and NOT in the Snooze. They were able to access this blog (and most likely do, whether they deny it or not), and the news came out here a week or so before the Snooze mentioned it.

This kinda makes their editorial less sincere in my eyes, IMO.

Sorry Graxiola and Company, but your time as THE source of important news in the Paris era came to an end with the advent of the Internet, and of weblogs. This ain't the 1950s anymore.

You have also joined the ranks of folks in this area who were done dirt by Essent. As you can see, they don't give a rat's fuzzy for anyone but themselves and their wallets.

Anonymous said...

Looks like we, the citizens of Lamar County need to take the riegns of PRMC. Why can't we as citizens look into doing something like Titus County Regional Hospital is doing? I was at the PRMC ER the other night with a friend, saw a Dr. Thornton-What a joke!!!And came to find out this guy is over the Emergency Room!!!I did some research on him and found out he is not a M.D., but a D.O.. Don't get me wrong he went to medical school and graduated, but I, or my friend was impressed with his care or doctor bedside manners.

Anonymous said...

Employees of Nashoba Valley Medical Center found out Connery was ousted by reading the local newspaper. Made the front page. Essent management never made a formal announcemnet to the staff. This organization could care less about the emplyoees or the patients. One would think the Town of Ayer has a few questions to ask Essent. They have been lead to believe a new hospital is on the horizon. There aren't many who believe this will ever happen.

Anonymous said...

RE: 10:25 a.m. comment.
Had Essent not bought it, Ayer would have closed long ago......Essent probably prolonged the inevitable....In fact, all 5 hospitals (with the possible exception of Paris) would now be closed had not Essent thrown good money and good efforts into these hospitals in an effort to keep them open.

If we were in a vacuum, that might be true. But, there are always bidders--at a price. Might be lower than wanted, might have to have concessions added to "sweeten" the pot. In comperable areas, you don't find 'abandoned' hospitals.

If Essent hadn't gotten it, someone else would have....frank

Anonymous said...

Sorry to burst your bubble in MA. In the case of Hale Hospital there was an RFP sent out to dozens of prospective bidders only one even responded (Essent). Urban America is dotted with closed hospitals or hospitals that have had their uses converted to LTACHs, psych, rehab or other specialized services.

Anonymous said...

A newspaper scorned? Imagine that! It would seem that with the advent of Hud being ousted, apparently the "ties that bind" with the Snooze have met an end as well. So much for backing the wrong horse and not doing their public duty to the city they are in and to the citizens that live in it. NOW the Snooze would try to lead us to believe they are CONCERNED about the goings on at the hospital. I'd say they're a day late and a dollar short. Twould seem that Nashville could give a rat's rear end about assuaging the bruised feelings of the local rag as well.

It's all in the company you keep!

Anonymous said...

4:27,

Your comment on the hospitals being closed is mere speculation at best, and wishful thinking at worst. While it may have been possible the Ayer facility would have closed, and the Wentzville facility was too far gone for even Essent to do anything with it (as if they could), unless you personally have inside knowledge of the finances of each facility, you're blowing smoke. Or at best, you're an Essent tail-kisser who still hasn't figured out you're backing the wrong horse.

Anonymous said...

The Snooze has never cared about the medical community in Paris apart from the revenue generated by the occasional full page adds from the hospital, or physicians who are about to go broke and feel the need to advertise. They also loved to print inch headlines when one of the local docs got sued as well. So don't look for anything meaningful from the snooze about the medical community but when the cath lab gets a new bank of monitors or Dr. W adds another P to his resume there will be another full page spread

Anonymous said...

If Paris relied on the Snooze for its news well...let's just say they'd be behind the times all the time.
"A newspaper scorned" Puh-leeze.

Anonymous said...

To 8:37:

I have no dog in the hunt and don't really care. But your point on Wentzville is consistent with my comment----became a psych facility. Also Green County in PA had no takers either......

If you only want to sit around and preach to the choir in a well orchestrated hatefest then go for it. But facts are facts as to the bidders on the Essent hospitals. I couldn't tell you how any are doing. Someone posted financials on all of them a while back and pointed out how poorly they were performing. But it strikes me as criticizing the company for operating in the red, but if they were profitable, then they would be characterized for gouging profits from the communities they serve. That sort of logic is the food of conspiracy theorists (i.e. interpret the facts to fit your theory).

Softly, softly, catchee monkey...just couldn't stand it, huh Matt.... Have relatives out in Nashville, perhaps? Or just a 'bud'?

frank

fac_p said...

I think every local newspaper to an Essent hospital has been pissed that they weren't given advanced warning...and that the blog scooped them. Not to mention the employees who found out from the papers.

There is some more "news" headed this way...stay tuned....frank

Anonymous said...

I can guarantee you the Snooze didn't like being scooped by this blog (and one other online site), nor did it take kindly to being told it was scooped. They don't take criticism well, if at all.