Healthcare Leadership Council met last night...issued the following press release. Seen any thought-provoking coverage in the local media?
>>>>>
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Healthcare Leadership Council meets, establishes its Vision and receives report on ICU Staffing from DRMC
Danville, VA, December 12, 2007 -- Chairman Don Nodtvedt stated: “The primary objective of the meeting was accomplished as we established the council’s simple yet critical vision:
It is the vision of the Healthcare Leadership Council to strengthen the trust and restore the confidence of the community in DRMC.
Subsequent Mission and Objective setting are planned for the January meeting.
The council also received a presentation from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of DRMC. Among other relevant points, the council was apprised of the active recruiting of 6 open positions, currently being covered by 4 agency nurses. This ICU nursing coverage is planned at an hourly contact staffing level which exceeds both the national and regional averages.
The next meeting is scheduled for mid January
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
"Saving $4"
Danville Register and Bee
Sunday, December 9, 2007
It’s hard to be mad at Danville Regional Medical Center for trying to buy the cheapest products it can find. Most people do that every time they shop. The trend to buy the cheapest forces all kinds of businesses to work hard to keep their prices low.
The long-term, obvious cost of that low-prices-at-any-cost trend can be seen all over Danville as former Dan River Inc. mill buildings are slowly deconstructed for their bricks and beams. The manufacturing jobs that used to fill those now-empty buildings were shipped overseas. It’s a trend that has affected American workers in all kinds of industries for decades.
The Americans who work at the Hatcher Center, a local sheltered workshop for adults with mental and physical disabilities, are no different.
For the past 15 years, Hatcher Center employees have made hospital gowns for Danville Regional Medical Center. But the hospital is now buying more of its gowns overseas, saving $4 per gown. Orders from the hospital have dropped from 349 per month to 180.
“Representatives of the purchasing department of the hospital came out in September when we increased the price of the gowns and said they couldn’t afford them anymore,” said Chris Wright, executive director of the Hatcher Center. “… They said they would continue to buy them, but not as many.”
In addition to price, the hospital cited a number of new features it wanted for its hospital gowns. In fairness to the hospital, it should be able to buy any kind of gown it wants. In fairness to the Hatcher Center, it could have made the gowns the way the hospital wanted them made - just not at the same price as the overseas suppliers.
“Our wages in the workshop are based on area prevailing wage rates, and we needed to raise the cost just to cover expenses,” Wright said.
It’s been a tough year for Danville Regional Medical Center, and the hospital’s leadership no doubt hates being portrayed as Ebenezer Scrooge on this issue. Danville Regional struggled - but eventually maintained - full accreditation from the Joint Commission, but the time it spent under the cloud of a “preliminary denial of accreditation” hurt its reputation in the community.
The hospital has worked to change its image with its “Healthcare Neighbor to Neighbor” public relations campaign. But the hospital’s owners should know they serve a community that has been devastated by corporate outsourcing and downsizing.
Danville Regional Medical Center could boost its image here by getting the Hatcher Center to continue to make all of its gowns. Danvillians would appreciate that kind of effort, especially in the name of helping out such a good cause.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
It’s hard to be mad at Danville Regional Medical Center for trying to buy the cheapest products it can find. Most people do that every time they shop. The trend to buy the cheapest forces all kinds of businesses to work hard to keep their prices low.
The long-term, obvious cost of that low-prices-at-any-cost trend can be seen all over Danville as former Dan River Inc. mill buildings are slowly deconstructed for their bricks and beams. The manufacturing jobs that used to fill those now-empty buildings were shipped overseas. It’s a trend that has affected American workers in all kinds of industries for decades.
The Americans who work at the Hatcher Center, a local sheltered workshop for adults with mental and physical disabilities, are no different.
For the past 15 years, Hatcher Center employees have made hospital gowns for Danville Regional Medical Center. But the hospital is now buying more of its gowns overseas, saving $4 per gown. Orders from the hospital have dropped from 349 per month to 180.
“Representatives of the purchasing department of the hospital came out in September when we increased the price of the gowns and said they couldn’t afford them anymore,” said Chris Wright, executive director of the Hatcher Center. “… They said they would continue to buy them, but not as many.”
In addition to price, the hospital cited a number of new features it wanted for its hospital gowns. In fairness to the hospital, it should be able to buy any kind of gown it wants. In fairness to the Hatcher Center, it could have made the gowns the way the hospital wanted them made - just not at the same price as the overseas suppliers.
“Our wages in the workshop are based on area prevailing wage rates, and we needed to raise the cost just to cover expenses,” Wright said.
It’s been a tough year for Danville Regional Medical Center, and the hospital’s leadership no doubt hates being portrayed as Ebenezer Scrooge on this issue. Danville Regional struggled - but eventually maintained - full accreditation from the Joint Commission, but the time it spent under the cloud of a “preliminary denial of accreditation” hurt its reputation in the community.
The hospital has worked to change its image with its “Healthcare Neighbor to Neighbor” public relations campaign. But the hospital’s owners should know they serve a community that has been devastated by corporate outsourcing and downsizing.
Danville Regional Medical Center could boost its image here by getting the Hatcher Center to continue to make all of its gowns. Danvillians would appreciate that kind of effort, especially in the name of helping out such a good cause.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Q&A - Hospitalists at DRMC
"Q&A: Doctors talk about Danville Regional's hospitalist program"
Danville Register & Bee Saturday, November 10, 2007
A national trend in hospital care is being expanded at Danville Regional Medical Center. Dr. Fran DeChurch was hired last week to start working at the hospital as the director of the hospitalist program.
Hospitalists are hospital-based doctors who care for patients while they are at the hospital, instead of a patient’s regular doctor. When the patient is released from the hospital, he or she returns to the care of the pre-admission doctor. DeChurch and Dr. Michael Caplan, a local physician who helped develop Danville Regional’shospitalist program, recently shed some light on the role of hospitalists in Danville and throughout the nation.
What is a hospitalist?
Caplan: Hospitalists are fully trained doctors who have completed medical school and residency training and graduated with degrees in internal medicine or family practice. Most, but not all, are young university-trained doctors who have recently completed and are very familiar with hospital-based care. Others are doctors who have been in traditional-based medical practices who decide to change to hospital-based care exclusively. They undergo additional training as hospitalistsoften in coordination with the companies that contract their services to hospitals around the nation.
DeChurch: Hospital medicine has become its own specialty. Programs are developing specifically for hospital medicine, much like geriatric medicine evolved as a specialty.
How many hospitalists does Danville Regional have?
DeChurch: With me, there will be four full-time hospitalists and eight to 10 part-time. We will be recruiting four more full-timehospitalists.
How did hospitalist programs begin? (DeChurch was actually in on the ground floor of hospitalist programs beginning in the U.S.)
DeChurch: When I finished my residency in 1990-91, the government was looking at how many hours interns could work. They saw there were going to be limits on the patient loads and hours on interns coming down the road, and wondered how they were going to handle all those patients.We developed a ‘chief service’ to take care of the unassigned patients. Lo and behold, that was the beginning of the hospitalists, although the term was not coined until the mid-1990s. It’s kind of neat to know I was in on the ground floor.
How did the hospitalist program begin at Danville Regional?
Caplan: The impetus for developing a hospitalist program started in early 2004 when a request was made from the medical staff to the administration of Danville Regional. A special committee was formed to research national hospitalist organizations and recommend companies through which these contract services could be provided. The conversion to a hospitalist-based care plan at the hospital was driven by a national trend that has existed for many years in other hospitals across the country as well as neighboring cities in the region. The hospital implemented its hospitalist program contracted through Em-Care in April of 2006 and has now changed services providers to Cogent. Both of these companies were highly recommended by the initial search committee and medical staff advisors.
What are the benefits of having hospitalists?
Caplan: The Emergency Department likes hospitalists because there is a doctor available in the hospital to see ED patients throughout the day and night. The alternative is to call a doctor out of his home or office practice, which can result in a delay in patient care, longer ER wait times and reduced patient satisfaction. The benefits of a well-run and staffed hospital service is having full-time inpatient care services, less variability in patient care, more timely discharges, improved documentation and more prompt inpatient consultation services. The traditional practice of medicine in this community without a hospitalist service results in some doctors working in excess of 110 hours a week.
Why do doctors become hospitalists?
DeChurch: I enjoy it; it’s a different type of medicine. It is more intense. To be in the hospital anymore, you have to be pretty sick. (A hospitalist) can truly help people.
Caplan: Doctors become hospitalists because they enjoy the challenges and intensity of hospitalized patients. They are highly trained and familiar with this patient type. Becoming a hospitalist removes a doctor from the obligation of running a private practice outside a hospital setting and provides good work hours and an improved lifestyle. The salary is also competitive compared to the traditional medical-based practice. Hospitalists generally work four 12-hour shifts a week or 16 total shifts a month.
How has the hospitalist program been accepted by the staff and patients at Danville Regional?
Caplan: The program has been accepted by most, but not all of the medical staff. (But) this is the trend throughout the country and not unique to Danville Regional. There are many doctors who use or want to use the hospital service as it grows to accommodate their hospitalized patients. These physicians are under personal, lifestyle, financial and practice pressure to focus their time to either hospital inpatient or clinical outpatient care but not both. (Caplan said patients initially had a reluctance to see a hospitalist, which he does not think is unusual because they have grown accustomed to the traditional care of seeing the same doctor inside and outside the hospital setting.) Sometimes the reluctance has come from a lack of understanding of what a hospitalist is or what role a hospitalist plays in the delivery of health care in coordination with their private doctor. Patients, however, come to realize that they still get good care, have access to specialists and stay only three to four days in the hospital with an average admission before being discharged. They also come to realize that they have much greater access to their private doctors outside the hospital due to the time that is freed up by the hospitalist.
Who are the patients the hospitalists see?
DeChurch: We admit all unassigned patients through the emergency room and those are without community physicians. From the time it is determined that the patient will be hospitalized, that patient becomes our responsibility as attending physicians. (Recently, the physicians with Internal Medicine Associates and Piedmont Internal Medicine decided to turn their inpatient care over to the hospitalists.)
What if a patient needs a specialist?
DeChurch: There will always be specialists available, such as surgeons, orthopedists and cardiology. A hospitalist is like a cruise director, making sure everything and everyone is where they need to be. We use consultants if a patient needs one.
How widespread is the use of hospitalists?
DeChurch: Hospitalists are found everywhere now. We interviewed someone (Monday) who is a hospitalist in a 25-bed hospital.
Caplan: The needs for hospitalists are greatly exceeded by the supply. Current statistics put the need for new hospitalists to serve the current national demand at 15,000 more doctors than are now available (with) need growing each year.
Who is DeChurch, and what hospitalist experience does she have?
Caplan: She is a nationally known and respected hospitalist leader with more than 15 years of hospitalist experience and eight years of experience as a hospitalist program director. Her leadership will add a great deal of quality and depth to the overall program. Her husband is Dr. Hugh Fraser, the medical director of the hospital’s blood donor center. She said she accepted the job at Danville Regional because “there is a certain atmosphere other hospitals don’t have, and the physicians were happy.” Dr. Frances DeChurch, was the Hospitalist Service Director at Annie Penn Hospital before coming to Danville.
What will she do first?
DeChurch: My main focus will be recruiting. Then come back in six months and see what I will fix. My job will be making sure we have a cohesive team and interfacing with the community, physicians and departments so people won’t think their doctors have abandoned them.
Danville Register & Bee Saturday, November 10, 2007
A national trend in hospital care is being expanded at Danville Regional Medical Center. Dr. Fran DeChurch was hired last week to start working at the hospital as the director of the hospitalist program.
Hospitalists are hospital-based doctors who care for patients while they are at the hospital, instead of a patient’s regular doctor. When the patient is released from the hospital, he or she returns to the care of the pre-admission doctor. DeChurch and Dr. Michael Caplan, a local physician who helped develop Danville Regional’shospitalist program, recently shed some light on the role of hospitalists in Danville and throughout the nation.
What is a hospitalist?
Caplan: Hospitalists are fully trained doctors who have completed medical school and residency training and graduated with degrees in internal medicine or family practice. Most, but not all, are young university-trained doctors who have recently completed and are very familiar with hospital-based care. Others are doctors who have been in traditional-based medical practices who decide to change to hospital-based care exclusively. They undergo additional training as hospitalistsoften in coordination with the companies that contract their services to hospitals around the nation.
DeChurch: Hospital medicine has become its own specialty. Programs are developing specifically for hospital medicine, much like geriatric medicine evolved as a specialty.
How many hospitalists does Danville Regional have?
DeChurch: With me, there will be four full-time hospitalists and eight to 10 part-time. We will be recruiting four more full-timehospitalists.
How did hospitalist programs begin? (DeChurch was actually in on the ground floor of hospitalist programs beginning in the U.S.)
DeChurch: When I finished my residency in 1990-91, the government was looking at how many hours interns could work. They saw there were going to be limits on the patient loads and hours on interns coming down the road, and wondered how they were going to handle all those patients.We developed a ‘chief service’ to take care of the unassigned patients. Lo and behold, that was the beginning of the hospitalists, although the term was not coined until the mid-1990s. It’s kind of neat to know I was in on the ground floor.
How did the hospitalist program begin at Danville Regional?
Caplan: The impetus for developing a hospitalist program started in early 2004 when a request was made from the medical staff to the administration of Danville Regional. A special committee was formed to research national hospitalist organizations and recommend companies through which these contract services could be provided. The conversion to a hospitalist-based care plan at the hospital was driven by a national trend that has existed for many years in other hospitals across the country as well as neighboring cities in the region. The hospital implemented its hospitalist program contracted through Em-Care in April of 2006 and has now changed services providers to Cogent. Both of these companies were highly recommended by the initial search committee and medical staff advisors.
What are the benefits of having hospitalists?
Caplan: The Emergency Department likes hospitalists because there is a doctor available in the hospital to see ED patients throughout the day and night. The alternative is to call a doctor out of his home or office practice, which can result in a delay in patient care, longer ER wait times and reduced patient satisfaction. The benefits of a well-run and staffed hospital service is having full-time inpatient care services, less variability in patient care, more timely discharges, improved documentation and more prompt inpatient consultation services. The traditional practice of medicine in this community without a hospitalist service results in some doctors working in excess of 110 hours a week.
Why do doctors become hospitalists?
DeChurch: I enjoy it; it’s a different type of medicine. It is more intense. To be in the hospital anymore, you have to be pretty sick. (A hospitalist) can truly help people.
Caplan: Doctors become hospitalists because they enjoy the challenges and intensity of hospitalized patients. They are highly trained and familiar with this patient type. Becoming a hospitalist removes a doctor from the obligation of running a private practice outside a hospital setting and provides good work hours and an improved lifestyle. The salary is also competitive compared to the traditional medical-based practice. Hospitalists generally work four 12-hour shifts a week or 16 total shifts a month.
How has the hospitalist program been accepted by the staff and patients at Danville Regional?
Caplan: The program has been accepted by most, but not all of the medical staff. (But) this is the trend throughout the country and not unique to Danville Regional. There are many doctors who use or want to use the hospital service as it grows to accommodate their hospitalized patients. These physicians are under personal, lifestyle, financial and practice pressure to focus their time to either hospital inpatient or clinical outpatient care but not both. (Caplan said patients initially had a reluctance to see a hospitalist, which he does not think is unusual because they have grown accustomed to the traditional care of seeing the same doctor inside and outside the hospital setting.) Sometimes the reluctance has come from a lack of understanding of what a hospitalist is or what role a hospitalist plays in the delivery of health care in coordination with their private doctor. Patients, however, come to realize that they still get good care, have access to specialists and stay only three to four days in the hospital with an average admission before being discharged. They also come to realize that they have much greater access to their private doctors outside the hospital due to the time that is freed up by the hospitalist.
Who are the patients the hospitalists see?
DeChurch: We admit all unassigned patients through the emergency room and those are without community physicians. From the time it is determined that the patient will be hospitalized, that patient becomes our responsibility as attending physicians. (Recently, the physicians with Internal Medicine Associates and Piedmont Internal Medicine decided to turn their inpatient care over to the hospitalists.)
What if a patient needs a specialist?
DeChurch: There will always be specialists available, such as surgeons, orthopedists and cardiology. A hospitalist is like a cruise director, making sure everything and everyone is where they need to be. We use consultants if a patient needs one.
How widespread is the use of hospitalists?
DeChurch: Hospitalists are found everywhere now. We interviewed someone (Monday) who is a hospitalist in a 25-bed hospital.
Caplan: The needs for hospitalists are greatly exceeded by the supply. Current statistics put the need for new hospitalists to serve the current national demand at 15,000 more doctors than are now available (with) need growing each year.
Who is DeChurch, and what hospitalist experience does she have?
Caplan: She is a nationally known and respected hospitalist leader with more than 15 years of hospitalist experience and eight years of experience as a hospitalist program director. Her leadership will add a great deal of quality and depth to the overall program. Her husband is Dr. Hugh Fraser, the medical director of the hospital’s blood donor center. She said she accepted the job at Danville Regional because “there is a certain atmosphere other hospitals don’t have, and the physicians were happy.” Dr. Frances DeChurch, was the Hospitalist Service Director at Annie Penn Hospital before coming to Danville.
What will she do first?
DeChurch: My main focus will be recruiting. Then come back in six months and see what I will fix. My job will be making sure we have a cohesive team and interfacing with the community, physicians and departments so people won’t think their doctors have abandoned them.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Healthcare Leadership Council....how do we get updates?
Does anyone know....is the Healthcare Leadership Council going to offer a public record of its meetings and a method by which the members of the council can be contacted by the public?
From WAKG's website:
(DANVILLE) -- The Healthcare Leadership Council held its second meeting this week. That's the group appointed to work with LifePoint to identify and address any health care issues that arise at Danville Regional Medical Center. Chairman Don Nodtvedt says the council was especially pleased to receive the report from the Joint Commission, accrediting the hospital facility as well as its home health care program. He says they see it as "tangible and independent validation" from an outside source of the worth of DRMC in the community. Nodtvedt says the primary goal of the council is to work with the hospital to regain the community's trust in the facility."
From WAKG's website:
(DANVILLE) -- The Healthcare Leadership Council held its second meeting this week. That's the group appointed to work with LifePoint to identify and address any health care issues that arise at Danville Regional Medical Center. Chairman Don Nodtvedt says the council was especially pleased to receive the report from the Joint Commission, accrediting the hospital facility as well as its home health care program. He says they see it as "tangible and independent validation" from an outside source of the worth of DRMC in the community. Nodtvedt says the primary goal of the council is to work with the hospital to regain the community's trust in the facility."
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Happy birthday!
One year later…
Interesting that DRMC made this blog off-limits to employees. Perhaps I should take some pleasure that this effort is viewed as a threat by corporate...but then again, one reality of the situation is that so many posters here keep saying that we are short-staffed, yet there is obviously a lot of time spent here on "company time". That doesn't compute.
Regardless, things are happening at DRMC that have the potential to change things for the better. The biggest opportunity that we have is the new CEO, Mr. Humphrey. It’s been my experience that he is starting out by showing an interest in the departments and the individual employees that we haven’t seen in some time. I stand by my thought that, regardless of what our past experience has been, we need to give this guy a chance to start fresh and make a difference. Other changes in leadership at a couple of levels will have an impact on the way we do things internally.
There has been a lack of public news about DRMC in recent weeks…perhaps due to the election, as some posters have suggested. Whatever the case, I’ve slowed down on news postings simply because there haven’t been real substantive things to talk about. The downside of that is that it leaves room for unbridled gossip and supposition, but we’re never going to change those that will visit here for that purpose only.
So….as the blog reaches its first anniversary (who woulda thunk) with 44,000 visits and 140,000 page views, I have started to take a hard look at the purpose that it has served over the past month and what its role should be in the future. The idea presented itself, briefly, that we had gotten mired in the mud and it should be put out of its misery. Not sure if that’s totally the case…there is still value here.
So stay tuned, and we’ll see where we go from here.
Interesting that DRMC made this blog off-limits to employees. Perhaps I should take some pleasure that this effort is viewed as a threat by corporate...but then again, one reality of the situation is that so many posters here keep saying that we are short-staffed, yet there is obviously a lot of time spent here on "company time". That doesn't compute.
Regardless, things are happening at DRMC that have the potential to change things for the better. The biggest opportunity that we have is the new CEO, Mr. Humphrey. It’s been my experience that he is starting out by showing an interest in the departments and the individual employees that we haven’t seen in some time. I stand by my thought that, regardless of what our past experience has been, we need to give this guy a chance to start fresh and make a difference. Other changes in leadership at a couple of levels will have an impact on the way we do things internally.
There has been a lack of public news about DRMC in recent weeks…perhaps due to the election, as some posters have suggested. Whatever the case, I’ve slowed down on news postings simply because there haven’t been real substantive things to talk about. The downside of that is that it leaves room for unbridled gossip and supposition, but we’re never going to change those that will visit here for that purpose only.
So….as the blog reaches its first anniversary (who woulda thunk) with 44,000 visits and 140,000 page views, I have started to take a hard look at the purpose that it has served over the past month and what its role should be in the future. The idea presented itself, briefly, that we had gotten mired in the mud and it should be put out of its misery. Not sure if that’s totally the case…there is still value here.
So stay tuned, and we’ll see where we go from here.
Friday, October 19, 2007
"It's official: Danville Regional is accredited"
Danville Register & Bee
Friday, October 19, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Danville Regional Medical Center announced Thursday that the Joint Commission has notified the hospital that it is in full compliance with all applicable standards.
The notice means that Danville Regional is now fully accredited, according to Leslie Smith, director of community relations and marketing at the hospital.
“On Aug. 23, the Joint Commission announced that the preliminary denial of accreditation had been removed and the hospital remained an accredited organization with requirements for improvement,” Smith said Thursday. “The hospital was required to submit an action plan to the accreditation committee this month, to address any remaining deficiencies. The committee met earlier this week and announced that the action plan had been accepted and all standards were in compliance.
“The acceptance of the action plan by the Joint Commission means that DRMC is now fully accredited.”
This accreditation is based on the 2007 survey and will extend through at least the beginning of 2010.
Smith said that the difference between the August accreditation and Thursday’s announcement is an important one.
“In the past, we’ve said DRMC ‘remains’ accredited,” she said. “Technically, the decision was still pending for this extended accreditation until the accreditation committee met this week. The previous accreditation noted on the Web site was a result of the 2004 survey with this now changed to the February 2007 survey.”
Smith said that, although it seems like a small change, it really is quite significant to have the accreditation finalized and official.
“This is great news for the community, and for the associates and physicians who provide care in our hospital,” Betty Jo Foster, chairman of the Danville Regional Board of Trustees, said in a news release. “This action clearly demonstrates that Danville Regional is providing great patient care and is a compliment to hospital administration and all our clinicians and care-giving staff. Danville Regional is a vital community asset, and we look forward to remaining so for a long time to come.”
Ruth McDaniel, interim chief executive officer, added, “The associates and physician staff have worked diligently for this recognition from the Joint Commission.”
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Just think how far a really tiny slice of $200+ million would go...
The high cost
Danville Register and Bee
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Free Clinic of Danville has always relied on caring volunteers from the medical community to help people who can’t afford health care. Washington politicians may debate the health care issue, but at the corner of Ridge and Patton streets, good people work to help those who need medical treatment they can’t afford.
Recently, though, the Free Clinic struggled to decide what to do with a grant that in the recent past had allowed it to treat more people.
The Virginia Health Care Foundation awarded a $39,375 grant to the clinic to pay one-third of the cost of a nurse practitioner.
“The grant allowed us to significantly increase the services provided to the community and increased the number of patients we saw by approximately three times,” Brent Saunders, president of the Free Clinic’s board, said late last month. “However, the prescription costs rose significantly and with the increasing salary we were responsible for, it was a perfect storm brewing.”
That “perfect storm” was the clinic’s costs, which were rising beyond what it could afford on its budget. When the last nurse practitioner left in August, the position was left vacant. It will likely stay that way, and for good reason.
“The board feels that sustained funding for the full-time nurse practitioner position is needed in order to assure the long-term financial viability of the clinic,” Saunders said.
That’s the only way to survive in today’s health care economy, even if it means not hiring someone who could help treat more sick people in this community.
In the short term, many of those people are being hurt or, at the very least, inconvenienced. But if the Free Clinic can’t survive financially, more of them will be hurt.
One possible solution would be to seek a steady source of money from the Danville Regional Foundation, the group formed with the proceeds from the sale of Danville Regional Medical Center. With enough money from the foundation, the Free Clinic could afford to not only pay the nurse practitioner’s salary, but cover the rising costs of medical supplies and prescription drugs.
This community’s most vulnerable residents need this problem solved. Anything that can help the Free Clinic of Danville treat more patients is going to be a good thing.
Danville Register and Bee
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Free Clinic of Danville has always relied on caring volunteers from the medical community to help people who can’t afford health care. Washington politicians may debate the health care issue, but at the corner of Ridge and Patton streets, good people work to help those who need medical treatment they can’t afford.
Recently, though, the Free Clinic struggled to decide what to do with a grant that in the recent past had allowed it to treat more people.
The Virginia Health Care Foundation awarded a $39,375 grant to the clinic to pay one-third of the cost of a nurse practitioner.
“The grant allowed us to significantly increase the services provided to the community and increased the number of patients we saw by approximately three times,” Brent Saunders, president of the Free Clinic’s board, said late last month. “However, the prescription costs rose significantly and with the increasing salary we were responsible for, it was a perfect storm brewing.”
That “perfect storm” was the clinic’s costs, which were rising beyond what it could afford on its budget. When the last nurse practitioner left in August, the position was left vacant. It will likely stay that way, and for good reason.
“The board feels that sustained funding for the full-time nurse practitioner position is needed in order to assure the long-term financial viability of the clinic,” Saunders said.
That’s the only way to survive in today’s health care economy, even if it means not hiring someone who could help treat more sick people in this community.
In the short term, many of those people are being hurt or, at the very least, inconvenienced. But if the Free Clinic can’t survive financially, more of them will be hurt.
One possible solution would be to seek a steady source of money from the Danville Regional Foundation, the group formed with the proceeds from the sale of Danville Regional Medical Center. With enough money from the foundation, the Free Clinic could afford to not only pay the nurse practitioner’s salary, but cover the rising costs of medical supplies and prescription drugs.
This community’s most vulnerable residents need this problem solved. Anything that can help the Free Clinic of Danville treat more patients is going to be a good thing.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Q&A with the new DRMC CEO
From the DRMC "News & Views" website:
New CEO Jerel Humphrey Answers Questions
How did DRMC find you?
I had been working with an executive search firm, and several years ago, my oldest son was looking at colleges. He’s studying to be an engineer and we toured Virginia Tech and my wife and I fell in love with that part of the country. We said that if the right opportunity came about, and it took several years for that right opportunity as my son is a junior at Texas Tech, we would love to locate to this part of the country. We love Virginia.
What made you want to leave where you are and take on this role?
I have been in a big city for a long time. I am looking forward to living in a city like Danville, where I can be a part of the community; where I don’t have to spend so much time on the road commuting and where the hospital plays a central role in the community.
What is the first issue you will be dealing with?
I plan to do a lot of listening to all I come in contact with - the physicians, associates, volunteers, chaplains, board members and the community. I want to hear what they have to say about their roles, their interests and how they view the hospital.
What appeals to you about this job?
The thing that most appeals to me about this job is the fact that I will be able to help the loyal and committed team members at DRMC continue to build on their strengths and the strengths of this hospital and to provide greater services to the community.
What are the responsibilitites of your job?
I view my primary responsibility as providing strong communications to all of the critical audiences at DRMC - communicating with physicians, associates, volunteers and chaplains the plans and priorities for the hospital. It also requires providing leadership within the community and with the board of trustees. You can’t over communicate with either the internal or external audiences. Another responsibility will be to uphold standards, policies and procedures within the hospital.
What is the nursing staff situation at the hospital?
I am looking forward to workng with new CNO Becky Logan and all of the nursing staff at DRMC. We will work together to continue delivering high quality patient care. Additionally, I am very impressed with DRMC’s School of Nursing. That is a great assett that very few hospitals in the country have.
How did you get into health care administration?
I actually got involved as a junior in college by working in a local hospital as an orderly. I would assist nurses in various funtions throughout the hospital. I had actual bedside experience with patients. My appreciation and interest in hospitals evolved from there.
What do you think about all of the problems of the past CEOs at DRMC?
I can’t speak to the past, since I wasn’t here and wasn’t a part of that. However, what I can tell you is that I am committed to communicating and being available to all of the key constituencies at DRMC, the associates, physicians, volunteers and chaplains as well as the community leaders in the Dan River region. I’m planning on doing a lot of listening to learn more about DRMC and how we can continue to provide great services and continue to improve our service to our communities.
What from your past experiences will help you at DRMC?
I’ve worked at a variety of sizes of hospitals from a 600-bed facility to a 72-bed facility. I’ve been in the healthcare field for 28 years, and I think all of my experiences have helped me grow and provide the leadership qualities I believe I possess.
The previous CEO said he was bringing his family and decided not to. What if your family doesn’t want to relocate?
I am starting at DRMC on October 29 and looking forward to beginning my job. My family plans to join me during the Christmas holidays. I have a daughter who is a junior in high school. It will be easier for her to leave at that point in the semester.
What do you think are your biggest strengths?
I believe in the concept of building strong teams. I will provide leadership, the ability to listen and help solve problems, but at the end of the day, it’s teamwork that is needed at a hospital and any organization to be successful. My mission is to help our associates, physicians, volunteers and chaplains feel good about what they do on a daily basis and help empower them to be the best ambassadors for the hospital.
New CEO Jerel Humphrey Answers Questions
How did DRMC find you?
I had been working with an executive search firm, and several years ago, my oldest son was looking at colleges. He’s studying to be an engineer and we toured Virginia Tech and my wife and I fell in love with that part of the country. We said that if the right opportunity came about, and it took several years for that right opportunity as my son is a junior at Texas Tech, we would love to locate to this part of the country. We love Virginia.
What made you want to leave where you are and take on this role?
I have been in a big city for a long time. I am looking forward to living in a city like Danville, where I can be a part of the community; where I don’t have to spend so much time on the road commuting and where the hospital plays a central role in the community.
What is the first issue you will be dealing with?
I plan to do a lot of listening to all I come in contact with - the physicians, associates, volunteers, chaplains, board members and the community. I want to hear what they have to say about their roles, their interests and how they view the hospital.
What appeals to you about this job?
The thing that most appeals to me about this job is the fact that I will be able to help the loyal and committed team members at DRMC continue to build on their strengths and the strengths of this hospital and to provide greater services to the community.
What are the responsibilitites of your job?
I view my primary responsibility as providing strong communications to all of the critical audiences at DRMC - communicating with physicians, associates, volunteers and chaplains the plans and priorities for the hospital. It also requires providing leadership within the community and with the board of trustees. You can’t over communicate with either the internal or external audiences. Another responsibility will be to uphold standards, policies and procedures within the hospital.
What is the nursing staff situation at the hospital?
I am looking forward to workng with new CNO Becky Logan and all of the nursing staff at DRMC. We will work together to continue delivering high quality patient care. Additionally, I am very impressed with DRMC’s School of Nursing. That is a great assett that very few hospitals in the country have.
How did you get into health care administration?
I actually got involved as a junior in college by working in a local hospital as an orderly. I would assist nurses in various funtions throughout the hospital. I had actual bedside experience with patients. My appreciation and interest in hospitals evolved from there.
What do you think about all of the problems of the past CEOs at DRMC?
I can’t speak to the past, since I wasn’t here and wasn’t a part of that. However, what I can tell you is that I am committed to communicating and being available to all of the key constituencies at DRMC, the associates, physicians, volunteers and chaplains as well as the community leaders in the Dan River region. I’m planning on doing a lot of listening to learn more about DRMC and how we can continue to provide great services and continue to improve our service to our communities.
What from your past experiences will help you at DRMC?
I’ve worked at a variety of sizes of hospitals from a 600-bed facility to a 72-bed facility. I’ve been in the healthcare field for 28 years, and I think all of my experiences have helped me grow and provide the leadership qualities I believe I possess.
The previous CEO said he was bringing his family and decided not to. What if your family doesn’t want to relocate?
I am starting at DRMC on October 29 and looking forward to beginning my job. My family plans to join me during the Christmas holidays. I have a daughter who is a junior in high school. It will be easier for her to leave at that point in the semester.
What do you think are your biggest strengths?
I believe in the concept of building strong teams. I will provide leadership, the ability to listen and help solve problems, but at the end of the day, it’s teamwork that is needed at a hospital and any organization to be successful. My mission is to help our associates, physicians, volunteers and chaplains feel good about what they do on a daily basis and help empower them to be the best ambassadors for the hospital.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Healthcare Leadership Council, wherefore art thou?
It's been one month since the article announcing the Healthcare Leadership Council appeared in the Register & Bee.
http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB%2FMGArticle%2FDRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352658665&path=!news!opinion
So...where do we stand?
They've met, we know that much. No coverage in the local media and, unlike the Citizens Commission, there is no central location to obtain minutes or information about their activities, their findings or their results. With the pivotal figure behind the Leadership Council, Mayor Williams, leaving town, where does that leave this effort?
Does anyone know who's on first?
http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB%2FMGArticle%2FDRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352658665&path=!news!opinion
So...where do we stand?
They've met, we know that much. No coverage in the local media and, unlike the Citizens Commission, there is no central location to obtain minutes or information about their activities, their findings or their results. With the pivotal figure behind the Leadership Council, Mayor Williams, leaving town, where does that leave this effort?
Does anyone know who's on first?
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Mayor/Doctor Williams leaving town
Danville Mayor Wayne Williams said he will step down
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Danville Mayor Wayne Williams said he will step down from City Council to take a job in Georgia.
Williams has accepted a position with Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia, Ga.
"It is an exceptional opportunity at an expanding hospital that includes administrative responsibilities as well as a surgical practice. I was not looking for the change, but was honored, and surprised, when approached for the position. I will miss my family, friends and especially the people of Danville that make this such a great city," Williams said in a press release.
Williams was elected to Danville City Conncil in 1998. He was named vice mayor in 2000 and was elected mayor in 2006.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Danville Mayor Wayne Williams said he will step down from City Council to take a job in Georgia.
Williams has accepted a position with Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia, Ga.
"It is an exceptional opportunity at an expanding hospital that includes administrative responsibilities as well as a surgical practice. I was not looking for the change, but was honored, and surprised, when approached for the position. I will miss my family, friends and especially the people of Danville that make this such a great city," Williams said in a press release.
Williams was elected to Danville City Conncil in 1998. He was named vice mayor in 2000 and was elected mayor in 2006.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
"Hospital names new CEO"
Danville Register and Bee
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
DANVILLE – Danville Regional Medical Center has just announced that Jerel Humphrey has been named chief executive officer of the hospital effective October 29.
Humphrey, 52, has most recently headed a 72-bed, physician-owned, acute care hospital in Houston from its initial development to construction and through the accreditation process by the Joint Commission and the Texas health department, according to a hospital press release.
He has served in a variety of executive roles within the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, Texas, during the last 20 years, including as CEO of 600-bed Memorial Hermann Southwest and 520-bed Memorial Hermann City Hospital.
In the press release, Humphrey states that his wife, Linda, and daughter, Rachel, will move to Danville during Christmas break.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
DANVILLE – Danville Regional Medical Center has just announced that Jerel Humphrey has been named chief executive officer of the hospital effective October 29.
Humphrey, 52, has most recently headed a 72-bed, physician-owned, acute care hospital in Houston from its initial development to construction and through the accreditation process by the Joint Commission and the Texas health department, according to a hospital press release.
He has served in a variety of executive roles within the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, Texas, during the last 20 years, including as CEO of 600-bed Memorial Hermann Southwest and 520-bed Memorial Hermann City Hospital.
In the press release, Humphrey states that his wife, Linda, and daughter, Rachel, will move to Danville during Christmas break.
Monday, October 1, 2007
"Head of nursing drawn to city"
Danville Register & Bee
Saturday, September 29, 2007
DANVILLE - A new chief nursing officer is now in place at Danville Regional Medical Center.
Rebekah “Becky” Logan has been at work for about a week and is adjusting to a new community and her responsibilities of being in charge of more than 600 nurses at the hospital. She brings 12 years of health care leadership experience to her new position, including chief operating officer and chief nurse executive roles in Georgia and South Carolina hospitals. Logan is the mother of two grown sons, an 18-year-old who is in culinary school in Atlanta and a 23-year-old who is a professional photographer in Dallas. After only a few days at her job, Logan sat down and answered a few questions so that the community might get to know her better.
Question: Had you ever heard of Danville?
Answer: Yes, I had. I have an uncle who lives in North Carolina, and I remember him talking about Danville and what a pretty area it is.
Q: How did Danville Regional Medical Center find you?
A: A recruiter came to me. I wasn’t looking for a job, but I got a phone call out of the blue. Then, the more I learned about Danville, the more I liked it.
Q: What appealed to you about this job?
A: The location. I was born and raised in Alabama and had lived in Georgia for 18 years. Danville and the community here seemed like a place I would fit in. When I talked to the people at the hospital, the jobbecame more attractive because they care about the patient care and the employees.
Q: What are the responsibilities of your job?
A: I have oversight of all the nursing care delivered within the organization. I make sure the care is delivered by competent and proficient nurses.
Q: What is the nursing staff situation at Danville Regional?
A: I have only been here a week, so I am in the process of assessing the staffing needs. If it is like any hospital in the nation, we need nurses, and (the shortage) is expecting to get worse nationwide.
Q: What’s the first issue you will be dealing with?
A: What I want to do now is to get to know the nursing and medical staff, and have them tell me what the issues are. I am attending staff meetings - I have already been to 50 percent of them. And I am trying to make appointments with the physicians and talk to them about what’s going well with them and what they would like to see changed.
Q: Since all of the nurses who graduated from the hospital’s nursing school last year are now working there, what are the challenges of working with inexperienced nurses?
A: The transition from academia to real practice at the bedside is scary. I remember those days. You need to partner with them until you can release them. My philosophy is to pay a lot of attention to the new graduates because the time you invest will be paid back in commitment and retention.
Q: How did you get into health care administration?
A: I found I had a talent with a team of people. It is very rewarding to have a group of people who come together and accomplish together.
Q: Why did you choose to get into nursing again?
A: Because that’s where my heart is and where we make the difference.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
DANVILLE - A new chief nursing officer is now in place at Danville Regional Medical Center.
Rebekah “Becky” Logan has been at work for about a week and is adjusting to a new community and her responsibilities of being in charge of more than 600 nurses at the hospital. She brings 12 years of health care leadership experience to her new position, including chief operating officer and chief nurse executive roles in Georgia and South Carolina hospitals. Logan is the mother of two grown sons, an 18-year-old who is in culinary school in Atlanta and a 23-year-old who is a professional photographer in Dallas. After only a few days at her job, Logan sat down and answered a few questions so that the community might get to know her better.
Question: Had you ever heard of Danville?
Answer: Yes, I had. I have an uncle who lives in North Carolina, and I remember him talking about Danville and what a pretty area it is.
Q: How did Danville Regional Medical Center find you?
A: A recruiter came to me. I wasn’t looking for a job, but I got a phone call out of the blue. Then, the more I learned about Danville, the more I liked it.
Q: What appealed to you about this job?
A: The location. I was born and raised in Alabama and had lived in Georgia for 18 years. Danville and the community here seemed like a place I would fit in. When I talked to the people at the hospital, the jobbecame more attractive because they care about the patient care and the employees.
Q: What are the responsibilities of your job?
A: I have oversight of all the nursing care delivered within the organization. I make sure the care is delivered by competent and proficient nurses.
Q: What is the nursing staff situation at Danville Regional?
A: I have only been here a week, so I am in the process of assessing the staffing needs. If it is like any hospital in the nation, we need nurses, and (the shortage) is expecting to get worse nationwide.
Q: What’s the first issue you will be dealing with?
A: What I want to do now is to get to know the nursing and medical staff, and have them tell me what the issues are. I am attending staff meetings - I have already been to 50 percent of them. And I am trying to make appointments with the physicians and talk to them about what’s going well with them and what they would like to see changed.
Q: Since all of the nurses who graduated from the hospital’s nursing school last year are now working there, what are the challenges of working with inexperienced nurses?
A: The transition from academia to real practice at the bedside is scary. I remember those days. You need to partner with them until you can release them. My philosophy is to pay a lot of attention to the new graduates because the time you invest will be paid back in commitment and retention.
Q: How did you get into health care administration?
A: I found I had a talent with a team of people. It is very rewarding to have a group of people who come together and accomplish together.
Q: Why did you choose to get into nursing again?
A: Because that’s where my heart is and where we make the difference.
Foundation set to make allocations
Danville Register & Bee
Saturday, September 29, 2007
DANVILLE - Decisions on disbursement of a portion of the $200 million in assets held by the Danville Regional Foundation will be reached by the end of this year, according to the group’s new leader.
After the Danville Regional Foundation’s assessments of the area’s health, education and economic prosperity are completed in the next few months, it will make a decision on how best to invest in the long-term well-being of the community, the foundation’s president and CEO Karl N. Stauber said on Wednesday.
The $200 million endowment is earmarked for distribution at a rate of 5 percent per year - $10 million annually - and must be used to make a positive change in the lives of the residents of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C. The bulk of the money remains invested so the fund becomes self-sustaining, and can earn back at least $10 million each year.
“The biggest part of my job is to focus on how to take $10 million and make the biggest impact on the revitalization of the region,” Stauber said. “What we’re looking for is where the greatest opportunities to make a difference are in this one-city and two-county region.”
He stressed that it is very important to the foundation to make a long-term impact in the region, and plans to have very strict guidelines for those who wish to apply for a grant in place by the first of the year.
Essentially, the foundation is looking for area-wide, large-scale problems it can solve, rather than funding a series of small projects that will not impact everyone in the target area.
The first assessment the foundation completed was on the general health of the region and was conducted by a team from East Tennessee State University, which looked at the data on the health of the region, did one-on-one interviews with area health care workers and met about 300 people in small groups to determine what some of the biggest problems are.
Stauber said he was surprised at one statistic the team discovered during the course of this study.
“This area has three times the national rate of deaths due to heart attack,” he said. Exploring the reason for that and finding a solution may be a project on the foundation’s plate in the future.
The current assessment, which is taking a look at the economic prosperity of the region, should be completed in approximately a month, Stauber said, and then the foundation will begin its assessment of the area’s education and work force development issues.
Since its inception in May 2006, the foundation has announced grants totaling approximately $17.5 million to five agencies and organizations in the region, which leaves approximately $2.5 million that can still be disbursed in 2007 - but doesn’t have to be.
Stauber said an important thing to note is that the foundation actually has two calendar years to disburse each year’s allotment - any funds left at the end of a year can be added to the following year’s payout.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
DANVILLE - Decisions on disbursement of a portion of the $200 million in assets held by the Danville Regional Foundation will be reached by the end of this year, according to the group’s new leader.
After the Danville Regional Foundation’s assessments of the area’s health, education and economic prosperity are completed in the next few months, it will make a decision on how best to invest in the long-term well-being of the community, the foundation’s president and CEO Karl N. Stauber said on Wednesday.
The $200 million endowment is earmarked for distribution at a rate of 5 percent per year - $10 million annually - and must be used to make a positive change in the lives of the residents of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C. The bulk of the money remains invested so the fund becomes self-sustaining, and can earn back at least $10 million each year.
“The biggest part of my job is to focus on how to take $10 million and make the biggest impact on the revitalization of the region,” Stauber said. “What we’re looking for is where the greatest opportunities to make a difference are in this one-city and two-county region.”
He stressed that it is very important to the foundation to make a long-term impact in the region, and plans to have very strict guidelines for those who wish to apply for a grant in place by the first of the year.
Essentially, the foundation is looking for area-wide, large-scale problems it can solve, rather than funding a series of small projects that will not impact everyone in the target area.
The first assessment the foundation completed was on the general health of the region and was conducted by a team from East Tennessee State University, which looked at the data on the health of the region, did one-on-one interviews with area health care workers and met about 300 people in small groups to determine what some of the biggest problems are.
Stauber said he was surprised at one statistic the team discovered during the course of this study.
“This area has three times the national rate of deaths due to heart attack,” he said. Exploring the reason for that and finding a solution may be a project on the foundation’s plate in the future.
The current assessment, which is taking a look at the economic prosperity of the region, should be completed in approximately a month, Stauber said, and then the foundation will begin its assessment of the area’s education and work force development issues.
Since its inception in May 2006, the foundation has announced grants totaling approximately $17.5 million to five agencies and organizations in the region, which leaves approximately $2.5 million that can still be disbursed in 2007 - but doesn’t have to be.
Stauber said an important thing to note is that the foundation actually has two calendar years to disburse each year’s allotment - any funds left at the end of a year can be added to the following year’s payout.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Did you know...
...that the Healthcare Leadership Council met last night?
I now bring you all of the media coverage of that meeting that I have been able to find this morning:
Hmmm...something seems to be missing here.
I now bring you all of the media coverage of that meeting that I have been able to find this morning:
Hmmm...something seems to be missing here.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture
The newly formed patient safety committee at DRMC has issued a survey for all associates to fill out related to patient safety issues in the hospital.
It is IMPERATIVE that every associate complete one of these surveys. This is an opportunity to anonymously indicate your exact working conditions.
Several questions that I feel are important:
"We have enough staff to handle the workload"
"Staff in this unit work longer hours than is best for patient care"
"We work in 'crisis mode' trying to do too much, too quickly"
"Hospital administration provides a work climate that promotes patient safety"
" The actions of hospital administration show that patient safety is a top priority"
There is a stack of surveys located on the table outside the cafeteria along with a box to place the completed survey. The committee is accepting these thru Sept. 17th.
Let your concerns be heard!
It is IMPERATIVE that every associate complete one of these surveys. This is an opportunity to anonymously indicate your exact working conditions.
Several questions that I feel are important:
"We have enough staff to handle the workload"
"Staff in this unit work longer hours than is best for patient care"
"We work in 'crisis mode' trying to do too much, too quickly"
"Hospital administration provides a work climate that promotes patient safety"
" The actions of hospital administration show that patient safety is a top priority"
There is a stack of surveys located on the table outside the cafeteria along with a box to place the completed survey. The committee is accepting these thru Sept. 17th.
Let your concerns be heard!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Why ‘skeleton crews?’
Danville Register and Bee
September 12, 2007
I have heard and read so much about how the public’s opinion of Danville Regional Medical Center is in jeopardy and how it is working so hard to repair the damage that has been done in the past. Here are my recent experiences.
My 85-year-old grandfather fell and broke his hip - a serious injury. EMS transported him to the hospital, where he was cared for very quickly and with great care. Surgery was done immediately to repair the break. It went great and he was well on his way.
As expected, he had an undetermined amount of time to spend in the hospital for recovery. Unfortunately, he is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient and pneumonia is always a concern. As his time in the hospital lengthened, the danger of pneumonia or other lung-related illnesses became more imminent.
The weekend rolled around and talk of “skeleton crews” started. Over the weekend, a chest X-ray was taken due to the respiratory problems that he was having. That comforted the family. Then the report that the X-ray may not be read for a couple of days due to the Labor Day weekend became a great burden. See, they were operating on “skeleton crews.” Yes, he is an 85-year-old man with a history of COPD (he was hospitalized for it for five days last month) that just had emergency surgery and was currently facing the fear of pneumonia, but he will just have to wait for his X-ray results. But that’s OK, because they only had “skeleton crews.”
I must say that my grandfather - as well as his children - seemed to be happy with the caregivers that were attending to him. In no way am I trying to take away from those people that gave him aid when needed.
My 75-year-old grandmother is as stubborn as a mule. It’s hard to make her sit down and take care of herself sometimes. She lives alone, cleans several homes, mows her own grass, sits with her 94-year-old mother … get the picture? She also has had a horrible time with her knees.
After years of trying to convince her to have them replaced, she has finally given in. Her appointment was set. She had her consultation at the doctor’s office and do you want to guess what they told her to expect? “Skeleton crews.” They actually told her to try to provide someone to sit with her around the clock while she was in the hospital because of the nursing shortage.
Now she has even more to worry about than the original issue with her knees. She has to worry about inadequate care, not because of an angry person’s rumor, but because her care provider has actually showed a concern about the ability of the hospital to provide care for her. How’s that for patient confidence?
Recently my father, also a COPD patient, was taken by ambulance to the Emergency Department for difficulty breathing. When I got there, I was concerned because of the condition that I found him in - in a room by himself, coughing to the point of gasping for air and definitely unable to tell me what he needed. Two nurses came in and showed genuine concern. His cough subsided and he caught his breath and was able to speak clearly. The nurses assured him they would get him another breathing treatment and we felt a little relief.
His condition seemed important at the time. So after about 20 minutes and several more coughing episodes, I began to wonder what had happened to the staff. I walked into the hallway and thought to myself, this must be what they mean by “skeleton crews.” It was like ghost town - no nurses, no doctors, not even a custodian. I had to go looking for someone to ask help from. I eventually found our two nurses hugged up to a security guard, laughing and joking. Evidently, they didn’t want to share the subject of humor with me because they quickly gained their distance and the smiles and laughter went away. They assured me help was on the way. Another 20 minutes passed and he got his treatment.
I know I’ve said a lot and maybe some things that should not have been said. I can only imagine other stories that are being told. The sad thing is that Danville and Pittsylvania County residents just don’t have a great deal of choices. They have to rely on the only hospital that we have. So, they take it. That’s all they can do.
The statements I just made do not reflect the feelings of the patients I mentioned, or my family. Just me. My insurance requires that I go to Centra-Health in Lynchburg for treatment. I used to think that was an inconvenience, but now I think it’s a blessing.
I know there are a lot of hard workers at Danville Regional - people who really care about others and do their best to help people heal. My hat is off to them. Don’t take it personally; we know it’s not your fault. For those of you who would rather goof off and play games while others lie in pain or suffering, get another job.
In closing, for those of you who are responsible for putting our loves ones in the hands of “skeleton crews,” shame on you - you are in the wrong business. Oh, one more thing. Since patients are getting skeleton crew-care, are they being charged skeleton-crew bills?
CHRIS ANDERSON
Chatham
September 12, 2007
I have heard and read so much about how the public’s opinion of Danville Regional Medical Center is in jeopardy and how it is working so hard to repair the damage that has been done in the past. Here are my recent experiences.
My 85-year-old grandfather fell and broke his hip - a serious injury. EMS transported him to the hospital, where he was cared for very quickly and with great care. Surgery was done immediately to repair the break. It went great and he was well on his way.
As expected, he had an undetermined amount of time to spend in the hospital for recovery. Unfortunately, he is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient and pneumonia is always a concern. As his time in the hospital lengthened, the danger of pneumonia or other lung-related illnesses became more imminent.
The weekend rolled around and talk of “skeleton crews” started. Over the weekend, a chest X-ray was taken due to the respiratory problems that he was having. That comforted the family. Then the report that the X-ray may not be read for a couple of days due to the Labor Day weekend became a great burden. See, they were operating on “skeleton crews.” Yes, he is an 85-year-old man with a history of COPD (he was hospitalized for it for five days last month) that just had emergency surgery and was currently facing the fear of pneumonia, but he will just have to wait for his X-ray results. But that’s OK, because they only had “skeleton crews.”
I must say that my grandfather - as well as his children - seemed to be happy with the caregivers that were attending to him. In no way am I trying to take away from those people that gave him aid when needed.
My 75-year-old grandmother is as stubborn as a mule. It’s hard to make her sit down and take care of herself sometimes. She lives alone, cleans several homes, mows her own grass, sits with her 94-year-old mother … get the picture? She also has had a horrible time with her knees.
After years of trying to convince her to have them replaced, she has finally given in. Her appointment was set. She had her consultation at the doctor’s office and do you want to guess what they told her to expect? “Skeleton crews.” They actually told her to try to provide someone to sit with her around the clock while she was in the hospital because of the nursing shortage.
Now she has even more to worry about than the original issue with her knees. She has to worry about inadequate care, not because of an angry person’s rumor, but because her care provider has actually showed a concern about the ability of the hospital to provide care for her. How’s that for patient confidence?
Recently my father, also a COPD patient, was taken by ambulance to the Emergency Department for difficulty breathing. When I got there, I was concerned because of the condition that I found him in - in a room by himself, coughing to the point of gasping for air and definitely unable to tell me what he needed. Two nurses came in and showed genuine concern. His cough subsided and he caught his breath and was able to speak clearly. The nurses assured him they would get him another breathing treatment and we felt a little relief.
His condition seemed important at the time. So after about 20 minutes and several more coughing episodes, I began to wonder what had happened to the staff. I walked into the hallway and thought to myself, this must be what they mean by “skeleton crews.” It was like ghost town - no nurses, no doctors, not even a custodian. I had to go looking for someone to ask help from. I eventually found our two nurses hugged up to a security guard, laughing and joking. Evidently, they didn’t want to share the subject of humor with me because they quickly gained their distance and the smiles and laughter went away. They assured me help was on the way. Another 20 minutes passed and he got his treatment.
I know I’ve said a lot and maybe some things that should not have been said. I can only imagine other stories that are being told. The sad thing is that Danville and Pittsylvania County residents just don’t have a great deal of choices. They have to rely on the only hospital that we have. So, they take it. That’s all they can do.
The statements I just made do not reflect the feelings of the patients I mentioned, or my family. Just me. My insurance requires that I go to Centra-Health in Lynchburg for treatment. I used to think that was an inconvenience, but now I think it’s a blessing.
I know there are a lot of hard workers at Danville Regional - people who really care about others and do their best to help people heal. My hat is off to them. Don’t take it personally; we know it’s not your fault. For those of you who would rather goof off and play games while others lie in pain or suffering, get another job.
In closing, for those of you who are responsible for putting our loves ones in the hands of “skeleton crews,” shame on you - you are in the wrong business. Oh, one more thing. Since patients are getting skeleton crew-care, are they being charged skeleton-crew bills?
CHRIS ANDERSON
Chatham
Friday, September 7, 2007
"The next step"
Danville Register and Bee
Friday, September 7, 2007
The Healthcare Leadership Council is a newly appointed local group designed to track the progress - or lack thereof - at Danville Regional Medical Center.
The Council is the successor to the Citizens Commission, a seven-member body that was appointed earlier this year by local doctor and Danville Mayor Wayne Williams to hear complaints about Danville Regional. Just one Citizens Commission member - Arlene Creasy of Pittsylvania County - is on the new group.
“I know, I see, and I hear from a lot of the people in the city and the county,” she said. “I can be a voice for the people and I am accessible for them. I bring the voice from the northern end of the county. We have medical options (Danville or Lynchburg) and we need to be sure this voice is heard.”
Creasy and other Citizens Commission members heard plenty of complaints about the quality of care at Danville Regional after it was purchased by LifePoint Hospitals Inc. in July 2005. The expectation is the new group will keep the lines of communication open with the hospital’s management.
“It is a group of trusted citizens separate from groups related to the hospital; therefore, they can offer an unbiased evaluation of what is happening at the hospital both good and bad,” Williams said.
Unlike the Citizens Commission, the Healthcare Leadership Council includes residents of Caswell County, N.C., and its members have been appointed by the local governments in Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell.
While the hospital sale and LifePoint’s management since it bought Danville Regional is still a controversial topic, the hospital has maintained full accreditation from the Joint Commission this year after several months of operating under a “preliminary denial of accreditation.”
The Healthcare Leadership Council will give local people another way to express concerns about and problems with the hospital. Local residents should use the new Healthcare Leadership Council to keep Danville Regional honest - and improving.
The real test of hospital-community relations won’t be the number of complaints the new Healthcare Leadership Council receives, but the number of local people and physicians that put their trust in Danville Regional. If the worst for the hospital is really over, word will get out to the people who have had their confidence in Danville Regional shaken by the events of the past two years.
Friday, September 7, 2007
The Healthcare Leadership Council is a newly appointed local group designed to track the progress - or lack thereof - at Danville Regional Medical Center.
The Council is the successor to the Citizens Commission, a seven-member body that was appointed earlier this year by local doctor and Danville Mayor Wayne Williams to hear complaints about Danville Regional. Just one Citizens Commission member - Arlene Creasy of Pittsylvania County - is on the new group.
“I know, I see, and I hear from a lot of the people in the city and the county,” she said. “I can be a voice for the people and I am accessible for them. I bring the voice from the northern end of the county. We have medical options (Danville or Lynchburg) and we need to be sure this voice is heard.”
Creasy and other Citizens Commission members heard plenty of complaints about the quality of care at Danville Regional after it was purchased by LifePoint Hospitals Inc. in July 2005. The expectation is the new group will keep the lines of communication open with the hospital’s management.
“It is a group of trusted citizens separate from groups related to the hospital; therefore, they can offer an unbiased evaluation of what is happening at the hospital both good and bad,” Williams said.
Unlike the Citizens Commission, the Healthcare Leadership Council includes residents of Caswell County, N.C., and its members have been appointed by the local governments in Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell.
While the hospital sale and LifePoint’s management since it bought Danville Regional is still a controversial topic, the hospital has maintained full accreditation from the Joint Commission this year after several months of operating under a “preliminary denial of accreditation.”
The Healthcare Leadership Council will give local people another way to express concerns about and problems with the hospital. Local residents should use the new Healthcare Leadership Council to keep Danville Regional honest - and improving.
The real test of hospital-community relations won’t be the number of complaints the new Healthcare Leadership Council receives, but the number of local people and physicians that put their trust in Danville Regional. If the worst for the hospital is really over, word will get out to the people who have had their confidence in Danville Regional shaken by the events of the past two years.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
"Lifepoint revamps leadership roles to boost performance"
[This article was posted last month in the Nashville Biz Journal, but just recently became available to non-print subscribers. Thought you might find it interesting reading...]
Nashville Business Journal - August 3, 2007
Following a poor second quarter showing that stunned Wall Street, LifePoint Hospitals Inc. is planning a handful of corporate changes to whip its performance back into shape.
Brentwood-based LifePoint (NASDAQ: LPNT) reported earnings 38 cents per share below analyst expectations on July 23, bringing in net income of $13.4 million, or 23 cents per diluted share - down 62 percent from the second quarter of 2006. An average of analysts' estimates projected the company would earn 61 cents per share.
"This caught everyone by surprise," says Robert Hawkins, analyst with Stifel Nicolaus & Co. "It just made people kind-of shake their heads in disbelief and make them wonder can these guys operate these hospitals."
William Carpenter, LifePoint president and CEO, says the company isn't satisfied with its second quarter results, either - which were hurt by bad debt, higher medical malpractice insurance expenses and contract labor costs and professional fees - and it is "executing strategies that we know will improve our performance."
The company has given three of its most senior executives - Joné Koford, Scott Raplee and Mike Weichart - the responsibilities of heading up initiatives to focus on growth, improving operational performance and levering up a value-added corporate center, Carpenter says.
"These are things we've always been focused on, but they're things we recognize needed additional attention in order to be very successful over the long term," Carpenter says. "So we are devoting additional resources to those areas in order to deal with the industry trends we've been seeing."
Koford is president of LifePoint's American division, Raplee is senior vice president, operations CFO and Weichart is president, national division.
Each of the three executives will get a chief operating officer to assist his efforts, and LifePoint will add a chief medical officer to focus on clinical quality.
The company will continue to work on other initiatives to improve results - including comprehensive risk management assessments at hospitals with the highest frequency and severity claims, a premium credit risk reduction program for all hospitals, and targeted programs to minimize incidents and claims in the most frequent risk areas, the company said on the earnings call.
Whit Mayo, analyst with Stephens Inc., says he expects these changes to take longer than a quarter to have an impact.
LifePoint lowered its earnings guidance following the announcement. It expects to report $21.5 to $2.25 per share for the year on revenue of $2.63 billion to $2.65 billion. The company previously predicted earnings of $2.42 to $2.52 per share on revenue of $2.68 billion to $2.69 billion.
Nashville Business Journal - August 3, 2007
Following a poor second quarter showing that stunned Wall Street, LifePoint Hospitals Inc. is planning a handful of corporate changes to whip its performance back into shape.
Brentwood-based LifePoint (NASDAQ: LPNT) reported earnings 38 cents per share below analyst expectations on July 23, bringing in net income of $13.4 million, or 23 cents per diluted share - down 62 percent from the second quarter of 2006. An average of analysts' estimates projected the company would earn 61 cents per share.
"This caught everyone by surprise," says Robert Hawkins, analyst with Stifel Nicolaus & Co. "It just made people kind-of shake their heads in disbelief and make them wonder can these guys operate these hospitals."
William Carpenter, LifePoint president and CEO, says the company isn't satisfied with its second quarter results, either - which were hurt by bad debt, higher medical malpractice insurance expenses and contract labor costs and professional fees - and it is "executing strategies that we know will improve our performance."
The company has given three of its most senior executives - Joné Koford, Scott Raplee and Mike Weichart - the responsibilities of heading up initiatives to focus on growth, improving operational performance and levering up a value-added corporate center, Carpenter says.
"These are things we've always been focused on, but they're things we recognize needed additional attention in order to be very successful over the long term," Carpenter says. "So we are devoting additional resources to those areas in order to deal with the industry trends we've been seeing."
Koford is president of LifePoint's American division, Raplee is senior vice president, operations CFO and Weichart is president, national division.
Each of the three executives will get a chief operating officer to assist his efforts, and LifePoint will add a chief medical officer to focus on clinical quality.
The company will continue to work on other initiatives to improve results - including comprehensive risk management assessments at hospitals with the highest frequency and severity claims, a premium credit risk reduction program for all hospitals, and targeted programs to minimize incidents and claims in the most frequent risk areas, the company said on the earnings call.
Whit Mayo, analyst with Stephens Inc., says he expects these changes to take longer than a quarter to have an impact.
LifePoint lowered its earnings guidance following the announcement. It expects to report $21.5 to $2.25 per share for the year on revenue of $2.63 billion to $2.65 billion. The company previously predicted earnings of $2.42 to $2.52 per share on revenue of $2.68 billion to $2.69 billion.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
"Health care panel ready for the job"
Danville Register & Bee
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
DANVILLE - The new Healthcare Leadership Council is now fully manned and ready to tackle its mission to provide communication between Danville Regional Medical Center and the community.
Two members each from Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C., were appointed, as well as two Danville physicians and a representative from LifePoint Hospitals Inc., which owns the hospital.
Don Nodtvedt and Arlene Creasy will serve from Pittsylvania County, while Al Newman and Harold Williams will serve from Danville. Caswell County representatives are Shirley Deal and Mel Battle. Physician representatives are Drs. Bushan Pandya and Samuel Meadama. Jess Judy will represent LifePoint.
The panel was a recommendation of the Citizens Commission Related to the Danville Regional Medical Center, which gave its final report to City Council on July 3. Danville Mayor Wayne Williams appointed the original panel to look into issues relating to the hospital after LifePoint purchased it two years ago.
“The panel will act as an advisory group,” Mayor Wayne Williams said Monday. “It is a way for citizens to express their concerns and have those expressed to LifePoint.
“It is a group of trusted citizens separate from groups related to the hospital; therefore, they can offer an unbiased evaluation of what is happening at the hospital both good and bad.”
He said the group would serve for an extended duration, perhaps as long as a few years.
Williams selected the physicians who will serve on the board, while the heads of the governing groups of the city and two counties selected their representatives in consultation with the governing boards. Judy volunteered to represent LifePoint.
Creasy retired from the Social Security Administration. She said the panel will open communications between LifePoint management, physicians, staff and the community.
“The perception that is presently being communicated about the hospital … is not always facts - now we should be able to get the facts at the table,” she said.
Creasy said her community involvement will be a key benefit for the panel.
“I know, I see, and I hear from a lot of the people in the city and the county,” she said. “I can be a voice for the people and I am accessible for them. I bring the voice from the northern end of the county. We have medical options (Danville or Lynchburg) and we need to be sure this voice is heard.”
Nodtvedt, who retired last year as plant manager of Nestle, said he was excited to be on the panel.
“I want to make a difference, and if I can in any way be a bridge between the community, the doctors, the staff and the administration of the hospital, count me in,” Nodtvedt said.
“For whatever reason, LifePoint has not been able to have the right kind of relationship with the community. This panel can help establish that relationship such that there is a renewed confidence in the hospital by the community and the hospital can deliver to the needs of the community.”
Newman, a retired businessman with experience working in a medical clinic, said he has never had a bad experience as a patient at Danville Regional.
“I believe LifePoint is trying to get back to a care level that existed before the purchase,” Newman said Monday. “My desire is to help them in any way I can. I go on the board very optimistic. I hope the end will be that the community will once again have confidence in our medical community.”
Battle, a retired educator and former chairman of the Caswell County Board of Commissioners, said he has mixed emotions about care at the hospital.
“I received excellent treatment (at Danville Regional) when I had my heart attack,” Battle said Monday, “but some of my ER visits were not so good.”
Battle said the task force’s mission should be to advise and assist the hospital.
Judy, Gateway Division president for LifePoint, said, “My sense is that this panel will provide an objective group of people who have a goal of ensuring the quality and scope of health care for Danville that is appropriate for the community. It will also bring a sense of reason to the current state of the hospital and be able to clarify the perceptions that exist.
“It is clear the people who evaluate hospitals nationwide are finding the hospital compliant with health care standards, and this panel will serve an objective party to validate that for the citizens of the Dan River Region.”
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
DANVILLE - The new Healthcare Leadership Council is now fully manned and ready to tackle its mission to provide communication between Danville Regional Medical Center and the community.
Two members each from Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C., were appointed, as well as two Danville physicians and a representative from LifePoint Hospitals Inc., which owns the hospital.
Don Nodtvedt and Arlene Creasy will serve from Pittsylvania County, while Al Newman and Harold Williams will serve from Danville. Caswell County representatives are Shirley Deal and Mel Battle. Physician representatives are Drs. Bushan Pandya and Samuel Meadama. Jess Judy will represent LifePoint.
The panel was a recommendation of the Citizens Commission Related to the Danville Regional Medical Center, which gave its final report to City Council on July 3. Danville Mayor Wayne Williams appointed the original panel to look into issues relating to the hospital after LifePoint purchased it two years ago.
“The panel will act as an advisory group,” Mayor Wayne Williams said Monday. “It is a way for citizens to express their concerns and have those expressed to LifePoint.
“It is a group of trusted citizens separate from groups related to the hospital; therefore, they can offer an unbiased evaluation of what is happening at the hospital both good and bad.”
He said the group would serve for an extended duration, perhaps as long as a few years.
Williams selected the physicians who will serve on the board, while the heads of the governing groups of the city and two counties selected their representatives in consultation with the governing boards. Judy volunteered to represent LifePoint.
Creasy retired from the Social Security Administration. She said the panel will open communications between LifePoint management, physicians, staff and the community.
“The perception that is presently being communicated about the hospital … is not always facts - now we should be able to get the facts at the table,” she said.
Creasy said her community involvement will be a key benefit for the panel.
“I know, I see, and I hear from a lot of the people in the city and the county,” she said. “I can be a voice for the people and I am accessible for them. I bring the voice from the northern end of the county. We have medical options (Danville or Lynchburg) and we need to be sure this voice is heard.”
Nodtvedt, who retired last year as plant manager of Nestle, said he was excited to be on the panel.
“I want to make a difference, and if I can in any way be a bridge between the community, the doctors, the staff and the administration of the hospital, count me in,” Nodtvedt said.
“For whatever reason, LifePoint has not been able to have the right kind of relationship with the community. This panel can help establish that relationship such that there is a renewed confidence in the hospital by the community and the hospital can deliver to the needs of the community.”
Newman, a retired businessman with experience working in a medical clinic, said he has never had a bad experience as a patient at Danville Regional.
“I believe LifePoint is trying to get back to a care level that existed before the purchase,” Newman said Monday. “My desire is to help them in any way I can. I go on the board very optimistic. I hope the end will be that the community will once again have confidence in our medical community.”
Battle, a retired educator and former chairman of the Caswell County Board of Commissioners, said he has mixed emotions about care at the hospital.
“I received excellent treatment (at Danville Regional) when I had my heart attack,” Battle said Monday, “but some of my ER visits were not so good.”
Battle said the task force’s mission should be to advise and assist the hospital.
Judy, Gateway Division president for LifePoint, said, “My sense is that this panel will provide an objective group of people who have a goal of ensuring the quality and scope of health care for Danville that is appropriate for the community. It will also bring a sense of reason to the current state of the hospital and be able to clarify the perceptions that exist.
“It is clear the people who evaluate hospitals nationwide are finding the hospital compliant with health care standards, and this panel will serve an objective party to validate that for the citizens of the Dan River Region.”
Monday, August 27, 2007
"Regional foundation begins health assessment"
Star Tribune
Friday, August 24, 2007 8:10 AM EDT
DANVILLE - Danville Regional Foundation is conducting a formal assessment of the health of Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell counties to use as a guide in developing strategies to improve the overall health of the community."One of our four areas of focus is health and wellness," said Karl Stauber, chief executive officer of the foundation. "We want to contribute to producing healthy people in healthy communities.
"To accomplish that goal, we begin by identifying the key health issues and learn where we stand as a community," said Stauber. "When we have collected the data and when we have the benefit of the opinions of the community, then the Foundation can consider long-term strategic action to address health issues."The foundation needs "to have an accurate and comprehensive picture of the community's health status, as well as ideas on how we can best utilize our resources," said Stauber."We take the snapshot by reaching out to the community to collect and analyze information, and that is what we expect to have from this assessment," he continued.The assessment is also intended to identify individuals and organizations interested in addressing health issues and trends.
A team from the Office of Rural and Community Health of East Tennessee State University will conduct the assessment, which will include interviews with individuals, discussions with health-related organizations and meetings with groups that represent a cross-section of the community.The health assessment will be completed in approximately 90 days.The foundation also will be conducting two additional assessments, one on education and workforce development capacity and the second on economic and community development.Danville Regional Foundation was established following the sale of Danville Regional Medical Center to LifePoint Hospitals Inc. for $210 million in 2005.In its two years, the foundation has announced grants of approximately $17.5 million to five not-for-profit organizations and governing agencies in Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell counties.The new community center under construction on Main Street in Chatham was funded with a $3 million grant from the foundation.
Friday, August 24, 2007 8:10 AM EDT
DANVILLE - Danville Regional Foundation is conducting a formal assessment of the health of Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell counties to use as a guide in developing strategies to improve the overall health of the community."One of our four areas of focus is health and wellness," said Karl Stauber, chief executive officer of the foundation. "We want to contribute to producing healthy people in healthy communities.
"To accomplish that goal, we begin by identifying the key health issues and learn where we stand as a community," said Stauber. "When we have collected the data and when we have the benefit of the opinions of the community, then the Foundation can consider long-term strategic action to address health issues."The foundation needs "to have an accurate and comprehensive picture of the community's health status, as well as ideas on how we can best utilize our resources," said Stauber."We take the snapshot by reaching out to the community to collect and analyze information, and that is what we expect to have from this assessment," he continued.The assessment is also intended to identify individuals and organizations interested in addressing health issues and trends.
A team from the Office of Rural and Community Health of East Tennessee State University will conduct the assessment, which will include interviews with individuals, discussions with health-related organizations and meetings with groups that represent a cross-section of the community.The health assessment will be completed in approximately 90 days.The foundation also will be conducting two additional assessments, one on education and workforce development capacity and the second on economic and community development.Danville Regional Foundation was established following the sale of Danville Regional Medical Center to LifePoint Hospitals Inc. for $210 million in 2005.In its two years, the foundation has announced grants of approximately $17.5 million to five not-for-profit organizations and governing agencies in Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell counties.The new community center under construction on Main Street in Chatham was funded with a $3 million grant from the foundation.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
"Moving on"
Danville Register and Bee
August 26, 2007
Danville Regional Medical Center remains a fully accredited hospital. After a bruising several months that seemed to validate critics of the hospital and its corporate parent, LifePoint Hospitals Inc., the hospital has emerged from the Joint Commission’s “preliminary denial of accreditation.”
Thursday’s news followed last month’s announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that Danville Regional “remains in compliance” with Medicare standards.
The two announcements mean Danville Regional has proven itself to outside, independent agencies that look at thousands of health care facilities all over the country. It means that Danville Regional has fixed many, if not most, of its problems. It means the hospital deserves a second chance from its toughest critics.
That’s not a politically correct thing to say in some circles. Some people believe LifePoint is a spoiler of hospitals and that the Tennessee-based company destroyed our local hospital. But we’d like to think that the Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services know a thing or two about how a hospital is supposed to be run.
What does the future hold? If local residents don’t now support Danville Regional Medical Center, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the hospital to remain a viable health care facility.
Consider the case of Dr. Lee McCann, who is leaving Danville Regional - where he serves as medical director of cardiovascular surgery - to take a position in Utah.
McCann’s practice has suffered, he claims, because fewer patients want to be treated at Danville Regional. It wouldn’t be surprising to hear a lot of local doctors say the same thing.
“Things have gotten so bad at Danville Regional that when we got another offer, we had to look at it,” McCann said. “… My office is now in the red, and I can’t keep losing money. Duke has probably lost money as well, and they are getting scared.”
Getting a man like Lee McCann educated and ready to practice medicine is a long, expensive process. Doctors need to be able to have financially viable practices. If McCann couldn’t attract enough patients to make enough money because local residents didn’t want to be treated at Danville Regional, what does that mean for the community?
Over time, fewer patients using the hospital would force the hospital to offer fewer services, which would decrease the number of patients, which would lead to future service cuts.
If that cycle continues, eventually everyone would be forced to go out of town for hospital care. That would have a profound, negative effect on everything from the quality of life to economic and community development in the Dan River Region.
It would be wrong to tell people to go to Danville Regional if the hospital wasn’t making real progress. People need more motivation that just a boilerplate call to support a local business.
But with the hospital showing demonstrative, positive and verified progress, shunning Danville Regional becomes an act of community suicide.
Danville needs a good, strong hospital, and this week’s news is a good step on the hospital’s part to rebuild its relationship with the community. It’s time for the community to take the next step - while it still can.
August 26, 2007
Danville Regional Medical Center remains a fully accredited hospital. After a bruising several months that seemed to validate critics of the hospital and its corporate parent, LifePoint Hospitals Inc., the hospital has emerged from the Joint Commission’s “preliminary denial of accreditation.”
Thursday’s news followed last month’s announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that Danville Regional “remains in compliance” with Medicare standards.
The two announcements mean Danville Regional has proven itself to outside, independent agencies that look at thousands of health care facilities all over the country. It means that Danville Regional has fixed many, if not most, of its problems. It means the hospital deserves a second chance from its toughest critics.
That’s not a politically correct thing to say in some circles. Some people believe LifePoint is a spoiler of hospitals and that the Tennessee-based company destroyed our local hospital. But we’d like to think that the Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services know a thing or two about how a hospital is supposed to be run.
What does the future hold? If local residents don’t now support Danville Regional Medical Center, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the hospital to remain a viable health care facility.
Consider the case of Dr. Lee McCann, who is leaving Danville Regional - where he serves as medical director of cardiovascular surgery - to take a position in Utah.
McCann’s practice has suffered, he claims, because fewer patients want to be treated at Danville Regional. It wouldn’t be surprising to hear a lot of local doctors say the same thing.
“Things have gotten so bad at Danville Regional that when we got another offer, we had to look at it,” McCann said. “… My office is now in the red, and I can’t keep losing money. Duke has probably lost money as well, and they are getting scared.”
Getting a man like Lee McCann educated and ready to practice medicine is a long, expensive process. Doctors need to be able to have financially viable practices. If McCann couldn’t attract enough patients to make enough money because local residents didn’t want to be treated at Danville Regional, what does that mean for the community?
Over time, fewer patients using the hospital would force the hospital to offer fewer services, which would decrease the number of patients, which would lead to future service cuts.
If that cycle continues, eventually everyone would be forced to go out of town for hospital care. That would have a profound, negative effect on everything from the quality of life to economic and community development in the Dan River Region.
It would be wrong to tell people to go to Danville Regional if the hospital wasn’t making real progress. People need more motivation that just a boilerplate call to support a local business.
But with the hospital showing demonstrative, positive and verified progress, shunning Danville Regional becomes an act of community suicide.
Danville needs a good, strong hospital, and this week’s news is a good step on the hospital’s part to rebuild its relationship with the community. It’s time for the community to take the next step - while it still can.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
"Danville Regional Medical Center retains its accreditation"
Danville Register and Bee
Thursday, August 23, 2007
DANVILLE – The Joint Commission has notified Danville Regional Medical Center that it remains an accredited organization and that the Joint Commission has removed a preliminary denial of accreditation. Read the full story in Friday’s Register & Bee.
Read the report here:
http://media.gatewayva.com/registerbee/specials/Report.pdf
Thursday, August 23, 2007
DANVILLE – The Joint Commission has notified Danville Regional Medical Center that it remains an accredited organization and that the Joint Commission has removed a preliminary denial of accreditation. Read the full story in Friday’s Register & Bee.
Read the report here:
http://media.gatewayva.com/registerbee/specials/Report.pdf
Saturday, August 18, 2007
"Surgeon cites finances in departure"
Danville Register & Bee
Friday, August 17, 2007
DANVILLE - When Dr. Lee McCann moved to Danville two years ago, he thought his family would stay here until his children graduated from high school. His youngest of five children is 2.
Offers from other hospitals have come and gone throughout the two years McCann has been the medical director of cardiovascular surgery at Danville Regional Medical Center and on the staff at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
The doctor didn’t consider any of the offers, however, until about six months ago when his patient load decreased because, he believes, patients no longer wanted to be treated at DanvilleRegional.
“Things have gotten so bad at Danville Regional that when we got another offer, we had to look at it,” McCann said Monday. “You get offers all the time. We have gotten multiple offers over the last two years, and we haven’t even looked at them because we love it here and wanted to stay.”
His situation, however, has changed considerably since he came to Danville, accepting his first full-time job after 17 years of medicaleducation.“My office is now in the red, and I can’t keep losing money,” McCann said. “Duke has probably lost money as well, and they are getting scared.”When he got the offer from Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, McCann told Dr. Peter Smith, chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Duke, he would have to consider it.
The hospital responds
Danville Regional spokesman John Van Mol said the hospital or its parent company, LifePoint Hospitals Inc., shouldn’t shoulder the blame for McCann’s departure.
“When there is an insufficient number of patients in a particular service line, there are almost always a variety of factors that cause it. A variety of reasons, too, no doubt caused the previous open heart surgeon at the hospital to make a decision to leave, well in advance of LifePoint’s purchase of the hospital,” Van Mol said Friday in a written statement. “Therefore, it is inaccurate to say low patient volume is ‘LifePoint’s fault,’ just as it is inaccurate to say it is ‘the surgeon’s fault’ or ‘Danville Regional’s fault,’ or ‘referring physicians’ fault.’”
A news release from the hospital issued Monday announced not only the departure of McCann, but also that Duke would work together with Danville Regional to conduct a “service line assessment” to “determine how (Danville Regional) and Duke will work together to improve cardiovascular care” at the hospital.
“(Duke) can’t keep pouring resources into the hospital,” McCann said. “Duke is afraid, and anything they put their name on has to succeed. Duke agreed to look at it, but by no means agreed to anything.
“They agreed to look at this mess and see if they can help fix it,” he added. “They might agree that it’s too bad, and they won’t go down in flames with the hospital. Or they could fix it, and it would cost Danville Regional a boatload of money.
“There are no guarantees from Duke. But, for all I know, they could turn around in a year and say they could do it. They’re not ruling any possibilities out.”
McCann said he and his wife have agonized over this for six months and have done everything they could to avoid it, but in the end he left because “I couldn’t pay my practice’s bills.”
Van Mol said, “It is true that the revenue from the practice has failed to cover its costs, but all the costs including full pay and benefits for Dr. McCann have been covered by Danville Regional and LifePoint.”
In his own announcement sent to his physician colleagues, McCann wrote, “The situation here has deteriorated to the point that the future of my fairly young career and that of my family are very insecure. Changes in the hospital ownership and administration, and, importantly, public perception of these changes have significantly altered our practice, both in terms of quality and volume.
“Frankly, patients no longer want to come to this hospital for cardiac surgical care despite my best efforts to establish a good program and a respectable reputation ... It will take time for the hospital to gain enough trust back so that patients will return.”During Monday’s interview, he said, “I would like to see the hospital survive and succeed, but in order to do that, there has to be open, honest dialogue. LifePoint needs to do that.”
‘a battle’
“What Dr. McCann says is true,” Dr. Gary Miller, a cardiologist and the hospital’s former chief of staff, said Tuesday. “He did like the community.”Miller called the heart program at Danville Regional a “best-kept secret.”“It was working,” he said. “The infection and mortality rates were extremely low, but people probably didn’t know that.“ But we do catheterizations and recommend surgery, but people say they have heard about the hospital and assume the heart program is not doing well, which it was. One section of the hospital is rubbing off on the other.”
Miller said the heart doctors have been seeing people with a relatively low risk for heart surgery, but the patients are refusing to have it done at Danville Regional and doctors have to send them elsewhere.“
It’s been a battle,” he said. “We’ve always had an agreement with Duke that we would send them the high-risk patients - those that have a 10 to 15 percent chance of dying - but when we have to give up people that will do well, that’s hard.”Miller said that the patient census has been very heavy the last few days, and he did seven angioplasties in seven days because of the effect the hot weather has had on people. “But I have known the surgery numbers have been down for some time because people are opting to go elsewhere because of the things that have gone on in the hospital,” Miller said. “There is always a small minority who have gone out of town (for care), but what has really hurt is that now the average Joe citizen who could stay here is leaving.”
Miller is hopeful, however, that the situation at the hospital will improve soon.“We’ve been working with LifePoint, and I think the interim people here are now much more responsive to the physicians and patients,” he said. “We are being listened to.”Miller said he is confident the hospital will retain its Joint Commission accreditation, but called the effect of McCann’s leaving “demoralizing.”
“The people who work there are proud of the heart program,” he said. “The whole team knew they were doing a good job, and it is very demoralizing to those who worked hard to bring the program here.
“If a program fails because they’re not doing a good job, that’s one thing, but it was not failing. It failed for other reasons.
“It’s a downward spiral, and it feeds on itself.”Miller said he thinks the doctors and nurses are gradually regaining the confidence of the patients.
“We’ve hired enough nurses,” he said. “Even though they are young nurses, we have enough. We have episodic shortages, but it’s not every day.
“But LifePoint has to continue to do what they said they would do. They have to provide enough staff and not worry about the bottom line. If we give good service and people are happy, then business will be good.“We still have a long way to go. We haven’t given up on the heart center. We are going to look at it.”
‘support the hospital’
Cardiologist Dr. Bosh Zakhary said the community deserves part of the blame for the low-patient census at the hospital. “I think the whole community is blaming the hospital, but part of the responsibility lies with the community,” he said Thursday. “The physicians haven’t changed, the programs haven’t changed and LifePoint has realized they have made mistakes and they are rectifying those.”
He took issue with a study that came out recently that reported higher mortality rates among heart patients at Danville Regional. In the study published in June, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a division of the Health and Human Services, ranked Danville as one of the seven worst hospitals nationwide for heart attack mortality rates.
Although that study did not concern the cardiovascular surgery program McCann headed, Zakhary said the community was influenced by it. “The outcomes published recently on heart care were erroneous, and we are looking at this,” he said. “Other studies show better outcomes.”
Zakhary said people in the community were not happy with the sale of the hospital, so any time a problem is reported with the hospital, the community’s perception is blown out of proportion. “When people see the problems, they do not come to the hospital,” he said, “and that led to Dr. McCann leaving.”
Changes in the hospital, such as the flow in the emergency department and how heart patients are handled, are occurring, which will result in equal or better care than before the sale, Zakhary said.
“The rest will be up to the community,” he said. “They need to stay in town and support the hospital. We can only do what we can do.”
Friday, August 17, 2007
DANVILLE - When Dr. Lee McCann moved to Danville two years ago, he thought his family would stay here until his children graduated from high school. His youngest of five children is 2.
Offers from other hospitals have come and gone throughout the two years McCann has been the medical director of cardiovascular surgery at Danville Regional Medical Center and on the staff at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
The doctor didn’t consider any of the offers, however, until about six months ago when his patient load decreased because, he believes, patients no longer wanted to be treated at DanvilleRegional.
“Things have gotten so bad at Danville Regional that when we got another offer, we had to look at it,” McCann said Monday. “You get offers all the time. We have gotten multiple offers over the last two years, and we haven’t even looked at them because we love it here and wanted to stay.”
His situation, however, has changed considerably since he came to Danville, accepting his first full-time job after 17 years of medicaleducation.“My office is now in the red, and I can’t keep losing money,” McCann said. “Duke has probably lost money as well, and they are getting scared.”When he got the offer from Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, McCann told Dr. Peter Smith, chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Duke, he would have to consider it.
The hospital responds
Danville Regional spokesman John Van Mol said the hospital or its parent company, LifePoint Hospitals Inc., shouldn’t shoulder the blame for McCann’s departure.
“When there is an insufficient number of patients in a particular service line, there are almost always a variety of factors that cause it. A variety of reasons, too, no doubt caused the previous open heart surgeon at the hospital to make a decision to leave, well in advance of LifePoint’s purchase of the hospital,” Van Mol said Friday in a written statement. “Therefore, it is inaccurate to say low patient volume is ‘LifePoint’s fault,’ just as it is inaccurate to say it is ‘the surgeon’s fault’ or ‘Danville Regional’s fault,’ or ‘referring physicians’ fault.’”
A news release from the hospital issued Monday announced not only the departure of McCann, but also that Duke would work together with Danville Regional to conduct a “service line assessment” to “determine how (Danville Regional) and Duke will work together to improve cardiovascular care” at the hospital.
“(Duke) can’t keep pouring resources into the hospital,” McCann said. “Duke is afraid, and anything they put their name on has to succeed. Duke agreed to look at it, but by no means agreed to anything.
“They agreed to look at this mess and see if they can help fix it,” he added. “They might agree that it’s too bad, and they won’t go down in flames with the hospital. Or they could fix it, and it would cost Danville Regional a boatload of money.
“There are no guarantees from Duke. But, for all I know, they could turn around in a year and say they could do it. They’re not ruling any possibilities out.”
McCann said he and his wife have agonized over this for six months and have done everything they could to avoid it, but in the end he left because “I couldn’t pay my practice’s bills.”
Van Mol said, “It is true that the revenue from the practice has failed to cover its costs, but all the costs including full pay and benefits for Dr. McCann have been covered by Danville Regional and LifePoint.”
In his own announcement sent to his physician colleagues, McCann wrote, “The situation here has deteriorated to the point that the future of my fairly young career and that of my family are very insecure. Changes in the hospital ownership and administration, and, importantly, public perception of these changes have significantly altered our practice, both in terms of quality and volume.
“Frankly, patients no longer want to come to this hospital for cardiac surgical care despite my best efforts to establish a good program and a respectable reputation ... It will take time for the hospital to gain enough trust back so that patients will return.”During Monday’s interview, he said, “I would like to see the hospital survive and succeed, but in order to do that, there has to be open, honest dialogue. LifePoint needs to do that.”
‘a battle’
“What Dr. McCann says is true,” Dr. Gary Miller, a cardiologist and the hospital’s former chief of staff, said Tuesday. “He did like the community.”Miller called the heart program at Danville Regional a “best-kept secret.”“It was working,” he said. “The infection and mortality rates were extremely low, but people probably didn’t know that.“ But we do catheterizations and recommend surgery, but people say they have heard about the hospital and assume the heart program is not doing well, which it was. One section of the hospital is rubbing off on the other.”
Miller said the heart doctors have been seeing people with a relatively low risk for heart surgery, but the patients are refusing to have it done at Danville Regional and doctors have to send them elsewhere.“
It’s been a battle,” he said. “We’ve always had an agreement with Duke that we would send them the high-risk patients - those that have a 10 to 15 percent chance of dying - but when we have to give up people that will do well, that’s hard.”Miller said that the patient census has been very heavy the last few days, and he did seven angioplasties in seven days because of the effect the hot weather has had on people. “But I have known the surgery numbers have been down for some time because people are opting to go elsewhere because of the things that have gone on in the hospital,” Miller said. “There is always a small minority who have gone out of town (for care), but what has really hurt is that now the average Joe citizen who could stay here is leaving.”
Miller is hopeful, however, that the situation at the hospital will improve soon.“We’ve been working with LifePoint, and I think the interim people here are now much more responsive to the physicians and patients,” he said. “We are being listened to.”Miller said he is confident the hospital will retain its Joint Commission accreditation, but called the effect of McCann’s leaving “demoralizing.”
“The people who work there are proud of the heart program,” he said. “The whole team knew they were doing a good job, and it is very demoralizing to those who worked hard to bring the program here.
“If a program fails because they’re not doing a good job, that’s one thing, but it was not failing. It failed for other reasons.
“It’s a downward spiral, and it feeds on itself.”Miller said he thinks the doctors and nurses are gradually regaining the confidence of the patients.
“We’ve hired enough nurses,” he said. “Even though they are young nurses, we have enough. We have episodic shortages, but it’s not every day.
“But LifePoint has to continue to do what they said they would do. They have to provide enough staff and not worry about the bottom line. If we give good service and people are happy, then business will be good.“We still have a long way to go. We haven’t given up on the heart center. We are going to look at it.”
‘support the hospital’
Cardiologist Dr. Bosh Zakhary said the community deserves part of the blame for the low-patient census at the hospital. “I think the whole community is blaming the hospital, but part of the responsibility lies with the community,” he said Thursday. “The physicians haven’t changed, the programs haven’t changed and LifePoint has realized they have made mistakes and they are rectifying those.”
He took issue with a study that came out recently that reported higher mortality rates among heart patients at Danville Regional. In the study published in June, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a division of the Health and Human Services, ranked Danville as one of the seven worst hospitals nationwide for heart attack mortality rates.
Although that study did not concern the cardiovascular surgery program McCann headed, Zakhary said the community was influenced by it. “The outcomes published recently on heart care were erroneous, and we are looking at this,” he said. “Other studies show better outcomes.”
Zakhary said people in the community were not happy with the sale of the hospital, so any time a problem is reported with the hospital, the community’s perception is blown out of proportion. “When people see the problems, they do not come to the hospital,” he said, “and that led to Dr. McCann leaving.”
Changes in the hospital, such as the flow in the emergency department and how heart patients are handled, are occurring, which will result in equal or better care than before the sale, Zakhary said.
“The rest will be up to the community,” he said. “They need to stay in town and support the hospital. We can only do what we can do.”
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Draw your own conclusions...
Thanks to one of our regular contributors, I received a copy of the email letter from Jess to members of the medical staff. Here you go...from mid-July...
"Dear All,
Sorry I cannot be with you tonight. I would appreciate you all discussing how to deal with members of the Medical Staff who continue to misrepresent issues about the hospital and its future. For example, there are continued statements about the hospital being sold and even who is buying it. This is only serving to create more uncertainty among the staff and community causing much more damage locally than it is Lifepoint. It might be a good reminder for folks that we are a $2.4B company that can survive and actually do quite well even if a few of our hospitals do not. Lifepoint has no plans to sell DRMC.
Establishing competing businesses such as an ambulatory surgery center would be a lengthy COPN process and even if successful would further erode the economics of the hospital leading any owner with little choice but to reduce services. This might benefit the owners of the competing business while those who depend on the hospital for their practices would lose out.
While some might want something different the choices we have are to work together and collectively move DRMC in a positive direction or allow divisiveness and untruths to create a no win situation for us all. I trust you will take the cooperative approach and try to convince your colleagues to do the same.
We are committed to working with you and the Medical Staff and expect the DRMC executive team to fulfill that commitment. Thanks for taking time to serve on Medical Staff Action Committee. I know we can accomplish much with a shared vision of making DRMC the hospital of choice for the citizens of the Dan River Region. Take care and please let me know how I can help.
Jess"
"Dear All,
Sorry I cannot be with you tonight. I would appreciate you all discussing how to deal with members of the Medical Staff who continue to misrepresent issues about the hospital and its future. For example, there are continued statements about the hospital being sold and even who is buying it. This is only serving to create more uncertainty among the staff and community causing much more damage locally than it is Lifepoint. It might be a good reminder for folks that we are a $2.4B company that can survive and actually do quite well even if a few of our hospitals do not. Lifepoint has no plans to sell DRMC.
Establishing competing businesses such as an ambulatory surgery center would be a lengthy COPN process and even if successful would further erode the economics of the hospital leading any owner with little choice but to reduce services. This might benefit the owners of the competing business while those who depend on the hospital for their practices would lose out.
While some might want something different the choices we have are to work together and collectively move DRMC in a positive direction or allow divisiveness and untruths to create a no win situation for us all. I trust you will take the cooperative approach and try to convince your colleagues to do the same.
We are committed to working with you and the Medical Staff and expect the DRMC executive team to fulfill that commitment. Thanks for taking time to serve on Medical Staff Action Committee. I know we can accomplish much with a shared vision of making DRMC the hospital of choice for the citizens of the Dan River Region. Take care and please let me know how I can help.
Jess"
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
"Medical director of Heart Center to leave for Utah position"
Danville Register & Bee
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
DANVILLE - Danville Regional Medical Center announced Monday that Dr. Lee McCann, medical director of the hospital’s Heart Center of the Piedmont, will be leaving to take a position at Utah Valley Regional Hospital in Provo, Utah.
With that announcement, the hospital also announced that it will be doing a “service line assessment” in collaboration with the clinical staff of the Duke Heart Center and local cardiologists to improve the cardiovascular care at Danville Regional.
The assessment will take approximately five months.
A hospital spokesman said he did not know if Danville Regional would be actively seeking a replacement for McCann while the assessment is being conducted.
McCann has been with Danville Regional for two years.
The Heart Center of the Piedmont was opened in 2003 and was affiliated with Duke Medical Center until December 2005 when Duke withdrew its affiliation. However, McCann continued to be part of the Duke staff and worked principally at Danville Regional.
McCann will leave for Utah in approximately six months.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
DANVILLE - Danville Regional Medical Center announced Monday that Dr. Lee McCann, medical director of the hospital’s Heart Center of the Piedmont, will be leaving to take a position at Utah Valley Regional Hospital in Provo, Utah.
With that announcement, the hospital also announced that it will be doing a “service line assessment” in collaboration with the clinical staff of the Duke Heart Center and local cardiologists to improve the cardiovascular care at Danville Regional.
The assessment will take approximately five months.
A hospital spokesman said he did not know if Danville Regional would be actively seeking a replacement for McCann while the assessment is being conducted.
McCann has been with Danville Regional for two years.
The Heart Center of the Piedmont was opened in 2003 and was affiliated with Duke Medical Center until December 2005 when Duke withdrew its affiliation. However, McCann continued to be part of the Duke staff and worked principally at Danville Regional.
McCann will leave for Utah in approximately six months.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Responses on DRMC's "News & Views" website
DRMC is responding to questions from visitors to their "News & Views" site, so I thought I'd post them here for your reference. Regardless of your opinion about the answers given, kudos to DRMC for starting the site and answering questions in a very timely manner.
What “expansion” plans were actually planned by DRMC prior to LifePoint’s purchase? Was LifePoint following through on previously initiated projects? Is LifePoint taking credit for these projects?
Obviously, there is a big difference financially in planning an expansion and actually paying for it after the planning is completed. LifePoint is following through, as you put it, on certain projects that had been in the planning stages before the acquisition, thus far to the tune of approximately $29 million by the end of 2007. And yes, funding certain projects was part of the asset purchase agreement under which the hospital was acquired. “Taking credit” is probably in the eyes of the beholder. It seems likely those previously responsible for DRMC should “take credit” for planning the expansions and getting them put into the asset purchase agreement, and it’s equally logical that LifePoint should “take credit” for spending corporate funds to complete the work. No matter who gets or takes the credit, by the end of the year, the community is scheduled to have $29 million more in needed health care assets than it did before the acquisition took place.
Does LifePoint have a seat at the leadership council table and what will it do with the findings?
We will have a seat at the table with Mr. Jess Judy’s involvement on the leadership council as well as our new CEO when he or she is hired. Danville Regional Medical Center is committed to being a high-quality medical center that meets this community’s health care needs. We welcome the suggestions of the leadership council toward meeting that goal.
http://danvillenewsandviews.com/index.php/site/homepage/
What “expansion” plans were actually planned by DRMC prior to LifePoint’s purchase? Was LifePoint following through on previously initiated projects? Is LifePoint taking credit for these projects?
Obviously, there is a big difference financially in planning an expansion and actually paying for it after the planning is completed. LifePoint is following through, as you put it, on certain projects that had been in the planning stages before the acquisition, thus far to the tune of approximately $29 million by the end of 2007. And yes, funding certain projects was part of the asset purchase agreement under which the hospital was acquired. “Taking credit” is probably in the eyes of the beholder. It seems likely those previously responsible for DRMC should “take credit” for planning the expansions and getting them put into the asset purchase agreement, and it’s equally logical that LifePoint should “take credit” for spending corporate funds to complete the work. No matter who gets or takes the credit, by the end of the year, the community is scheduled to have $29 million more in needed health care assets than it did before the acquisition took place.
Does LifePoint have a seat at the leadership council table and what will it do with the findings?
We will have a seat at the table with Mr. Jess Judy’s involvement on the leadership council as well as our new CEO when he or she is hired. Danville Regional Medical Center is committed to being a high-quality medical center that meets this community’s health care needs. We welcome the suggestions of the leadership council toward meeting that goal.
http://danvillenewsandviews.com/index.php/site/homepage/
"Leaders discuss hospital panel"
Danville Register & Bee
Thursday, August 9, 2007
DANVILLE - A new Health Leadership Council will be formed to communicate concerns between the public and Danville Regional Medical Center, which is owned by LifePoint Hospitals Inc.
The Citizens’ Commission, which explored what is good and bad about services at the hospital through public forums, recommended the formation of a permanent council.
Mayor Wayne Williams; George Ward, chairman of the Caswell County (N.C.) Board of Commissioners; Caswell County Manager Kevin B. Howard; and Coy Harville, chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, met with representatives from Danville Regional and concerned citizens Wednesday to discuss the new council.
No decisions were made on who would sit on the council, but nine people - two each from Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, as well as two physicians and one LifePoint executive - will be appointed to two-year terms.
The purpose of the council will be communicating the public’s concerns to the hospital and making sure the public is kept informed of what Danville Regional is doing in response to their concerns.
Williams said he hoped the council could operate autonomously, create their own bylaws and work at regaining trust in the hospital.
The panel will meet again in about two weeks to discuss their candidates for the Health Leadership Council.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
DANVILLE - A new Health Leadership Council will be formed to communicate concerns between the public and Danville Regional Medical Center, which is owned by LifePoint Hospitals Inc.
The Citizens’ Commission, which explored what is good and bad about services at the hospital through public forums, recommended the formation of a permanent council.
Mayor Wayne Williams; George Ward, chairman of the Caswell County (N.C.) Board of Commissioners; Caswell County Manager Kevin B. Howard; and Coy Harville, chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, met with representatives from Danville Regional and concerned citizens Wednesday to discuss the new council.
No decisions were made on who would sit on the council, but nine people - two each from Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, as well as two physicians and one LifePoint executive - will be appointed to two-year terms.
The purpose of the council will be communicating the public’s concerns to the hospital and making sure the public is kept informed of what Danville Regional is doing in response to their concerns.
Williams said he hoped the council could operate autonomously, create their own bylaws and work at regaining trust in the hospital.
The panel will meet again in about two weeks to discuss their candidates for the Health Leadership Council.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
"County names representatives"
Star Tribune -- August 7, 2007
Westover District Supervisor Coy Harville said Monday night he would appoint Don Nodtvedt and Arlene Creasy to represent the county on a leadership group to work with Danville Regional Medical Center and its parent company, Tennessee-based LifePoint Hospitals.A citizens commission that spent four months hearing concerns about the hospital had recommended the panel. Making its report to Danville City Council last month, the commission said the new panel should have members from the region, including physicians and community leaders.
Harville, who chairs the Board of Supervisors, said Danville and Caswell County, N.C., would also have two members. He said officials would meet Wednesday about the panel.Harville said he wants the group to gather community input about the hospital and provide it to LifePoint.
Westover District Supervisor Coy Harville said Monday night he would appoint Don Nodtvedt and Arlene Creasy to represent the county on a leadership group to work with Danville Regional Medical Center and its parent company, Tennessee-based LifePoint Hospitals.A citizens commission that spent four months hearing concerns about the hospital had recommended the panel. Making its report to Danville City Council last month, the commission said the new panel should have members from the region, including physicians and community leaders.
Harville, who chairs the Board of Supervisors, said Danville and Caswell County, N.C., would also have two members. He said officials would meet Wednesday about the panel.Harville said he wants the group to gather community input about the hospital and provide it to LifePoint.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Something to ponder...
Today's editorial got me to thinking....from a PR perspective, at what point can an organization's reputation in its community (either neutral or negative) impact the idea of charity or community service in the public's mind?
http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB%2FMGArticle%2FDRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352276754&path=%21news%21opinion
Your thoughts?
http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB%2FMGArticle%2FDRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352276754&path=%21news%21opinion
Your thoughts?
DRMC open line...part deux
This post was in a couple of threads, so I thought I'd bring it to the front page...it's a question posted on the "News & Views" website. (http://danvillenewsandviews.com/)
"Why was the Danville Regional executive team in Nashville last week? To discuss downsizing at DRMC?
The Danville Regional Medical Center leadership team was in Tennessee, along with their counterparts from all of the company’s hospitals, to attend the annual operations meeting. There are no plans to downsize DRMC. Rather, there are plans to continue to increase services at DRMC with the expansion on the sixth floor, the purchase of a linear accelerator and additional diagnostic equipment."
"Why was the Danville Regional executive team in Nashville last week? To discuss downsizing at DRMC?
The Danville Regional Medical Center leadership team was in Tennessee, along with their counterparts from all of the company’s hospitals, to attend the annual operations meeting. There are no plans to downsize DRMC. Rather, there are plans to continue to increase services at DRMC with the expansion on the sixth floor, the purchase of a linear accelerator and additional diagnostic equipment."
Saturday, August 4, 2007
"What can money do?"
Danville Register and Bee editorial
Sunday, August 5, 2007
One of Danville’s newest residents, Karl Stauber, started his new job as president and CEO of the Danville Regional Foundation this week wondering how the catastrophic collapse of an Interstate highway bridge in his old hometown is affecting life there.
Stauber is in the process of moving from Minneapolis, where a mammoth bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed during rush hour this week. Stauber’s wife is still living in the Twin Cities, but she wasn’t harmed in the incident.
Unexpected catastrophic events challenge communities. Some of them are able to shake off tragedy and loss, while others have a tougher time coming to grips with what has happened to them.
In many ways, that describes Danville today. The city has a lot of assets, but it has also lost a lot of its former identity. Complicating matters for Stauber is the controversial founding of the Danville Regional Foundation.
The foundation was formed with $200 million LifePoint Hospitals Inc. paid for Danville Regional Medical Center two years ago. The board of directors that sold the hospital became the founding board members of the foundation. That ignited a controversy that continues to this day.
To his advantage, Stauber is aware of the situation he has come into. To his credit, he appears willing to work hard to help the foundation use its assets - estimated to be approximately $10 million per year - to advance the health, education and welfare of the people of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C.
In all likelihood, the way the Danville Regional Foundation started - and the problems experienced at Danville Regional Medical Center over the past two years - will continue to follow Dr. Bob Ashby, James A. Motley, Richard Barkhouser, Ben Davenport and Charles Majors. It’s a problem between those five men and what is, in all likelihood, a fairly large segment of the community.
But the Danville Regional Foundation has the kind of community-changing resources that can easily outlive the controversy over the foundation’s birth. A year ago, the foundation gave $2 million to build a senior community center in Yanceyville, N.C.; $3 million to Chatham Cares Inc. to build a community center in Chatham; $9.7 million to Danville Community College to build a health sciences center; and $1.7 million to the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority for a research building in the Cyber Park.
Those grants, totaling $16.4 million, were made to settle a dispute with the IRS. Once the Danville Regional Foundation starts making annual grants, it’s expected to spend $10 million per year - a staggering $100 million over the course of a decade.
How will the projects funded with that money - over time - change this community? Many local people have longed for positive change. The Danville Regional Foundation is one way to bring about those positive changes.
“I’m excited about the opportunities here,” Stauber said this week. “I think right now Danville is an undiscovered secret.”
Stauber’s extensive background should help the Danville Regional Foundation find and support vital community-changing projects.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
One of Danville’s newest residents, Karl Stauber, started his new job as president and CEO of the Danville Regional Foundation this week wondering how the catastrophic collapse of an Interstate highway bridge in his old hometown is affecting life there.
Stauber is in the process of moving from Minneapolis, where a mammoth bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed during rush hour this week. Stauber’s wife is still living in the Twin Cities, but she wasn’t harmed in the incident.
Unexpected catastrophic events challenge communities. Some of them are able to shake off tragedy and loss, while others have a tougher time coming to grips with what has happened to them.
In many ways, that describes Danville today. The city has a lot of assets, but it has also lost a lot of its former identity. Complicating matters for Stauber is the controversial founding of the Danville Regional Foundation.
The foundation was formed with $200 million LifePoint Hospitals Inc. paid for Danville Regional Medical Center two years ago. The board of directors that sold the hospital became the founding board members of the foundation. That ignited a controversy that continues to this day.
To his advantage, Stauber is aware of the situation he has come into. To his credit, he appears willing to work hard to help the foundation use its assets - estimated to be approximately $10 million per year - to advance the health, education and welfare of the people of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C.
In all likelihood, the way the Danville Regional Foundation started - and the problems experienced at Danville Regional Medical Center over the past two years - will continue to follow Dr. Bob Ashby, James A. Motley, Richard Barkhouser, Ben Davenport and Charles Majors. It’s a problem between those five men and what is, in all likelihood, a fairly large segment of the community.
But the Danville Regional Foundation has the kind of community-changing resources that can easily outlive the controversy over the foundation’s birth. A year ago, the foundation gave $2 million to build a senior community center in Yanceyville, N.C.; $3 million to Chatham Cares Inc. to build a community center in Chatham; $9.7 million to Danville Community College to build a health sciences center; and $1.7 million to the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority for a research building in the Cyber Park.
Those grants, totaling $16.4 million, were made to settle a dispute with the IRS. Once the Danville Regional Foundation starts making annual grants, it’s expected to spend $10 million per year - a staggering $100 million over the course of a decade.
How will the projects funded with that money - over time - change this community? Many local people have longed for positive change. The Danville Regional Foundation is one way to bring about those positive changes.
“I’m excited about the opportunities here,” Stauber said this week. “I think right now Danville is an undiscovered secret.”
Stauber’s extensive background should help the Danville Regional Foundation find and support vital community-changing projects.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
"Leaders to form hospital panel"
Danville Register & Bee
Monday, July 30, 2007
DANVILLE - City leaders are moving forward with plans to establish a hospital panel devoted to improving care at Danville Regional Medical Center.
A meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 8 in the city manager’s conference room beside City Council chambers to discuss the formation of a Hospital Healthcare Panel, according to Danville Mayor Wayne Williams.
The meeting is open to the public.
The panel was a recommendation of the Citizens Commission Related to the Danville Regional Medical Center, which gave its final report to City Council on July 3.
“The commission recommended the formation of a panel to continue the dialogue with the hospital and to serve as a route for people to express their concerns,” Williams said, “as well as help guide LifePoint and assure the continuation of quality improvement.
“It will also help ensure that LifePoint will follow through on the commission’s recommendations.”
The mayor said he plans on the panel consisting of a citizen from Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C., and two doctors, as well as a representative from LifePoint Hospitals Inc.
Williams also has invited Coy Harville, chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, and George Ward, chairman of the Caswell County Board of Commissioners, who will recommend a citizen from their area.
Williams, who is a doctor, said he is taking recommendations on the doctor slots from other medical professionals.
He also invited Delegates Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, and Danny Marshall, R-Danville, to the meeting and told Ward to invite the appropriate Caswell County delegates.
Williams said, however, that he believed Marshall would be out of town next week and that the North Carolina delegates are is session and would be unable to attend.
Jess Judy, LifePoint’s Gateway Division president, volunteered at the July 3 meeting to be the hospital representative, Williams said.
“I feel that it is a positive sign that such a high-level person with LifePoint would be appointed,” he said.
Williams said the panel will be long-standing and ongoing as long as it is necessary.
“We will be looking at term limits and how to structure the panel,” he said. “We want it to be two way. When the hospital does something good, the panel will help disseminate that information, but it will also take problems to LifePoint that are based on public concern.”
Monday, July 30, 2007
DANVILLE - City leaders are moving forward with plans to establish a hospital panel devoted to improving care at Danville Regional Medical Center.
A meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 8 in the city manager’s conference room beside City Council chambers to discuss the formation of a Hospital Healthcare Panel, according to Danville Mayor Wayne Williams.
The meeting is open to the public.
The panel was a recommendation of the Citizens Commission Related to the Danville Regional Medical Center, which gave its final report to City Council on July 3.
“The commission recommended the formation of a panel to continue the dialogue with the hospital and to serve as a route for people to express their concerns,” Williams said, “as well as help guide LifePoint and assure the continuation of quality improvement.
“It will also help ensure that LifePoint will follow through on the commission’s recommendations.”
The mayor said he plans on the panel consisting of a citizen from Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C., and two doctors, as well as a representative from LifePoint Hospitals Inc.
Williams also has invited Coy Harville, chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, and George Ward, chairman of the Caswell County Board of Commissioners, who will recommend a citizen from their area.
Williams, who is a doctor, said he is taking recommendations on the doctor slots from other medical professionals.
He also invited Delegates Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, and Danny Marshall, R-Danville, to the meeting and told Ward to invite the appropriate Caswell County delegates.
Williams said, however, that he believed Marshall would be out of town next week and that the North Carolina delegates are is session and would be unable to attend.
Jess Judy, LifePoint’s Gateway Division president, volunteered at the July 3 meeting to be the hospital representative, Williams said.
“I feel that it is a positive sign that such a high-level person with LifePoint would be appointed,” he said.
Williams said the panel will be long-standing and ongoing as long as it is necessary.
“We will be looking at term limits and how to structure the panel,” he said. “We want it to be two way. When the hospital does something good, the panel will help disseminate that information, but it will also take problems to LifePoint that are based on public concern.”
Monday, July 30, 2007
Hospital Healthcare Panel to be formed
From WAKG's website:
"The top recommendation of the Citizen's Commission that examined Lifepoint’s operation at the local hospital is about to become a reality. City leaders have announced a meeting next week to organize what will be called the Hospital Healthcare Panel. Danville mayor Wayne Williams promised earlier this month to meet with leaders from Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties to begin forming the new leadership commission. Their goal is to start and maintain a dialogue with Lifepoint over issues at Danville Regional Medical Center. No word yet on the exact composition of the new panel. "
"The top recommendation of the Citizen's Commission that examined Lifepoint’s operation at the local hospital is about to become a reality. City leaders have announced a meeting next week to organize what will be called the Hospital Healthcare Panel. Danville mayor Wayne Williams promised earlier this month to meet with leaders from Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties to begin forming the new leadership commission. Their goal is to start and maintain a dialogue with Lifepoint over issues at Danville Regional Medical Center. No word yet on the exact composition of the new panel. "
Thursday, July 26, 2007
DRMC opens line of communication
Check it out...give them a chance.
http://www.danvillenewsandviews.com/
True, some are going to say it's all PR spin. Maybe, maybe not. But you'll have to admit that one of our concerns about DRMC over the past couple of years is a lack of accessibility. Is this a step to answer that criticism? I hope so.
I figure if everyone who visits and uses the "Ask DRMC" button to ask rational, educated and mature questions, we will soon find out how serious they are. If DRMC will use this site to answer some of the hard questions, then this could present a helpful forum.
UPDATE: Technical problems are now fixed...their site should be receiving questions.
http://www.danvillenewsandviews.com/
True, some are going to say it's all PR spin. Maybe, maybe not. But you'll have to admit that one of our concerns about DRMC over the past couple of years is a lack of accessibility. Is this a step to answer that criticism? I hope so.
I figure if everyone who visits and uses the "Ask DRMC" button to ask rational, educated and mature questions, we will soon find out how serious they are. If DRMC will use this site to answer some of the hard questions, then this could present a helpful forum.
UPDATE: Technical problems are now fixed...their site should be receiving questions.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Dead End?
Went to read through the Citizens Commission report...when you click the link on the Commission website, you get a "page not found" error message.
Anybody have any idea why this is no longer available? Can you still get a hard copy from the clerk's office?
http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/images/City-TV%2020/Citizens%20Commission%20Report.pdf
Anybody have any idea why this is no longer available? Can you still get a hard copy from the clerk's office?
http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/images/City-TV%2020/Citizens%20Commission%20Report.pdf
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
"LifePoint misses in Q2"
Nashville Business Journal - 11:16 AM CDT Monday, July 23, 2007
Earnings for LifePoint Hospitals Inc. fell 62 percent in the second quarter compared to the same time last year, missing analysts' estimates by about 38 cents per share.
The Brentwood-based hospital operator had net income of $13.4 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, in the quarter ended June 30. In the prior year's quarter, LifePoint earned $34.8 million, or 62 cents per diluted share.
The company attributed the drop to bad debt, contract labor costs and professional fees and medical malpractice insurance expense.
Also injuring earnings were impairment charges for discontinued operations - $8.5 million and $16.4 million - related to the disposal plans of Coastal Carolina Medical Center in South Carolina and Colorado River Medical Center in California, respectively.
An average of analysts' estimates predicted the company would earn 61 cents per share in the quarter on $656 million in revenue.
Revenue for the quarter was up 16.8 percent to $654.3 million.
LifePoint (NASDAQ: LPNT) lowered its earnings guidance along with its second quarter results. It now expects to earn between $2.15 and $2.25 per share for the 2007 year on revenues of $2.63 billion to $2.65 billion. It previously predicted earnings of $2.42 to $2.52 per share on revenue of $2.68 billion to $2.69 billion.
LifePoint Hospitals provides health care services in non-urban communities in 18 states. It has 49 hospitals.
The company's stock price fell about 13 percent to $34.01 per share at 10 a.m. The stock's 52-week range is $30.89 per share to $40.80 per share.
http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2007/07/23/daily4.html?from_rss=1
Earnings for LifePoint Hospitals Inc. fell 62 percent in the second quarter compared to the same time last year, missing analysts' estimates by about 38 cents per share.
The Brentwood-based hospital operator had net income of $13.4 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, in the quarter ended June 30. In the prior year's quarter, LifePoint earned $34.8 million, or 62 cents per diluted share.
The company attributed the drop to bad debt, contract labor costs and professional fees and medical malpractice insurance expense.
Also injuring earnings were impairment charges for discontinued operations - $8.5 million and $16.4 million - related to the disposal plans of Coastal Carolina Medical Center in South Carolina and Colorado River Medical Center in California, respectively.
An average of analysts' estimates predicted the company would earn 61 cents per share in the quarter on $656 million in revenue.
Revenue for the quarter was up 16.8 percent to $654.3 million.
LifePoint (NASDAQ: LPNT) lowered its earnings guidance along with its second quarter results. It now expects to earn between $2.15 and $2.25 per share for the 2007 year on revenues of $2.63 billion to $2.65 billion. It previously predicted earnings of $2.42 to $2.52 per share on revenue of $2.68 billion to $2.69 billion.
LifePoint Hospitals provides health care services in non-urban communities in 18 states. It has 49 hospitals.
The company's stock price fell about 13 percent to $34.01 per share at 10 a.m. The stock's 52-week range is $30.89 per share to $40.80 per share.
http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2007/07/23/daily4.html?from_rss=1
Monday, July 23, 2007
Updates on the McKenna sale (not to LPNT)
A few articles out of the New Braunfels newspaper that you might find interesting about the sale of McKenna Memorial Hospital....many of the same issues and debates, so it will be interesting to read how this plays out...
"McKenna Sells to Christus"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=c7ae9e3c5dfc593c
"McKenna Won't Subsidize Hospitals"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=a5d99630550f5937
"Hospital CEO Says Board 'Not Deceitful'"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=04262a05039d628e
"McKenna sale is good for community" (opinion)
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=5b727921e0e709c7
One quote that stood out..."the group’s questions for McKenna’s leadership seek “transparency in an organization that was developed with public dollars.”"
"McKenna Sells to Christus"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=c7ae9e3c5dfc593c
"McKenna Won't Subsidize Hospitals"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=a5d99630550f5937
"Hospital CEO Says Board 'Not Deceitful'"
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=04262a05039d628e
"McKenna sale is good for community" (opinion)
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=5b727921e0e709c7
One quote that stood out..."the group’s questions for McKenna’s leadership seek “transparency in an organization that was developed with public dollars.”"
Sunday, July 22, 2007
"County may get critical care center"
Danville Register & Bee
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
CHATHAM - A new trauma center may be coming to northern Pittsylvania County.
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday night to approve a resolution approving the placement of a “critical care center” north of Chatham.
Staunton River Supervisor Michael Irby stipulated that the center be north of Chatham so it would serve the northern part of the county.
“Anything south of Chatham is typically served by Danville Regional,” he said.
Coy Harville, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said he believed the board would easily pass the resolution, but asked how the board could get the word out.
“How can we make this thing fruitful?” Harville asked.
County Administrator Dan Sleeper told Harville that Irby was making a recommendation he had suggested.
“If you’ll pass the resolution, I believe we’ll get some information fairly quickly - by the next meeting,” Sleeper told Harville.
Neither Sleeper nor the board offered much more information about the center, including its cost or size.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
CHATHAM - A new trauma center may be coming to northern Pittsylvania County.
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday night to approve a resolution approving the placement of a “critical care center” north of Chatham.
Staunton River Supervisor Michael Irby stipulated that the center be north of Chatham so it would serve the northern part of the county.
“Anything south of Chatham is typically served by Danville Regional,” he said.
Coy Harville, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said he believed the board would easily pass the resolution, but asked how the board could get the word out.
“How can we make this thing fruitful?” Harville asked.
County Administrator Dan Sleeper told Harville that Irby was making a recommendation he had suggested.
“If you’ll pass the resolution, I believe we’ll get some information fairly quickly - by the next meeting,” Sleeper told Harville.
Neither Sleeper nor the board offered much more information about the center, including its cost or size.
"Hospital names new CFO"
Danville Register & Bee
Friday, July 20, 2007
DANVILLE - Danville Regional Medical Center has a new chief financial officer.
Mark T. Anderson has been CFO of the hospital since July 2. For the past five years, he has held that same office at the LifePoint Hospitals Inc.-owned Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County.
Anderson is a Martinsville city councilman and will resign from that post to relocate to Danville.
He said in a news release that he and his family - wife Lisa and children Jordan, Brian and Melissa - are looking forward to moving to Danville.
“We have a contract on a house here, and we are putting our house on the market in Martinsville,” Anderson said Thursday. “We are planning on having our children attend Danville schools in the fall.”
Anderson said he does not know yet if he will seek political office in Danville.
“I enjoy politics, but my focus will be to work with the physicians, my administrative peers and associates to provide quality health care services in Danville,” Anderson said.
“We look forward to the expertise and nearly 20 years of experience that Mark brings to this position,” Ruth McDaniel, interim CEO for the hospital, said in the release. “He has a proven track record and our associates are already benefiting from his leadership.”
Friday, July 20, 2007
DANVILLE - Danville Regional Medical Center has a new chief financial officer.
Mark T. Anderson has been CFO of the hospital since July 2. For the past five years, he has held that same office at the LifePoint Hospitals Inc.-owned Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County.
Anderson is a Martinsville city councilman and will resign from that post to relocate to Danville.
He said in a news release that he and his family - wife Lisa and children Jordan, Brian and Melissa - are looking forward to moving to Danville.
“We have a contract on a house here, and we are putting our house on the market in Martinsville,” Anderson said Thursday. “We are planning on having our children attend Danville schools in the fall.”
Anderson said he does not know yet if he will seek political office in Danville.
“I enjoy politics, but my focus will be to work with the physicians, my administrative peers and associates to provide quality health care services in Danville,” Anderson said.
“We look forward to the expertise and nearly 20 years of experience that Mark brings to this position,” Ruth McDaniel, interim CEO for the hospital, said in the release. “He has a proven track record and our associates are already benefiting from his leadership.”
"Hospital passes surprise survey"
Danville Register and Bee
Friday, July 20, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
DANVILLE - Danville Regional Medical Center got word Friday that it is in compliance with Medicare participation.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made the announcement after an unannounced survey conducted for a week during April.
“We’re obviously pleased that in an unannounced survey, every key area of the medical center that was reviewed was demonstrated to be in compliance with Medicare Conditions of Participation,” said Ruth McDaniel, interim CEO of Danville Regional.
A medical facility inspector from the Virginia Department of Health conducted the survey from April 17-25.
The report stated that the hospital “demonstrated compliance” in nursing services, emergency services, physical environment, patient rights, and quality assessment and performance.
“Meeting the high quality standards of the Medicare and Medicaid programs is important to both the community and to Danville Regional,” McDaniel said. “It indicates to participants in those programs that the hospital has met the CMS standards, and it allows the hospital to be reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid for providing those services.”
Nearly two-thirds of the hospital’s patients get health care from Medicare or Medicaid programs, McDaniel said. “So, I am tremendously proud of our associates for the outcome of this survey,” she said.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made the announcement after an unannounced survey conducted for a week during April.
“We’re obviously pleased that in an unannounced survey, every key area of the medical center that was reviewed was demonstrated to be in compliance with Medicare Conditions of Participation,” said Ruth McDaniel, interim CEO of Danville Regional.
A medical facility inspector from the Virginia Department of Health conducted the survey from April 17-25.
The report stated that the hospital “demonstrated compliance” in nursing services, emergency services, physical environment, patient rights, and quality assessment and performance.
“Meeting the high quality standards of the Medicare and Medicaid programs is important to both the community and to Danville Regional,” McDaniel said. “It indicates to participants in those programs that the hospital has met the CMS standards, and it allows the hospital to be reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid for providing those services.”
Nearly two-thirds of the hospital’s patients get health care from Medicare or Medicaid programs, McDaniel said. “So, I am tremendously proud of our associates for the outcome of this survey,” she said.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Good news alert
Danville Regional labs earn full accreditation
Danville Register & Bee
Friday, July 13, 2007
DANVILLE - All four clinical laboratories of Danville Regional Medical Center have earned full accreditation from the College of American Pathologists.
“This means we meet the standards that have been set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid,” Dr. Thomas Hardy, medical director of the labs, said Thursday. “We need to be accredited by an agency that has standards equal to or greater than those.”
The labs are inspected every two years by a team of up to 10 people, Hardy said, noting that the labs have always earned the accreditation.
“They come and look at our procedures, quality control and manuals, as well as the instruments, facilities and employee qualifications,” he said. “They have a checklist of thousands of standards.”
The four clinical labs, including the main laboratory, open heart, respiratory therapy and point-of-care labs, conduct approximately 1 million tests per year, according to a hospital news release.
“The fact that we earn accreditation means that we met or exceeded the standards and patients can be confident that their lab results are accurate and dependable,” Hardy said.
All of the laboratory technicians have a degree in clinical lab science and are certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the news release stated.
“The people we have working in the lab are very dedicated, professional individuals who care deeply about patients and patient care,” Hardy said. “Many of them have been here for a long time and they all take great pride in their work.”
The labs are accredited through peer review by other accredited labs. Technologists from Danville Regional will evaluate other labs to determine their compliance with the College of American Pathologists’ standards.
The College of American Pathologists is a medical society that serves almost 16,000 physician members and laboratories throughout the world.
Danville Register & Bee
Friday, July 13, 2007
DANVILLE - All four clinical laboratories of Danville Regional Medical Center have earned full accreditation from the College of American Pathologists.
“This means we meet the standards that have been set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid,” Dr. Thomas Hardy, medical director of the labs, said Thursday. “We need to be accredited by an agency that has standards equal to or greater than those.”
The labs are inspected every two years by a team of up to 10 people, Hardy said, noting that the labs have always earned the accreditation.
“They come and look at our procedures, quality control and manuals, as well as the instruments, facilities and employee qualifications,” he said. “They have a checklist of thousands of standards.”
The four clinical labs, including the main laboratory, open heart, respiratory therapy and point-of-care labs, conduct approximately 1 million tests per year, according to a hospital news release.
“The fact that we earn accreditation means that we met or exceeded the standards and patients can be confident that their lab results are accurate and dependable,” Hardy said.
All of the laboratory technicians have a degree in clinical lab science and are certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the news release stated.
“The people we have working in the lab are very dedicated, professional individuals who care deeply about patients and patient care,” Hardy said. “Many of them have been here for a long time and they all take great pride in their work.”
The labs are accredited through peer review by other accredited labs. Technologists from Danville Regional will evaluate other labs to determine their compliance with the College of American Pathologists’ standards.
The College of American Pathologists is a medical society that serves almost 16,000 physician members and laboratories throughout the world.
"Final Report" from Citizens Commission available online
The Commission's final report is available at the link below:
http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/images/City-TV%2020/Commission%20Report.pdf
Note that this document does not include the approximately 50-page transcript of comments made at a public hearing. That transcript is available, however, in the printed copy of the final report that can be obtained through the city clerk's office.
http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/images/City-TV%2020/Commission%20Report.pdf
Note that this document does not include the approximately 50-page transcript of comments made at a public hearing. That transcript is available, however, in the printed copy of the final report that can be obtained through the city clerk's office.
Citizens Commission report to City Council - July 3
From City Council minutes (http://www.danville-va.gov/upload/contents/385/07-03-07.pdf)
Mayor Williams called for a report from the Citizens Commission and introduced Commission Co-chairman Jim Houser. Mr. Houser recognized and acknowledged the presence of Co-chairman Clarissa Knight and Members Arlene Creasy, Dr. David Caldwell, Rev. Samuel Griffith, and Attorney Bob Whitt. Member Linda Green had a prior commitment and was unable to attend.
Mr. Houser reported as follows:
"This is a brief summary of the findings from the three public forums and the survey forms distributed to the citizens of this community. In an attempt to categorize the findings, a simple form of statistical analysis was used. Initially, the findings were placed into three separate categories: staff members, physicians and patients, along with family members. All findings under the hearing of staff included nurses, individual departmental staff and administration. Findings under patients included all other areas, but excluding physicians. These findings are based on my own interpretation as to what was given at the forums as well as what was written in the surveys and what has been said to me personally by others in the community.
The number of responses received was as follows: 27.7% from staff, 25.5% from physicians, and 46.8% from patients/family members/others.
The following is the top five areas of concern for each individual category and final count for all categories collectively.
Staff:
1. Understaffing of experienced nurses on the floors and other departments
2. Low morale among employees
3. Outdated computers and other equipment in bad condition
4. Intimidation from middle and upper management
5. Two areas tied –- poor patient care and poor management.
Physicians:
1. Understaffing of experienced nurses
2. Poor patient care on floors
3. Problems with administration
4. Low morale among employees
5. Two areas tied -- poor management and outdated computers/equipment.
Patients/Family Members/Other:
1. Poor patient care
2. Understaffing of nurses
3. Long waits and poor care in the emergency room
4. Poor housekeeping
5. Bad staff etiquette.
Combined Stats for all Three Categories:
1. Understaffing of nurses and other personnel
2. Poor patient care on floors
3. Issues with the emergency room, i.e., wait times, poor care
4. Poor morale among employees
5. Problems with administration: lack of trust, intimidation, not listening to physician concerns.
Not all responses were negative. Several comments were made by all three categories concerning good patient care and quality of nurses. Areas noted were the cleanliness of the hospital was getting better, good care in the operating room, one-day surgery, outpatient surgery, the open-heart program and the maternity ward.
continued in comments section...
Mayor Williams called for a report from the Citizens Commission and introduced Commission Co-chairman Jim Houser. Mr. Houser recognized and acknowledged the presence of Co-chairman Clarissa Knight and Members Arlene Creasy, Dr. David Caldwell, Rev. Samuel Griffith, and Attorney Bob Whitt. Member Linda Green had a prior commitment and was unable to attend.
Mr. Houser reported as follows:
"This is a brief summary of the findings from the three public forums and the survey forms distributed to the citizens of this community. In an attempt to categorize the findings, a simple form of statistical analysis was used. Initially, the findings were placed into three separate categories: staff members, physicians and patients, along with family members. All findings under the hearing of staff included nurses, individual departmental staff and administration. Findings under patients included all other areas, but excluding physicians. These findings are based on my own interpretation as to what was given at the forums as well as what was written in the surveys and what has been said to me personally by others in the community.
The number of responses received was as follows: 27.7% from staff, 25.5% from physicians, and 46.8% from patients/family members/others.
The following is the top five areas of concern for each individual category and final count for all categories collectively.
Staff:
1. Understaffing of experienced nurses on the floors and other departments
2. Low morale among employees
3. Outdated computers and other equipment in bad condition
4. Intimidation from middle and upper management
5. Two areas tied –- poor patient care and poor management.
Physicians:
1. Understaffing of experienced nurses
2. Poor patient care on floors
3. Problems with administration
4. Low morale among employees
5. Two areas tied -- poor management and outdated computers/equipment.
Patients/Family Members/Other:
1. Poor patient care
2. Understaffing of nurses
3. Long waits and poor care in the emergency room
4. Poor housekeeping
5. Bad staff etiquette.
Combined Stats for all Three Categories:
1. Understaffing of nurses and other personnel
2. Poor patient care on floors
3. Issues with the emergency room, i.e., wait times, poor care
4. Poor morale among employees
5. Problems with administration: lack of trust, intimidation, not listening to physician concerns.
Not all responses were negative. Several comments were made by all three categories concerning good patient care and quality of nurses. Areas noted were the cleanliness of the hospital was getting better, good care in the operating room, one-day surgery, outpatient surgery, the open-heart program and the maternity ward.
continued in comments section...
Saturday, July 7, 2007
"Get it done"
Danville Register and Bee
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Jess Judy got it wrong Tuesday night when he told Danville City Council, “We look at tonight as a new beginning.”
Every patient receiving treatment at Danville Regional Medical Center represents a new beginning for LifePoint Hospitals Inc., the Tennessee company that bought the hospital two years ago this month.
Danvillians didn’t want their nonprofit hospital sold, but that wasn’t LifePoint’s fault. However, everything that has happened at the hospital since the July 2005 sale has been LifePoint’s responsibility - including the preliminary denial of accreditation that now hangs over Danville Regional.
Some positive things have happened over the past two years, such as building out the top two floors in the Landon Wyatt tower and buying new diagnostic imaging equipment. But those projects were part of the original sale agreement.
Judy, a Clarksville native and LifePoint’s Gateway Division president, knows the history. He’s heard the complaints and he probably knows what the controversies - there have been more than one - have done to the hospital’s bottom line.
But if he knows all of that, he also has to know that the people of this community have heard promises before. Judy himself was quoted on the pages of this newspaper in March 2006, after LifePoint’s first local CEO left, as saying: “The future of this hospital and our ability to provide quality care kind of rests with our physicians and our associates and us working collectively with them to make sure that they have the resources and the tools and the technology to do that.”
Judy was at the Danville City Council meeting this week to hear the final recommendations of the Citizen’s Commission, the group formed by Danville Mayor Wayne Williams to investigate problems at Danville Regional.
Jim Houser, co-chairman of the Citizen’s Commission, said Danville Regional must earn full accreditation from the Joint Commission, add more people, work with its current employees, enforce its quality service standards and review its current management practices and culture.
“These are the most important problems that need the quickest attention,” Houser said. “If these problems are solved, others will be also.”
Will they?
One of LifePoint’s biggest problems - besides the preliminary denial of accreditation - is that its customers have other choices. It’s not a case of the sharks circling, it’s a case of the free market kicking in and people taking their health care dollars elsewhere.
“Over the last year-plus, Annie Penn and Moses Cone have received increased interest from physicians, patients and employees from the Danville area,” said Susan Fitzgibbons, president of Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville, N.C. “Our goal is not to be predatory, but to increase the awareness in the Danville area that there is an excellent facility 25 minutes down the road.”
That’s what some letter writers have said on these pages - Danvillians have the choice of other hospitals in the region if they’re not happy with Danville Regional.
For the Dan River Region, though, the best outcome would be for Danville Regional to fix its problems and regain the public’s trust and confidence. For a lot of reasons, Danvillians need a high quality local hospital they and their families can rely on.
Keeping the hospital fully accredited - and keeping the promises that have been made over the past two years - represents LifePoint Hospitals’ best and possibly last chance here.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Jess Judy got it wrong Tuesday night when he told Danville City Council, “We look at tonight as a new beginning.”
Every patient receiving treatment at Danville Regional Medical Center represents a new beginning for LifePoint Hospitals Inc., the Tennessee company that bought the hospital two years ago this month.
Danvillians didn’t want their nonprofit hospital sold, but that wasn’t LifePoint’s fault. However, everything that has happened at the hospital since the July 2005 sale has been LifePoint’s responsibility - including the preliminary denial of accreditation that now hangs over Danville Regional.
Some positive things have happened over the past two years, such as building out the top two floors in the Landon Wyatt tower and buying new diagnostic imaging equipment. But those projects were part of the original sale agreement.
Judy, a Clarksville native and LifePoint’s Gateway Division president, knows the history. He’s heard the complaints and he probably knows what the controversies - there have been more than one - have done to the hospital’s bottom line.
But if he knows all of that, he also has to know that the people of this community have heard promises before. Judy himself was quoted on the pages of this newspaper in March 2006, after LifePoint’s first local CEO left, as saying: “The future of this hospital and our ability to provide quality care kind of rests with our physicians and our associates and us working collectively with them to make sure that they have the resources and the tools and the technology to do that.”
Judy was at the Danville City Council meeting this week to hear the final recommendations of the Citizen’s Commission, the group formed by Danville Mayor Wayne Williams to investigate problems at Danville Regional.
Jim Houser, co-chairman of the Citizen’s Commission, said Danville Regional must earn full accreditation from the Joint Commission, add more people, work with its current employees, enforce its quality service standards and review its current management practices and culture.
“These are the most important problems that need the quickest attention,” Houser said. “If these problems are solved, others will be also.”
Will they?
One of LifePoint’s biggest problems - besides the preliminary denial of accreditation - is that its customers have other choices. It’s not a case of the sharks circling, it’s a case of the free market kicking in and people taking their health care dollars elsewhere.
“Over the last year-plus, Annie Penn and Moses Cone have received increased interest from physicians, patients and employees from the Danville area,” said Susan Fitzgibbons, president of Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville, N.C. “Our goal is not to be predatory, but to increase the awareness in the Danville area that there is an excellent facility 25 minutes down the road.”
That’s what some letter writers have said on these pages - Danvillians have the choice of other hospitals in the region if they’re not happy with Danville Regional.
For the Dan River Region, though, the best outcome would be for Danville Regional to fix its problems and regain the public’s trust and confidence. For a lot of reasons, Danvillians need a high quality local hospital they and their families can rely on.
Keeping the hospital fully accredited - and keeping the promises that have been made over the past two years - represents LifePoint Hospitals’ best and possibly last chance here.
Friday, July 6, 2007
And in a related story...
McKenna finalist under new scrutiny
The Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, Texas)
Published July 6, 2007
At least one of the three finalists in the race to purchase McKenna Memorial Hospital in New Braunfels is having to answer tough questions about how it is running a recently-acquired community hospital in Virginia.
Tennessee-based LifePoint Hospitals bought Danville Regional Medical Center, in Danville, Va., two years ago. However, only last month the chief executive officer running the healthcare facility resigned. Art Doloresco was the third CEO of the LifePoint-run hospital since July 2005.
DRMC is licensed for 350 beds, has a 24-hour emergency department and employs a medical staff of about 140, according to the LifePoint Web site. Danville, in south central Virginia has a population of about 48,000, which is similar to the estimated 50,000 in Comal County.
In February, DRMC also received a preliminary denial of accreditation status from The Joint Commission, which is a nonprofit agency that has accredited hospitals nationwide for more than 50 years.
A preliminary denial of accreditation results when there is justification to deny accreditation to the organization. Usually, this is shown by a count of the number of non-compliant standards at the time of survey, according to Elizabeth Zhani, spokewoman for The Joint Commission.
Danville Regional Medical Center failed three points on its home care section, and 21 points on its hospital accreditation checklist, according to public records.
“The decision is subject to appeal prior to the determination to deny accreditation, and I’m not aware that any appeal has been made,” Zhani said Thursday. “However, I don’t see why they wouldn’t, but the process can take several months before being heard by a special board.”
The level of concern in Danville apparently had grown so much that about four months ago, Mayor Wayne Williams — who also is a practicing surgeon — decided to form a special “Citizens Commission.”
He formed the commission to “seek information from members of the community ... to discuss what is both good and bad about the care and services offered at DRMC,” according to information from the Danville city Web site.
The seven-person commission also was “charged with developing a list of key problems from public input, provide progress reports to Danville City Council and work with LifePoint and an outside expert to determine solutions to these concerns.”
On Tuesday, the commission presented its findings to the city council. Afterward, a LifePoint executive told council members the healthcare corporation was committed to fixing the problem at DRMC, according to information from the Danville Register & Bee, the city’s daily newspaper.
In May, officials at the 132-bed McKenna Memorial Hospital announced that LifePoint Hospitals, Christus Health and The Methodist Health Care System of San Antonio had been selected for “extended due diligence with the purpose of selecting one finalist to enter into a formal letter of intent to purchase McKenna Memorial Hospital.”
When asked about the situation in Danville — and its possible bearing on LifePoint’s bid — McKenna’s chief development officer said she was unaware of the case.
“But part of the due diligence process would include looking into something like this,” Jennifer Malatek said Thursday. “And all aspects of each applicant will be looked at. We want to make sure we have the most correct and accurate information.”
Calls to LifePoint were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=0c1f96a4b9f3565d
The Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, Texas)
Published July 6, 2007
At least one of the three finalists in the race to purchase McKenna Memorial Hospital in New Braunfels is having to answer tough questions about how it is running a recently-acquired community hospital in Virginia.
Tennessee-based LifePoint Hospitals bought Danville Regional Medical Center, in Danville, Va., two years ago. However, only last month the chief executive officer running the healthcare facility resigned. Art Doloresco was the third CEO of the LifePoint-run hospital since July 2005.
DRMC is licensed for 350 beds, has a 24-hour emergency department and employs a medical staff of about 140, according to the LifePoint Web site. Danville, in south central Virginia has a population of about 48,000, which is similar to the estimated 50,000 in Comal County.
In February, DRMC also received a preliminary denial of accreditation status from The Joint Commission, which is a nonprofit agency that has accredited hospitals nationwide for more than 50 years.
A preliminary denial of accreditation results when there is justification to deny accreditation to the organization. Usually, this is shown by a count of the number of non-compliant standards at the time of survey, according to Elizabeth Zhani, spokewoman for The Joint Commission.
Danville Regional Medical Center failed three points on its home care section, and 21 points on its hospital accreditation checklist, according to public records.
“The decision is subject to appeal prior to the determination to deny accreditation, and I’m not aware that any appeal has been made,” Zhani said Thursday. “However, I don’t see why they wouldn’t, but the process can take several months before being heard by a special board.”
The level of concern in Danville apparently had grown so much that about four months ago, Mayor Wayne Williams — who also is a practicing surgeon — decided to form a special “Citizens Commission.”
He formed the commission to “seek information from members of the community ... to discuss what is both good and bad about the care and services offered at DRMC,” according to information from the Danville city Web site.
The seven-person commission also was “charged with developing a list of key problems from public input, provide progress reports to Danville City Council and work with LifePoint and an outside expert to determine solutions to these concerns.”
On Tuesday, the commission presented its findings to the city council. Afterward, a LifePoint executive told council members the healthcare corporation was committed to fixing the problem at DRMC, according to information from the Danville Register & Bee, the city’s daily newspaper.
In May, officials at the 132-bed McKenna Memorial Hospital announced that LifePoint Hospitals, Christus Health and The Methodist Health Care System of San Antonio had been selected for “extended due diligence with the purpose of selecting one finalist to enter into a formal letter of intent to purchase McKenna Memorial Hospital.”
When asked about the situation in Danville — and its possible bearing on LifePoint’s bid — McKenna’s chief development officer said she was unaware of the case.
“But part of the due diligence process would include looking into something like this,” Jennifer Malatek said Thursday. “And all aspects of each applicant will be looked at. We want to make sure we have the most correct and accurate information.”
Calls to LifePoint were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=0c1f96a4b9f3565d
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