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.
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75 comments:
Based on lifepoint's history, if he fails, he'll be gone soon. And if he honestly tries to fix it, he'll be gone soon. It's their open-but-revolving-door policy, their shell game, or whatever you want to call it.
Yep
No surpise that they left out the most important question:
How have you prepared yourself to fight with the bosses in Tennessee whose only purpose is to milk this hospital dry?
J. Humphrey Bogus, gonna run our own Casa Blinko.
Good Luck, Sir. Have you worked for any non-profit medical facilities? Try treating local patients like its a non-profit. You may pick up some additional business.
Here's lookin at ya, kid.
What do you mean "Have you worked for any non-profits? If your non-profit brain would allow your eyes to work, you'd see that he came form Memorial Hermann, the largest NON PROFIT in Houston. Any more questions?
"J. Humphrey Bogus, gonna run our own Casa Blinko."
Nice...way to open the door for the possibility that he could actually change the direction we have been going for two years.
Yes, I understand that a lot of us have reasons to be cynical, but unless you have personally sat down with the man, asked the hard questions, and been dissatisfied with his answers, why don't you reserve judgment until we see what happens when he actually takes the reins?
Since he doesn't start here until Oct 29, he hasn't had time to offer anything to judge him by. So unless you have worked at Memorial Hermann under his leadership, I don't think there is precedent for any negative comments yet.
Way to go folks. Reinforce the stereotypes at every available opportunity.
Yes, I have a question. If he worked at the largest non-profit in Houston, then why in the name of creation did he ever take a job with Lifepoint?
My guess is that he wanted to move to Virginia and saw a job opening for CEO of a moderately sized hospital in an MSA of about 100,000 people. Sounded like a good opportunity.
But, since I haven't met him, I'll just have to gather that from the interview I just read about him.
He's worked for for-profits, BTW. (Google "University General")
Meanwhile back at the ranch,
"Our floor is losing three more eperienced nurses" to non-profit ,far better ratio, WAY higher paying hospitals.
Which floor?
Who cares... Good riddance.
Only someone of complete ignorance would have the arrogance to say good riddance to people who have given years of service to DRMC and the city of danville in various capacities, and probably even helped you Mr/Mrs megalomaniac.
Is it true another nursing director is leaving your hospital?
Heard all the good ones were gone?
Only egotistical nurses hoping to make themselves look better than what I am sure they were would post that they were leaving on this blog. Again I say good riddance.
It's only to let you know how bad things are on the staff that takes care of peoples lives, possibly you or your family's lives.
I work at the hospital as a nurse, not just a consumer. Talking to me or others in a degrading manner is useless and a mute point. I was simply stating, and will continue to state, that acting egotistical about abandoning DRMC is worthless and really is a "morale booster" for those who are trying to have faith and hopefully turn this place around. It's bad enough (I am sure) that you've talk down to your fellow coworkers about your departure, now you want to make a public issue about it. Big whoop about you leaving. Can you leave any sooner?
If things are so bad, how about sticking around and make an actual difference. Get active, not only with patient care, but with committees on your unit. I'm sure with you jumping ship that you're not truly committed to patient care, just to your paycheck and self worth.
I think you are smart to "jump Ship". Why work your a-- off and risk your license and health to pad the pockets on non-medical money mongers? I think you have self-worth, not compromising your values to make a $. Best wishes.
They are compromising others so that the others can work their a**es off. So basically, you are saying that the solution to making DRMC better is for everyone to jump ship and leave the poor patients defenseless? That's an interesting concept. And to broadcast their departure for what reason exactly? Gloating... That's real mature...
Let's get serious. A major reason this blog is so important is in warning the general public about how deadly hazardous it is for anyone who is a patient in Lifepoint. Again, never, never, NEVER allow a loved one to be here along. You can debate all day whether you should bring disinfectant, etc., but the only thing that really matters is that someone be here with you every minute. This place is rotten from top to bottom, and no matter how dedicated some staffers are, Lifepoint is hazardous to your health and your life.
A good example of their priorities is the money they are pouring into having that dweed around to write letters for customers, like the one in today's paper. That's what Lifepoint cares about--not improving patient care.
What's a "dweed"?
Focus people. A nurse who is employed by Lifepoint has now decided to abandon ship and she decides to broadcast her bragging rights on the blog. It's not a warning to the people, it's a lack of commitment and loyalty to her coworkers.
"It's not a warning to the people, it's a lack of commitment and loyalty to her coworkers."
Just out of curiosity, do you work at the hospital? I'm trying to sort out the perspectives of the different folks who post on this blog. As in, who is an insider and who doesn't work for LPNT.
If compromising scruples and patient safety for a corporation to make a couple billion for non service producing CxO's is bragging then so be it.You need to look past the self righteous "I can fix a corporations mess" and advocate for the safety of your patients, if that means the rest of them have to go somewhere else good as long as they're safe.
How can you advocate for your patients if you're not taking care of them?
To answer all concerns, Yes, I am a nurse at DRMC. The problem with one of the above statements is that there are still patients that come to DRMC. Some do not have that choice and some are loyal to their hospital. If every nurse in the hospital made the decision to jump ship, declared it was in the name of patient care, then these patients are still left with even worse nurse-patient ratios and this establishment will never get out of the slump. However, if the nurses made a commitment to this hospital, got involved within the organization, then things will get better. To me, these nurses "looking out for their own self righteousness" have no loyalty or true commitment to their patients.
I am tired of every post that starts out half way constructive, then somebody posts how great they are because they are leaving and then the focus is lost on the real issue of the previous posts.
Well said, well-meant...
Let me offer another side to this. I am not a nurse but I work in a professional position at DRMC. I was a manager, but decided I could no longer support Lifepoint's business practices. I chose to step down from management and continue to only work PRN. It was a very hard decision because I felt and still do feel an obligation to help turn this hospital around and stand up for what I believe in.
I have invested my entire career at DRMC. I know the history here and I consider myself an expert in my field. As a manager, I sat in enough meetings with Lifepoint executives and had one on one conversations with enough CxOs to know that they do not give a damn what we as "experts in our fields" think.
I have watched many managers (including myself) both voice and argue concerns about Lifepoint decisions, policies, procedures, etc. All the while watching as these LP executives chose to turn a deaf ear to us. Then, after we all dealt with the aftermath of their poor decisions, sat in yet another meeting and listened to them ask for forgiveness and understanding for their mistakes and make empty promises to make it better the "next" time.
Well, there comes a time when you just have to say enough is enough! When we have to put our credibility on the line as professionals, we all have a choice to make.
Personally, I don't think this mess can be reversed until a healthcare corporation (profit or not for profit) with ethical business practices and community commitment is at the helm.
I understand your point of view; however, the burden of credibility falls on the nurses that are left behind to suffer the increasing ratios, not the ones that jump ship.
Furthermore, you brought another good point: Lifepoint being for-profit is not the problem. It's their business ethics that are the problem. My parents live out of town and the best hospitals that they patronize are for profit hospitals. The best physicians only have hospital privileges there and the patients that recognize this go to them.
Your decision to step down is fully defendable. However, you essntially abdicate your right to throw stones from the sidelines. You're either passively part of the problem or actively of the solution.
"Your decision to step down is fully defendable. However, you essntially abdicate your right to throw stones from the sidelines. You're either passively part of the problem or actively of the solution."
I'm not throwing stones. Merely stating my experience and my opinion. Please go back and read my post. I chose to stay not leave. I still support my profession and work several days each week helping in any way I can.
"I understand your point of view; however, the burden of credibility falls on the nurses that are left behind to suffer the increasing ratios, not the ones that jump ship."
I agree, but it is Lifepoint's responsibility to recognize the nursing crisis here and either address the inefficiencies on the units or down-size the units so the nurses we do have can adequately and SAFELY care for their patients.
What is our new CNO doing or saying so far?
"I agree, but it is Lifepoint's responsibility to recognize the nursing crisis here and either address the inefficiencies on the units or down-size the units so the nurses we do have can adequately and SAFELY care for their patients."
Number one, there is a nursing shortage nationwide. Therefore, even the supply of agency/travel nurses has diminished. Number two, explain what should be done to the patients that need to be admitted? Divert them to another facility? Then what, Regional One requires money up front for non-emergency transports and tertiary facilities won't transport unless it is an emergency.
There is a solution somewhere to meet all parties half way but I am not sure of what that is.
"There is a solution somewhere to meet all parties half way but I am not sure of what that is."
I completely agree and I know the answers are complicated. But, I think the problems here are two-fold. There are so many inefficiencies on the units that I think the work flow could be handled so much better if these were addressed. This has been an issue for a long, long time and one that I personally fought to get Lifepoint to look at and fix.
But, I also know that if you don't have enough nurses to take care of x-number of patients then you have to close units or not fill beds.
IMHO...Better to work with a smaller census in a safe environment!
I understand nurse:patient ratios, but there are other employees who felt forced to leave because of LifePoint and their unwillingness to listen to groomed employees. I respect the value of the nursing staff, but others were of great value too. Nurses are not the only employees who have been subjected to LifePoint's inabilities and greed!
Please define "groomed employees." I don't understand.
Groomed: Well-trained, knowledgable, capable, skilled, years of experience, loyal, etc.
Gotcha, I usually say "seasoned."
"I respect the value of the nursing staff, but others were of great value too. Nurses are not the only employees who have been subjected to LifePoint's inabilities and greed!"
True. Point well taken. However, about the only thing that ever gets pointed out (at least on this blog anyway) is the nursing staff.
I am one of those "groomed employees" who left. I am not throwing stones, I do not feel as though I jumped ship. I tried for a number of years and felt unable to perform my responsibilities with the resources and support given. I chose to leave so that I might use my talents and skills in an organization that could offer me tools, support and fostering. I tried to assist in fixing the problems from within and found the walls being built by both LPT execs and DRMC employees made it impossible. This does not make me a terrible person but one that wished to be in a better workplace in which I can succeed and work to better the care of my patients. Not all that have left are terrible people. The majority left with heavy hearts.
"left with heavy hearts."
You are exactly right. Many former DRMC employees will regret for the rest of their lives that they experienced employment situations which gave them "no light at the end of the tunnel." They recognized LifePoint was in business for the money,
and not for the employees/citizens/patients of Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell counties, as well as surrounding areas.
Just discovered yor blog.
Sometimes new is just too different. Not uncommon for mass exodus (or at least a partial exodus) when new owners come to town. Not good, not bad, just happens. Change is something that happens everyday somewhere and is, in most cases, necessary to some extent. Good luck.
Any news/opinions on the new CNO yet?
As usual, haven't seen her.
Originally seemed ok .....hmmmm
Question. If a patient is admitted to DRMC, and decides that he could be better treated in another hospital (perhaps one that has more qualified personnel to fit his immediate needs, and a better ranking for his medical needs); can he transfer out, or does he receive opposition to his decision?
What is the normal proceedure, and what usually happens? Does available funding have an impact on his decision?
How can a patient get copies of their medical records? How long does it take once they are requested from the medical records office?
What advice could anyone give a nurse considering going to work for a Lifepoint hospital?
Also, how often are job evaluations and employee and physician drug tests scheduled?
"What advice could anyone give a nurse considering going to work for a Lifepoint hospital?"
Best advice , DON'T.
Look up lifepoint on allnurses.com and you'll see this is widespread.
"Also, how often are job evaluations and employee and physician drug tests scheduled?"
Job evaluations for RN's are yearly No drug tests scheduled, don't know about MD's.But the Hospital only has control over the "hospitalists".
How does one get a list of the "hospitalists?" Are they on that huge list of doctors? How can you tell which one is a hospitalist?????? If I could find that out and look over their credentials, it would help me as a prospective patient.
Thank you.
"How can a patient get copies of their medical records? How long does it take once they are requested from the medical records office?"
A patient can come to the Medical Records Department and fill out a form requesting their records (at a nominal fee). Once the records are requested, the company legally has 15 to 30 days to complete the request and notify the patient that the records can be picked up (you will need your id)
I would like to know about the hospitalists also. I heard that under 6the law, Lifepoint does not have to reveal their names or qualifications. If true, that's another reason for staying away. No telling what they have in their pasts.
What's the guy's name--"Jemel" or "Jerel"? The newspaper says it is "Jemel." The Lifepoint website says "Jerel." Between those two sources, it's hard to know who got it right.
Ok. Let me get this straight. We really don't know what or who a hospitalist is, yet they have people's lives in their hands...and the hospital enforces this? Can these records be obtained from state records? How do we even know if they are well trained physicians?
Next. They don't even pee in a cup? How do we know if they're on drugs when they cut patients open? Let's not get worried or anything, they're just messing around on the insides of folks, right? We let them do it, right? They prescribe medications, right, wrong, or trial and error, based on .....well, we're not real sure! Are they even U.S. citizens? Could we even find that out?
Let's ask "Mikey", he'll know, he'll eat anything, right?
Or should we just let the local butcher do surgery on us the next time we're having a bit of a problem? The gamble would be about as educated, huh?
Guess, Jemerel-what's his name-could keep us straight-after all, we really know who he is too!
I agree with most everything except ,.... Hospitalist are general MD's not surgeons and no specialties.
Wonder if the Virginia board of medicine site would have them listed in the look up hmmmm. let's see......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_medicine
Interesting...here is the current job listing on the web for hospitalist at DRMC:
Specialty: Hospitalist
Board Certification: Yes
On Call: Yes
Assignment Type: Permanent
Location Virginia
Compensation: Locum Tenens (not available), Permanent (NEGOTIABLE)
Specialty: Hospitalist Facility: Danville Regional Medical Center
Location: DANVILLE, VIRGINIA Hospitalist - Danville, Virginia Danville Regional Medical Center has 3-4 full-time positions available to join two physicians in our hospitalist program. The hospitalist program provides 24 hours on-site coverage. Days run 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Nights 7 p.m. – 7 a.m.
Hourly salary plus encounter production bonus and full benefits package including medical education loan repayment assistance.
Danville Regional Medical Center, 350 bed facility is located on the state line of North Carolina which forms the city’s southern boundary. Danville is 143 miles from the state capital in Richmond, 80 miles southeast of Roanoke; and 45 miles north of Greensboro.
Danville Regional Medical Center was established in 1993 with one simple mission: to help the people of our community to be healthy. Our vision is to become the leader in organizing resources in the community to ensure the provision of health-care services to the region at the highest value, measured by quality, customer satisfaction and cost effectiveness. The community of Danville, VA. is beautiful with plenty of activities to enjoy with family and friends.
My mother-in-law just yesterday asked the nurses about the hospitalists on the floor where she is caring for a neighbor. The nurses said they do not have to reveal the names of the hospitalists. Would FOIA help? Has anyone asked that website Lifepoint set up?
This is a very dangerous issue.
Whatever happened to the mayopr's committee?
A patient cannot legally be denied the names of anyone caring for them , hospitalist, nurse or otherwise.
Oh good lord people...for a physician to even look down your throat, they have to be licensed (either temporarily or regularly) through the State Medical Examiner's Board. Do you actually think LifePoint could be so powerful as to trump the state by bootlegging in doctors? Let's get out of the fantasy world you're living in and realize there are normal protocols to follow. Has anyone who's posting these ridiculous suppositions ever even see the application to the State to practice medicine? It's a bit more complicated than a Wal-Mart job application. Get real. you waste blog space like this.
All ya gotta do is go to Google or zoominfo.com. The blog has it right...why look anywhere else for Jerel Humphrey? Another waste of bits and bytes.
Fear, hysteria and confusion usually follow events like this community has suffered. When you know you cannot believe community leaders and you cannot believe Lifepoint, this is wha you get. Don't beat up on people....go to the sources of this horror we are living through.
"Danville Regional Medical Center was established in 1993".........?
OMG, Sentinel Event, I googled "University General" per your suggestion. Here's the link for others. http://www.universitygeneralhospital.com/
If he is used to that type of environment, there might be a tad bit of culture shock once he gets here.
A little about where our New CEO comes from:
"Houston's newest acute-care hospital is thriving and we are very pleased to be recognized by JCAHO as having met all of the criteria and requirements necessary to operate a full-service healthcare facility," says Jerel Humphrey, CEO of University General Hospital. "Our flagship facility features the latest advances in medical technology and five-star service associated with luxury hotels. We truly are taking healthcare to a new level, and we're unique in that our five-star treatment is now within reach of everyone."
"The state-of-the-art facility was designed to suit the most exacting requirements of surgical procedures and medical treatments. As such, University General Hospital in Houston was the first facility in the United States to install and deploy the Emergin[R] Infusion Pump Gateway to help nurses be more productive and respond more efficiently to patients. Emergin's Orchestrator Client application automates and manages the staff assignment process for clinical point-of-care systems such as nurse call and IV infusion management. Caregivers at University General Hospital have the ability to receive automated critical patient status updates and alerts via personal mobile handsets, further resulting in increased productivity and overall quality of patient care."
Every technology available for superb patient care and they're not kidding about the 5-star part either; Hotel style rooms, valet parking for patients and visitors, wireless network for patients and visitors, flat panel T.v.'s in all rooms, room service with made to order meals. The list goes on but the pictures look like a Ritz Carlton not a hospital.
Yep, a tad bit of culture shock.
That stuff can't be believed...University is a for-profit entity.
Yeah, but it ain't owned by hog-grubbers like Lifepoint.
"If he is used to that type of environment, there might be a tad bit of culture shock once he gets here."
It's all about what the market will bear....Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville offers valet parking...
http://www.marthajefferson.org/
"That stuff can't be believed...University is a for-profit entity."
What do you mean it can't be believed? If you will search the many articles from reliable sources, it is definitely true.
In fact I like the idea of someone coming here from that environment. He has a good idea about offering services, customer service, customer satisfaction etc. He may just be the one to take us back where we once were. Of course this isn't the market for those types of extravagences, but he certainly might see the benefit to to a lot of the services we've seen dropped over the past 2 years.
Yep and a socioeconomically destroyed area like Danville(one of the worst in the US) cannot ,and could not, afford to be sold to a for profit entity. This area cannot afford to maintain a cost structure of millionaire CxO's. The people of this area constructed quality healthcare through donations , mandatory "donations" and many many hours of volunteerism only to see it sold out from under them after generations of work. The legacy left by the 5 ignorants that sold something they didn't own is disgusting indeed. Maybe if it fails , and it does loose money every day, something worthwhile can be reconstructed with pride not shame .Danville has been through enough from generations of lying cheating and stealing by those that want to be big fish in a little pond, no sort of quality service industry will ever exist here as long as it is run by greedy backward old farts.
I pulled this from another thread. I thought it was appropriate to the conversaiton above concerning the quality of physician LifePoint has brought to town. I have no clue as to the validity of the statement below but it is worth looking at.
"I was treated in Eden for three days by a very qualified hospitalist. Dr. Parsen was amazing, thorough and respectful. Why can't Danville employ such quality in it's practitioners?
October 12, 2007 4:14:00 PM EST
Because of ignorance and greed.
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