Earning our trust
Danville Register and Bee editorial
January 25, 2008
Ronald Reagan liked to repeat the Russian proverb, “Trust but verify,” to describe his position on relations with the Soviet Union. Reagan could even say it in Russian.
That old proverb certainly applies to Jerel Humphrey, the latest CEO of Danville Regional Medical Center. We want to trust that Humphrey will work to make the hospital better, but we need to keep a careful watch on what happens, not what’s said.
“In the past, we haven’t done things (openly), and there is a healthy amount of skepticism, so (it) will take time to build trust,” Humphrey said recently. “That is my overall theme, and that takes time.”
After 90 days on the job, Humphrey has taken one step his immediate predecessor never did: He moved to Danville and bought a house.
The fact that such a minor matter like the hospital’s CEO moving to Danville is one indication of how strained relations are between the community and Danville Regional Medical Center and its corporate parent, LifePoint Hospitals Inc.
While LifePoint had no role in the controversial sale of Danville Regional in July 2005, the Tennessee-based company bears responsibility for what has happened since then.
To win back community support, Humphrey will have to continue to work with the Healthcare Leadership Council, the group set up to provide communication between the hospital and the community. Its members have been appointed by the local governments in Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C. - Danville Regional’s core market.
The hospital will have to avoid embarrassments like the preliminary denial of accreditation that dogged the last CEO. Danville Regional will have to win the hearts, minds and support of doctors, nurses and patients.
In his first 90 days, Humphrey has overseen a transition in the hospital’s food service and selected a local firm for the hospital’s copier contract. Humphrey said Danville Regional may offer all private rooms, the Heart Center of the Piedmont will continue to be affiliated with Duke University Medical Center and Danville Regional has hired a nurse recruiter.
“I challenge people to not say ‘LifePoint’ but to say ‘Danville Regional Medical Center,’” Humphrey said. “Think of this as the community’s hospital and not LifePoint. The issue I’m trying to put in front is that we are making decisions locally.”
It’s all right to trust Danville Regional’s new CEO, but the community has to closely watch what happens there. A strong local hospital is too important to leave to chance.
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11 comments:
“Think of this as the community’s hospital and not LifePoint. The issue I’m trying to put in front is that we are making decisions locally.”
Ooh, look at me! I'm making people happy! I'm the magical man from Happyland, in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Lane! Oh, by the way: I was being sarcastic.
"Think of this as the community’s hospital and not LifePoint."
Sorry Jer that ship has sailed DRMC died that day in July. liepoint would be a more appropriate name.
"The issue I’m trying to put in front is that we are making decisions locally.”
NEVER HAPPEN you are a tool of a corporation, a VERY disreputable corporation, and your orders come from millionaire leeches who produce NOTHING.
The parade of fools continues.
no different than the "way we did it way back when" fools on this blog.
Oh it's much much different , believe me . Foolish decisions made by a community for a community are one thing , foolish decisions made by a few, 5 to be exact, fools that brought in fools that have no interest in our community is a completely different thing.
Especially when Greed is the M.O.
The 65 million in profit that DRMC made it's last year in operation went back into Danville EVERY year . lifepoint will never give back . even if they ever do make a profit
Decisions made locally...well if that is happening then there has been a huge shakeup in LifePoint. I worked quite closely with the last three CEOs and their hands were tied every single day. The loss of atonomy was furstrating for all. The only one who was allowed to really make decisions was RUTHless and she was a company puppet sent in to make things "right".
I am new to the hospital and to
3B. Can someone please explain to me how unit directors were chosen? recruited? Hired? Where did they come from? I have been dealing with "Dumb and Dumber" now for a few weeks. They don't work to better the unit...they don't work at all...they are attached at the hip. I see terrible care, disrespect, a lack of understanding of true nursing practice and pure laziness from this duo of leaders. I am only here for a short time and am unsure if I can even stay that long. How are such people put into positions of influence? I don't think they even care about supporting good patient care. It is terribly sad to see and distressing to see the faces of their disinfranchised staff. I have worked at a number of organisions, big and small and have never ever seen such a mess as this unit.
The answer to all of your questions is lifepoint, you see, DRMC had reasonable (in my experience ) directors and there was a general workload a hierarchy and it worked you generally had to be qualified for the positions ( charge RN, CC, Dir, etc.. Then came lifepoint with their infinite stupidity long to short those who could left and that which was left and were too stupid to see the problem (greed lifepoint) took the promotions perfect for lifepoint as the majority now are expendable tools.Puppets if you please. My advice run I( and many many others) did already, If you don't lose your license there you're lucky.
Unfortunately, the Director of 3B has proven to be one of the worst. Yet, she continues to be supported by the CNO. When I look at the Directors in place, I am convinced that I would NEVER go back!!
Unfortunately, the new CNO is having to deal with directors put in place before she arrived. Thanks,once more to Ruthless and the other hired team that ran DRMC for months. It has been difficult to discern which of these "leaders" decisions affected nursing worse.
"Attached at the hip" is a great observation but can't be reserved for just he 3B "director" and "manager". The staff on other floors voice concerns over exactly what the responsibilities of these roles are. It is clear some of the nurse managers themselves have little insight as one can often hear them "admitting" that. Management of the units is done in a crisis mode operations effort almost daily.
Alas, that is what an organization gets when it places persons in charge of units/areas where they have little to no management experience only a record of "being in charge". NOT THE SAME as having some expertise in managemnt and /or formal training. We suffer daily for these shortcomings and believe me, most of the nursing "managers" could care less because, IT IS ALL ABOUT one's title.
lets see..to sum things up,the managers are horrible, the nurses are clueless, no one makes good decisions,everything has gone downhill since lifepoint, patients and the good nurses are going elsewhere. Well what do you expect? With such a negative attitude about everything, you are just making sure that everyone knows how unhappy of few of you bloggers are!Not the best way to recruit or keep good people is it? Not the best way to encourage people in the community to support the local "workforce". You are basically encouraging people to "outsource" themselves to other hospitals. I thought we wanted to maintain and encourage businesses to come here? Give back to the community by providing jobs and a sense of self worth.
OK we hear you, you are upset, but get real, its been a long........time since lifepoint took over. It would be in the community's best interest if we could look at "the glass half full". Maybe then we could get back some of the good nurses and managers that we use to have, work together and make this place the wonderful hospital it use to be. You complain, but you REALLY don't want this hospital to succeed do you? Its more important that you trash everything so that "you" feel vindicated. Sure there are issues,what place doesn't have them. Life is like that, nothing is perfect,I, unlike some of you am trying to go to work with a smile on my face and a good attitude. Try it, it really does make a difference in how you feel about yourself and those around you.
"Maybe then we could get back some of the good nurses and managers that we use to have, work together and make this place the wonderful hospital it use to be. You complain, but you REALLY don't want this hospital to succeed do you?"
They are not coming back the majority left when they completed a little research on lifepoint ( yes nurses do research ) They are not clueless they are NOT supported by the pathetic excuse known as lifepoint.
And NO we don't want the facility to succeed as lifepoint as they have proven just how pathetic they are.
"Give back to the community by providing jobs and a sense of self worth."
That ship too has sailed DRMC NON profit invests in community , lifepoint FOR profit invests in CEO's and self.
"Try it, it really does make a difference in how you feel about yourself and those around you."
You can only take so much crap from a dictator and greed monger.
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