This blog was created to open the eyes of the community to occurrences at our hospital and to provide a forum for discussion. We all have a choice when it comes to deciding which hospital will care for us when we are sick. That choice should be an educated one.
So, let’s talk about the state of the hospital. A brief history will reveal that in 2004-2005 several of our local community leaders serving on the hospital board thought it would be a wise move to sell DRMC (a not-for-profit hospital) and in July 2005 we were sold to LifePoint Hospitals Inc., a for-profit healthcare company. (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_May_9/ai_n13677507).
Since the acquisition, DRMC has experienced such a changeover in senior management that the head spins trying to keep up with the revolving door. LifePoint has appointed our current CEO, chief operating officer (the fourth since acquisition); COO, chief operating officer (the third since acquisition); and CFO, chief finance officer (the second since acquisition)....there is no such thing as longevity or stability at C-level.
Since the changeover in leadership, I have watched the professionalism at DRMC slowly deteriorate. Well, maybe that sounds like a harsh judgment of the people that work there....there are professionals at DRMC in almost every department. They have just become hamstrung by policies (or lack thereof) and unrealistic target numbers. Numbers, I should point out, that are Lifepoint standards based on all their other hospitals....which are much smaller and have very differing levels of acuity. Long-term employees...the skilled folks who formed the braintrust of our hospital...have gotten fed up and moved on to greener pastures.
For some, it’s even cured their desire to work in healthcare.
Those who are still there and still care have observed deviations in standard operating procedures....mistakes are being made....mistakes that are affecting patient safety. These mistakes and observations have been reported to senior management and yet we continue to see the deviations and mistakes being made daily. I work in agony every day wondering if today will be the day a serious event will occur...an event where someone will lose their life as a result of the mistakes being made.
It’s a sad tale when the employees of the hospital are beginning to investigate (and telling their families to investigate) what hospitals in the region accept their insurance and which hospitals their doctors refer to.....oh, and shall we mention the numbers of physicians who have obtained privileges at neighboring hospitals so that they can refer out of the community.
Now, those families with patients in the hospital not only have to face the challenges that serious illness puts on their lives...they also have to plan to drive an hour in each direction...right by the community hospital that used to have their best interests at heart.
Who are these “leaders” LifePoint appointed to “lead” our hospital? Since their arrival, there have been no established goals; no mission. When asked, we are told our mission is still the one established several years ago (before LifePoint); “Delivering Healthcare Excellence Close to Home”. Whose home? Our senior management team doesn’t even live in Danville.....correction...they do live here...in rental houses....Monday thru Friday. Looks like all of them are having trouble selling their old houses and haven’t committed to the move.
Take me back to the days of DePriest!
(Actually, that would be “Larry”...the larger than life CEO that walked the halls and knew his co-workers by name.)
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Sites of Interest
- DRMC's "Here for our community" site
- LPNT - company news/profile (answers.com)
- LPNT news on the web
- Consultant's report to Commission
- Citizens Commission
- Danville Regional Foundation
- DRMC Wikipedia
- LifePoint Company History
- Danville City Council
- Nashville Biz Journal
- DRMC "Danville News & Views"
- DRMC Advisory Board of Directors
Letter to Employees, February 7, 2007
Dear DRMC Associates, Physicians and Volunteers:
Thank you for all your efforts to provide healthcare to the citizens of the Dan River Region. Providing healthcare, saving lives, and improving the quality of the lives of our friends, family and neighbors is a high calling, and you are answering that call each and every day. Delivering on the high expectations of those we serve is a tremendous responsibility, shared by everyone – physicians, nurses, technical and support staff, volunteers, managers and administration.
It’s no secret that to be successful in meeting this responsibility, we must work together. We have seen in our Emergency Department the good things that can happen when staff, physicians and management work together effectively. The reduction in wait times and fewer patients leaving without treatment are ample proof. You should all be proud of this accomplishment.
It is our hope that all of us on the hospital team, and indeed the entire community, can come together around Danville Regional and make it a source of genuine pride and positive economic activity for this area. Coming together is way overdue.
When Mr. Bill Carpenter, CEO of LifePoint and three other corporate officers were in our hospital in January, they openly apologized for mistakes made at the onset of the hospital sale. Knowing what they know at this point in time, they would have definitely done things differently. LifePoint has committed the support and resources needed to make DRMC a hospital of which we all can be proud. In addition, we, as leaders in different areas of the hospital, commit our time and energy to that same goal.
The important thing to remember is that on one person or small group can make this hospital successful. It will take the support and commitment of every single one of us who are connected to DRMC in any way. We need your help to make this happen.
Going forward won’t be easy. Any organization of this size and complexity has issues.
But it is time to move on, and move ahead. Constructive suggestions are always OK, and in fact welcomed, because there is almost always more than one “right way” to accomplish goals. Bitter, destructive criticism isn’t OK. There’s a reason they call it “holding grudges,” because the only person who feels bad is the one holding them. It’s time for us to let these go.
Good things can happen if we channel our energies on positive activities. Never has this been more important than now.
During 2006 and 2007 $26 million is being invested to create some good things – the build out of the 5th and 6th floors, the new radiation/oncology equipment, addition of PACS and a new state of the art CT machine. These improvements, coupled with your caring approach, will provide better, more complete care for our patients, close to home.
Recent patient satisfaction scores have improved, and will continue to improve as long as we focus our efforts on providing the best care for our patients and support for each other. We also fully recognize the importance of improving staff and physician satisfaction, and the positive impact this will have on the patients we serve.
We also have a big challenge that will require everyone’s best – our Joint Commission accreditation review, which will occur sometime in the next couple of months. When you think about it, it is not a stretch to say that the lifeblood of this community is dependent upon Danville Regional maintaining Joint Commission accreditation.
Joint Commission accreditation is a key to the continued success of one of the largest employers in the region, and the place where the majority of our citizens come to receive healthcare. An accredited hospital makes the community more attractive for residents who already are here, and also for those people and their employers who are looking for a good place to live, work, play and invest. It also directly impacts the livelihood of all associates and physicians.
We need to place a tremendous amount of importance and urgency around preparing for Joint Commission, because accreditation is vital to all of us. While some might think loss of accreditation hurts LifePoint, the real losers are those of us who live and work in this community. We must join together to protect one of our most valuable community assets. Our region’s economic recovery depends on it.
So we go back to our original points: we are fortunate to be in a position to serve others, which is a tremendous responsibility we accept every day. All of us want to make this a better place to work, and a better place for our neighbors to receive treatment. We are committed to supporting you and know that together we will make DRMC the very best it can be. We appreciate each of you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Betty Jo Foster
Chairman, DRMC Advisory Board
Arthur M. Doloresco
President/ CEO
Richard A. Smith, M.D.
Chief of Staff
1 comment:
As a RN working PRN in several other facilities, I am astonished to see the number of patients from Danville visiting other EDs.
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