"Police investigating object found at hospital"
Danville Register and Bee
Monday, June 25, 2007
DANVILLE -- The Danville Police are investigating the report of a suspicious metal object at Danville Regional Medical Center. A hospital worker found the object in the basement area...this morning at approximately 10:23 a.m.
Danville Regional Medical Center is making accommodations for seriously ill patients, however they should not say what that is. Danville Police did not get a report of a bomb threat, however
South Main St. is blocked off. ATF and State Police have arrived.
Certain areas of the hospital have been evacuated as a precautionary measure. The Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Virginia State Police are assisting with the investigation of the object.
From WAKG:
DANVILLE POLICE SAY A "SUSPICIOUS METAL OBJECT" HAS BEEN FOUND AT DANVILLE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER. LT-MIKE MONDUL SAYS A HOSPITAL WORKER MADE THE DISCOVERY AT AROUND 10-23 THIS MORNING. THE ITEM WAS FOUND IN THE HOSPITAL'S BASEMENT AREA, IN THE WYATT TOWER. PEOPLE IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE HOSPITAL WERE EVACUATED, AND NO ONE IS BEING ALLOWED INSIDE. A CROWD OF MORE THAN FIFTY PEOPLE HAD GATHERED OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL'S MAIN ENTRANCE AT LAST CHECK. A-T-F AGENTS AND EXPLOSIVES EXPERTS WITH VIRGINIA STATE POLICE ARE BEING CALLED IN. NO ONE HAS BEEN HURT.
MONDUL SAYS THEY'RE LEAVING IT UP TO THE HOSPITAL TO INFORM PATIENTS FAMILIES OF THE LATEST INFORMATION. ONE SOURCE TELLS THE NEWSROOM THAT SURGERIES NOT ALREADY UNDERWAY HAVE BEEN POSTPONED---EXCEPT IN LIFE-THREATENING CASES. SO FAR, NO CONFIRMATION FROM DANVILLE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.
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62 comments:
It adds to the civic sickness that permeates our town as a result of the unspeakable actions of a few money-lusters to destroy what we spent generations creating. God help us that this is a silly prank.
Anybody seen Ashby?
I was at the hospital when this stuff happened. I was in one day surgery waiting to go to surgery. I heard the code called for internal disaster. At first everyone thought it was just a drill.
I arrived at the hospital around 10:40 this morning and noticed a fire truck and police car at the main entrance. My husband and I assumed it was there for the construction that was going on.
I had my i.v. in and was ready to go to surgery when a nurse came in and told me they were moving us to another wing. They moved us to AM surgery. We stayed there for 15 minutes then the nurse came in and removed my i.v. then told me I had to leave. My husband and I were escorted to the ER entrance/exit. When we were walking thru the parking lot, we saw a lot of employees standing around in the lot. The front entrance was covered by police and emergency response people.
I was told that patients from ICU were being put into the recovery room.
My husband works at DRMC and was asked to come in to work to help set up a wing to put patients in.
I could definately sense fright by hospital personnel.
I will say that everything that was done was done very professionally. The nurses from ODS were calm and did a wonderful job keeping the patients calm.
I sure hope I don't get a bill for today.
One of the ER docs was picked up some time ago for trying to blow up a pipe bomb somewhere in Danville. There was publicity about it, he left, but then he came back to work at the hospital. Anybody recall the details of that? The cops should be told about that.
I think that ER doc who had the pipe bomb ended up working in a hospital elsewhere but then got in trouble again. My recall is that he returned to Danville but did not stay long. I think it is highly unlikely he would be involved in this. But I think his family is still here.
Good first-hand report. Without that, we would probably never know what happened. Many thanks.
Yes, another great day....when will it ever end?
Is Doloresco still on the scene?
That physician - who is now deceased - straped the pipebomb to himself in an attempt to commit suicide. This event took place 7 or 8 years ago on a overpass near GW High School Please don't try to link these two events...
Doleresco must still be there because he gave a statement to the newspaper. He is supposed to be here until the end of the month
Yes, wasn't it Dr. Clark?
How ridiculous. If he is now dead, what on earth has that got to do with anything? Was this Dr. Clark killed by the pipe bomb?
Is it true about the going-away party for Doloresco? That's very nice. Like the newspaper said, he did the best he coyuld.
If this turns out to be a prank, I would hate to think someone was that sick to do something so cruel.
This is terrible news for an already tarnished facility. It makes one wonder if this could be an inside job.
My guess is that it's bound to be an inside job. The employees are the biggest victims in this whole thing. The community is able to seek help elsewhere. The employees are captives to the horrible mess.
Register and Bee website says that the metal object was a dud but was found wedge in between electrical conduits. If it was for real that could have taken the power out of the entire hospital. Yes, one has to wonder if it was an inside job since the basement has limited access and some parts can only be gotten to with keys since certain areas are locked off from the public.
Who is using the term "DUD", the news media, police or hospital?? A "DUD" is an explosive device that does not detonate. Was this in fact a DUD or a fake?? Will we ever know the truth?
It was not an explosive device.
Who says? Some anonymous poster?
The news report also said it was "deactivated." You cannot deactivate something that is not activated.
Only God know what the truth is.
Anywhere but Danville, the police chief would explain the whole thing clearly and precisely. But no, we are left to wallow in cross-statements, misstatements and confusion--all of which breed pure contempt.
What a dump.
Am I p----d? You bet. I tried to get on at the Institute, but of course I didn't know the right people.
you probably didnt get hired because you complain about how the world owes you something. Try working for a change and being optimistic.
It's the publicity about what is wrong that is so much worse than whatever happens. The hospital should have never called in the radio station to deal with the suspected bomb, and you should not have put it on this website. If ABC had not told the world how bad we are, no one would have ever known it. I could go on and on.
Right on! The guy has a Danville attitude. Its this attitude that has places like Yorktowne threatening to sue over being sold a bill of goods to come here.
Just got through watching Star News' phone interview with the PR guy with the police. Some things he said, or more precisely, what he did not say has me concerned. He stated that the object was described as a scrap piece of pipe that had been down in the basement for years because there was dust on it. He then goes on the explain that the pipe was a foot long with the ends welded shut. He describes the object as being a "DUD" and the state police took it off to be deactivated. Also, that the pipe was wedged between electrical conduits so far that the bomb squad person had to pull it out because the robot could not reach it. Explain to me how a scrap piece of pipe is welded on both sides and wedged so far in between conduit that the bomb robot cannot get to it. Also, a "DUD" by definition is an explosive device that failed to detonate and why do you need to deactivate something that was suppose to be inactive? Does anyone else have these same
concerns. Furthermore, if this pipe had been down there for years, why did maintanence not see it before since they do peridiocal maintanence checks of all the systems at least 3-4 times a year???
Hey genius.....the bomb squad has "deactivated" lunch bags with sandwiches in them before. Their theory "deactivate" or blow up anything suspected of being explosive. This is done in a mobile chamber and once it is harmless THEN they worry about what it was. Anything that was not explosive, did not contain explosives, or was mislabeled is a considered a "dud".
They always error on the side of safe and the hospital did the right thing by what they did. Don't make it worse by criticizing. I'll guarantee you if they had let the maintenance guy pull it out and throw it away and word got out, the same bunch of folks being critical now would be screaming about the would've's could'ves and saying how they should have evacuated and called in the pros.
From what I hear I believe the employees for the most part acted professionally. I will wait for more details to come out before forming a final opinion. I'm glad they took the safest route to protect everyone involved. The thought that concerns me the most is that if another item is found later will they be tempted to ignore it because of everyone criticizing how they handled this incident. Will I use DRMC? not likely, but I don't blame the employees.
Clearly, if the people running the hospital can't stand the heat, they need to get out of the kitchen.
Its clear, too, from your comment that you know next to nothing about the technology of bomb deactivation. In fact, you sound like someone who works for Lifepoint's Danville Regional Hospital!
Just geussing.
What's all this about Dr. Clark? I remember him and thought he killed himself, or tried to, a long time ago?????
Anyone know?
TO S.E.:
I think you should delete these refs to Dr. Clark. They are senseless and irrelevant. He was a very sick man, now dead, and his family is still here. Please.
Dr. Clark, an ER physician at Danville Regional, was caught trying to blow himself up with a pipe bomb. It was all hushed up and they tried to send him for "help." My memory is that Bob Ashby was up to his ears in it. Then the paper exposed the whole thing--obviously a paper far different from today's pitiful rag. The hospital fired Clark, but later tried to take him back. More exposure, and he went to Halifax and got in trouble for domestic misbehavior and then ended up dying somewhere.
That's how I recall it, working in a non-medical capacity at the hospital.
Hope that helps.
I agree it is a sad story and has nothing to do with the pipe bomb hoax today.
So why all the comments about this poor guy?
I said it before and will say it again. Publicity is going to ruin this hospital and this town. If nobody knew these things, nobody would care!
And now this!
Danville makes another not-so-good list
Danville Register and Bee
Monday, June 25, 2007
DANVILLE – A study prepared for the Mortgage Bankers Association of America that used FBI and private mortgage industry data has listed Danville on its list of early defaults on prime mortgages.
Buffalo, N.Y., topped the list for 2006, followed by Enid, Ok.; Alexandria, La.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Danville, Va.; Elkhart, Ind.; Flint, Mich.; and Jackson, Mich.
For the full report, go to http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20070625_fraudrising.htm.
I was at the hospital today when all of this happened. Yes, it was scary at first, everyone being moved into other areas and not being told very much. However, the hospital staff did a wonderful job! Everyone from housekeeping to administration. The nurses did an excellent job with patient care in a not-so-familiar setting after the patients were moved.
I am just guessing that this was not a drill that is practiced every few months but only discussed about what to do and what not to do in situations like today. So with that being said, I want to thank DRMC for keeping my loved one safe and maintaining her care in a time of crisis. I am glad the hospital chose safe over sorry.
Well said, the staff is to be commended for doing such a good job. It just goes to show that the staff really does care no matter what some people may say. Hats off to them.
I too must say the staff was excellent. They moved my family member quickly, safely and were qwik to make sure we were settled in the new area.
I think the coolest thing about the whole relocation during this situation, was watching the doctors come around and check on their patients. Sometimes you think the doctors lack compassion and don't really care, but where I was, I saw doctors frequently come through and check on their patients. It actually tugged on my heartstrings to watch...
Where I was, Dr. McCann stayed in the area and checked on all of the patients, not just his own.
Great to see so many newcomers on the blog. Clearly they are new because they are defending the hospital staff.
I've been reading this blog for over a month now, and I have never seen one negative comment about the DRMC staff. The comments are about the sorry Lifepoint management that deprive good staff people of the tools and time they need to do right by patients.
So listen up, no one is dumping on the staff. They are heroes for working under such horrible conditions.
FROM TODAY'S TENNESSEE PAPER:
Despite profits, Virginia troubles batter LifePoint’s reputation
By Amy Griffith, agriffith@nashvillecitypaper.com
June 26, 2007
Troubles experienced by a Virginia hospital owned by Nashville-based LifePoint Hospitals Inc. have escalated into a public relations nightmare, catching the attention of analysts and raising questions about corporate acquisition of community hospitals.
LifePoint acquired the 350-bed Danville Regional Medical Center in 2005, shortly after LifePoint’s purchase of Providence Healthcare Co. The following two years saw a number of changes at the management level, including last week’s announced departure of the hospital’s fourth CEO since 2005. And in February, DRMC was Virginia’s only hospital to receive a preliminary withdrawal of accreditation status by the Joint Commission.
Though LifePoint’s performance has remained strong, the troubles in Danville have gained the attention of analysts. John Ransom, an analyst with Raymond James & Associates who follows LifePoint, said hospital ownership “could have done better” in terms of handling the hospital’s accreditation, staff turnover and CEO changes.
The situation is not, however, a lost cause. Despite relatively high expense levels, especially in terms of man-hours, Ransom said the Danville hospital still has positive EBITDA — earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization — and commands more than 90 percent of the area’s market share.
“It’s not critical for them to blow the doors out in Danville to meet the expectations Wall Street has set,” Ransom said.
He added that LifePoint’s Danville woes are not unusual in the hospital industry.
“There’s nothing structurally wrong with LifePoint as far as they can run a hospital,” Ransom said. “It’s always touchy when you buy a big, local not-for-profit hospital. Almost everybody has had problems somewhere. It’s a hard business.”
Changes at the hospital have been one of Danville’s biggest local issues in the last two years, according to Arnold Hendrix, editor-in-chief of local newspaper The Danville Register & Bee. Danville has a population of 90,000, and the DRMC is one of the city’s top employers.
“Whatever happens to the hospital is going to have a ripple effect throughout the community,” Hendrix said. “I think everyone here recognizes that a hospital is crucial to a community, whether it be in health care or economic development efforts, just like a school system is critical. We all need LifePoint to succeed here.”
The mayor of Danville formed a citizen’s committee to investigate care at the hospital through public hearings, with the help of an outside consultant. The results of the investigation will be announced at a city council meeting next week. In the meantime, Hendrix said, there is a good deal of public pressure on the hospital’s board of directors to find a way to buy back the hospital.
Ransom said he believes LifePoint can move forward by establishing a CEO, then rebuilding local credibility and hospital structure.
LifePoint owns Tennessee hospitals in Athens, Lawrenceburg, Livingston, Pulaski and Winchester. LifePoint officials did not return repeated calls from The City Paper, and a spokesperson for the DRMC was unavailable for comment.
Ahhhh, so Register Editor Arnold Hendrix thinks Danville has a popuation of 90,000. What stupidity.
More important, it shows that they are sold out to LifePoint. Just two out-of-town entities doing the same thing.
Yeah, isn't it more like 40,000?
Probably lumping the Danville-Pittsylvania County area together...
I would think Danville + Pitt. County + Caswell County, would mean the hospital serves 90,000 or somewhere close.
If not more...
Anonymous said...
FROM TODAY'S TENNESSEE PAPER:
Despite profits, Virginia troubles batter LifePoint’s reputation
By Amy Griffith, agriffith@nashvillecitypaper.com
June 26, 2007
Troubles experienced by a Virginia hospital owned by Nashville-based LifePoint Hospitals Inc. have escalated into a public relations nightmare, catching the attention of analysts and raising questions about corporate acquisition of community hospitals.
LifePoint acquired the 350-bed Danville Regional Medical Center in 2005, shortly after LifePoint’s purchase of Providence Healthcare Co. The following two years saw a number of changes at the management level, including last week’s announced departure of the hospital’s fourth CEO since 2005. And in February, DRMC was Virginia’s only hospital to receive a preliminary withdrawal of accreditation status by the Joint Commission.
Though LifePoint’s performance has remained strong, the troubles in Danville have gained the attention of analysts. John Ransom, an analyst with Raymond James & Associates who follows LifePoint, said hospital ownership “could have done better” in terms of handling the hospital’s accreditation, staff turnover and CEO changes.
The situation is not, however, a lost cause. Despite relatively high expense levels, especially in terms of man-hours, Ransom said the Danville hospital still has positive EBITDA — earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization — and commands more than 90 percent of the area’s market share.
“It’s not critical for them to blow the doors out in Danville to meet the expectations Wall Street has set,” Ransom said.
He added that LifePoint’s Danville woes are not unusual in the hospital industry.
“There’s nothing structurally wrong with LifePoint as far as they can run a hospital,” Ransom said. “It’s always touchy when you buy a big, local not-for-profit hospital. Almost everybody has had problems somewhere. It’s a hard business.”
Changes at the hospital have been one of Danville’s biggest local issues in the last two years, according to Arnold Hendrix, editor-in-chief of local newspaper The Danville Register & Bee. Danville has a population of 90,000, and the DRMC is one of the city’s top employers.
“Whatever happens to the hospital is going to have a ripple effect throughout the community,” Hendrix said. “I think everyone here recognizes that a hospital is crucial to a community, whether it be in health care or economic development efforts, just like a school system is critical. We all need LifePoint to succeed here.”
The mayor of Danville formed a citizen’s committee to investigate care at the hospital through public hearings, with the help of an outside consultant. The results of the investigation will be announced at a city council meeting next week. In the meantime, Hendrix said, there is a good deal of public pressure on the hospital’s board of directors to find a way to buy back the hospital.
Ransom said he believes LifePoint can move forward by establishing a CEO, then rebuilding local credibility and hospital structure.
LifePoint owns Tennessee hospitals in Athens, Lawrenceburg, Livingston, Pulaski and Winchester. LifePoint officials did not return repeated calls from The City Paper, and a spokesperson for the DRMC was unavailable for comment.
June 26, 2007 8:01:00 AM EST
Two things really jumped out at me from this article:
#1 "Despite relatively high expense levels, especially in terms of man-hours"
Could they possibly think we have too many people?
#2 "to meet the expectations Wall Street has set,”
Confirmation profits are priority #1 and validation of who is pulling all the strings.
“It’s not critical for them to blow the doors out in Danville to meet the expectations Wall Street has set,” Ransom said.
Ironic this is published the day after a bomb scare?
DUST CAN APPEAR accummilated in less than years, even months.
A PIPE ENCLOSED at two ends is more suspicious than a lunch bag.
PUBLIC SERVICE INSTITUTIONS must always REVEAL POSSIBLE THREATS-standard public service IN A DEMOCRACY.(Although it could make citizens temporarily uncomfortable.)
BRAVO TO A COMPETANT STAFF!
BOYS AT THE BANK-The Blind Leading the Blind (They probably realize they sold some future revenue too-as Lifepoint Finances with interest also) This battle could be very interesting in D.C after "the boys come home".
CITIZENS OF DANVILLE-Now Can See and are Paving a Trail!
BOYCOTT BANKS AND OIL?-Oil and Traditional Media Historically Have Had Control;... Character, Integrity have been Pushed Aside by Greedy, Indulging Money/Media schemes manipulating the ill and innocent!
WHO ALLOWED THIS?.....ASK DUBYA! Marks from the Executive Branch Pen, and the disregard of the American Public good, that helped build some of America's tragic healthcare structures. He too will probably fall into "the fraternity of unaccountability and forgetfullness"-along with a few judges- for much of the anguish and bloodshed of communities like Danville. (This is not a pro Elephant-v-Donkey indication as there are good/bad in both)
Summation of Leadership-Corruption Breeds Corruption Particularly in societies when accountability is minimized-Much of the Battle is "Trickle Down Effect"
CURRENTLY...AMERICA IS NOW AT A TURNING POINT! OUR TOMMORROW CAN INDEED BE A BETTER DAY! THANK GOODNESS!
The question is how......
Can it truly be done with this organization? Do dividends have a viable place in healthcare services?
Trust.......who....and how.
But Dr. Clark was not killed by his own pipe bomb!
Ths is a very intresting website. I went to see about my dad aftr the bomb scare and he gave me the card. Its more truth here than I've seen on the hspital. I think the emplyees on the bobmb scare did a great job, and it is a shame they work under Lifepoint. Keeep up the good work.
I am an employee at DRMC and helped move patients which was well above and beyond my job duties, as I work in an administrative position and not patient care. I have never seen the people of that hospital come together and get something done in the manner it was yesterday. It was obvious that no matter who supports LifePOint and who doesn't, we are ALL there for one reason and that is because we believe in patient care and we want to believe in this community. Most of us are just not ready to give up on it yet.
Let's think about this...we MUST have a hospital in this area. Do you really want to drive an hour to get help when you're having a heart attack or a stroke? My guess is no! I hope you all WANT to get good care at DRMC, and are not just keeping this stuff going because you WANT to see it fail so you can say you told them so. The nurses can all go an hour away and get jobs. But, what happens to the administrative folks? They won't need us at Moorehead or Annie Penn. Can you imagine the unemployment rate then? This is our livelihood! We need this to get better. The only way we're going to do that is to stop bit**ing and help make it better.
Let's celebrate the good things...and yesterday good in the fact that we were once again united for the better need. I heard more employees today say that sometimes bad things happen for a reason. It's time we unite, do what needs to be done, and make this thing better. Whether it's LifePoint, CentraHealth, or the boys from the bank again, we're cutting our nose off to spite our faces if we don't pull together instead of pulling apart.
I agree with that statement about bad things happening. Thats what I told my wife when she was basically forced out of Lifepoint, and now she is so much happier.
"Stop bi***ing and make it better."
You can't fix what you don't control.........
But would the lack of b***ing really make it much better? Accreditation issues were problems due to budget cuts, and management. Lack of quality healthcare services was a result. The b***ing was the result when our concerns needed to be heard, and as we were trying to get over the shock of poor quality healthcare service ratings. I refuse to become "silence of the lambs" FOR the good of the community!
"Stop bi***ing and make it better."
You can't fix what you don't control......... "
???????????????????????????????????
And how are you supposed to make it better, yet, can't fix what you can't control......................
still waiting on concrete suggestions from the "stop bi***ng" crowd.
The brain and talent drain continues. I just heard Lori Prescott is leaving. sadly, another committed to quality, high standards and success.
Guess she got tired of all the "working together to make things better"
If true then I suspect she got tired of the constant character assasination by those people who don't know her nor really cared to. She had a difficult job to do, both before and after coming to the DOE. She performed her responsibilities to the best of her abilities and did a good job at it. It was usually the very immature who she had problems with, and those have been the most vocal. Those persons seem to villify anyone who does not support their side in the MINDLESS bitching and whining about the hospital, without offering any VIABLE solutions to the problems. They also seem to constantly berate anyone who supports meaningful dialog to improve conditions here. Unfortunately this, as well as other blogs, tend to encourage "drive by" comments when the posters are not required to indentify themselves. Anonymity seems to promote audacity. While this forum DOES provide a mechanism for venting frustrations about Lifpoint, it has gotten out of hand with the spammers, character assassins, whiners, and people who really have nothing to say, but insist on doing it anyway.
Signed,
Tired of "Drive By" Comments
This blog is like any other public forum or public place, open to the occassional graffiti artisit. Unfortunately we have to take the good with the bad. If I remember correctly though she was the one who wrote a letter to all of the papers encouraging people to be quiet unless the had constructive solutions yet, provided none herself, kind of the pot calling the kettle black. Unfortunately for many, the only thing they can do constructive or otherwise is to identify the problems they see, and that is well within their rights and should be expected of them. (excluding personal attacks) She should have known though that when you choose to put your name out in the public you have to be prepared for the shots coming your way. Have no idea how much vilification she may have taken at work though and that part is a shame.
why don't we stop calling what we're doing bit**ing -we have been and will continue to voice our concern over the below standard level of care endorsed by a corporation that wasn't around when wages were garnished to improve the quality and variety of services available to our "community"-we do still live in america right?!
Has anyone said anything about how well the staff and volenteers handled themself during this interal disaster. How quickly they moved patients, how they tried to keep families together without panic? No, all people talked about was how it was an inconvience to them. This is a hospital not a resort, this is a medical unit where some feelings may get hurt, but its the care that counts to the patients. Wake up Danville before its too late
Anonymous said...
""I am an employee at DRMC and helped move patients which was well above and beyond my job duties.
So the pencil pusher wants a pat on the back for helping the people of Danville. WOW. What compassion you have.
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