Danville Register Bee
Saturday, June 16, 2007
DANVILLE - Danville Regional Medical Center continues to operate with a preliminary denial of accreditation.
Mayor Wayne Williams said that hospital CEO Art Doloresco sent out a statement to hospital physicians Friday stating that the hospital would remain in this category until further notice.
Danville Regional remains accredited and had hoped to improve its score from The Joint Commission, Williams said. The reason for the status quo rating is the hospital could not verify that certain standards had been met, he said.
“It doesn’t mean they haven’t done anything,” Williams said. “It’s still not a good thing.”
Williams, who appointed a Citizens Commission in an attempt to fix problems at the hospital, said he has confidence that Danville Regional can turn its situation around.
“Personally, I have no problem taking patients to the hospital,” Williams said.
Danville Regional first announced in March that it had received a preliminary denial of accreditation from The Joint Commission, which is the largest nonprofit health care accrediting body responsible for evaluating the quality of care at hospitals across the United States.
The survey was conducted Feb. 13-16.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) use commission accreditations as a basis for determining which hospitals qualify for Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements.
According to the commission’s Web site, www.qualitycheck.org, surveyors conducted their last full survey of Danville Regional on March 19, 2004.
The surveyors found the hospital to be “in full compliance with all applicable standards” and presented Danville Regional with an award for allowing CMS to post its performance measures on the agency’s Web site.
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91 comments:
The first piece of business is to see if Doloresco issues a description of the things wrong so that the community is properly warned. Last time he arrogantly said it was none of our business.
Get a life, Yokels. LifePoints won this one. Mayors group was a fix. Bank boys gopt what they paid for. An you dopes are talking about fixing whats wrong.
I might be a low-hung fruit, but Yokel I'm not.
We don't need your negative comments while we are waiting on the committee report from the Mayor.
WE continue to circle the drain, how low can we go???
Who cares anymore, except for busibodies and mistreated employees--and I am indeed sorry for them. My family has now had two excellent experiences at Moses-Cone, and we'll never again set foot in that stinking Danville hospital. It is sad because my Dad had a lot to do with building it pre-LifePoint. Other families we know are making the same change.
Thanks for everything, Mister Blogster. Good-bye--and good-bye to LifePoint.
Sign Me: Fresh Start
You will care if you have a life theatening emergency, This is what everyone seems to miss. If you are to sick to make it to Moses Cone you may not have a choice but to set your critical ill foot in that stinking hospital. So thats why I care.
Sure I can afford to go to the Mayo clinic on an elective basis, but after a bad auto accident, MI or stroke I would be brought to that stinking Danville hospital emergently without any choice and if you thinking other surrounding hospitals want to accept emergency tranfers YOU maybe DEAD wrong .Thats why YOU need that stinking hospital to work if You are going to continue to live HERE
Amen
Are we really in "the same state, preliminary denial" or is there more news to come?. Stay tuned, there may be BIG news to come soon.
We too have quit using Danville Regional, but certainly recognize that it's where we will be taken in an emergency. For the sake of our lives as well as economic development, it is very important to support aspects of Danville Regional.
However, what makes sense is that all focus be put on making it a first-rate, first-stop emergency facility that can handle most traumas to the point of stabilization for transfer. LifePoint has abandoned medical assets like the Duke Heart Center, and I'm not sure that's bad. A friend calls it "the dumbing down of our fine old Danville Regional," and there's something to that. But in return for dropping the nearly world-class assets like that, we should work hard to have the best possible (within reason) trauma center until patients can be transferred.
This approach, in my view, can take care of the community. But it is devastating to economic development. Sophisticated planners would have realized that a hospital like the former Danville Regional can be a powerful magnet, sometimes a centerpiexce, for attracting companies that best help nurture a community. Sadly, that promise was thrown away the moment the decision was made to abandon our non-profit for an out-of-town for-profit that has not the slightest interest in anything beyond making as much money as possible.
Yes, a sad situation. But one that can be redeemed partially by working toward having a strong trauma center that can speed patients on to the really fine hospitals nearby.
You bet there's BIG news coming. Hold on to your hat, Wally!
Why would anyone take a loved one to a place that TWICE has been denied full accreditation? I guess there are families that have no choice, but among those who do have choices, it's unimaginable.
The commenter about economic development is right on. We threw away decades of hard work by thousands of people when we swapped a magnificent community facility for a pile of money to build a string of community centers that in a few years will be gathering dust.
Quick! Name a mainstream company that has ever been attracted to an area because it has sparkling new community centers.
I'll tell what it attracts....companies looking for an unsophisticated workforce that they can hire at minimal wages and benefits. It also attracts retailers and credit-sleazes who can milk the low-income folks of what they do have. It brings in the bottom-feeders is what it does. Community centers suggest places on the dole--sucking on government grants and bobble-headed foundations spinning their wheels because they don't know what they're doing. That's the signal being sent.
No question, poster, we made a very poor trade. No smart business man would have ever done that with his own money.
Whoever you are, you just like to talk and use big words. All of this proves how right that Lifepoint CEO was when he dismissed our wholoe comunity as low hanging fruit. Face it. He was exactly right. What other cummunity would have been dumb enough to let these things happen and not have a sngle city official stand up and raise hell. I don't know whose klaughing the most Lifepoint or the guys that got the 200 million dollars.
I see the Danville paper has another item prasing the hospital. They are really desparate to get back that advertising! That's why they are afraid to ask DoLoresco whether the new findings are any of our busness this time. Hes got our paper on the run. Thats for sure.
ATTENTION ALL RN'S:
Every patient deserves to have a Registered Nurse assigned to their care. According to the nurse practice act of all states, the Registered Nurse is the primary care provider that is responible for all aspects of a patient's hospital stay.
For many years, hospitals have contributed to the national nursing shortage by allowing nurses to care for more patients than they should. Many hospitals do not actively pursue hiring more nurses due to budget constraints. Those budget contraints should not include obscene salaries for upper management and executive officers. Nor should stockholder dividends be more important than patient safety.
Patients deserve to have a nurse taking care of them that is not overtaxed by an unsafe staffing assignment. Unsafe staffing is one reason there are so many hospital errors and there is research to prove it.
The Virginia Nurses Association has done nothing to ensure safer staffing in Virginia hopitals. It is time to change that.
Please take the time to visit the California Nurses Association website at www.calnurse.org and see what banding your nurses together can do.
Join the National Nurses Organizing Committee. Speak up for your patient's rights as well as yours as a professional nurse. Thousands of nurses across the country have joined this organizing committee and brought forth change in hospitals across the country.
Nurses, you have an obligation to your patients and yourself to speak up for patient safety.
Danville Regional Medical Center does not provide safe staffing and we ALL know it. We need to stand up for what is right. Put your fears aside and do what you know is right.
SPEAK UP FOR PATIENT SAFETY.
Nurses in California did it and it worked. Now lets show them that we can do the same.
Signed: Very tired, overworked, and sick of being beat down DRMC nurse.
In my opinion the only thing that will change the condition at DRMC is change of ownership. Lifepoint exist to make stock holders money period. Think about it on one side of the table stock holders are praying for bad weather and lots of sick people=$$$.
On the other side of the table you have the people at hospitals and clinics trying to make patients well again, ironic isn’t it. If you have never checked the site meter on this blog you should, the blog has the attention of folks from Tennessee on HCA networks wonder who they work for?? DRMC prelifepoint had cutting edge technology from Information systems to medical equipment for example (Open Heart Surgery). To achieve this there is little profit or savings that money is going back into the medical center. That’s what non- profits do right. DRMC and some other lifepoint 300+bed facilities have been dumb down to fit the lifepoint 100 bed facilities mold. Other than making people aware of what’s going on in the hospital do you really think a city committee or a $25,000 consultant is going to change the way lifepoint does business. All the city leaders really seam to be concerned about the hospital now that they have the tax revenue. These are the same people who stood in front of the community and said our hands are tied when the hospital was being sold to lifepoint. I’ll bet that million dollars a year was already in the city budget. Who can step up and make the people at the bank spend the 200 million dollars on the community. 200 million dollars how much interest do you think that draws a year you do the math. That’s right you really can’t who knows where that money is or how much interest it is really drawing. 16 to 20 million has been donated maybe the interest has been spent, The IRS had to step in and tell the boys at the bank, spend some money or we are going to tax you on it, sad isn’t it. Change in ownership people, it’s the only thing that’s going to make DRMC a place where you want to work and serve in the community’s best interest. City leadership needs to step up, let’s see that 200 million dollars be spent on the community, not some nonprofit organization that a bank boy is involved in. I like to call that back door money!!! As a community if your not satisfied with city leadership show them at the voting machine.
At church this morning, we heard another horror story about Danville Regional. This one was about a teen-ager in good health and what happened to her when she wound up in the place. We just hear horror stories all the time, and they come from people I've known most of my life. I used to tell people they oughta write the hospital but the hospital doesnt care.
You wrote on here that we should just go somewhere else. I would if i could but alot of us cant.
And the city leaders are sitting aroujnd talkin about hiking our power rates again.
I think its hpopeless. This city will end up like some foreign country where a few people have everthing abnd just toss the bones to the rest of us.
The sad point is the "city leaders" that got us into this mess are not elected. The only way they got their power is by the financial support that the local people have given their businesses over the years. I used to like to support locally owned businesses but they in turn have really stabbed our community in the back. My wife finally had to leave the job she formally loved for over 20 years at DRMC. If we continue to give our financial support to these "leaders" than they will probably find another way to inflict more wounds in the working people of Danville and the area. Their resignation from these civic organizations would be a good start to recovery. Heck, at least statements saying "We really screwed up" would be a start.
Danville's already like that. Its the city's heritage. Where have you been? You must be a comelately.
You left out the ring-leader in those civic leaders, and that's the shrink Bob Ashby. He's so pitiful and insecure and sxcared of the big boys that he allowed his position and credentials to be used to make their evil ideas work. I don't expect money grubbers like the bankers to care but Ashby is suipposed to be a medical doctor sworn to trying to help people and look what he did. I wasn't a bit surprised at what Davenport and Majors did, but Ashby not only betrayed his friends and neighbors, he also betrayed his profession. Dispicable! I know folks who go to his church and you ought to hear what they say about him.
I'M SICK OF THIS ABOUT BOB ASHBY. HE IS AS FINE A MAN AS YOU WILL FIND IN DANVILLE. HE SPREADS HIS TALENT AND THATS MORE THAN YOU CAN SAY ABOUT MOST PEOPLE AT HIS LEVAL. HE IS CHEERFUL AND FRIENDLY TO ALL. HE IS CARING AND SENSATIVE. I KNOW. ITS WRONG OF PEOPLE TO ATTCK HIM ON THIS BLOG SITE. I WISH HE WOULD RUN FOR COUNCIL AND THEN YOU WOULD SEE HOW PEOPLE REALLY VIEW HIM. HE IS A COMMUNICATER AND THATS WHAT IS NEEDED IN THIS WHOLE SITUATION. THANK YOU.
BEEN THERE AND KNOW1
Unfortunately nurses in this area do not know how to band together and make their voice heard. Heck, most don't realize they have a voice and sadly many don't care. They've been without leadership for many years. It will take an independent, strong and experienced CNO to make nurses in this hospital step up to the plate and elevate nursing to a profession instead of just a "job".
There are so many nurses and nursing managers just cruising. They lack skills to problem solve or brain storm through situations because it's never been required or allowed by them.
In addition to LPNT finding a qualified CEO for the organization let's hope they are able to bring in an equally qualified CNO to bring nurses here into the present century!!
It would be interesting to know how many nurses in this hospital are members of professional organizations or attend meetings to further their practice. Has LPNT encouraged the same from them.
What many nurses at DRMC need to understand is that we cannot leave it up to Lifepoint to fix the staffing issues. Lifepoint is only worried about the money that will go into their pockets and that is the bottom line. A nurse union sounds like a great idea. Nurses banding together to stand up for what is right and safe is something that DRMC nurses could most definitely do. Nurses at DRMC have been dealing with unsafe staffing for a long time and I agree that it is time to change that. SIGN ME UP!!
Is it possible for the union leaders at GoodYear to provide advice on this issue? LifePoint's management style cries out for the balance of collective bargaining. And it's not just for the nurses at all. It is for the safety and welfare of the community.
Danville Regional has been abandoned by our local business leaders and, largely, by its political leaders. We have a CEO at the hospital who has clearly demonstrated that he is unfit, perhaps even incompetent. And a new CEO is not going to change the mandates coming from LifePoint's top management.
I have never liked the idea of belonging to a union, but that could be the only answer.
Keep in mind the rest of the hospital employees!!! Without us the nurses could not do their jobs. We are also suffering due to lack of true leadership from the "O"s they have sent us.
Unfortunately there are no known "hospital" unions due to the fact that there are so many different diciplines that would need to be covered. Anyone that falls under another category other than nurses can also unionize under a different union. Nurses fall under a specific category due to legislative issues that focus on patient advocacy and safety regarding plans of care. Nurses here at DRMC would be wise to investigate the idea of unionization. Perhaps we should call a special meeting outside of work to discuss the issues we face.
Always remember, you may speak about unionization anytime outside of your immediate work area. IE: breakroom, home, cafeteria, sidewalks, etc.
The law WILL protect your RIGHTS to discuss unionization and your employer has NO RIGHT to tell you otherwise.
Waiting for Lifepoint to fix all the problems would be incompetent on our part. I say bring on the unions!!!
Ashby didn't care much about the people who were "let go" from the hospital, now did he? He knew that it was the only way to cut costs. Tell me he cared. I don't think so.
All a Union cares about is taking your money, If you really think they care about you your sadly mistaken. I've heard this so many times (We feel like we have no other choice!!). A union should never be your last option. It can not fix your personal issues and problems at DRMC. Ask yourself if you where happy with your job and working conditions would you want them, I don't think so.
If you think a union is only after your money then you need to speak to the DPFFA and the AFL CIO.
Also you may want to study the industrial revolution in the US.
The only reason working conditions are as good as they are in the US is because of unions.
Theoretically your correct, if corporate America was responsible there would be no need for unions.
But I think in this case corporate America ,in the form of Lifepoint, has shown just how irresponsible,
ignorant, incompetent,disdainful and plain stupid a corporation can be.
If I was still at DRMC, I would be leading the charge for a nurse's union. You have no other choice in dealing with the brutality of those people. They know how to let you know without telling you that they are going to fire you if you misstep in any manner--and that can include giving first-rate care to patients. I don't think anyone likes a union, but how else can you deal with monsters who will keep sucking your blood until you are dead?
The way my husband kept telling me was real simple. He said to name him a single reason for Lifepoint to care about me or any patient in that hospital. My first answer was that they cared because if I and the patients were happy, they would make more money. He said that they had rather get a little less money by not having to care than to improve conditions and make more money.
When it became clear that they lived by the slash and burn methid, and then got rid of our fabntastic Duke Heart Program, I knew myhusband was right, and I was outta there!
My husband travels a lot and he compared what Lifepoint does to what hotel and motel chains do. They will buy a decent property (maybe like a low hanging fruit) and then run it until the rugs curl up and the paint peels and the hot water gives out. Enough people will keep coming because of what they expect it to be, and thats why it turns out to be a good investment. I was not a nurse there, but I coukld see that was exactly what they did to Danville Regional.
labar unions did great things during the industrial revolution, no one can argue against that. They had a role and meet that need, but I believe unions do more harm than good these days. Case in point....GM and Ford.
I for one want to know what the "big News" coming is.....
I just saw the nice ad about Annie Penn Hospital in the Danville paper, and recently Moses Cone had a pullout section that we saved. I know they are good hospitals, but we live in the county and have discovered Centra in Lynchburg. I'm not saying it is better than the first two I mentioned, but I don't see how you can get any better than Centra is. My husband went there for his surgery, and we will never go anywhere else again. Everybody has to find there own answers to what has happened to Danville Regional. I just want to pass on that I think folks in Chatham-Blairs area and north would be pleasantly surprised if they try Centra, and I think it is closer for them than Moses Cone.
GM and Ford etc
One CEO that "earns" more in salary than the entire workforce that he or she is over is what is destroying America not unions .
I'd like to know the BIG news too...
Is the big news that indeed, we lost our accreditation. This info has been circulated among the "big dogs" all weekend. Are we cooked?
Please tell me the announcement passed out by Art was not another attempt to spin the truth...tell me it ain't so...
That's what I hear, too. But personally I doubt it. It would be too big of a lie even for Art, even though if it turned out to be true, we will never see him again.
I just hope the big news is not just a new CEO. We need a new community hospital.
I wouldn't be sorry if we're "cooked" by losing accreditation. Such an event just might depress the value of this hospital to the point we can buy it at a fire-sale price and start building from the bottom--so long as the thieves with our $200 million come forward to help.
Yum cooked goose
Pass the salt please ,
Then we'll have plenty of fertilizer to grow the "New" DRMC without Lifepoint.The faster they give in the better.
Might be a little crow offered as an appetizer.
NATIONAL NURSES ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND THE CALIFORNIA NURSES ASSOCIATION
Have won contracts for nurses across the country.
(from www.calnurses.org)
Highlights of what is included in various CNA contracts:
Salaries and differentials:
-New grad rates up to $39.50/hr for day shift
-Experienced staff nurses earn up to $59.16/hr
-Nurse Practitioners earn up to $60.67/hr
-Per Diem nurses earn a 25% differential in lieu of benefits
-Nurses working the PM shift earn an extra 10%
-Nurses working the night shift earn an extra 15%
-Weekend differential of 30%
-Charge nurses earn 5% premium
-Preceptors earn $25/shift premium
-2% differential for national certifications
-For every-weekend positions, 32 hours pay for 24 hours work
-Double time for working 3 or more consecutive weekends
-Time and one-half for working the seventh and subsequent consecutive day.
-Nurses earn 50% of their regular pay while on standby
-Time and one-half for a minimum of three hours each time nurses are called in from standby
-Time and one-half for overtime after the regular shift, and double time after 12 hours
Benefits:
-Nurses who work at least half-time are entitled to fully paid family coverage (includes domestic partners).
-Guaranteed Defined Benefit pensions
-Full retiree health care for nurses and dependents
-15 days per year sick leave, after 5 years on the job.
-5 weeks vacation per year after 10 years on the job, and up to 7 weeks/yr. for more senior nurses.
-13 paid holidays per year.
-Time and one-half for working on holidays.
-12 days per year of paid educational leave
-Unlimited paid jury duty leaves.
Working Conditions:
-No mandatory overtime
-Jobs awarded by seniority to qualified internal applicants
-No cancellation of scheduled shifts
-Ability to reduce to 80% after 5 years or 60% after 20 years
-No required weekend work after 20 years
Staffing and Professional Practice:
-Staffing disputes subject to arbitration
-Staffing ratios in the contract
-8 hours/month paid time for Professional Practice Committee
Performance Committee:
-The PPC is an elected staff nurse committee, negotiated into every CNA contract that addresses practice issues. The committee meets on paid time in the hospital.
Guarantees that new technology will not be used to override the nurse’s professional judgment
These are just some of the things that can be won with collective barganing.
VIRGINIA NURSES ASSOCIATION-NOTHING
AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION-NOTHING
As a professional nurse, to be a member in either organization whether it be your state nurses association or a union organization, you still pay dues. Well if I am going to pay dues, it is going to be to an organization that will actually do something about the dire situation that nurses are finding themselves in. This is not just a Danville issue either. This is happening all across the country. Stand up and be heard. Be an advocate for your patients. Join the NNOC and begin talking with you fellow nurses. It is time to stop this madness.
Also available at www.calnurses.org
RN to patient ratios in California that are put into contracts in other states.
Type of Care
RN to Patients
Intensive/Critical Care
1:2
Neo-natal Intensive Care
1:2
Operating Room
1:1
Post-anesthesia Recovery
1:2
Labor and Delivery
1:2
Antepartum
1:4
Postpartum couplets
1:4
Postpartum women only
1:6
Pediatrics
1:4
Emergency Room
1:4
ICU Patients in the ER
1:2
Trauma Patients in the ER
1:1
Step Down, Initial
1:4
Step Down in 2008
1:3
Telemetry, Initial
1:5
Telemetry in 2008
1:4
Medical/Surgical, Initial
1:6
Medical/Surgical in 2008
1:5
Other Specialty Care, Initial
1:5
Other Specialty Care in 2008
1:4
Psychiatric
1:6
Don't ALL patients deserve this type of treatment.
Compare these RN to patient ratios to your current staffing situations and decide for yourself.
these numbers are fascinating. what are the numbers for our hospital?
DRMC Telemetry/Step Down usually has 5-8 patients per nurse but that also includes LPN's. An RN still has to be responsible for the plan of care and head to toe assessments for the LPN's patients as well as certain drug administrations. So sometimes feels like having 10-16 patients to be responsible for.
The CCU usually only has 3-5 nurses scheduled for an 18 bed unit. When patient cencus is high they usually have 3 patients per nurse. They also only have 1 CNA that works M-F 7-3 because Lifepoint said either lose the CNA's or lose more nurses.
Have heard horror stories from the medical surgical floors but I have no facts. Word of mouth: 8-14 patients per nurse including LPN's.
Have no idea how the ER or other floors staff.
YAWN
From WBTM Website:
DANVILLE) -- THE JOINT COMMISSION THAT ACCREDITS HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT THE NATION SAYS IT'S NOT YET READY TO WITHDRAW THE PRELIMINARY DENIAL OF ACCREDITATION THEY ISSUED TO DANVILLE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN MARCH. AT ITS MEETING THIS WEEK, THE COMMISSION RULED THAT THE HOSPITAL WAS STILL UNABLE TO VERIFY THAT CERTAIN STANDARDS HAD BEEN MET, DESPITE A SERIES OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE REPORTEDLY BEEN UNDERWAY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. HOSPITAL CEO ART DOLORESCO SENT A STATEMENT FRIDAY TO LOCAL DOCTORS EMPLOYED BY THE HOSPITAL TELLING THEM OF THE JOINT COMMISSION'S RULING. DOLORESCO COULD NOT BE REACHED FOR COMMENT. THE HOSPITAL'S CURRENT ACCREDITATION HAS NOT YET EXPIRED, BUT ITS RE-ACCREDITATION MAY BE JEOPARDIZED BY THE COMMISSION'S FINDINGS.
When does the current accreditation expire?
Those figures on nurse-patient ratios at Danville Regional are absolutely incredible. They are horrible. A part of me has been saying to try to stick with DRMC because I do think we should try to have a strong hospital. But those figures make it sound truly hopeless.
A number of your posters have argued that the community should turn to trying to make Danville Regional into a top-rate emergency/transfer point.
Maybe that makes a lot of sense.
PLEEEEEZE, get one thing straight: Nothing Lifepoint does is going to be good, better or excellent. They would run an emergency/transfer facility with the same arrogance and indifference that we have watched for over two years.
Dear BEEN THERE AND KNOW1,
I have worked with Dr. Ashby in the past and remember him as a decent person to work with. I have been gone from DRMC for a while, but want to think that the guy I worked with is still a stand-up guy.
His silence in all of this (just like the silence of a lot of other community "leaders") is what brings on all the speculation and supposition about his current state. So please, if you know Ashby, ask him to step up to a microphone somewhere and talk to us about what has happened and what is to come.
Thanks.
An Insider's View:
As a former lifepoint employee I can only breathe a sigh of relief that I was smart enough to leave that sorry excuse for a Healthcare company..it seems they are ONLY concerned with the price of their stock since this is how there executives make MILLIONS of dollars each year and they do that by cutting hospital staffing lowering benefits cutting out overtime and buying cheaper flimsy equipment...and in the end this equal poor pt service...and in talking to fellow employees who still work at my former Hospital they tell me things have only gotten worse...Whew!! glad I got out in time :):)
The "announcement passed out by Art" was a restatement of what we already know...no more, no less.
We still do not know, as a whole, all the areas that we were deficient in. If this "leader" thinks that is how you get employees on board to support you, I have some bad news for him.
How many of you have even seen Mr Doloresco on your unit or in your department since the Joint Commission inspection?
I've not worked for Dr. Ashby, but I agree he seems like a decent guy. That's part of the sadness here. It's like he sold his soul to these businessmen (Bank Boys, if you please), and they have used him as a front for their despicable schemes. My view of Ashby is that he is a "people-pleaser" who wants to be a big-shot with the guys with all the money. They put Ashby out front in the spotlight because they are too smart for that. But you are right that he could make a tremendous difference by stepping forward, apologizing for his role, and offering a plan to get us out of this morass.
People in Ashby's church say he is tormented and really torn apart by all of this. If he is a people pleaser like one poster said, he could please a lot more people by helping his community than hanging out with the big-shots who have used him like they have.
Have faith folks, today or tomorrow Art will bring everyone in and explain everything that's wrong and how we'll fix it.
Calling the mess we're in a "morass". Now thats funny I don't care who you are.
Amen!
OK everyone.....whats the "big news"????????
No BIG news...we're still here taking care of patients as we always have. Most of us could care less about who owns the hospital...we're here for the patients and community !
Ahhh now we know where "low hanging fruit" came from. " Most of us could care less about who owns the hospital..."
Lifepoint knew "Most of us" would have this attitude, keep us filthy, cut the help, cut the services we provide, get us some bad PR, lose accredidation, give us cheap supplies, we "could care less". Just give us a check and we'll do whatever you want with whatever you'll give us.
Give me a break. You absolutely CANNOT care about the patients and community and NOT care about whats happened.
And (unless you are a manager) you cannot truthfully make the statement "we are here for the patients and community" in the same breath that you say "we could care less who owns the hospital"
If art explained anything to anybody it would be a miracle .
Especially if it was a truth.
As for him telling us how to fix it, 2nd miracle .Hard to have a plan when you don't know how to plan.
I have no trust or "faith" in art and/or Lifepoint at all.
Been burned too many times with cheap goods and understaffing and am still getting toasted regularly.
And, we are taking "care" of patients but NOT as we've always done the level of care is substantially lower than pre-lifepoint, according to lifepoint's history it won't improve until lifepoint is gone,miracle #3.
'High level of discord'
Danville Register and Bee
June 18, 2007
Give your opinion on this story
Here’s a nomination for quotation of the year: “Your situation bothers me. What shocks me is the extremely high level of discord that you are
having here.”
Those are the words of health care consultant Keith Pryor, who was in Danville last week. Pryor is working with the Citizen’s Commission appointed by Mayor Wayne Williams to investigate complaints about Danville Regional Medical Center.
The commission has found the hospital’s problems include staffing levels, poor patient care, emergency department wait times, employee morale and administrative issues - things the people of this community have little or no direct control over.
Pryor proposed a dialogue between LifePoint officials, community leaders and doctors at the hospital. But is that going to help when some local people believe hospital officials are constantly trying to start a fresh discussion?
Legendary industrialist Henry Ford once said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.”
Promises aren’t going to fix the problems at Danville Regional Medical Center. Only the owner of Danville Regional, LifePoint Hospitals Inc., can fix the hospital’s problems.
Danville only has one hospital, and the future of Danville
Regional Medical Center is key to the future of health care in this community. The Dan River Region needs a strong hospital.
But it’s hard to imagine how dialogue alone is going to fix the hospital’s problems - and restore community confidence in Danville Regional.
What could be done?
The hospital could earn full accreditation (it has received a preliminary denial of accreditation). It could rehire those doctors and nurses that have left the hospital over the past two years for jobs with the region’s other hospitals but still live close to Danville. It could replace the high-tech equipment that was taken out of the hospital over the past two years.
Those things might serve as confidence boosters.
LifePoint Hospitals Inc. came into a bad situation when it bought Danville Regional nearly two years ago. People were angry that the hospital was sold at all. But the problems since the sale aren’t the result of bad communication with the community. Danville Regional needs to fix its problems before it can hope to improve its image with the public it purports to serve.
Any employee who does not "care" who he/she works for probbly spends precious time blogging on the computer while at work. Good example of the kind of workers Lifepoint has kept while getting rid of the good ones.
Not all of the "good ones" are gone some of them are stuck there for whatever reason be it family etc...
Be careful who you chastize when you don't know your audience.
And , if people didn't "care" who they work for there would be no outcry and No blog.....
I don't think she nmeant to be specific....
Read more about nurse patient ratios....did you know that most hospitals cut down on ancilliary and support staff to include CNAs to allow for the higher nurse patient ratios? So that means although you have less patients you may also have more work per patient. Also does the patient number cover an average over the 24 hours or is the ratio the same per shift? If you are smart you see not everything is perfect even the numbers you share above. California has problems. not the land of milk and honey.
And before you encourage unions...look into it. You also must follow rules carved in stone not just your employer.You may not like the lack of flexibility yourself when it comes to time off and scheduling. it is important to educate yourself before you leap.
Well let's clarify the above post:
California legislation also provided that ancillary staff could not be reduced to accommodate higher nurse/patient ratios.
Unions also use the same verbage during collective barganing for nurse contracts across the country.
Keep in mind that the only reason California was able to win this legislation was because UNIONS fought so hard alongside the nurses.
It may not be the land of milk and honey, but it certainly beats where we are now: oil and vinegar.
Take the time to visit their website at www.calnurse.org and see for yourself the difference a union can make.
The California nurse to patient ratio covers all shifts.
Days/Nights/Evenings/Weekends = the same staff regardless.
Have you heard Needles Ca, took back their hospital that was sold to lifepoint and turned around and sued lifepoint for what it had done to the community since taking over the hospital. Lifepoint settled for 1.5 million to keep things quiet. This is the 1st time lifepoint has been sued for wrecking a communitity hospital. I think this is great!!!
Way to go Needles. Good job. Now it's OUR turn.
LET'S GET THIS BALL ROLLING!!
Why can't a citizens group here sue the people who had been entrusted to do the right thing with our hospital? Maybe what they did was not illegal, but it was certainly reckless, irresponsible and lacking the slightest sense of fiduciary resp0nsibility. And their negligence has certaionly caused mass misery and suffering. Can't you sue over something like that.
Are you sure Needles sued? I was under the impression the $1.5 million was what lifepoint had to pay to buy out their lease. They leased needles for 20 years, went 17 miles across the state line and built a new facility. Then moved equipment and staff across the line and left needles with just an emergency room.
"Calling the mess we're in a "morass". Now thats funny I don't care who you are. "
Actually, it's a darn good description...
1. An area of low-lying, soggy ground.
2. Something that hinders, engulfs, or overwhelms:
Spot on.
I cannot believe this. I've been away. So DRMC has AGAIN failed to get its full accreditation????
The expert they hired is said to be "troubled?"
Why isn't the city council in a state of rebellion? Why isn't the whole town in a state of rebellion?
These people who have taken our hospital are the scum of the earth. They get a list iof things to fix and cannot even follow the list to fix them.
We quit using Danville Regional a year ago, but we MUST do something about it from a community stabndpoint--especially in terms of economic development. What the H--- sort of place would even THINK about moving here with such a blight over the hospital?
I can tell you what the H--- kind of companies will be attracted: Ones looking for low-hanging fruit in the form of high unemployment and people desperate to work for the lowest wages in the United States. And our "leaders" will bring them in and our newspaper will celebrate them as the future of the region. That's what the H--- you get when you have no compassion, no vision and NO SMARTS.
Sick of Danville
Can we think this through? The "preliminary denial of accreditation" status was in place until a second examination was conducted. The results of that examination certainly could not be called "preliminary," since we already had that status--i.e.,that was our status until the most recent examination.
Seems to me that by our failure to be accredited the second go-round, we thus were no longer in a "preliminary" state, but in a status in which our accreditation has been fully denied.
Maybe that's what some of you have been saying, and I'm just catching on. If so, this would mean accreditation has been denied, period.
If this is true, then Mayor Williams has thrown in with Lifepoint in parsing words and playing games with the truth.
Is this analysis possibly correct? Tell me it's all wrong.
From JC website
Accreditation is awarded to a health care organization that is in compliance with all standards at the time of the on-site survey or has successfully addressed requirements for improvement in an Evidence of Standards Compliance within 45 days following the survey.
Conditional Accreditation results when a health care organization fails to do one or both of the following: 1) Be in substantial compliance with the standards, usually determined by the number of not compliant standards that exceed established thresholds at the time of survey. The organization must remedy identified problem areas through preparation and submission of an ESC and a conditional follow-up survey. 2) Meet all requirements for the timely submission of data and information to The Joint Commission within 61 days of the due date(s).*
Preliminary Denial of Accreditation results when there is justification to deny accreditation to the organization as usually determined by the number of not compliant standards that exceed established thresholds at the time of survey. The decision is subject to appeal prior to the determination to deny accreditation; the appeal process may also result in a decision other than Denial of Accreditation.
Denial of Accreditation results when a health care organization does not permit the performance of any survey by The Joint Commission, or fails to meet requirements for the timely submission of data and information to The Joint Commission within 91 days of the due date(s).*
Not sure how long its actually been since we were first denied, but looks like we're getting close.
Left this one out....
Provisional Accreditation results when a health care organization fails to do one or more of the following: 1) Successfully address all requirements for improvement in an ESC within 45 days following the survey. 2) Achieve an appropriate level of sustained compliance as determined by a Measure of Success result. 3) Meet all requirements for the timely submission of data and information to The Joint Commission within 31 days of the due date(s).*
But no matter how you look at it, I think "accredidation" is no longer an option (its been more than 45 days) and with this second ruling even more time will pass.
It looks to me like the BEST we could hope for is "provisional" or "conditional".
But then again with no information coming out who's to know.
Maybe the "BIG" news is we will soon be fully "accredited"
BTW once the final decision is rendered will it be 3 years before we could be inspected again in hopes of being accredited?
Accredidation 101-
About Accreditation
The Joint Commission accreditation involves evaluating a health care organization's performance in areas that most affect patient health and safety. These areas are defined in The Joint Commission standards. By achieving accreditation, a health care organization makes a commitment to follow The Joint Commission standards, which provide the framework for safe, quality care.
Steps in the accreditation process:
Step One
A health care organization applies for survey.
An on-site survey is conducted by a team of surveyors who:
Conduct an opening conference.
Talk to staff and patients and observe care being provided.
Focus on certain areas of care, for example, infection control or medication use.
Provide educational services to improve compliance with the standards.
Provide feedback on areas for improvement.
Step Two
The Joint Commission's Central Office issues:
An official accreditation report
An accreditation decision
The possible accreditation decisions are:
Accreditation
Provisional Accreditation
Conditional Accreditation
Preliminary Denial of Accreditation
Denial of Accreditation
Preliminary Accreditation
(For more information, see "About Accreditation Decisions")
The Joint Commission follows up with organizations to ensure that the organization addressed all requirements for improvement.
The Joint Commission posts a Quality Report in Quality Check on The Joint Commission website.
An organization's accreditation is for three years. The only exception is for laboratories, which have a two-year accreditation period. Accreditation is not automatically renewed. To become accredited again, an organization must reapply, participate in a survey, and demonstrate compliance with the standards
HEY! We are in the top 100%
The ONLY hospital in Virginia with this status!!!!!!
You go Lifepoint! We knew you would take us to the top!
Hospital stands alone
Accreditation commission awaits Danville Regional's next move.
By MAC McLEAN
Register & Bee staff writer
June 19, 2007
Give your opinion on this story
DANVILLE - The Danville Regional Medical Center is the only hospital in Virginia to currently have a “preliminary denial of accreditation” status from the Joint Commission. Joint Commission spokeswoman Elizabeth Zhani answered a few questions about what this means Monday afternoon.
Question: What is the Joint Commission?
Answer: The Joint Commission is an independent not-for-profit organization that monitors care given at nearly 15,000 health care organizations in the United States. The group evaluates care at 97 hospitals in Virginia.
Q: What is a preliminary denial of accreditation?
A: A “preliminary denial of accreditation” status is one step above a full denial of accreditation. The commission gives this status to health care organizations it feels justified in denying its accreditation to, but it lets the organization appeal this ruling before the actual denial takes place.
Zhani said large hospitals like Danville Regional that fail to meet 17 or more standards of care during an evaluation are given this status. She said approximately 1 percent of the hospitals surveyed across the U.S. in 2006 received a “preliminary denial of accreditation.”
Q: When did all of this happen?
A: The Joint Commission sends surveyors to evaluate a hospital once every three years. It has sent teams to 23 Virginia hospitals since June 2006. Commission surveyors last visited Danville Regional on Feb. 13-16.
Danville Regional CEO Art Doloresco sent out a news release in March letting people know the hospital may receive a “preliminary denial of accreditation” following this visit. Zhani said the commission’s accreditation board reviewed the survey findings last week and signed off on the decision.
Q: What happens next?
A: Zhani said the hospital could appeal its “preliminary denial of accreditation” status to the commission’s review panel. She said the panel will look over the original survey results and “can deny the accreditation or make another decision” about the hospital’s status. Zhani expects this hearing to take place within the next month. No hospital official would return calls Monday for comment about their plans for the future.
Q: Why is this important?
A: State and federal governments use Joint Commission evaluations as a way to determine whether a health care organization qualifies for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. If a hospital loses its accreditation, the government will have to send its own team of investigators to evaluate the hospital before any decision becomes final.
Contact Mac McLean at gmclean@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7985
Where's ALL CAPS now?
Ohhhhh, I can't wait 'til China opens it's new plants in Danville !
I DONT LIKE BEING CALLED MR ALLCAPS BECAUSE IT MAKEES FUN OF ME JUSST BEING ABLE TO USE ONE HAND TO RUN COMPUTER. YOU OUGHTA KNOW I GET ME DAUGHTER TO PRINT THE NASTY THNGS YOU SAY ON OUR LEADRS AND I SEND IT TO MY FRINDS. OUR HSPOUITL IS EXCELLLNT AND BTTER THAN BEFRE.
You always seem to have a good response at the other posts....guess there's not much defense for the news we are the ONLY hospital in Virginia with Preliminary denial of Accredidation. Not to mention part of the 1% in the entire USA who does so poorly.
I WISH I KEWN WHO YU ARE. I CAN DO MORE WIHT ONE HAND THN YOU WITH TWO. AND YOU CANT EVN SPEL ACCREDIDATION
There was no second go around. They came in February gave us a preliminary denial. They confirmed the preliminary denial last week by reviewing the data. We will appeal most likely in a month or so and then we wait to hear. They will either rule on our appeal with a complete denial, a provisional or a full accreditation. Can you all not read?
Of course we can read, but those who don't work there are still unsure of the timetables. We were told in Feb. we had a prelim. denial of accredidation. What we learn now was that from Feb. until now it wasn't official. Sooooo Preliminary Denial of Accredidation didn't take effect until last Friday. When does current accredidation expire? How many days do we have to respond? When will a final decision be made? et. etc. etc.
We maintain current accreditation until the end of 2007. we will appeal and ask for provisional accreditation status in the fall.
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