In 2005 when I was asked if I could cover the hospital board meetings, I thought, okay, sure, I’ve never covered a hospital before.
I was given preliminary warning that there was an ongoing rift between board members and the name Knight came up.
When I drove up to the first meeting, as I pulled into the parking space in front of the board room, a car pulled in right next to me.
I was glad, because I really didn’t know where I was going.
Out of the car beside me, came Robert and Kay Knight.
Kay instantly asked if I was a reporter. I had nothing showing to indicate my identity.
We shook hands and introduced ourselves and they seemed happy to see me.
They escorted me into the board room where I sat down with my digital tape recorder.
I noticed a lot of looks from the board members and administrative staff. Nobody had been watching for a while.
But that board meeting was flat and everyone seemed a little reserved, nothing unusual when a reporter is present.
There was no apparent in fighting going on that I could see in the first initial meetings.
But suddenly everybody wanted to know me (watch me) and whispers and hints began that the Knights were sour grapes and wanted to ruin the healthcare district.
The more I moved with the in crowd, the CEO, her assistant, the CNO, the more I heard the stories of how the Knights were out to get the hospital.
At the time only Bob Knight sat on the board so he really wasn’t a factor. And he was pulled off all the committees, so I wasn’t sure why they were so concerned.
But then board members began to tell me tales of how he is disruptive asking questions about things; pulling items off of the “consent agenda” for discussion.
For some unknown reason the more I heard the stories, the more I began to believe them. They were running a hospital and trying to alert me of some imminent threat.
I allowed them to put a wedge in between me and my objectivity.
Using the healthcare system myself, I realized the necessity of maintaining the district. So, hearing more and more, being offered quotes, private documents, and various materials to back up these supposed facts, I became a believer. After the fact though, I realized these documents and materials were out of context and didn't really verify anything.
This has become what is called urban legend; it took on a life of its own. Friends began to question the Knights as the defamation became more furious as trouble was brewing inside the hospital. As things were falling apart and information began coming out from inside the hospital, the Knights were blamed for everything from walking the halls at night to turn employees against the administration to actually saying they robbed the CEO’s house of her computers.
The people in power did not want me talking to these people.
Maybe some of you have heard these things and believed them at one time, or even still do.
Here are only a few excerpts from different people. This was initially published without names to the comments, but we are way past that stage now.
Pamela Ott, CEO:
Bob openly admitted that his grand plan continues to be to bankrupt the district. The staff are being used as a ploy in his adventure. He is well aware of our fragile economic situation and that simply increasing salaries and increasing staff will do exactly that. It is not about his concern for staff
because he is well aware that no one will have jobs if he is to succeed in his ploy. Here is where I stand on the subject, there will be no bankruptcy, but rather, Cal Mortgage will once again step in and demand that a management firm
come to the rescue to turn around finances just as they did during Knight's last intentional attempt at bankruptcy
(Looking back, exactly how was he going to do this? Gain control?)Bob Jamison, board of directors
As to Knight being elected to the Board... Well lets just say he had a lot of help, especially from those he hired and gave very sizable salary increases, while he was CEO. The list includes some people you like, who at the time were warned that it was unethical for a District employee to campaign for a candidate
for the Board. She ignored the warning and got him elected anyway. I know "she is such a wonderful person", and no one would dare talk against her publicly. (He's talking about Jeanette Rogers) Hell, some people will praise a man who hired them in a position that they were totally unqualified for, and gave them an executive grade salary to go with it?
(I don’t think we need to say much more about salary increases or qualifications do we? If so, then we will)Another Pam Ott email:
The deal with Chet is not about Chet, but rather that Chet used to be the Brim regional CFO. During the time that Cal Mortgage demanded a management firm come in and clean things up and get the District back on track. As we talked about
before, the hospital was near death and bankruptcy looming. Chet was part of the team that fired BK. He will never get over that and would do anything including blatent lies to "get back at him"
(Old chums from Brim)
I want to say that I am appalled and disgusted with director Knights treasonous acts to defeat measure M and destroy this district. Measure M lost as a direct result of his efforts. The board of directors has a code of ethics and he has breached every one of them. In other countries his conduct would warrant execution, in our earlier days we would be looking for the rope.
In these modern times we expect people who have done such heinous crimes to do the decent and honorable thing and step down. But I truly do not believe that director Knight possesses these qualities. (This was JoAnn Jones, former board member, and current nurse at the hospital. Hey, Mr. Fong and Jerry Brown, what do you think of her "justice." Kind of scary huh?)
(The above remarks were obviously scary. Thank god we didn’t get that bond, our community would now be paying higher property taxes, and they never had a real budget or real architectural plan. It would have been a waste and a debt burden put on the people in the valley. But there are two current board members who do need to do the decent and honorable thing they haven’t done thus far, admit their mistakes and step down. Do they possess these qualities? Mr. Armstrong? Mr. Jamison?)
How about getting another quote to add to your story? I've heard that one or more members of the Foundation were critical of the Knight's behavior during the campaign. Not sure if they were refering to Kay Knight's campaign to get elected
to the Board, or the campaign for Measure M, but a quote from the Foundation may be interesting. It would also be "very interesting" if the Foundation either denyed it, or refused to comment. If the information is true, would that then mean the Foundation is involved with the Knight's in a conspiracy to
gain control of the Healthcare District? Remember, the Knight's are both members of the Foundation and have many close friends and supporters in the group.
Another thing you may not be aware of, the Foundation has in the past battled with the Hospital and the Board over what the
funds they raise are spent on, and have been very nasty on occation. (Bob Jamison email again, you can tell by the spelling)
(This is straight paranoia)
I was very happy that you were not at the last Board meeting where he put on quite the spectacle of whining about staffing and working conditions. Expounded many untruths and has developed a small following of "pack of wolves". It has
become quite clear that the ploy is all about Kay Knight's campaign. (Pam Ott again. Gosh, Jerry Brown, Department of Justice, does this tell you anything?)
(And finally, grave, deathly paranoia)
BFK's latest, he told folks at the Squirl Valley Homeowners association that the reason that I "did not take the job at Bakersfield Heart Hospital was because I
was not qualified". Today,at the Pink ladies luncheon, he cornered me to tell me how sorry that I did not get the job because he knew how much I wanted the job.
I told him that my attorney took great interest in his statement at the Squirl Valley open forum and that if he doesn't stop, I would be in ownership of all his assets (this will be the 2007 story of the year). Oh, my, my.............I'm
begining to enjoy this! (Gee, state of California, indictment mongers, she never was in ownership of anyone's assets, and her threats never happened, because she was lying.)
Obviously, that was not the story of the year.
We were duped; kept in the dark; used to promote an agenda that obviously doesn't work.
will tell you that I believe Pam Ott is as straight forward as they come. Surprise, surprise, can you imagine that a board member would share that letter with someone outside the board. I think a particular board member, maybe two might have a whole den of trained snakes working their agenda. I thought
my information might have come from one of those trained snakes, but it is our job to check it out. (Marsha Smith, publisher of the Kern Valley Sun Newspaper, alerting me about the employee cries for help in the skilled nursing facility.)
(the email above goes to show how even some well known, people in the valley jumped on the bandwagon)
And people were hurt and mistreated in the process. And people died under suspicious circumstances.
Well it’s SNOPES time for us friends and residents of the valley. And now people outside our community looking in at our disaster.
The time came when I could no longer disregard what I was hearing. And the day came when I knew.
-----Original Message-----
From: muymala@msn.com
To: mailto:Pm2@netscape.net
Sent: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 8:38 PM
Subject: a new era
I now understand why you can't trust me.
----- Original Message -----
From: pmlott2@aim.com
To: muymala@msn.com
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 12:58 PM
Subject: Re: a new era
What????????????? I'm lost!
Pamela OttBakersfield, CA 93312
-----Original Message-----
From: muymala@msn.com
To: pt2@aim.comSent:
Sun, 25 Mar 2007 1:41 PM
Subject: Re: a new era
I know...
-----Original Message-----
From: muymala@msn.com
To: t2@netscape.net
Sent: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 9:16 PM
Subject: would you like to know why?
I told you a while back that there was something I couldn't see about you; like a wall in front of you. I knew there must be something to it, but I let it go; until now.
I finally saw what I sadly did not want to see.
You told me that there was nothing there; you are straight up as they come; you get what you see and see what you get with you.
No complexities; no hidden agenda.
Not exactly accurate is it? Or do you still stand by that?
When I was at the hospital today, I had no idea how to deal with you now that I see.
But somehow we are going to have to come to terms.
You know Pam I think back to the awful night I had in the ER and remember when I told you about it. I really believed that you would do something about it. You said you were embarrassed to be in health care at that moment. I think it was a defining moment for me.
I thought here is someone who really wants to make a difference; a change. These are the kind of people I want to support; help; protect. I was watching your back all these months; gave you my full support. Both in the paper; with the bond; in person when your abilities were questioned; I guess I must've projected those ideals on you; I wanted to know there was someone left in the world that would fight for what is right.
What I got, though, was lip service. That's what it was; I was placated like a child. An idiot.
There's a vulnerability people feel when they deal with health care anyway. CEO, RN, doctor, nurse, hospital, clinic; whatever; we have no control, we're not in charge; we're either sick; we're not ourselves. We rely on you. I relied on you; your hospital; your staff; and I was f*#!ed over.
This is a sacred profession. I would think anyone violating the privacy laws or just plain decency laws should not be involved in health care. They should be banned for life.
Now the whole problem with the hospital is not bob and Kay Knight. Every time it's anything, these two are the scapegoats. You're telling me you can't make progress and get around them? That's sad. Nor does it tell the whole story. They're a hiding place.
You said to me that the Knight's don't like rules; then I guess you don't either right? Nor does the rest of the board.
He did it; she did it; I was just there; Gwen did it; he should have...she should have...are all signs of weakness.
Where is the weakness? At the top of course.
-----Original Message-----
From: muymala@msn.com
To: pt2@aim.com
Sent: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:32 AM
Subject: Re: would you like to know why?
I don't know what this means really? As far as flat wrong; I can prove that I'm not flat wrong.
You would "love" to know how I came to my new revelations? (You mean these stupid ones that aren't true, but more fictional like the Knights?)
Hey, I'm just stupid and wrong; and nothing I said was true. Rest easy. Hey, if you feel down about all this just think there goes another idiot who doesn't know her ass from a hole in the ground.
You should even tell many others about how I am so inaccurate and attacking you. Here's a good one; tell them I was poisoned by the Knights, Grosses, and several disgruntled employees. That will sound better than Laura has developed her own opinion over a period of time which I do not like to hear; and would rather not than deal with.
These emails have been cut to keep out certain other information. I’m not here to argue the whole case, because we need to see where this thing is going first. And there is an awful lot of evidence.
But there is certainty for all of you, that I will argue the case, someplace, either as a witness for the defense or the prosecution of the correct people.
I would like to take responsibility for my actions in this regard. I’m guilty of not being any sort of oversight. I’m guilty of being blinded and taking people at their word. I’m guilty of propagating this material and further perpetuating the myths.
I offer only this, once I realized my misperceptions, I have never stopped fighting for the reckoning; for justice.
And I humbly apologized to the Knights, who were gracious enough to forgive me. Those are two people who have been hit, bullied, defamed and still fought for what was right.
They kept telling us all there were big problems in the skilled nursing facility, but we, me, the authorities, the board, the administration, the media, community members either ignored them or tossed grenades. I have nothing but respect for them.
Others I’m quite disappointed in are the ones who knew, but didn’t help. And there are many. Others just took advantage for themselves.
Some just covered their own mistakes and walked away. And some still haven’t woken up from this bad dream.
I’m still here. And don’t plan on going anywhere. The only place I will go is to Sacramento if I have to show my certainty and ask that the people we elected do the right thing.
I guess the Bakersfield Californian didn’t like what I said in my letter to them and I think they’re going to like my current message even less.
We’ve been ignored up here in the mountains in our insular community by the media below. They don’t know us. We’re just simply car crashes in the windy, dangerous road to Bakersfield to the world below.
Which is my point about having good healthcare outlets and bringing in medicine by video where our radiology can be read at top hospitals; cardiologists can be consulted and see test results in a matter of minutes to save lives. We need a link to the outer medical world. And that was Dr. Pormir’s vision for this valley and his ER.
So, to the Bakersfield Californian I say come up to the board meeting Wed. March 4, 5:30 pm at the hospital or just don’t bother writing any more stories on this subject until you’re willing to see who we are. You’ll see we can pull together; we have grit and intelligence.
Next up if necessary: Pam Ott’s description of her former daily routine at the KVHD hospital. First thing every morning, she said she would visit her favorite people in the…?
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