No, we never had any problems with staffing that's according to anyone in administration or the sticky three board members, but most escpecially ex-CEO Pam Ott, and now CEFO, Chet Beedle.
These pages illustrate the downsizing at KVHD. Included is a CEO report and a DHS report. You decide. Look at the numbers.
These numbers start at 2005/2006, just before the investigation of the skilled nursing facility which lead to criminal and civil charges.
There were 307 staff positions in July 2005, then dropping to 270 in Jan. 2006. That's 37 jobs. And just as this is happening, the SNF is being investigated. And how many jobs remained "open" and not filled?
But apparently, the administration had other things on its mind, like measure M, and this problem is just being swept under the carpet.
For instance, Department of Health Services, required certain corrections when it did the Center for Medicaid Services survey in 2006. Many of these corrections didn't actually occur until 2008, and were signed by the new SNF management.
DHS did not check up on the staffing problems it cites in its reports, nor does this oversite entity follow up on the need for a full time director of nursing in the SNF. DHS actually wrote this off as corrected when indeed it was not corrected in June 2006 but in Aug. 2006 when DON, Gwen Hughes came on board. Lucy Miller, RN, was the first DON of 2006, and she was purported to be the correction, but left after only a few weeks.
These documents support the staff's complaints that there were not enough employees to handle both the ER and the SNF.
Ott created a "special" program to deal with these employee complaints, but both employees who came to the board with concerns and complaints moved on. Both well respected, but lost to a political and criminal maelstrom.
And the group which was underattended because of paranoia on the part of the employees, was something Ott said she did to appease these employees. Not what they said had merit; just that they were in the way of the new super KVHD wing going up with 12.5 in taxpayer money.
One of the two nurses said he came to KVHD to help increase technology because of his extensive background, but he complained that Ott had never followed through on his particular specialty. He had serious reservations about the administrations ability to produce the changes and improvements it was propagating to the community.
Even now, the CEFO, says there were never any staffing problems. Beedle has stuck by his claim that the KVHD hospital has abided the laws regarding nursing staffing ratios. (Maybe those are some of his projections)
However, that is directly in opposition to staff who still complain that staffing has never been correct or the scheduling and retention, remains ineffective.
The SNF was understaffed regularly in 2006 and many times staff would work on days off or when sick. Calls would have to be made to employees asking them to come in and fill empty slots just so the nursing center could remain open.
It was not a good situation for anyone in the SNF, the stress increased trying to keep the staff and perform up to optimum standards. The results of this practice are right in front of us now.
Between July 2005 and Feb. 2009 the staff positions have cut from 307 to 237; that's 70 jobs.
Again, with positions open the numbers have to be read in conjunction with the available slots and the per diem as well.
(there are also some hidden numbers here; where's Waldo?)
Next up: Debugging the system: CFO Chet Beedle
Former CEO expenses for travel and quotes from ex-employees.
Board member Brad Armstrong, from Buffer to Bully.
Measure M: local robbery thwarted
Bob Jamison and his personal war.
HIPAA laws: from privacy to complete transparency
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