Kern Valley Healthcare District board of directors meeting: they have a few things to tell you...

Tomorrow night, the Kern Valley Healthcare District board of directors will be putting on the monthly meeting.

Why did I use the term, "putting on" when describing the meeting?
Because these meetings are a show. Not show and tell. But more like show and "not tell."

I have attended thirty plus meetings and have never felt satisfied that the board and administration have ever cared for one minute about being a "public" healthcare district.

This is their district and I'm just an invader.

They took over the public's part many years ago when they sold revenue bonds to the tune of 22 million to build the skilled nursing facility, the OR, cafeteria.

No credit? How can you get that money without credit and collateral?

Well, if you're need of money, have some sort of expansion, reparation, project, you go to the state of California, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, with the project, and if they think its a good idea they will approve it.

Then, the service doesn't just end there. Now, you've got your project approved thru OSHPD, now you need credit for the monies, you go to the office inside this group, called Cal Mtg.

Cal Mtg. insures your loan or bonds, using the credit standing of the state.

Well, those plans here at KVHD were to build a bigger skilled nursing center, not 70 but 150.

Imagine now, that OSHPD and the KVHD board, could not produce what was originally planned. In fact it started at 13 million, then when KVHD couldn't actually finish the project for reasons just as clear as murky water.

Then came another 9 million down the channels so the KVHD could possibly finish its project.

Well, it was nine more million, but don't forget as all this money changes hands, somebody is taking their share. So, after all the charges, KVHD had another 6 million to spend.

We could ask Mr. Brad Armstrong, current second vice chair for the board, and a member for 22 years which makes him one of the originals who could not actually oversee plans and carry them out properly, why he thinks after the original fiasco, he feels compelled to continue as a board member?

Now, the plans didn't work, but we still owe all the money, and it has to be paid or the state office, Cal Mtg., will pay off the revenue debts, then take over this hospital. Sell it, which is funny, (go ahead), or take everything worth more than a dime, and have a great big garage sale.

With only half the rooms for the nursing center, means only half the revenue. But the bond money is the same. We still have to pay out of the SNF revenues for the bond.

Even those with no math skills could tell you that you are going to be in financial trouble trying to pay off a loan/bond debt with only half the expected revenue.

And we are in financial trouble. This month we could not put any money away for our February payment to Cal Mtg. on the bonds.

Then there's the strange situation with the pharmacy.

But the construction, the revenue bonds, have brought this hospital to a place that 20 years ago when OSHPD allowed this project to go astray, that it short staffed its own nursing center to keep costs down so we could make sure and pay our friends from the state.

And in 1999, when the state office, Cal Mtg. heard that KVHD might be in financial trouble, but more so that they were considering bankruptcy, brought in a management company who gathered up all the loose money to put in their pockets, fired the CEO (only to bring in a more nefarious group), and charged a lot of pesos to stay on as the district wasn't paying its debt.

Yes, in those years after Cal Mtg. let BRIM management come in we saw the likes of current Chief Financial Officer, Chet Beedle, and CEO/CNO/administrator, Pamela Ott come on to lead the "team."

"Team Cal Mtg." was and is here to protect the interests of the state.

I say, kick out all BRIM types, the whole financial department, Bob Jamison and Brad Armstrong, then get the best attorney possible and bankrupt this ship.

Start over, that's the only way.

Are the employees complaining...again?

I heard at "Finance Commit Me" that the employees were complaining, which is what employees do.

(I guess these administrators didn't realize when they took the jobs at the district, that they actually work for us, us the public. Are you complaining our employees?)

My comment was that yes, employees always complain, in fact I've heard a lot of complaining about how paychecks are not stretching far enough to pay for gas and milk, food for families, oil for the car, and the general things we work for.

I'll give you my best guess here, but I bet the employees are complaining about the short staffing, the hours, the lack of ability of the hospital to use the strengths of the employees, and putting people in jobs they don't do.

Knock, knock, can I work here?

Oh, the human resources department, which we will look at closely here, and find out what has gone wrong.

But before we go there, I want to mention, one mistake I believe that the hospital is making.

Based on the false impression, that if you throw out those who have complained, been up the chain of command, and worked at the district a long time, and those who have made complaints, got caught in the horror that was the previous administrators, you will be able to pretend that the past didn't exist.

Wrong! You are throwing away those who tried to help build this hospital, the workers, the drones, or whatever way the hospital thinks of its employees.

One woman and her mother painted the Cafeteria with help from her husband. All paint and labor was donated.

That's called pulling together. (Forget that now, you guys, send them a bill, and charge labor prices that make Sycamore management look like spendthrifts)

The employee is fired. She wanted her job back, but the new administrators have decided, it appears, not to bring back employees who were caught up in the earlier days of elder abuse, malfeasance, back stabbing, they so want to distance themselves from.

My personal position would be to heal the hospital rather than try to escape a reputation. It's sad that healing is a foreign idea at a healthcare district.

Now I heard about the "nursing shortage" but it is a shortage at KVHD. Teachers, other hospitals, other employees, don't want to work at our hospital. They don't like the way the nurses and staff are treated there or what they get paid compared to the heavy duty, administrative costs.

Nurses are a plenty in Bakersfield. So, when we speak of this shortage, remember its peculiar to KVHD.

Now that leads to Human Resources, the people who hire, fire, recruit, and generally give a certain "feel" to a company.

Sad, but true, after our former HR manager left in a hurry, (I don't know why, I just told her, "YOU'RE NEXT," must have had something to hide) we still have problems.

If I went to this hospital for a job, the first person I would see would be the HR manager.

My first impression of how hard I'm going to work, how many hours I'll take, whether I come in to help on my day's off, will depend on how I "feel" about my new company.

If say, the HR manager, was sarcastic with me, unhelpful, and kind of mean, I would probably start my job with a bad impression. Oh yeah, I'd take the job, but I wouldn't forget how I was treated in HR. It would color the rest of my stay at the hospital.

Where are they going? But, more so, where are they coming from?

Employees come and go which costs a lot of money to bring them in and out, train, get all the paperwork, research their background (that's cheap), the hours spent imparting the KVHD way of life, and then to just have them leave and then bad mouth you to other employees and employers.

I don't know what is going on here, but I see that there is no direction at the hospital, and I'm wondering why.

So, come on down for the show, tomorrow, Wed. Oct. 7, at 5:30 pm in the Cafeteria (painted by fired employees, because we didn't have the money.)

There's going to be a change here soon, and this community is going to be on its own with this hospital. Start by going to the meeting and learn. History of the issues are important as you can see clearly what actions lead to this downfall.

Assemblywoman Fuller were you selling us a "bill" of goods?

Hello Mrs. Fuller, Laura Hart again, is how I address all my repetitive correspondence to this poor woman. But here we go again.

Mrs. Fuller, we have a sharp new CEO, and a hustling and bustling, CCO, and it would be wonderful if the positive things talked about in this article below I wrote for you, could be implimented now?

I have so many quotes from you about how important this hospital is to the community and was to you and your family. Uhum, well it still is important and we need a little looksy from you.

Now Kevin McCarthy has totally ignored us except we got a flag. (I wonder how much it's worth on EBay? We could use some money for equipment and staff. It's not like we would be burning it, just trying to reinvest in a hospital with the same x-ray machine my cousin had in his first chiropractic office.)

Mr. McCarthy doesn't want to be "snake bit" coming to this hospital, but I have a feeling you're not quite as politicized as the congressman, and have some hope you will be true to us in the valley.

However, if you look below there is an interesting article I wrote about you. Okay, cough up that help and the good things you can do for the hospital, please. (I'm sure the problem betweem myself and the government is I forgot to say "pretty please.)

There's a meeting that you must attend next Wed. June 1 at 5:30 pm in our cafeteria. If not a personal visit how about a phone call or two once in while to check in. We worry about you when you don't call.

And remember this article, where you actually had Pam Ott, yuck, in your office. I thought I would remind you that we all made mistakes about people.

However, Jeanette Rogers, the heart of the valley, really believes in you. She's one of the good ones and I wouldn't like it if she was dissappointed. Bob Jamison would, he seems to think she's a bad person. Even stopped her from getting on the radio with him because apparently she interrupted him.

You should have interrupted him too when you were on the radio with him. I'm sure he played an excellent sycophant. But handcuffs and an orange shirt should have been his gifts.

Now, come on up here and let us give you a big hug and you give us some support. How's that?

Just elected last fall as Assemblywoman for the 32nd District, which includes the Kern River Valley; Republican, Jean Fuller, will now head the California State Legislative Rural Caucus.
Chosen by her colleagues to Chair the bi-partisan group that includes members of the Assembly and the Senate; Fuller and some of her colleagues will help facilitate the interests of the rural sections of California.
The group examines and studies legislation in regard to the rural sector and provides this information to other caucus members, legislators and the Governors office.
Members of the caucus actively advocate items that promote and protect rural communities during state budget negotiations; looking at all aspects including the natural environment.
Kern Valley Hospital CEO, Pamela Ott, who recently returned from Sacramento where she met with Fuller to discuss local concerns regarding health care; believes that the assemblywoman will be in position to directly advocate for the KRV in many different ways.
“The bottom line is that she will chair the caucus that considers all aspects of rural business. And any bills or legislation that we need for healthier rural communities falls under the purview of this rural caucus.”
Jeanette Rogers, recently named “Woman of the Year,” for Kern County, said that Fullers election to the caucus will be a boon for this valley. “That is absolutely a blessing to us that you would not believe.”
Fuller told of her election as chair on the caucus just last Thurs. March 8, said she was both excited and honored to be a part of the group. She said she believes the caucus will be meeting sometime in the next few weeks and will take up issues it left off from last year, such as rural health care and rural education.
Once the Superintendent of Bakersfield City School District, Fuller has already written a bill that will give more assistance to small schools to help them complete construction projects. “I’m hoping I can move it,” she said.
Within just a few months of taking office, previously held by now Congressman, Kevin McCarthy; Fuller not only chairs the caucus but became a Republican Whip. “That’s a real honor. I feel very honored especially as a freshman.”

Public response Assemblywoman Fuller/Bob Jamison QAB talk show

Well it's another Friday and the Bob Jamison was on the air. And while I'm on my respite, I thought I would tune in. And quite frankly, I'm glad I did, this was quite possibly the best show I had ever heard.

Now here's my response, since calls were not taken on the show, and Mrs. Fuller said she likes to hear public comment/response, I took some notes and whipped a little blog.

Jamison had Mrs. Fuller on by phone, she was quite wound up this morning ready to say a lot of things, and Mr. Jamison followed the lead like a little ducky.

They stayed steady on talk about propositions voters will have to contend with once again, regarding money for education, trying to sort out the good from the yuck.

When Jamison, or as I like to call him "jaws", went to commercial he teased proposition 1F regarding raises for the legistlature as the most controversial issue.

Of course, Jaws didn't believe they needed pay raises as Mrs. Fuller agreed, and that she had turned down her last pay raise as an assembly member. She said that she doesn't think that any pay raises would go out in a time with an unbalanced budget. She even said that when she was the Superintendent of schools she turned down pay raises in times of budget problems.

Here's the thing, Jaws, you and your board members at the hospital gave huge raises to the administration 19% to the former CEO, Rick Carter, 12% to CFO, Chet Beedle. How does this man get away with this hypocrisy?

Mrs. Fuller didn't call him on it. Polticians are afraid to speak up unless it has to do with something they personally are backing.

Then Jamsion went on about taxing the public, yet he is and was behind getting a general obligation bond to the people of this valley to do construction on the hospital. Burdening this valley with more property taxes.

And he was part of the conflict of interest between Rural Health Design Network and Aspen Street Architects which turned out to be rotten to the core, with faulty plans and incorrect estimations. Yet, Measure M, was the threesome board member, and the Pam Ott, plan.

(Just a note, when I have tried for over six months to get the contract with Rural Health Design and Aspen Street, I was told in an email I will share that they didn't know what I was talking about. I have tapes and even interviews and now they are amnesiacs. The booklets are in the conference room, Heidi, if you want to know more. Here's the email I recieved regarding the feigned confusion as to what I was asking for. Other information including this, I found when I was at the hospital. There are booklets with the name RHDN. If I can find it...

"Do you have the date of when that recording was done? It may help me with regards to where I should be looking.
--Heidi"

"Laura,
I mounted an exhaustive search with regards to the Rural Health Design Network. We had the Accounting girls run every variation of RHDN we could think of looking for a check that was issued to them and were unable to come up with anything. I also spent a great deal of time looking through previous Board meeting minutes and was unable to find an agreement with them. I will continue to look through the minutes. In the meantime, it you can think of any variation of RHDN I am certainly open to suggestions.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas,
Heidi" )
Anyway, more irony went on as Jamison pointed fingers at Sacramento for it's inability to administrate programs. Oh my god, my chin just dropped. Here is the thing, Mr. Jamison, you have been the oversite at this hospital and you're pointing at others? Give me a break. You watched the skilled nursing facility go down the toilet while you attacked the Knights and tried to sell your phony general obligation bond. The more you talk the more I listen.

My favorite part of the show came at the end when Jim Hunt, another guest squeezed in past Mr. Jamison's comments, said he thought, though it was extreme, that we should get rid of all the incumbents in Sacramento and start over.

I laughed so hard, yes, we should get rid of some incumbents, the one running that talk show would be a good start.

Now to Mrs. Fuller and her comments. Mrs. Fuller I have much respect for you trying to do the right things in a climate and system that is unable to support those who want to do the good things. I'm sure that's why you went to the assembly in the first place.

You said today that there were a lot of bad things in the system, the way the bills and propositions can be manhandled, that there are many hands in the cookie jar, and you talked about oversight.

Well, there are so many problems with the system itself. Much like our hospital, there were not systems in place to handle the changing healthcare standards, it would had to have been manual, meaning people would have to have had to really look and see the downfall coming, like the CEO and CNO and the board.

The government oversight was also not any help. Department of Health Services watched the SNF deteriorate, while being paid their daily sum. What a waste of taxpayer money.

I'm going to broaden my comments for you Mrs. Fuller, as I have a few opinions to share.

First, I love California, it's my state. The problems don't just eminate from this current crisis, it comes from the fact, that we don't realize that government can't do for us what needs to be done.
It's a morass, a web of decietful undercurrents, that needs to be changed before anything can be done.

I like to call it the "intelligence reform act." I suggest that we stop talking about our founding fathers and realize that we need new founding "Mothers and Fathers." There are plenty of people who could help and would do so for little or nothing. (What kind of idiot would put all their time in and not get paid. Oh, yeah, I know one)

Submitting intelligent ideas to a government who may not understand, but should be willing to concede to its own impotence, by creating a fast track of information to make changes.

Mrs. Fuller said she wants to create new jobs and infrastructure to support industry in our state. That's a really cool idea. How are we going to do it? Yes, we have earmarked federal dollars, but half will probably go to people who don't know what they're doing, and the rest will trickle down upon us. Or not.

Again, I laughed as Mr. Jamison agreed, and thought about the fact the hospital has cut out local staff and paid high prices to outsiders to get things done. The biggest employer in this valley, with a huge debt, legal problems, and looking to cut out more to survive? But Mr. Jamison continues to talk with little or no idea apparently that his work is being watched at the hospital and he is not passing the test.

We can all feel the meltdown of the former government we ran. It's not just the people who we elected, it's the system we created. It's big now with so many needs, I'm sure you can feel the tugs all over you Mrs. Fuller. (tug, tug)

And we are global now. It's not just about us, it's about all of us. Our economies are inexorably linked and we need to streamline our system to recognize this.

Let me offer my father, who would put your budget together in a week. Mrs. Fuller you and the Governor would be happy to know he has a knack for this kind of thing, he was corporate for 30 years. And my sister in corporate America found a forty million dollar mistake that was being paid for years at a large food company. Would she be of interest to you?

Now Mr. Jamison started the show by talking about home budgeting, which he insisted was mandatory and smart. Well, again, Bobby J, how have you applied this great knowledge at the hospital? By paying whatever anyone wants? Has the ambulance company come down on that contract? Or the Republican that you think you are, how can you even talk about a general obligation bond, or have a fit over dealing with Cal Mtg. on the debt?

You know Chrysler is in Chapter 11 right now, and that's where all these companies should have gone. There should have been no bailouts for them, but bailouts for health and education. That's where we are lacking in our priorities.

We have allowed education to come down to a sprinkling of budget, and that's going to kill our economy in the end. We could end up as a third world nation.

People are our resources and we should take it seriously.

And this hospital needs to be reorganized immediately before we are descended upon by the state. (We will be talking about this soon in detail.)

Finally, Mrs. Fuller, you noted that unlike other countries we vote people in and out regularly which makes us unlike other nations. Well, maybe if people were around long enough they would then have to be responsible for the success or failure of their plans and actions. However, that may not be true as we have had Brad Armstrong on the KVHD board for twenty years and he has yet to quite get a clue and certainly doesn't want to take any responsibility. (why did Armstrong run again, I'll tell you soon)

There needs to be change. Throwing money out the window is ridiculous. I'm sickened by the federal bailouts and the states being last in line for help.

The government isn't just broke it's broken. And until something or someone can help us voters see that, it will be a fun roller coaster ride.

My advice is if you really want something done, do it yourself. Complaining is a vice. Action is a virtue.

Michael Moore is out there with a new spin on the feds and scapegoating. Read his article in Time. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1893837_1894189,00.html

Thanks for the show Bobby J, it was illuminating on how out of touch you are with your own little government project.

And hey, if you disagree with anything I say, Jaws, just call me up and I'll come to the station and we can have a show "down." How bout it pardner' you up for that? Are you chicken?

Remember when I wanted to work at the station and you found all kinds of ways to try to keep me from working there? I guess your intentions are in these emails I have saved. Will have to look thru them together sometime. Or we could just simply discuss hospital business on the radio. Whatever you want to do.

Thanks.

Congressman McCarthy with Jaws on QAB

(We are having some technical difficulty, and I'd like to thank Verizon for providing consistently bad service. This blog may go up and it may not.)

As I have had another round medical intervention, I happen to be bored enough to listen to Mr. Jamison, KVHD board member and radio talk show host gabbing away about politicians to our Congressman, Kevin McCarthy.

The jowly Jamison already shocked me at the last board meeting by talking about "due diligence," something he has never done and probably can't spell either.

Well, he topped the mark of his denial today right to the Congressman, as he accused those in Washington and Sacramento of their corruption.

"They have been violating every law that's on the books," he crowed forgetting about his glass house he obviously, comfortably lives in.

Mr. Jamison is not going to change, or ever admit to his crimes and hypocricy. He violated the Brown act like it was nothing. And well, it is nothing. The government makes laws hoping that people will follow them in all good conscience. But then you have to have a conscience.

Best of all, Jamison seems to forget when he makes comments that he is an elected official, he is a politician. Wouldn't McCarthy love to have a radio show of his own, like Jaws, and spew out anything he would want with no rebuttal?

Jamison even threatened the people in office that in 2010, "you're on the short list; you people are gone."

Wow. I'm sure everyone is shaking in their shoes Bob.

But the question is why is Bob Jamison still on the board of the hospital? After all his insanity, we realize people are not voting for him, but for name recognition.

Now I feel bad for Mr. McCarthy who talked about how he thinks the focus for politicians is their local constiutents.

The reason I feel bad is that number one he would be talking to someone who has committed many actual crimes, and probably the most ineffective member of the board. My gosh, when this guy was chairman of the board he would yell at the public when they asked questions regarding anything from billing to business. He didn't solve problems, he created them and then forgets he's a "public servant."

And here McCarthy says he cares, but he knows little of what is actually happening at the hospital. He shows up for parties, but not for the really meaty stuff.

Thanks for the flag, I don't know what else to say. We have not heard a word from your office and not a bit on the crimes; what can anyone say? You could do something but apparently choose not to.

Since due diligence is the new Jamison "your buzzed word", do you Congressman, believe that the board and administration of KVHD have done "all they could do on behalf of the public they serve and the patients they minister to?"

My neighbors were telling me a story about how the former Congressman, Bill Thomas, had helped them with a personal problem with a corporation. They had nothing but good things to say about what happened.

My question is "what happened" to that sort of help when it comes to this hospital?

Report cards coming soon... Right Verizon?

Here's Tim, the new CEO: hello and welcome

Well it's going to be Tim McGlew's first week starting this Monday to take over the top management position of CEO at KVHD. Gosh what to do first?

I have a little checklist here which might be of use to you.

1. rid hospital of criminals and criminal activity (a must do before anything changes)

2..Go immediately to HR and find out why the state (more on this) believes there needs to be an investigation. HR has been a hotbed of mismanagement, coercion, collusion, and now its finally known. Ground zero, Mr. McGlew.

3. Oh, this is one of my points, could you make sure that staff know the rules when talking to the public. For instance, don't let anyone tell the public they can't view the SNF survey because it's not updated yet. (Bad, very bad; and it's supposed to be kept updated anyway). Oh, and make sure that the DON knows the staffing paper must be filled out before 11 am. And don't lie to a reporter who is playing dumb (its easy for me though), that it doesn't have to be filled out. Finally, if someone calls the hospital and asks for the ombudsman number, tell the person not to ask the name, first and last, and then ask if they are an employee. Looks really bad. Jeez.
(Two years ago I couldn't get near that SNF report as employees were sent to dissuade me which we all know is impossible. But things are better now, they lie or just don't know. A little improvement don't you think Mr. Jamison? Are you checking this every 90 days Bobby J?)
4. Yes, investigations are an appropriate way to spell out the problems. We need an audit (a real one) broken down and with a company who isn't a neighbor of CFO Chet Beedle. This is ASAP.

5. Please don't overlook the Cal Mtg. situation. Please, we are being rooked and have known for months we would be clearing that bond reserve, and you need to get the history of how this district was duped into a horribly bad deal which the state will not help with. But I will.

6. Make sure the community is covered in the ER. We had EMCARE with us for six years, and patients were always recieving bills over and above their insurance. However, when Chet and Pam Ott had Dr. Pormir start his medical group, not much changed in the billing. (Of course the hospital did the billing for them, I'm sure that's why nothing changed.) Now we have to find out if there are people intentionally heading down the mountain to avoid charges. Clean it up and let's bring them back.

7. If somehow you can accomplish this and pay the bills, hey, we can make money; we're the only hospital in town. We just don't have direction. We had a mammography machine that was purchased and never used. I don't know what boob did that. (Sorry couldn't resist the pun)
But there are ways to make money, and we need to cut out the costs, such as overpriced and underused, personnel. We need 24/7 ultra sound, because I can't take any more CT scan sales, because that's the only equipment you have. And I don't want anymore radiation either. There should have been a purchase to have radiology reports sent to other facilities, but we shorted ourselves again when we could have made money.

I have many more ideas, as the last three years of my life, have been spent around this facility. Really, I didn't know I was going to have to learn so much. But I keep researching and I know now many things. I wonder if I could get a degree from Kennedy Western University, like Pam Ott?

This blog contains only partial information. We're not done yet.

Good luck to our CEO and I'm hoping for the best. Take care Tim.

June KVHD board meeting: new CEO

I'm just getting a chance to watch the video from the last board meeting and it's really interesting. Here have some popcorn.
The chairwoman, Kay Knight, introduced our new CEO, Tim Mcglew, (sorry if the name is most likely misspelled. I haven't seen the spelling.) who gave a short introduction telling the community he wants to meet us and hear from us.
The new CEO, who has background in nursing facilities and large hospitals, was most impressive I thought that night.
During a period of questioning about a somewhat "superfluos" subject brought up by bored member, Huevos Maximos, (Jamison call himself: see the Scandalous Bob Jamison), the board was wrangling with the insipid but annoying radio star, and the CEO actually got up and clarified the issue.
I rewound the video several times to see such a sight as someone brave enough to take on the issues and actually provide a solution (even prior to his start date).
I felt this little feeling of hope after I heard him speak with knowledge and articulation.
But that soon dissipated as the "Should run a taco stand instead" CFO, Chet Beedle, began his run around the real issues with so many questions not asked of him. The board members have let this man run this hospital into the ground with hardly a word to him.
A few chuckles from friends, Jamison and Armstrong, lunchmates, and buddies, were all that was heard.
It seems the board has allowed Beedle's crimes and budget cuts to go without contention. No questions about the reports which include no breakdown or detail to actually understand.
We have overdue bills and outstanding balances, and a credit rating to match.
I've heard for four years now about the hospital financial problems caused by Robert Knight in 1999. Well, Beedle said we are going to be revisiting this scenario. But he gave himself a break, pointing out how that hasn't happened in ten years. OOOh. He even looked for confirmation from friend, Brad Armstrong.
Cal Mtg. is on it's way this August folks and Beedle, who calls himself a friend of the Mtg., has danced around this subject for six months. Will we have a hospital come September: if so, who will be running it?
Beedle said he wanted to retire here, but he makes little advance in any progress for the hospital to make money, and especially enough to satisfy the insatiable Cal Mtg.
Maybe he doesn't want to be known as a failure in finance and in employee retention and patient happiness; but you are Mr. Beedle.
Not only that you are a criminal who has been allowed to rough up anyone you like (see Beedle blogs). That power was given by the old board who sat and watched the SNF (skilled nursing facility) burn to the ground.
Yes, Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Jamison, you are still here and are seen at the hospital regularly meeting with the Beedle.
Remember all that you two board buddies said for years about micromanaging? Sleight of hand; it's been you two plus a few more we know about.
And tell me about the by-laws Huevos? I have a copy of the former by-laws which seem to be missing something, hmm, what is it? Maybe I'll ask you at the financial meeting this month.
But personally, maybe the community is frightened to come forward and ask the tough questions; but I'm not.
Oh, yes, Mr. Beedle, we can spend money any way you like if no one knows what you're doing. That is going to change.
Is it coinicidence that we have just enough money to pay our bond debt payment of 1.1 milion, added to the bond reserve we are not supposed to use?
The meeting also included a resignation by Tracy Brown whose company has been overseeing the SNF for more than a year.
Brown said: "I want to take the opportunity from everyone in the KRV for all your support on the skilled nursing unit on and during the survey process, and from my first day at the facility.
I regret to inform you that I had to submit my 90 day notice to terminate services as your on site administrator, but I do want you to know if I could ever be of assistance, either myself or of the organization I represent will always be available to you. You need only call and we'll be here at a moment's notice. Again, thank you."
This resignation came on the heels of the CFO announcement that they would have to cut cost in half in the SNF.
Beedle, who illegally hired both management companies, Sycamore and then Tracy Brown. The board in 2007, used the emergency clause in the district laws, to hire Sycamore without having to look at other management companies or options. We all know Sycamore made a bundle off this community and hospital.
Now Tracy Brown came in and it seems though she was paid quite a bit, she is not a favorite of Beedle, Armstrong, and Jamison. Well, they illegally brought her in without looking at other companies. (we will address this for sure)
So, why would they have a problem with her? Money. Are they resentful that she makes money they voted to pay her? (I mean Chet and our old friend Rick Carter and HR superstar, Debra Hoffman, all recieved nice raises ranging from 7 to 19%)
Beedle seems to think so. But he's made these fabulous decisions and continues to maintain a position at a failing facility.

Fire at will! All employees can be fired. Will our new CEO have the "huevos" to push out Beedle and bring in new financial oversight?
And will the board be willing to investigate the three amigos along with the practices in Human Resources?
I've asked for an investigation and I expect to get it.

Questions which should have been asked at the meeting

Beedle: Will three weeks be enough time to get more than $600,000 to pay the holders of the districts really "secure" bonds?
Why did the board and yourself give out big raises when your financials cite an unstable economy?
Did you know that government workers will be taking off the first Mondays and last Fridays to save money? And other government types are taking pay cuts and even giving money back. Why did this hospital throw money around like it was being printed in the back?
Armstrong: Why is it you never pulled an issue off of the "consent" agenda. These are not all "non" controversial items, in fact, there are many contracts that were not good choices.
Mr. Armstrong, did you try to fight to get Dr. Pormir and Debbie Hayes covered by the insurance company so they had a chance in court? And do you feel at all guilty about knowing that there were problems but doing nothing?
Mr. Jamison: Why are you even still here? Do you believe in if you can dish it out you better be able to take it? Are you still in touch with friend, Pam Ott?
Rest of the board: Why are you allowing known criminals to remain in the hospital?

The Report cards are out: Chet Beedle

To: The parents, guardians, (employers) of Chet Beedle.
Re: Report Card
From: The School of Life
(don't let him hide it either, we know he will try)

(picture of Chet Beedle eyeing the potential money from the auxilliary fund)

Chet came to the school with a group of students called BRIM back in 2000.

There were some problems at the school at that time because of a construction project gone wrong, but Chet and his friends managed to wriggle their way into the coffers of the school while claiming to be fixing the problems.

The staff explained to Chet that he and his friends were costing the school much money and and teachers lost their jobs over this.

Finally, Chet broke off with his friends, and decided to stay at the school. He finally admitted that his friends from BRIM were not good guys and had done little to help the problems. In fact, they had gotten away with hiring an unqualified principal just before they left.

Chet who was then very lonely, took up with the new Principal, and they stuck together like glue.

In fact, Chet liked her so much, he attacked other students on her behalf. One student who complained about chet and his sidekick, was berated and they took his student records and showed them to everyone.

Chet found two more friends to hang out with, Brad "the bully" Armstrong, and Bobby "jaws" Jamison.

The four of them literally took over the school.

Teacher: Chet has shown me he can compute numbers, but sometimes they just don't make sense. He argues constantly that these numbers are correct, but will not allow the teacher to see his work in its entirety. We have had problems with his friends copying his homework and not doing their own work, which is their "due diligence."

Business: Chet appeared to be eager to go into business but had problems with the textbook. In business one wants to make money, not just cut out jobs, but Chet didn't agree at all with this approach. As he worked on the computer models of business, like say a hospital with a nursing facility, he kept insisting that employees were the problem. His finished product is on the brink of bankruptcy, but Chet keeps disagreeing.

Business: F (failure)

Business Contracting: Chet worked on several contracts for services, and overpaid most of the contractors. He and his friends, hired on these contractors without any knowledge of their practices or background. We explained to Chet that doing this would cost the business too much money it doesn't have already. But Chet argues well, and we have let this go on for years. Recently Chet decided to try and make good on these losses, but he still tries to make us think the outside staffing is on the up and up. We still don't understand why he argues that there is no paperwork to support his claims.

Business: D (Disloyal)

Getting along with others: Chet has shown he needs his group to protect him from the other students who know his shady background. Recently, when it was disclosed that he owed money that might just take down the whole business, Chet agreed but went about keeping others from solving his problem. When another student concieved of a plan to save the business and had the backing of an assemblywoman, Chet did something really bad. He scared the student into believing there was no solution, and had her call off the governement and other help. We are so dissappointed in him. And this isn't his first offense, he went after a clinic and tried to get out of a gentleman's agreement.

F- (he's no gentleman)

Fundraising: When Chet came to us with the idea of using a general obligation bond as his fundraiser, we were surprised, but Chet was so excited he and his friends tried to put this together in all of two months. Chet claimed that this was basically free money that people in the community would be paying for years. He snickered when he said, that it would be a small amount on their taxes, and that the school would benefit. He said that he could collect this money and it could be written off if the school did another construction project. However, Chet's building project was created by his friends who were not very good at this kind of thing. But the Principal backed this idea and they went to town fundraising anyway. However, during this time, Chet was not paying attention to his homework and things fell behind. And his friends and the Principal were busy pushing the bond. Unfortunately, during this time, Chet let everything go, and stopped doing his work. Chet even went on TV with his friend "Jaws" trying to convince people that the bond was the only way to "save" the school from the government regulations. When his idea failed, he and the others found out they had real problems left behind from not paying attention in class. They found a way to play off the mistake, but other students knew the truth. And government officials found the mistakes too.

Conclusion: We can no longer tolerate the type of behaviors Chet has shown us in the past and he currently has a whole new set of excuses. The school has suffered enough, and now we must dismiss Chet so that the school is not shut down or taken over by students, like BRIM. We are sorry to inform you, Mrs. Beedle, but little Chet has been expelled.

Brad Armstrong: Report card

To: The parents or guardians, or voters of Bradley Armstrong

Re: Report card, the grades are out

From: The School of Life

( Pictured Brad Armstrong playing Tetris at board meeting while smelling his finger)

Bradley Armstrong: KVHD board member since the "hey let's build a Skilled nursing facility" era 20 years ago.
(He's been held back, and as we know that doesn't mean he's not any smarter than friends, Bobby "Jaws" Jamison, and Chet, "chit chat", Beedle)

From the teacher: We have had some behavior problems with Bradley as he continually attacks other students and blames them for his problems. When confronted with his misdeeds, Bradley, will either pretend he doesn't hear you or simply ignores the situation. I would crack a ruler across his knuckles, but he carries a gun.
Behavior: D

Knowing the rules of the playground: Bradley continues to forget to sign the rules sheet or follow the rules and when told what the rules are, he gets very angry. Rules: F-

Missing School: In April 2007, Bradley gave several stories as to why he couldn't attend the school meeting. He was very creative with his stories, he was out of town, the road was closed, someone was sick out of town, there were sheep in the road and he couldn't make it there. So, we cancelled the meeting even though there were enough board members to continue forward. The next day Bradley suddenly appeared and was rude to the teacher when she caught him in his lies. He had help shutting down that meeting. Friends, Bobby, Chet, and his mother, the redhead (can't think of her name) gave different stories to cover for the lad. Brad's excuse was nothing more than there were issues he didn't want to deal with at the meeting. So, we rescheduled that month.
Attendance: F

History: Brad continues to change the history books and appears to not understand the link between past and the present. Brad solemnly admitted there were mistakes in the past, but doesn't take responsibility for any of it. And the recent past hasn't been much better as Bradley got caught up in a gang. His friends who use only abbreviations, RHDN and ASAI, pushed Brad to get in on the playground, and not knowing any better apparently, he let them in. We know they took his lunch money and stole from the school, but Brad doesn't seem to think there was anything wrong with that.
History: F

Math: Brad has been copying the papers of friend, Chet Beedle, and doesn't understand the problems. He doesn't understand questions like, if you cut the number of people caring for other people, that you will have a disaster. He also let's Chet do all the talking and figuring for him, without a question out of his mouth. At least if your going to copy someone's paper, let it be someone who knows math. It's easy to see that the same numbers come from both students.
Math: F

Group Participation: We were worried for a while when Brad had his mother at school with him for four years, as we wanted him to learn to be independent. At one point his mother was so pushy that she wanted Brad to stay on the school board so she could continue to hang out at school. She threatened other students who were running for the board, calling them names, and making them look bad. Brad, didn't really want to run for the board again, but his mother insisted. Brad won another seat just before major problems took place. Finally, we were able to run off his mother, but Brad's attitude didn't change.
Group Participation: D (for damage)

Personality: Brad has been known to say or blurt untruths recently as he doesn't like the new students making any decisions. He's very private, not shy, but does not want people to know what he's doing. Recently he showed some bullying, but he was berating and taunting a girl at her workplace. His personality is autocratic since he has been at the school far too long. We had a problem with him cutting off phone calls containing important information. We see a need for counseling and recommend he doesn't use his old counselor, Scott Nave.
Personality: Problematic

Serious problems: Not only has Brad become a bully, but since his friend in the Principal's office left, (the one who would let him get away with making decisions outside the scope of his board seat) Brad has been trying to make trouble for the school. We now have a new principal, and we don't know how Brad is going to react. We've alerted the new Prinicipal about Brad's lying problem, but he must also watch out for tacks on his chair.

In conclusion, Brad has been bad. F

The Brady Bunch

Getting to know them...This is why everyone should be at the board meetings.

(Heidi Sage, Nursing Administrative Assistant, shown above after consuming a tuna sandwich from the after hours vending maching)

( Dr. Findstad, Chief of Staff, tries his best to look interested in a longwinded, drawn out CFO report; "just spit it out man, I'm minutes from sleep.")

(Victoria Alwin, new board member, sings opera too, as she demonstrates during the board meeting. Jamison grabbed his washboard and Armstrong blew into his empty bottle, and attempted to join in)

(New Chairwoman, Kathryn Knight, tries to ask nicely for an Aspirin or to be reseated away from the bellowing Jamison.)

(We have seen this person numerous times, but apparently she likes to sit with the board at meetings. We will zoom in on her tags next time and try to find out where she comes from. I have yet to see her eyes blink; you tell me)

(New board member, Dr. Robert Gross, tries to cajole the CFO into a chest x-ray to see if Chet Beedle really has a heart.)

(Scott Nave, KVHD board legal counsel, sporting his new "summer" haircut, tries to stare down a vicious dog that wandered into the meeting. Nave suffered minor cuts and scracthes.)

Life's messages

"Quit playing with it; kill it, eat it and get it over with" I said to my cat, Patches, who left a half dead bird in front of the door blocking me from getting outside.

When I spoke those words to my cat last night, I realized that it applied to me as well.

"YOU'RE FIRED!" former KVHD CEO, Pam Ott, terminated from Sierra Kings hospital

Sierra Kings Hospital District gives the boot to Ott:

Former Kern Valley Healthcare District CEO, Pamela Ott, shown here during the May 2007 KVHD board meeting, where she stepped down as CEO amidst troubles in the skilled nursing facility which lead to elder abuse criminal charges being filed against her two months ago in September.


Ott left KVHD while the nursing center was being threatened with closure, and civil lawsuits were being filed against the district. (No, she wasn't fired by KVHD, but was aided and abetted by the former "sticky three" board members, who sent her off to their friends from Aspen Street Architects, with letters of recommendation.)


She then went on to Sierra Kings District Hospital a month later, being hired on as CEO, with a resume containing suspicious educational degrees originating from a "diploma mill" or unaccredited program, which KVHD overlooked and so did Sierra Kings.

Reedley rids itself of Ott

When Ott was charged two months ago by the state of California, Department of Justice, Medi-Cal and elder abuse, and Board of Registered Nursing, with eight counts of elder abuse, the Sierra Kings District Board of Directors put her on unpaid administrative leave.


The former President of the Sierra Kings board, Trish Johnson, said that the board was not aware of why Ott was going to court at the time, and that the whole issue was a surprise to her. (More research of her resume would have probably lessened the surprise factor.)


Johnson said the board would wait until the November hearing to make a final decision on Ott's status with the district.

The criminal court hearings, which took place last week, resulted only in a continuance for Ott and the two other remaining defendants, Dr. Hoshang Pormir and Gwen Hughes, RN, until Jan. 5, as they all waived their rights to a "speedy preliminary hearing."


While Ott prepared for court last week, the Sierra Kings hospital board of directors, at their regular monthly meeting, made the decision, and terminated the former CEO who will be facing criminal charges as well as several civil lawsuits occurring during her leadership at KVHD.

Human resources fiasco

As I mentioned above, both the Kern Valley Healthcare District and Sierra Kings Distirct, hired on Ott with her fish market, fishy resume, work history and educational degrees. (there are several posts on the blog relating to this topic, as well as Ott's actual resume.)

Imagine that this document, the copy I have was used at KVHD, was seen and reviewed by many people in the chain of command, which makes this another "system failure" as Ott described the state of the nursing center in 2007.

There have been many people arguing recently about how the poor victims in the human resources department have their hands tied by the state and cannot do a full background check.

Maybe so, if you put no work into it at all. However, Ott's resume was so obvious that anyone reading it could have caught it and questioned it, it would have taken all of five minutes to look the degrees up on the Internet.

There is no excuse for this. All who were involved in the hiring of Ott as CEO should be fired, sued, or thrown off the board of directors. (By the way, if Ott is currently job hunting, I would recommend to a potential employer to: READ THIS BLOG FIRST, then decide. Here's your background check and it wasn't free, we all paid the price.)

Yes, Ott was the tragedy, but certainly not her resignation

Crazy as it sounds, after the threat of closing the nursing center, the cries for help from the employees, the new drug regimen, KVHD board member, Bob Jamison called Ott stepping down, "a tragedy that didn't have to happen."


Yelling and threatening, Jamison, made it clear that the only problem at KVHD was the media reporting there was a problem at KVHD. He and Ott even threatened libel suits to put the finishing touches on their story.

Jamison, who is the only person at the local radio outlet, QAB media, who can work the engineering for the stations (which allows him great influence over the owners,) engineered a plan to have Ott on the radio to explain what happened at the nursing center. He dedicated a whole hour of radio time to deny the seriousness of the problems and to offer sad excuses to go along with the lies. (See: Here's your witness Jerry Brown to read the transcript of the show)

Jamison was not alone in his grief for Ott and her departure, the two fellow board members, known as the "sticky three," Brad Armstrong and Barbara Casas, were more concerned with Ott's resignation than the meltdown of the hospital.


Brad Armstrong and Barbara Casas, openly attack the community in response to Ott's resignation. Bob Knight, at the right of the picture, tried to warn the other board members and community of the problems, but was not taken seriously because of personal attacks.


But did Jamison, Casas, and Armstrong also help Ott get the job she just lost at Sierra Kings District, by providing references? (If I were Sierra Kings and didn't want to look as ridiculous as they do here for hiring Ott, I would get out those letters of reference and march them down to an attorney who might know what to do about it.)

Again, the onus of responsibility comes down from the top. Even if none of these people ever touched a resident of the nursing center or knew their names, they created an environment of fear and dishonesty, which lead to the system failure or whatever term you want to call it, which hurt residents, families, and the future of this hospital, and in turn the future of this community.

That kind of authoritarian leadership created a hostile environment inside that hospital, where many people were threatened with termination, hours cut, pay cuts, licenses reported; anything to keep employees from questioning the administrators and their board member cohorts.

(Hitler never put one single person on a train to a concentration camp. He didn't have to do the dirty work; it was the environment of fear he created that lead people to do things they would not normally do or agree with. )

As Ott resigned in May 07, she gave the board thirty days notice, meaning she may have stepped down that night at the meeting, but she had thirty more days in power and some cleaning up to do.

Ott's last thirty, dirty days at KVHD

The day after her resignation, several employees found themselves facing the firing squad, Human Resources Manager, Michelle Rosado. (Rosado left shortly after Ott in 07)

Rosado wasted no time in getting those out of the hospital who could be a threat to the cover up of the nursing center which had been ensuing for months.

Anyone who knew me, was immediately suspect. Employees told me they were ordered to "never" talk to me. My medical care suffered as a consequence.

There was no compassion as I got phone calls from distraught staff with stories of being thrown out of their offices without time to even gather all of their things.

They were ordered off the property. The paranoid administrators then turned to another tactic and that was to try and hold up unemployment claims and people trying to retrieve money from their vacation, sick time, and retirement accounts.

Next was the insurance issue, as terminated employees were scrambling to hang onto their health insurance, they were told, like in most cases, the only option was the COBRA policy, which was overpriced, especially for the recently jobless.

So, the stress continued as Ott blamed the terminations on the nursing home management company, Sycamore Asset Management Company, who came in via Ott and the board. (I've got this on tape Sycamore...?)

Sycamore was given carte blanche to do what they had to do to pull the SNF out of possible closure, and they were handed on a silver platter, a time and materials contract, to do it with.

The board and the financial officer, Chet Beedle, allowed this company to charge almost two million dollars, for their services, which did not end the woes of the nursing center. There was no due diligence in that decision, and currently hurts the hospital which barely has five days cash on hand.

(We could use that money now. Where's Pam Ott? Would she be willing to pay our fines and the tab for Sycamore? We need the money back Pam.)

Two board members and dozens of employees tried to get thru the bulwark, Robert and Kathryn Knight, reported the CEO, but in the end, all the propaganda and defamation kept the truth buried, until now. (see blog post: Urban legend, revelation and responsibility)

Firing can be a good thing though

I think ridding yourself of employees who are irresponsible, lacking in skills, lying on their resumes, pretending not to know about criminal activity, engaging in criminal activity, showing no compassion, invading private employee information, is a really good idea.

But that's not what happened at KVHD.

In fact, people were fired for no good reason on many occasions. But the ones who were doing the things I described above, many of them are still getting a paycheck from our public healthcare district every month.

And one of the people, actually, as has been posted in this blog, invaded the privacy of two employees without recourse. He also misled the board members on many financial decisions. He was involved in a nasty dispute regarding a health clinic which ended up requiring our favorite players, attorneys.

But he's still there. Even with new board members, who should be wary of everything this person claims and says, there has been no real action to change the situation.

How can you fire people for no reason, and not fire those for a good reason?

Can KVHD make any sense of this themselves? I cannot.

If the board and administrators truly want what is best for this district and this hospital and ultimately the community's survival, then they should take their job's seriously, and make the tough calls.

To do this they must cast off any doubt or fear that they will be criticized or even lose a few admirers, when they get around to doing what is right. (it's been long awaited, trust me)

Correct the imbalances; create a new environment of participation and honesty; and rid us of the past crimes against this community.

She doesn't have a bunker

Here we are more than two years later and the Sierra Kings District Hospital is doing what we at KVHD should have done: fire Ott.

Sierra Kings is not without its own problems, as the former President of the board, was recently asked to step down by members of the community, as the hospital has filed for bankruptcy and questions about the origin of these problems still plague the residents.

Trish Johnson, did not step down as a board member, but rather a wishy washy stance was taken and she slipped into another chair, and now is no longer in a leadership position on the board, yet still a board member.

I don't think that move will satisfy the people in Reedley though, as they are willing to take up signs, speak out and walk in front of the hospital, with regard only for the community, not themselves or reputations.

I have asked repeatedly that Bob Jamison and Brad Armstrong admit their mistakes and step down from the board. I am not the only one who believes this would be best for our community: I just happen to be the only one willing to say it.

The Valley of Fear

We live in a valley of fear, as we're prone to ignore problems for the sake of our standing in the community. There are people here who would throw you under the bus in a heartbeat if it made them look better or kept them out of trouble.

I've seen that happen at this hospital over the last few years, and it is indeed sickening.

Pam Ott fed off of this environment, that is how she was able to escape responsibility for two years, and even get a couple of awards from the Association of California Healthcare Districts, ACHD, before the law caught up with her.

Bob Jamison and Brad Armstrong must believe that by stepping down from the board and allowing progress to the scene, that would somehow diminish them and their previous power.

Realize this: these two board members get little money to do what they do (which these days is nothing); they do get healthcare insurance with the district; but all in all it's not a paying job, it's a service.

And boy oh boy did they serve up quite a dish for us: colluding with each other, allowing criminal activity, engaging in criminal activity, ignoring serious and deadly problems, hiring unqualified CEO's, and yet they are still here. (It boggles the mind)

They will never have their power back, the way it was when Ott and Beedle reigned as King and Queen.

Jamison and Armstrong stay because they are not strong enough to leave. It's that simple. There is strength in character, so that answers our questions.

Final thoughts

I'm sure there will be some happy people out there who believe that Pam Ott is now getting what she deserves: what comes around goes around, they say.

I don't blame them a bit as Ott showed no compassion toward anyone, and that lack of sentiment was followed by her followers, Ott's gang. (See post: Ma's gang)

The finale may not be the way we would like it as the state of California, Department of Justice, maybe hoping to escape the trial and go for the plea bargains.

But if we can save this hospital from itself at this point, and survive the immoral and unethical years, then we can be proud of ourselves.

We have a serious situation coming from every direction at the healthcare district, as it is weakened to the point of considering even to close down a pharmacy used by residents utilizing the local district services or simply living on the south side of the lake.

If they can't run a pharmacy, how can these people run a whole healthcare district?

Is this not a model of ineffective financial planning, development, and certainly financial advice?

We have become the Kern Valley Public "thrift store" District, as the auxiliary manages to have continued success financially, and a construction project which went without a hitch, and was fully completed.

The Auxiliary, an all volunteer crew, manage to keep this district running, providing money for the rehab on the aging buildings, and rundown or nonexistent equipment. Umm, since they're paying for everything, they should be invited in on the discussion of how to run the pharmacy.

We will have more on the pharmacy soon. Please know that the employees left at the gutted pharmacy are trying their best to get your order, and that they do not have the power to change the situation. If you want to complain, talk to the man who is in charge of finance, CFO, Chet Beedle. 760-379-2681, press O, and ask for Chet.

And thank you, Sierra Kings, for setting a strong example of community teamwork, involvement, to deal with situations such as we have at our relative healthcare outlets. You have filed for bankruptcy and now have divested yourselves of Ott, whereas we should bankrupt, and fire the left over players from the Ott regime.

And also a thank you goes out to the woman (I didn't get her name, but I will) from the Board of Registered Nursing, who in court last week, asked the judge that Ott be required to check in with the agency before taking on a leadership position in any new employment she may get.

(In September when she was initially charged, Ott was not required to post bail, spent no time in jail or a jumpsuit, and her only stipulation was that she could not hold a leadership position in a hospital with a nursing center. Oh, the inequity of these decisions.)

The judge denied the board of nursing's request, but the fact that she persisted and may really understand, unlike the judge, what Ott is capable of, makes her diligent in her pursuit of justice. (Remember, I posted the email where Ott again misrepresents her credentials even further past her resume, and tells me she was a nurse practitioner. She was offering to help me as I had become ill, which was truly timed in her favor. That should be reason enough right there to keep an eye on Miss Ott.)

More to follow...