KVHD Finance committee meeting for July: Oh the fun, oh the laughs, you must join us

The Kern Valley Healthcare District Finance Committee meeting, Wednesday, July 29, at 9 am in the luxurious executive trailer suite at the hospital.

Walter the KRV watchdog looks concerned about something. What buddy, what is it?

"Woof $$$ woof, grrrrrr $$."

I don't like the sound of that, I better go see what that's all about.

KVHD skilled nursing facility Update: Management company gone; hospital running nursing center for first time in 2 years

The hospital takes over the SNF:

Since it is the weekend, and getting quotes from the Kern Valley Healthcare District administration may not be possible, so I thought I would just go and take a look for myself.

Pictured here: myself

As the last of the management companies that were contracted by the

hospital to run the skilled nursing facility, left the premises on Friday, rather quickly, and from what I understand, unexpectedly.

But if you can build it, (at least partially) then you should be able to run it.

I looked around at the walls as remnants of the former management company still hung there and were maybe overlooked when they departed on July 24.

As I went into the building, the halls were quiet except for the rattle of pills and the murmur of conversation

among the residents.

It was in the evening after dinner when I arrived to find a cordial staff who were smiling and going about their business.

I asked for some confirmation, that the former management company run by Tracy Brown had indeed left.

The nurse I spoke with told me Brown was gone along with her staff, Nolan, Fidel, Beth, and the Director of Nursing, Jeanette Maker. She said that was all she knew about it.

I asked how the sudden transition went, and she said, "we're doing fine, the place is running just fine."

She said, "we have people in place," (as the records indicated), and "we're doing well."

I remarked, "so the SNF is back in the hands of the hospital." The nurse smiled and nodded, indicating approval, maybe even pride.

I was welcomed in the unit with a warm greeting, something that hasn't happened to me there in more than 2 years.

Before I left, I spoke to a few residents who were engaged in some interesting conversation. I interrupted them to introduce myself and say hello.

I was told sweetly, "I don't know who you are, but we were talking here."

Gosh, I love straightforward people...

UPDATED:Breaking News: KVHD nursing home consultant, says 7/24/2009 her last day as she leaves suddenly

In an email received by me, and broadcast to others around the valley, including board members, Tracy Brown, Consultant to the nursing facility, says she has concluded her time with the Kern Valley Heatlhcare District.

(UPDATE: I put out several calls and was able to get a confirmation from KVHD Chairwoman of the Board, Kathryn Knight, that indeed Tracy Brown left the hospital.

Knight said she received a phone call from the new CEO, Tim McGlew, yesterday, Friday, 7/24/09, indicating that Tracy Brown had departed the skilled nursing facility along with her employees.

"She walked out and took all of her people with her," Knight said she was told.

However, Knight said, that the new administrators were getting ready to begin running the skilled nursing facility, as Brown had already given her resignation to the board.

Brown had initially said that she was going to stay until the end of August.

In her email, Brown suggests the new administration begin to prepare for the state and federal survey, and that she has left everything in the nursing center in order.

Knight had no further information or comment to give at this time.

More updates coming soon as we are waiting on responses.)

Brown, who had been consulting with the facility under Sycamore Management, May 2007 until May 2008, when she was brought in by the district as her own separate contractor, called Quality Healthcare Asset Management for the last year.

In her email, Brown states she has not abandoned the facility, as she accuses new CEO, Tim McGlew of telling the staff.

Another email is included from Human resources asking Brown to "mail the mailbox key as soon as possible."

Currently, I only have this series of emails from Tracy Brown and will have to follow up with others named in the correspondence to respond.

Sycamore was brought in during May of 2007, when the KVHD nursing facility was in jeopardy of being closed due to mismanagement.

The contract with Sycamore was signed by former CEO, Pam Ott, and then KVHD Board Chairman, Brad Armstrong, with Sycamore owner, Don Ermel Doyle.

Doyle, said in 2007, after I asked him how he was contacted by the hospital, and he told me he had seen the "immediate jeopardy" with intent to close notice in the Bakersfield Californian, and decided to attend a meeting.

He said after the meeting he gave Ott his card, and a few weeks later the contract was signed.

After government agencies flooded the SNF, and a civil lawsuit was threatening Pam Ott, who had resigned but stayed on for another thirty, dirty, days, the new management company stepped aboard. (See Ott's management Company; QAB interview with Ott)

In one year costs from the contract with Sycamore soared to almost two million dollars.

Brown, who was brought in by Sycamore initially, eventually was given the reins to the SNF where she has been consulting as a Nursing Home Administrator since May of 2008 on her own, under her own company title, Quality Healthcare Asset Management, LLC.

The nursing home administrator recently gave her notice to terminate her contract with the hospital and she said she would be staying on for 90 days, which would have ended in August.

According to the email I received, she has seemingly decided to leave immediately.

"Considering when I arrived, and since my tenure the facility was on IJ (2xs), Focus status, inadequate staffing and training, on-going scrutiny from the community, low census, de-certification and admission freeze; we have done quite well, in the past 2 1/2 years (May 2007-current). You will now need to prepare for your next survey process and on-going issues that arise. Again, please feel free to contact us on a contractual basis, should the need arise, for a periodic review. Please have my final invoice paid in a timely manner, or legal recourse will be pursued, considering all prior issues. Please note this is the last of my association with KVHD- July 24, 2009."

The new CEO, Tim McGlew, has experience both in long term care and hospital administration. He was expected to take over the duties of the skilled nursing side once Brown left.

We will follow up and find out about the transition as soon as people are available for comment.

This is just one side of the picture at the moment as we have not had a chance to talk to anyone at the district as of yet.

What we know right now, is that Tracy Brown, in an email, states that she has left KVHD as of July 24, 2009.

Kern County will take report and investigate threat

I spoke with Kern County Sheriff, Marshall, (which seems redundant in a way) and he has advised me that they will take a police report regarding the threat on the Kern Valley Sun website. He said an investigator will be assigned to the case and whatever they do from there.

So, its possible still, even though the Sun has not been cooperative, nor communicative, that we could find out who this is. How interesting it would be, though unlikely...

How did the Kern Valley media "cover itself." Product reviews

update: we currently see that the Sun has taken up advertising the Kern Valley Healthcare District, and writing kind and gentle stories about new pharmacists. They will probably be busy with the "happy" stories about the district, as they are happy being paid for the new advertising. But noticably missing from the KVHD board and the Sun is discussion as to what to do about the hospital.
We know they are in default, serious default, and they want the community to pay the old debt and the leftovers are for a potential new ER and remodel of the old ER with increased property taxes.
Hey, what about this? We do the same thing again: we use revenue bonds to build onto the hospital.
What, you think that's stupid?
We did it before. If it was such a good idea then why not now?
Oh, because you cannot bankrupt on "government" bonds it might make it risky.
Now they are taking out all their risk and putting it on the community to pay. Free money is used how?
Generally speaking, I use it like a boon.
My question, other than an ER and a new room to be over radiated in, what will this community be getting? More on this...







The Kern Valley Sun Newspaper and QAB radio, were the only two media outlets covering the skilled nursing disaster at the Kern Valley Healthcare District in 2007. The Sun had a reporter and QAB had a board member.

When three hospital board members began stonewalling the only reporter in town, me, board member, and radio "jock" Bob Jamison, brought former, CEO, Pam Ott, to the radio station. He allowed her an hour of time to deflect all accussations regarding the nursing facility as either the vendettas of disgruntled employees or a certain reporter. (see Ott interview QAB)





Jamison began using his QAB internet blog to attack me as I apparently made them nervous when I asked them to answer to the problems. One of his Freudian slips belonged to a blog where he called me the "foul mouthed" reporter, looking through years of hospital records for the "elusive" smoking gun.

Odd, that he didn't say non-existent smoking gun: just one that he seemed to be promising would be difficult to find. However, that wasn't the case as there was and still is an arsenal over at KVHD



Kern Valley Sun, editor, Cathy Perfect, in background at April 2007, Kern Valley Healthcare District board meeting attending for the first time as rumors started look like fact. Reporter, Laura Hart, (me), in foreground, who had been writing articles about the hospital for more than a year, got the cold shoulder from certain board members and the Sun newspaper as I asked the tough questions.

That same month KVHD had the Kern Valley Sun newspaper's advertising contract before the board.


Susan Barr, current Sun reporter, throwing up her hand to ask a question at the July KVHD board meeting. She offered a Sun style town hall meeting to the new CEO, Tim McGlew, who said he would consider it.
Barr, pictured here using photo shop filters and effects to make her "look better," much like her KVHD stories.


The Sun backed off on any "negative" coverage of the hospital back in 2007. Then without a reporter, editor Cathy Perfect took over the KVHD coverage that summer.

A new CEO came into town, at the same time the SNF was under the management of Sycamore Asset Management. The CEO's style was quite smooth when speaking with the public and press. He stayed for three months in 2007, coming from the Tehachapi hospital, which was apparently a cake walk compared to KVHD.

Perfect, I guess assumed I would give up the story as I had no venue for my articles, and did not expect me to show up at the welcome party for this former CEO.

As I like to tell this story to friends, I walked in to the dining area, where Perfect and the CEO were grabbing at the food. Perfect had a mouthful of a colorful salad which spilled out of her mouth and onto her plate as I walked through the door. Surprise.


The CEO seemed startled too, but I don't know what stories he had heard about me by that time.

Then the Sun publisher, Marsha Smith, saw me and tried to head for the door. But I met her there and shook her hand anyway. (I saw no reason to be impolite; I had no personal issues, just journalistic differences)

However, Editor, Perfect, utilized the indictments from Feb. 2009, which were from an investigation in 2007, to put up the three grossly over-sized photos of Dr. Pormir and Debbi Hayes on the front page of the paper in shackles. (as well as the former, Director of Nursing, Gwen Hughes)

How did that serve any of us? I'm sure it sold newspapers though.

The community appeared suddenly shocked by the indictments though they were part of an investigation that was downshifted while in full gear, when the Kern Valley Sun became timid about possibly "stepping on certain toes."

I was flabbergasted when I saw the front page of the Sun this past February. It wasn't just the pictures, the article came from the press release. I think it was completely self serving. There was no continuity between the initial investigations, the year long smoke screen of information and the new interest on the part of the Sun. Yet they jumped on two community members they knew nothing about, except for a story based soley on an indictment and press release.

I'm inferring that means to the Sun editor, that an allegation is worth a huge front page picture. An assumption that every indictment which is made is going to be correct and true. This one wasn't on the mark at KVHD, and that's why I'm still here.

The Bakersfield Californian jumped into the soup as well, as the Attorney General sent out that provocative news release on the case, calling the KVHD nursing home disaster the worst they had seen.

The Californian, which generally covers the Kern Valley only occassionally, took these indictments like a hungry dog and ran with them. However, they had no foundation to rely on, though I had given them all my KVHD paperwork. They sat on the story as well, and were severly reprimanded by me for "using" the KRV for its disaster special edition.

At least, though, the Californian interviewed people and attempted to make a story out of it. They put in some sweat, made the calls, did the interviews, had some quotes, unlike the Sun.

But the Sun and QAB shoulder most of the responsibility for not getting the truth to the people in our area. That's what we rely on them for.

Yes, it's nice to write "feel good" stories and get pats on the back. I did it here for two years, being a requested writer, I was quite busy. And I enjoyed meeting the people in the community, but my services as public relations ends when there is deception underlying the issues.



During 2007-08, the Sun newspaper continued to ignore the underlying facts, creating a facade for the media and the hospital.

The radio Jock, Jamison, took his agenda again to the airwaves as he ran for the board again in 2008.

But while doing so, he attacked everyone, including specific people working at the hospital. The station owners obviously allow him to use the radio for his board agenda, and to my knowledge have not made a single explanation to the community.


Questions for the Kern Valley Sun:

Why did you not follow up the story at KVHD in 2007?

I'm going to answer this for you in a way the hospital can understand: they were understaffed.

To do a story like this one takes time and the tenacity to gather all the facts and interpret them.

Where was the Sun and now QAB reporter, Scott Costa, when the board was giving grandeous raises to administrators?

Where were they when the cheif financial officer said for the last six months that the hospital could not pay its August bond payment?

Remember, the devil is in the details.

QAB, is another situation, unlike the Sun. They have allowed their whole reputation to be colored by KVHD board member, Bob Jamison, and his unethical conduct both at the hospital and at the radio station.

With this information from these two dominant media outlets and nothing else, what would the community believe at this point in time?

Our cameras in the courtroom: Dr. Pormir and Debbi Hayes scheduled for August and so are we...

We are sending off the request to video tape in Kern County Superior court as former KVHD Medical Director, Dr. Pormir and Pharmacist, Debbi Hayes, have a scheduled, two pre-trial hearing dates, August 18 and 19th.

We want to make sure that this is documented for the community so that all know what happened to two long time employees of the Kern Valley Healthcare District.

And I will make sure copies go to the leadership who allowed these two healthcare professionals to be taken in a state investigation which did not see to it that the people in charge were held more or even equally responsible.

What could be justice in this case?
I say to both the doctor and pharmacist that you turn over all evidence against the leadership of KVHD who allowed this turn of events to occur which has lead to your indictments. These people have done nothing for you two or the hospital, and they need to face their own jury.

You should both take note that nobody at this hospital has taken any responsibility for anything. They turned their backs and walked away.

If they had evidence, Mr. Attorney General, would the state consider using them as witnesses instead of defendants?

Jerry Brown and the DOJ need to cut a deal for the real players instead.
Laura Hart

Here's the court schedule:

Defendant Name CaseNumber
HearingDate/Time HearingLocation Div/Dept
Hearing Type
HAYES, DEBBI GAYLE CHAMBERS
BF126665B
08/18/2009, 09:00AM
Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun
PH
PRE-PRELIMINARY HEARING
HAYES, DEBBI GAYLE CHAMBERS
BF126665B
08/19/2009, 08:30AM
Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun
PX
PRELIMINARY HEARING
Click hearing location for contact information/directions.
Defendant Name CaseNumber HearingDate/Time HearingLocation
Div/Dept Hearing Type
PORMIR, HOSHANG M
BF126665C
08/18/2009, 09:00AM
Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun
PH
PRE-PRELIMINARY HEARING
PORMIR, HOSHANG M
BF126665C
08/19/2009, 08:30AM
Metro Division - 1415 Truxtun
PX
PRELIMINARY HEARING
New Search

The last word from Marsha Smith Kern Valley Sun, Lake Isabella CA, and an anonymous phone call...

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha...

(It appears I will have to post my own comments which were sent to the Kern Valley Sun Website in response to what I call a "threat" and many others who have read it do as well.)

But first, I need to tell everyone that I got a call today, from someone who obviously wants to remain anonymous and sound scary.
This person left a message on my voice mail from telephone number: 0001234. Right, that's not a regular telephone number and was done on a computer.
The voice was synthesized making the person's voice unrecognizable.
The caller said, try to trace this call and get my identity. Then some other garbled gibberish.
At the end of the call we could hear a button pushed on a computer. So, here's the deal, people can find a way to remain hidden and make threatening calls. Watch out for this yourselves, as grifters, (not just people threatening reporters), prey upon people using techniques just like this one. Never give out information over the phone, always ask for a number to call them back.

Now, I ask, did this caller, read the Kern Valley Sun website? Was this person inspired by the statement, "I think somebody should shut her up for good, " on the website in anyway?

These are questions asked in journalism classes as well as law schools all around the nation.

And websites, like the Kern Valley Sun, can choose to keep a veiled threat or any other offensive material up based on their own judgement because of the right to free speech.

Now we see what sort of judgement the Sun uses and likely no other person in this valley will see their name up their like mine.
If you look thru the site posts, you will notice that this type of comment is nowhere else to be found. And certainly, any reasonable person would agree it sounds like a threat.

But what they did on the website which makes things more like a power play, is they would not post any other posts I sent except the three where I give them a taste of their own medicine and copy/pasted the original threat with all three of their names on it to see what they would do. (Cathy Perfect, Marsha Smith, and Susan Barr)

But the Sun has chosen to end the string on their blog with a statement from Marsha Smith, the Publisher of the Kern Valley Sun, in regards to my comedic comeback:

hypocrisy fighter1 wrote on Jul 17, 2009 11:19 AM:
" It seems to me that Susan Barr, perhaps, misconscrewbulated her article on the new CEO's actual report. Therefore...and I think someone should "shut her up for good!" " "

Enigma wrote on Jul 17, 2009 11:16 AM:
" the editor of this article, did not correct the mistakes in spelling or content, Cathy Perfect, so...and I think someone should "shut her up for good!" " "

puerilism 1 wrote on Jul 17, 2009 11:13 AM:
" I think Marsha Smith has done a poor job allowing salamanderisms in the paper... and I think someone should "shut her up for good!" " "

Publisher wrote on Jul 17, 2009 3:25 PM:
" Sorry. Neither Cathy, Susan, nor I can 'shut up for good'. It is our job and commitment to publish a newspaper, doing so requires words. We fully intend to keep our commitment to the community. No one is forced to read or view any media. It's like TV - if you don't like it, change the channel. "

My response never posted:
Well, Marsha, that sounded strange, but I guess the game is to control your website, by leaving out my other explanatory posts. Mine was a joke about all of you. I can't shut up either. Nor will I as long as there is no support for the truth or integrity from your newspaper. You can only control your website and paper. You won't find threats on my blog. Just my schedule of events. But you can't control my blogs. Or the truth. Say hi to Barbara Casas for me. And watch the blog. Newspaper vs. blogger.

Coming up Next: But Marsha makes a point about the media I'm about to take up in two other articles, which should be up soon. She says if you don't like the channel change it.

Welcome to the Kern River Valley where there are only two channels which represent themselves as "news": The Kern Valley Sun Newspaper, and QAB, the only radio station in town.

And I will argue that there is no coverage in Bakersfield or Ridgecrest that could be construed as the news of the valley with the exception of car crashes and weather.

The Kern Valley Sun is welcome to respond to any of these posts, but then they have a whole newspaper and website of their own to use to cover this story. But feel free to write me, just don't make any threats. LOL
The original threat:

The Truth wrote on Jul 15, 2009 12:36 AM:
" Everything seems to be working well at the Healthcare District except one item: Laura Hart spends too much of the District's time re-hashing old news and making libellous remarks at Board Meetings, about Board Members. I think the community is getting tired of her gaining attention for telling lies and making inuendos about people, and I think someone should "shut her up for good!" "

What I would have done in the Sun's place, no matter what my personal issues with the person are, I would have pulled it and turned the name of the person over to the police. The end. And I would be doing my duty to "all of the community," not just the people whom I like or who advertise with me. Laura Hart

422. Any person who willfully threatens to commit a crime which will result in death or great bodily injury to another person, with the specific intent that the statement, made verbally, in writing, orby means of an electronic communication device, is to be taken as athreat, even if there is no intent of actually carrying it out,which, on its face and under the circumstances in which it is made,is so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate, and specific as to convey to the person threatened, a gravity of purpose and an immediate prospect of execution of the threat, and thereby causes that person reasonably to be in sustained fear for his or her own safety or for his or her immediate family's safety, shall be punishedby imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison.

UPDATED:Asked Kern Valley Sun "newspaper" to trace IP of threat on their website

If you don't know already, the Kern Valley Sun, has some "issues" with me in it. Yes, we are old buddies, with a rich history of stories to tell.
As far as the threat goes, they have no intention of following their own rules on their website. Nor do they have the decency to just follow thru and find out who would say something to obvious to everyone but the Sun, that would be considered a threat.
But after I saw what the editor, Cathy Perfect, wrote to somehow justify her decision to leave in the threat, I made a few writing comparisons.
Indeed, Barbara Casas, former KVHD board member and "Sun writer" was the author.
For fun, I wrote several posts to see what the Sun would do with them. They only posted three, but left this last one out.

Re; the editor's post: It's funny how I asked a few regular people about the threat's ambiguity and none of them mentioned the two things you suggest. It sounds to me like you have spoken with this former KVHD board member, former writer for the Sun, and she told you these things. If I were to say anything about the Sun's pet agenda, like homosexuality, and add an ambiguous threat, it would never have gone up. Like the other two from today. Just like the truth about KVHD didn't get printed.

The Kern County Sheriff's department, Deputy Garcia, told me that the threat was not covered under penal code 422, a "terrorist" threat.
But the department had me contact another agency which handles this sort of matter.
The Sun could have done many things different here, but covering for people is what they have done in the past, and is what continues now.
So, this has been funny, but soon I'm going to tell you the story of the "setting sun" and how it directly relates to what happened to many people and patients at KVHD. Lives were changed, and a local publication calling themselves a "newspaper" turns their back as to not "step on any toes."
(I'm glad I'm wearing steel toe boots.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here we go again, another threat, not really veiled either. The last threat was a gun pointed at me and I'm just not going to tolerate this anymore.
And the Kern Valley Sun allowed it to be posted, because they moderate their forum. So, I consider it a threat from both the Sun and the author of the threat.
The Sun knew what this was and they can't say they didn't. (Even the next person to post remarked about the threat)
mark wrote on Jul 15, 2009 7:35 AM:
" as for positive change, the time i have lived in this valley i have seen that place go from bad to worse. take that statement from McGlew with a "pound" of salt. and to the truth, if that remark doesn't sound like a threat, than i don't know what does. bit dramatic don't you think?"
The Truth wrote on Jul 15, 2009 12:36 AM:
" Everything seems to be working well at the Healthcare District except one item: Laura Hart spends too much of the District's time re-hashing old news and making libellous remarks at Board Meetings, about Board Members. I think the community is getting tired of her gaining attention for telling lies and making inuendos about people, and I think someone should "shut her up for good!"

Testing the Kern Valley Sun website blog: they know who made the threat...

So, far I've sent over five emails testing out the publisher and editor of the Kern Valley Sun and their claim that the "threat" was too ambiguous.

But Cathy Perfect said in a response from the paper, that it could be taken as two other specific things. Mind you, Cathy, and the paper were asked by me to turn over the IP address from this person.
Well, Freud, jump back in here and tell me if you don't think Ms. Perfect's response doesn't lead you to believe she not only knows who this is, has talked to hem, and it is most likely a board member...

Editor wrote on Jul 16, 2009 4:50 PM:
" As of now, the post will stand. The statement "shut her up for good" does not explicitly call for a person's death. It could also be interpreted as the district barring her from meetings and/or securing a restraining order. "

As I said in the other post, I would check out and see if I could copy and paste the same threat and add other names. They put these up, but there are two more pending.

hypocrisy fighter1 wrote on Jul 17, 2009 11:19 AM:
" It seems to me that Susan Barr, perhaps, misconscrewbulated her article on the new CEO's actual report. Therefore...and I think someone should "shut her up for good!" " "

Enigma wrote on Jul 17, 2009 11:16 AM:
" the editor of this article, did not correct the mistakes in spelling or content, Cathy Perfect, so...and I think someone should "shut her up for good!" " "

puerilism 1 wrote on Jul 17, 2009 11:13 AM:
" I think Marsha Smith has done a poor job allowing salamanderisms in the paper... and I think someone should "shut her up for good!" "

Let me just tell you the other two posts are different regarding freedom of speech and paper policies. The final post asks if there are people "afraid" of me. I said I just use words and pictures to fight, but apparently my imagination is not as vivid as theirs is.

See what you can write on the Kern Valley Sun blog. Apparently its all about pushing the limits. I'll let you know if the other two go up. If they don't I'll just show you what they wouldn't post...

Kern Valley Sun, afraid of this one...but then you always were afraid.

So, far, this post hasn't been put up on the Kern Valley Sun website:

It seems that the Kern Valley Sun is giving us all a lesson regarding freedom of speech. I think everyone should take advantage of their new policies. If you have anger issues, personal vendettas, or your afraid to face someone, bring it to the Sun website. Articles like this one, egregiously in error,play well on other blogs too. But really what I think is the Kern Valley Sun...I think someone should "shut her up for good!"

Your comment has been submitted and will be viewable once it is approved.

It says on the site that these are the rules for posting:
Comments must be approved by an editor before appearing on the Web site. Editors review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive, off-topic, repetitious and/or redundant content before posting. Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.

(Okay, LOL, I'm enjoying this little side trip, but also preparing the big supper for tonight. Still waiting on my posts. I'm sure the editor won't post it until she is Perfectly pleased.)

ANOTHER LOOK:The deputy asked me who might want to...

"Man is a rope, tied between beast and Superman--a rope over an abyss."
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

I was at the Emergency room in Bakersfield when the police came out to take my report. I didn't have time to talk to any sheriffs up here, so I waited until we arrived down the canyon, where I was seeking medical help.

The young deputy asked me for a description of the person, I had a good description of the gun, because that's what I was looking at. But I did see the cretin as well, of course.

Then he asked me, is there anyone you know of who wants to kill you?

Suddenly, my mind stopped completely; blank; then quickly a whole list began appearing in my mind.

I took note of the deputy looking at me thinking and taking time about answering.

He asked rather seriously, "is there?"

My answer was, "uhh."

Then I told him maybe, there's a political thing going on. I remained vague. I told him maybe it was just some idiot, so I could get back in to the ER.

How could I explain this? Or me for that matter.

But we have other things to discuss now. The time has come to do the unmasking at the KVHD healthcare district.

However, I would like to tell a story about the Bakersfield experience that I thought was funny or ironic. It has to do with fear, so I find it interesting.

As I was waiting in front of the ER for my ride, a young man came up to me and asked if the ER was always that busy, it was packed.

I said, yes, from what I heard.

He said, he wasn't from around here he was from San Bernadino and they had really good service there.

He told me he and his "homeys" were in a shoot out, and one of his guys was hurt "bad" so they took him to the hospital.

They pulled up in front of the hospital threw their friend out in front of the door, and he said, "man, suddenly everyone came out and started working on him, that was good service."

I nodded, yes, that sounded like excellent service.

Then I asked him what are you here for?

He said, "Oh, I'm think I have swine flu. I need to make sure and get checked out."

The kid looked healthy and not a scratch or a cough.

It's weird what people fear. Not a gun fight, but hysteria type issues like swine flu.

Next time I go to the hospital, I think I will have someone throw me out of the car and just see what happens. I just hope they toss me in front of the correct door; don't roll me in front of the administration door, they just walk all over you.

Okay, now my tone changes, there is big business to tackle now at KVHD. Since I didn't realize a few things, I have some research to do. But I think I have the beed on the next real problem. And exactly how to resolve it.

Give us all a break KVHD: that's not an investigation, this is an investigation...

KVHD, former CEO, Rick Carter states in documents from February of 2009, that a report of neglect in the skilled nursing facility, was "unsubstantiated." But the KVHD investigation proves not to be so substantial:

On 11/23/08 two CNA's report to work at the KVHD skilled nursing facility and and say they find residents wet, skin rashes, a wound, and alarms not on that morning.

After making rounds they wrote up a handwritten report and gave it to the RN and LVN in charge of the SNF overnight. They both say they wrote a handwritten report, signed and dated it.

The RN and LVN are traveling nurses, who the two aides, say they gave their report to that morning.

Both CNA's who filed this report have been fired. Both have had complaints filed with the state board of nursing after their terminations.

Hospital records state that the nurses who were in charge of the SNF at the time of the report, could not be found to add anything to the hospital's own little investigation...

I just got off the phone with them.

I forgot to ask them if their licenses were under investigation too.

It took no time at all to find them and the hospital cannot say without looking ridiculous, that they couldn't have done it themselves.

I imagine the hospital has the excuse the employees had left and therefore could not be investigated by the hospital. But they would've been witnesses not the subject of the investigation.

(See stories below, "employees fighting back")

Updated/Corrected: SNF employees fighting back: "They knew about it."

More information/New documents:

Two employees say they wrote up this report of the conditions found on the morning of November, 23, 2008 in Hall 3 of the KVHD skilled nursing facility and turned the handwritten and signed document to the nurses in charge.

They say they turned the document into two traveling nurses who quit the hospital a month after the incident.

And they say that both nurses, LVN Sonjay, and RN, Reno, told them that they had submitted the report to the DON and Tracy Brown, the Nursing Home Administrator, whose company, Quality Healthcare, took over after Sycamore Asset Management in 2008.

The employees say that they trust the two nurses did what they said they did. "Sonjay and Reno were the best thing that happened to that unit, but they couldn't handle it working there."

The employees were told they didn't have to do anything more by Reno, it was all taken care of was their understanding they said. The said they asked and were reassured at least three times.

But when they saw that the aide the above report refers to, come to work after the incident, they became suspicious and scared.

"When she was back on the floor, we were petrified we were going to be fired," she said. "If we had done what she had done we would've been escorted off the property."

They said they took their concerns again back to Reno, who told them the report was made and they could go back to work.

"We were told just go back to work." She said Reno told her he couldn't tell her anything about the nurse because it was private employee information.
(At this hospital? Right Chet?)

The two traveling nurses quit and moved somewhere in California.

Then in Feb. 2009, one aide said she found herself in a quandary as to what to do after she asked Tracy Brown and Human Resources manager, Debra Hoffman, about the status of the report.

The two administrators told her they had never heard about it and blamed the aide for not telling them, the aide claims. She was suspended for not reporting and making a "smart" comment, and they said in the HR report shown below, the hospital, would investigate.

In the second HR report, they said they investigated, but were unable to reach the nurses who the aides say they submitted their report to, Reno and Sonjay. (documents below)

One of the aides was able to find Sonjay and spoke to her after she was suspended regarding the issue of the report. She said Sonjay told her that it had been reported to the administrator and DON.

The first aide was fired for not reporting the incident to the administrator and not on a correct filing form. But the in house investigation conducted (?) lead the administrators to call the aide's report of neglect, "unsubstantiated."

So, the aide was terminated for not properly filing a report about an incident which they said they could not substantiate or prove. And the documents state they could not reach the nurses who the aides say took the report. (Not much of an investigation)

The employee said she saw the dates were off on the form HR put in front of her to sign during her termination ceremony. And the information, she said, was also not correct. She refused to sign. Which is indicated on the document shown below.

On the same day the first mandated reporter was suspended, Feb. 13, 2009, the second aide said she was called in and asked to fill out the state reporting form at 7 pm. She filled it out, she said, because she thought if she didn't she would lose her job.

It's not completely clear right now when and if the report was ever filed with the Department of Health Services. Or if the SNF and HR still claim it was not a substantiated incident.

And that is one of the big problems with self reporting facilities. Especially, after all the investigations at KVHD, wouldn't it look better if it was just handled in house? Department of Health Services or the Ombudsman don't have to know. (Right Pam, that's how it's done?)

The ultimate responsibility to assure the initial report goes to the proper authorities falls to the administrator.

What makes this claim so interesting is the hospital's documentation doesn't make sense and looks highly suspicious.

Both of the mandated reporters have been terminated, but now, suddenly, after four months, a complaint against the first aide's nursing license was filed with the nursing board, on June 24, regarding not reporting the incident or non incident whichever. It seems HR, Rick Carter, and Tracy Brown have used both scenarios to justify their actions according to the documents.

The letter from the state nursing board the aide received states the complaint comes from "KVHD." (Trying to find out where this was generated from after the employee has been gone four months.)

The first aide fired on Feb. 23 of this year after going up the truncated chain of command to former, CEO, Rick Carter. Though there is confusion about the chain between the employee handbook, the recent explanation by KVHD board counsel, Scott Nave, who said it falls back to the personnel policy.
(termination greivance policy. Click to open)

Both employees just want their jobs back, their names cleared, and any false complaints dropped. And they also want to make sure the new administration hears about what they say, "has been going on."

The aides say they have spoken with an attorney and the EEOC, and they said both found the district claims unbelievable or even irrational.

But the aides want to stick with the district, but not in the nursing center, because they believe they are being retaliated against because they made a negative report which they think was being buried by the SNF administrators.

Tracy Brown, Nursing Home Administrator, for the SNF at the July board meeting. Though Brown has resigned, controversy begins to swirl around, as employees are fighting back after terminations. But the administrator has been controversial as her management company contracted for $240K and traveling nurses costs skyrocketed. More to come...

Click on documents to open and read.

Kern County and Chet Beedle: models of the hidden dollars accounting system

Chet Beedle, KVHD, Chief Financial Officer, can apparently pray and create amazing windfalls for the district. After hearing for six months about how the district couldn't pay its one million revenue bond payment without wiping out the reserve, Beedle magically, created $600K in a matter of three weeks.

(see finance commit me meeting)

The Bi-Polar American blog is up

To those I recently contacted we have the other blogsite up, decorated, but not much in the way of furnishings yet. Here is the link, as there will be writers from age 12 on up contributing to this effort.
Please read the blog on this site, regarding July 4th.

http://thebipolaramerican.blogspot.com/

Board meeting pix 2 July: full report this week

Dr. Finstad, it was an observation I made about the way the public was being informed of their concerns at the hospital. I thought it was funny, but it was not intended to put you on the spot.

Part Two: After the lashing I gave Bob Jamison, Brad Armstrong and Chet Beedle, discomfort was palpable in the cafeteria. My unseasonably warm attitude was still hanging in the air after Dr. Finstad's report, so he may have thought my comment was directed at him.

People report to me on their visits to the hospital giving me details of their care. A woman whose children were ill with high fevers even to the point of vomiting blood, asked a nurse if there were any cases of swine flu here. He said no. And she asked them if they tested for it, and he said, no. It seemed so obviously ridiculous that I thought it was funny.

Dr. Gross ended up answering the question saying they had tested sample type groups and there were no cases here. He went on to say there was a stomach virus going around.

But what wasn't said by me was that nurses were understaffed that night in the ER and the other nurses were tired and exasperated, to the point of saying they couldn't take it anymore.

I let the other reports from the listeners who go to this hospital slide, because we all should now know, there are serious problems which our new administrators must address.

There was let loose, so I shall join in a bit, that the personnel policies were still dated back to 1991. I knew that, as I have most of them right at my fingertips.

So, that is why when, board counsel, Scott Nave, explained the chain of command to us school kids, I believe at the March meeting, I couldn't find it anywhere written the way he explained it.

The seriousness of this is overwhelming to fathom really.

Moving right along, this hospital cannot pay for contracts and contractors which it has no money for. Where has the reinvestment been? There has been money scattered around like sprinkles off a box of doughnuts.

For instance, Administrative assistant Heidi Sage was voted

"employee of the year" last year, and recieved a two week trip to the Bahamas. That's a heck of a deal there.

Rick Carter was getting lunches and parking paid and a 19% raise.

The nursing registry costs went off the charts when I was just told

that in Bakersfield there are nurses to spare.

$100 pizza expenses were paid out in the skilled nursing facility. (You know Chet they have a $5 deal in town)

Heidi Sage, shown here, during the uncomfortable portion of the meeting.(Nobody is comfortable around a proctologist; and my job is much the same)

But apparently everything has been quite comfortable financially around the hospital as employees were flown to the Bahamas?

Mr. Jamison, an outspoken critic of everyone, but a chosen few sycophants, has played his games on the local radio stations here for a long time. He's attacked people on the air, and everyone has so far let him get away with it.

So, I've decided that the record at the hospital shall be set straight three minutes at a time, once a month. (You might want to eat light before you come to the meeting

)

Since Mr. Jamison enjoys talking, I'll start off August by reading his emails directly into the record verbatim. Then I will read all the evidence into the record each month until it finally reflects what really happened.

Bob Jamison at a loss for words? I doubt it, but I have a lot of his words and I will put them on the Kern Valley Healthcare District record which will be read for years to come.

This record will never be cleared.

Picture of Chet Beedle kissing our money good bye.

The last time the cafeteria was painted, a former employee and her family painted it for free and purchased the paint. Did they get a trip to the Bahamas? No. But now she doesn't have a job. Nice.

And finally, until, the rest of the story comes along, a picture of Mr. Armstrong, which just playing with his name, I would call him Mr. Strongarm. I called him a bully, arrogant, and he showed me nothing that indicated I wasn't right on target.

Armstrong timed my whole criticism on a watch or timer, as I ran over the three minute rule. I'm so bad for breaking the three minute rule, apparently its the most important thing to Mr. Armstrong. Other rules, well, they can be tossed aside at his leisure.

Well, Brad, you're over the 20 year rule, maybe we should put term limits in the by-laws, retroactively too!

Every month at the meeting we can talk about this and you can glare at me. You bring the popcorn and I'll bring the pain.

Truly, the emperor has no clothes. (sorry about the proctology crack. oops)

Shock and Awe campaign: first pix of meeting

Oh, god, here she comes...she's really going to do it...



It wasn't pretty, it wasn't pleasant, but sometimes you have to say it to their faces. Dr. Gross and Kay Knight look on as Bob Jamison is chastised, soundly.
Shooting at the two board members and CFO from a blog was no longer good enough. The three felt too safe as words were rolling off their tough exteriors.



New, CEO, Tim McGlew, at his first board meeting watching, board members, Bob Jamison and Brad Armstrong, and CFO, Chet Beedle being told they are unethical and should be in jail.
Sorry Mr. McGlew you didn't need that at your first meeting. But it was going to happen at some point.

New Chief Clinical Officer, Cynthia Burciaga, looks on as strong accusations are put on the hospital record by me concerning the leftover gang from the skilled nursing disaster.

I'm sure this was not the meeting she expected either. But one must know what they're stepping into to be able to make correct moves forward.

CFO, Chet Beedle, who has made it a habit of paying out large sums of money on contracts and his resistance to giving straight answers to questions regarding finance.
Beedle also attacked employees in an effort to push a general obligation bond while the SNF residents were not getting any oversight. He is still here with a 12% raise. I protest.

Bob Jamison gives me his best answer after I question his threats, slander, sexual harassment, and brighten his day with the litany of things he has done to harm the district and the people working there.

That message was not subconscious, Bob.




Though none of the three had any response, the accusations I've made are now on the record.
Personally, I wish it had not come to this, but they decided to stay on and continue to behave the way they have in the past, so I will stay and make sure to remind them every meeting why they shouldn't be there. And next time I may decide to keep it within the three minutes.
The meeting was not much of a story, but there are more pics to come.
Believe it or not.

QAB Stuck on Stupid: Bob Jamison's subconscious speaks

I know most of us have cast off the musings of Dr. Sigmund Freud, as most of his theories have been disproved and castigated for his misogynistic tendencies. Hysterical women, like me, abounded in the mind of Freud probably irritating the hell out of him.

But KVHD board member Bob Jamison made me wonder if Freud didn't have this man in mind when he talked about unconscious, guilty thoughts which wriggle to the surface and gain expression.

Again, it is Friday morning, two days after I went to the KVHD board meeting in a bad mood, irritated, (like Freud would be with me), and had some heavy things to say to the three who have degraded, mismanaged, and disrespected our public healthcare district, patients and employees.

As I've said Mr. Jamison was a major part of the cover up of the problems within the skilled nursing facility at the hospital. He has yet to take responsibility, be indicted or even at the very least, apologize.

He acts an awful like the government he supposedly opposes. Will he ever realize he is with the government, both the hospital and parks and recreation. If you think either is in bad shape email Mr. Jamison.(somebody voted for him so he is here to serve you.)

I think his conscience is getting to him though, as this morning on the radio show he and his guest spoke of problems getting the government to take responsibility and the guest even talked about how the government officials "lied" to him.

I will just put some quotes out there without any explanation and you tell me if you think his conscience is beginning to speak without his awareness.
"All the people were sitting by and watching them do it."

"So many people go out every four years and punch a button, vote for somebody, they don't know who they're even voting for, then they find this person is off the wall, screwy."

"Disingenuous, it's nicer than calling them liars to their faces."

"It's amazing something can be right in front of your face and you just can't see it."

"It happened right under their noses. We were more than asleep on the job."

Under construction July 1 board meeting with video and pix...

CNO report: 12/2006 Sharon Brucker steps down

Here we are in the timeline of troubles starting in Feb. 2006 when the skilled nursing facility was run by Cheif nursing officer, Sharon Brucker, and CEO, Pamela Ott. They were cited for physical restraints, medication errors, understaffing, weight loss of patients, and licensing.

The state's case investigation interestingly begins Aug. 1, 2007 when a director of nursing, named Gwen Hughes was hired. It ends Jan. 25, 2007. The whole investigation runs through the director's whole time employed at KVHD with the SNF.

It doesn't start before that when things were bad enough that threatening letters came from CMS and DHS; and doesn't go into the continuing problems of innocent people being thrown into the administrator position of the nursing center because Ott, Brucker and Hughes had left.

Sharon Brucker stepped down as CNO of acute and long term in Dec. 2006. She had been confronted by employees about problems in the hospital, and a month later she wrote her resignation.

Here is the excerpt: CNO Report December 2006

The report begins with Brucker's version of the last few years. She said she worked at the hospital eight years and saw the hospital struggle financially.
"For over three years my salary and most of the employees at the kern valley healthcare district salaries were frozen. There were a select few that were on good terms with the CEO, which recieved double digit increases."

Brucker goes on to say how the new administrators, Ott, and CFO Chet Beedle turned the district around financially.
"All these changes come about from wisely made decisions, not by accident. During this positive time, I have also been aware of a divisive member of the board of directors."

Brucker begins to blame, Knight, for all the problems.
"Much of his attention was regularly made on 17 million dollar debt incurred by this hospital district when it built the skilled nursing wing."

Brucker said Knight was angry for being removed when Cal Mtg. took over and brought in the management company, BRIM, who hired Pam Ott.
"Is it logical to think that Cal Mtg. would allow bankruptcy when there are significant assets at hand and a positive cash balance?"

(Well, Mrs. Brucker, as you said that was not the case when you first arrived. What is not mentioned is the 22 million dollar debt was for an unfinished, botched construction project which didn't get finished. And it was inherited by others who had to struggle with it. At the time bankruptcy would have been well timed.)

To finally make her point that everyone is good except the Knights, she accuses the former CEO and board member, of everything from the downfall of measure M, to the faulty architectural drawings.

That was Mrs. Bruckers resignation speech. Nothing in there about why she resigned, just a lot of talk.

Speaking of talk, why did you leave really, Mrs. Brucker?

I was in a mood when I got to the meeting, and I'm still in a mood, the mood for truth in advertising

Not an hour before tonights KVHD board meeting, the very first one for Mr. McGlew our new CEO. I certainly think this will have been memorable. Or scary; maybe both.

First off, there is going to be video and pictures this time around. But as that goes we need time to put it all up on our youtube site.

However, I have to tell you what I did and how it started...

Earlier today, I had someone picking up my prescriptions which I had called in last week. One of the prescriptions was vitally important as I was out.
Apparently, a week passes and the Mesa Clinical Pharmacy does not alert me of the problem with accessing my medication and tells my friend to try another pharmacy.

He returned to me without my prescription giving me the excuse of the pharmacy that they didn't have any of it. They found some after I called yelling before anyone answered the phone. I expressed to them the importance of the medication and had they thought to call me on Monday and alert me of this, I would not have run out and be in a situation.

I have no functioning thyroid. Yeah, nobody knows what a thyroid is and what exactly it can do to you. Trust me if there's a nuclear fallout you will all be coming to steal my medicine.

While I'm speaking of this, I must thank a wonderful endocrinologist, Dr. Catania, who finally got the dosage correct after almost five years of rural health tries. Just eight months ago I felt a sense of balance I haven't had in a very long time. I can't thank him enough.

Next up was the Rural Health Clinic, medical assistant, who before asking, checking, or anything, suddenly made a decision; "I don't think there's anything we can do for you."

Okay, you must first try and try again until you give up. That's life. What if the scientists researching cancer said, "oh it didn't work, I guess we can't cure cancer, let's stop trying."

I'm going to call it customer service, but I'm going to reduce it to just service. Service to others.

My guess is if we had a few less criminals, and more money, this could be a special healthcare district.

So, when I got to the meeting I had typed up a couple pages basically reiterating most of what is on this blog. But I said it to their faces. I'm tired of the backstabbing cowards; bloated on gossip and belching misinformation.

I can sit here and blog, but I felt it best to take the matter directly to those I am saying these things about.

The mood I was in frustrated with the lack of service and concern, which eminates from lack of support from the district leaders and turns compassionate people into stressed out people that couldn't solve a first grade math problem.

I noticed in the audience were faces who had stood in front of a former board and weilded slanderous, hateful remarks at Robert and Kay Knight for years until Mrs. Knight now chairwoman sounds more like a battered wife who just wants to make everyone happy so daddy doesn't punch anyone out.

I say to them, if you can dish it out, you had better be able to take it...at every board meeting to come until you are gone by way of indictment, end of term, sudden need to do the right thing.

So, I was not happy with the service today as I alerted my doctor or his interim assistant about my weight loss and the prescriptions. And I must say I heard a story about the rural health clinic which I will put up a blog to address that situation by itself.

Anyway, I wrote up a very caustic speech straight after my personal dealings with the district.

Then during the public comment period, I jumped up in front of the board, threw my arms open and showed my skeletal frame to all, and proclaimed myself a product of the Kern Valley healthcare district. I didn't even know I was going to be that dramatic, it comes from frustration.

Shortly after a few moments of a friendly demeanor, I turned to the three, Bob Jamison, Brad Armstrong, and Chet Beedle and began reading my speech.

Because I'm known for walking with a stick and wearing sunglasses, I dropped the stick and removed my glasses to make my point more clear, I wanted to look them in the eyes. It was tough they are prescription glasses and I do have oscillopsia, but eyes averted and Armstrong smirked to try and deflect the very serious accusations I was making.

It will all be on video. Here is the speech, without the additional comments. And pointing of finger and snarling a bit. That will be for the video.

July 1, 2009

To the Kern Valley Healthcare District:

Speech to be recorded verbatim, meaning every single word, into the record.

Mr. Jamison, Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Beedle,

I’m sure you are aware I have been writing a blog, Mr. Jamison you know about these things; everything in that blog was culled from audio interviews, video, hospital paperwork, and my own experience.

I could talk about everything I’ve said with the confidence of one who knows. But I am here tonight to tell you a few things that you should hear and maybe make a decision about.

The three of you cannot help the district because of your actions over the past three years. The only thing you are doing now is continuing to show your lack of character by staying at a place you have no ability to help, but to only hinder progress.

You’ve breached the trust of the community, the patients, the employees, and anyone who thought healthcare was a noble profession.

You didn’t protect the residents of the SNF, you protected the perpetrators most especially, Pam Ott.

All of you should be jailed for your lack of judgment and your lack of foresight which lead you to believe you could run this hospital.

Well, even after Ott skipped town, up to Sierra King where our friends or your friends from Rural health design network and Aspen street architects, took her in.

She’s a witness in a case against Dr. Pormir and Debbie Hayes and that is sick. However, I’m getting quite hopeful that situation will change soon. I’m hoping they are also looking at the three of you.

Mr. Jamison you have attacked the Knights, Jeanette Rogers, Dr. Gross, and an employee named Tom Wright on your radio show directly conflicting with your responsibilities here. You have embarrassed us all with your behavior, even threatening me physically, and referring to my weight which is attached to a medical problem and trust me, is not a choice. You threatened to sue; well back at you. And your wife who apparently, even though she has never met me, spoken to me, or even knows what I look like could use a lawsuit too.

Aside from that, you made sexual advances when I wanted to work at the radio station with you. It just goes on and on. Yet you still sit here. It’s amazing you can cover that much character defect.

Mr. Beedle you shock me with your inability to run a small hospital. You have thrown money around with the cooperation of Mr. Jamison and Armstrong, along with the former quorum board member, Barbara Casas. You care about numbers, I care about people and the community. You have short staffed or let’s say minimum staffed the hospital, ER and rural health clinic so that people cannot get proper care. And you brought in contractors who literally emptied the coffers of the hospital.

And Mr. Armstrong, you are one of the most arrogant people I have ever met. You knew about the problems. Ott knew about the problems. You did nothing. You sit here free, and Dr. Pormir and Debbi Hayes have no insurance to fight their case, when you and Ott and the rest could’ve done something. You need to be jailed. Seriously.

But now, you are out of the quorum, but haven’t made the wise decision to step down and just let others who don’t have the lingering odor of crime on them, move in and help the hospital.

Instead your hubris has lead you to start trouble. You’re a bully.

But the three of you have decided to attack Mrs. Knight at her place of work. I would sue you into the ground as I have advised both Mrs. Knight and Tom Wright. However, they are nicer people who just want the best for the hospital. But don’t push them too far, because they have had more than enough of your lip. I’ve had more than enough and will not tolerate your behavior any longer.

So, I have decided as long as you three are staying, so am I. But I will be taking classes this month for the ombudsman program. I’ll get to work closely inside the hospital and I’ll be looking to make sure you three are not huddling and planning to harm the facility again.

I will come to every meeting and say these same words: you are criminals who have scapegoated good people and employees. Why don’t you three go to Sierra King and work with your buddy, Pam Ott.

By the way, people of this community, you can be an ombudsman too. Or you can attend meetings and watch these people, Armstrong, Jamison and Beedle.

Thank you, Laura Hart “onyourbuttsman”

those were strong words, and the heat coming from me was strong. At one point Joan Amos, with the hospital foundaiton, jumped up after her and others were trying to keep me from going over the three minute time limit the old board created for me when the SNF disaster occurred.

(Armstrong watched his timer while I scorched his bullying tactics. (You've got to see the video of him timing me. He just doesn't get it. He wants control. Somebody buy the man some soothing aromatherapy)

Amos jumped up with a sports watch, like she was cooking biscuits and had to get them hot out of the oven. I ignored her interruption as she used to be a nice woman but has since supported the leftover faction which doesn't like being scrutinized.

But it's now in the hospital board minutes as read, not written, there were some additional grunts and barking sounds which went with it. So, Bob Jamison, Brad Armstrong, and Chet Beedle all have records of their misdoings. They should be on the KVHD website soon, right Heidi?

I finished my diatribe and returned to my chair. Hey if they don't have by-laws, I see no reason to abide the three minute rule as there were no other speakers. It was the content, the truth that was opposed.

People are so afraid to speak right now too. They don't know the new CEO and CCO, and they have been beaten up after years of service by so many, and find themselves unsure where to step.

Bad things have happened and so many people are gone and have been brainwashed by the Beedle brigade. It will take time for people to trust again.

KVHD isn't the only hospital with problems; but this hospital had solutions.

I recently had surgery and had a terrifying experience really. One which I sometimes can't stop thinking about. But I have to get through these things, so I called the administration of this hospital.

The first thing that happened is the person I spoke with was very defensive. Then she told me I come off as aggressive, which I couldn't argue with, or I would have immediately proved her point. I explained my complaint to her and she began to tell me some interesting things.

She said there used to be a nursing shortage there, but now they are lined up and being turned away.

She didn't want her hospital full of people like the ones I described.

There's was no placating, this intelligent woman was problem solving. Instantly, I had respect for her. She wanted to know all of the problems. And she was smart enough to ask what and who deserved credit. I told her about a potentially valuable employee. A lowly CNA, who had more wits about her than any of the RN's or whatever lot came by to fight with me.

This kid exemplifies the power of healing without IV's, drugs, or any medical equipment, she had humor and acceptance.

It's the CNA's that make you feel safe and cared for. If this young woman could handle me, she has passed the test and will have a great career helping people.

I thought repeatedly about the people in our SNF, the CNA's and patients while I was under lock and key by some really career confused nurses at this hospital.

But the administrator and I kept talking and she began to tell me how she was trying to fix their hospital. She brought on a patient advocate and was aware of many of the people I spoke of. (Knowledge of her hospital, impressive) I shared that I already had a hospital that was a mess and I was doing what I could to get the refuse people to take away the garbage.

In an exasperated tone, she said, "good luck."

Never for a moment did I feel placated by her or that she lacked sincerity. Unlike what I have seen at KVHD the past few years. I've seen zombie like behavior from the community who chooses to continue to ignore the problems. Though I note it is the more intelligent people who can see the problems.

Few are motivated to deal with problems as I have told them they should.

"I'll just pay it."

"Oh, yeah, I'll get a complaint form."

I know many people who have left defeated by this district leadership and this valley, and I don't blame them. They complained but were never heard. Why stay?

As much I get tagged with being negative, I have hope. And I have tenacity to go with that hope.

This charming and highly efficient administrator laughed and then decided that she could somehow use my help educating her staff.

Conclusion

We helped each other in a matter of an hour by communicating the truth, admitting the mistakes, and finding a solution. That was fun. KVHD should be fun like that too...

"No tool is more beneficial than intelligence. No enemy is more harmful than ignorance."

The full story on the meeting coming soon along with pix and video.

And back to the holocaust comparison...I guess