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)