We decided we want "real" justice and we won't take anything less

As I've spent most of the day on the phone speaking with people who had family in the Kern Valley Healthcare District skilled nursing facility during the 2006/07 era, it became very clear that these people want their justice: but not just in civil court, they want criminal indictments.

I heard and felt their pain today, the frustration, the indignity they received at the hands of the hospital along with their loved ones.

Oh, you'd think KVHD would have been smarter than to continue to aggravate people who, in some cases, watched their mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers die in a climate of uncertain circumstances, but in some cases they were also re-victimized by being treated like they were "ordinary complainers."
Much like KVHD did with the employees they held at such a lowly level as to threaten, blame or terminate, they also did some really hideous things to the families who had concerns.

Some of these families are ready to fight: fight the state to bring in all the people on top that let this happen. And let me tell you, they know your names.

A few of the residents who died, passed away after employees came to the chairman of the board at the time, Brad Armstrong, and tried to warn him of serious problems. They did that because the chain of command had problems. Armstrong sent them packing with an admonishment.

Well, Mr. Armstrong, maybe had you acted like a chairman, or even a human, you would have taken the warning seriously: and you may have saved lives. But you didn't act.



The second chance came in the first week of January 2007, when nurses were alarmed and calling for help. But again, no help arrived. And the pernicious practices continued.

Mr. Fong, I do understand there is a lot of material, a lot of witnesses, and maybe a shortage of manpower at the Department of Justice. But if you cannot supply the proper amount of people to do the job, you are short staffed. And indicting a hospital for short staffing when the agency itself cannot operate to "justice type efficiency," then it becomes quite hypocritical.

We need you to make them answer to this. Mr. Fong I was told today by one of the families, that they tried to contact you. Remember many of these people witnessed the decline of their loved one, along with fishy medical records.

They want to tell their story. They need to tell their story to heal. Please listen to them, even if it takes time. Bring in other investigators, (not traveling or registry that will definitely cost you too much) do what needs to be done.

This case cannot be investigated with tweezers, you need a big broom. There's people still at KVHD who disgustingly remain and have allowed huge raises to former CEO's, bad investigations on employees, and continued to short staff and deny it.

Let's look at short staffing. Short staffing was a main issue with the skilled nursing facility, as the nursing center could not ever make the money necessary to pay the debt which was incurred in the botched construction project. So, it wasn't for the convenience of the staff as said in the indictments, it was because the administration didn't have to pay to fully staff. It was for their convience if it was for any reason.

I've thought, if you're short staffed, what if there's an emergency? Could that staff get out all those residents before, say a fire spread from the kitchen right next door? It takes over an hour just to get the residents ready for their meals. So, how would you possibly get them out? Just a thought.

I spoke to a woman today who told me her story in detail. I learned that she and her family tried to tell the CEO, Pam Ott, about the problems long before it became clear, but again were told things like "staff would never do that."

But they also went to the state. Yes, Mr. Fong and Mr. Brown, there were complaints from families to the Ombudsman, Department of Health services, and others, but the government didn't catch it either. Nurses called the state beginning in 2006, where are those records. The oversight also let us down. (Big surprise)

At the end of the conversation with this very sweet woman, we talked about my role in all of this. She said, "sometimes God makes people for certain purposes, and this seems to be yours."

I couldn't agree with her more and I thank her for making me feel understood.

So, we're going to fight to get this resolved so that it will not happen again and in memory of anyone who suffered because of it. We have a new administration at the hospital, but with rotten apples running amok like zombies from the past, we need this place swept out, and we have all the information and witnesses to do it.

Please understand that we are not going to be appeased. We want certain things to happen and all witnesses need to be heard.

Ready or not, here we come...

Answer to question: the defendants have the same court case number.