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.
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.
So what position would you be eligible to be hired for? From what I've read on your blog you have no medical background at all. So a position in housekeeping? Maintenance oh wait you have to be able to fix something to work in maintanence not just complain about it. Maybe you can be a dishwasher? With all the money the hospital needs instead of buying one when theres goes out you can volunteer. I'm sure with all the time you spend on this blog that your obviously unemployed or very very wealthy. If you are unemployed how do you pay for your healthcare because I'm sure you have used the hospital facilities at one time or another.
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