Felony arrest of employee of the Kern Valley Healthcare District nursing center...again?
The Bakersfield Californian is reporting that Rene Gachon Gotico was arrested on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010, for an alleged elder abuse incident in the Kern Valley Healthcare District skilled nursing facility.
It has been reported that Gotico grabbed a resident by the neck and pushed her back into bed after she requested help from the nurse to go to the bathroom.
The Californian story goes on to say that the incident was witnessed and the proper authorities were notified, as the police came out and found the patient to have red marks around her neck.
While the elder abuse case has been in Kern County Superior Court
From charges of using psychotropic drugs stemming from Attorney General, Jerry Brown's investigation which brought about the arrests of three KVHD employees, including Dr. Hoshang Pormir, Geriatric nurse Gwen Hughes, and former CEO, Pam Ott, in 2009, to this new incident.
With the state's case in the Kern County Superior court this week for the preliminary hearing, news is that the older felony abuse case which may have shortened the lives of four KVHD nursing home residents, continues on to see if there is enough evidence to take the defendants to to trial.
How will this new incident reflect on the crumbling healthcare district
As the hospital, in dire financial trouble, seeks to obtain property tax dollars from residents of the Kern Valley, via a General Obligation Bond now on the Nov. 2 election ballot, this could not be considered good news as the election is only two and a half months away.
One community member hearing of the latest incident said, "this is out of control now, we can't vote to keep this hospital going the way it's going-it's getting , worse not better."
A local volunteer for the hospital said, remaining anonymous, alerted me that the problems are getting worse as nurses are understaffed in the nursing center and she said she knew something "terrible" would happen if they didn't get enough employees to cover the skilled nursing center.
I will follow up on Gotico, described in the article as a "traveling nurse" who has been working for the district "on and off" for fourteen years. Traveling nurses are temporary employees brought in to cover shifts which can't be handled with the current staff. (More on this situation: no overtime, traveling nurse brougth in to cover) The cost are higher, and often times the nurses are given housing along with the moving expenses.
According to the California Board of Nursing, Gotico, has had his Registered Nursing License since 1993 and the website shows no disciplinary action.
Updates on the new "felony" abuse case as it is another serious issue which will likely bring more attention to the hospital's reputation and ability to manage with serious shortages of money, even difficulty making payroll.
The hospital focusing on "Measure G" will have an uphill battle to climb as they have marketed the property tax measure as a 22.7 million dollar emergency room construction project.
Under fire, they have said many things on video over the past months and even years much of that will appear on our Youtube website for confirmation of the allegations of KVHD's lack of adhering to laws pertaining to public healthcare districts.
I'll send in questions to the hospital, but they have still not answered my public requests in a timely fashion, so we will see if the CEO, is willing to step forward and give a statement on behalf of the district
Here's the link to the article from Bakersfield Now a blog from the Bakersfield Californian.
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x464578841/Nurse-arrested-on-felony-elder-abuse-charge
Update on Gotico as well as the on going preliminary case regarding the use of drugs to control the elderly patients of the hospital's nursing center.
Persistance and Tenacity, requires a new chapter, a new beginning....
I'm not really surprised at this behavior from a nurse a KVHD nursing home. They have had problems with staff and mistreatment of patients for years. Even back in 1996 when my mom was admitted after a stroke, I had to sign her out and move in to take care of her. Back then it was regular restraints. I wouldn't let them tie her down and make her mess in a diaper because they couldn't be bothered to come when she pushed her call button to get help to the bathroom. She need help. My mom didn't deserve to be tied down just because she wouldn't use their diapers!!!!
ReplyDeleteOur ER is at it now too. They told a woman on Heprin injections, having chest pain, that they didn't have any beds and therefore couldn't do anything for her. Then walked away and left her to leave with no nothing. No your just overheated or you need to go to Bakes or anything; and NO she's not a drug seeker! Now as it was things turned out OK. But what if that woman died? could we afford another lawsuit?
If this supposedly public service hospital doesn't start serving the public, then how do they expect to get extra tax money out of us? The lady you streeted that day is a homeowner and she votes. Do you think she's gonna want to fork out her precious little cash to a hospital that could care less if she lived or died? This board and administration better wake up or you won't have a reason to by this time next year.
This Hospital is a place to go for poor care and uncaring staff, I would rather go to a Vet then this Hospital, I would get better care, and then they want more of our dollars (NOT)
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