What there's more? Part two of KVHD Rocktoberfest!!!

"We're going to come together as a board," Dr. Robert Gross, DO, and first vice chair of the Kern Valley healthcare District board of directors, said regarding the passing of the motion to review the pharmacy financials before making a decision to close.

Measure twice, cut once

As was already reported, the KVHD board of directors denied a motion by board member, Bob Jamison, to begin wrapping up the business with the pharmacy, with a second motion being made by Dr. Gross to have the board carefully review the situation before closing the retail outlet.

Gross said the board needs to do some teamwork and make sure that this is the correct decision, as many questions were asked as how this will effect not only the community, but employees as well.

Jamison and Chairwoman, Kay Knight, exchanged their views regarding the decision.

"We've just had a very rough financial report for the district that says we're losing money. If you want to look at it on an emotional side, or belittle the messenger, keep in mind all you're probably doing is drawing out the inevitable and making matters worse," Jamison told Knight.

Jamison went on to say the pharmacy has been losing money for the last four years, and now with complaints and inability to service the customers properly, he said he sees no reason to delay.

"But it used to serve the public well," Knight replied.

She went on to say, "Our surgical services loses over a million dollars a year."

"We're not talking about surgical services we're talking about a pharmacy," Jamison retorted.

"We're talking about losing money and what we are going to do to prevent losing money," the chairwoman specified her concerns.

CEO, Tim McGlew, who, with help from Chet Beedle, (they're practically finishing each others sentences now) recommended to the board that the pharmacy be closed based partially on some interesting data obtained in an old consultant report.

"If we cannot do the service right than maybe we should not being doing this," McGlew explained. (Same logic would then apply to all other departments?)

"The bottom line is we've been losing money for the last, you know, four or five years, in the pharmacy, as Chet brought up last time, most of this came up as a result of the advent of Medicare Part D," McGlew reiterating what Chief Financial Officer, Chet Beedle, had been saying.

Beedle explained that the prices charged for medications were dropped down at that point, starting a cycle of losses for the pharmacy. (Well, I guess we will have a chance to look at this up close and find out if indeed that is the problem)

We need our pharmacy, says the Chairwoman

Not quite ready to give up on the Mt. Mesa Clinical Pharmacy, Knight reads off her reasons for wanting to hold off on closing the outlet.

Her concerns included the lack of availability of services on the "West Side Story" side of the lake, and employees who have put in years of work at the small facility.

(Yes, as I said in the Sept. Finance blog, there was an excuse given that the reason "The Drug Store," pharmacy in Kernville was able to remain profitable was due to the money people with power and influence living on that side of the lake. This was later disputed and laughed at by the owner of that pharmacy, who said it was just the opposite as all the medical providers are on this side.)

"I would hate to see our pharmacy close," she said was her opinion, "over the last few years the retail pharmacy has had very profitable months, I believe the allocated overhead expenses associated with the retail pharmacy are high."

She went on to say that the accounting system might be a place to start looking for answers."The losses we're experiencing are not from any mismanagement of the pharmacy or any wrongdoing within the pharmacy, but the losses as I see it are associated in the whole method of allotting overhead expenses from other departments to the retail pharmacy."

(I guess we can find that out now, as a team.)

Knight told the audience that the money to pay the long term debt impacted the finances of the pharmacy. "To service that debt we had to scrape pennies from anywhere we could."

Beedle said earlier in the year the debt was going to be a problem, he warned us. Then, however, he retracted that at the first finance commit me meeting with our then brand spanking new CEO, Tim McGlew. He then shocked me by saying it was already paid and it wasn't a big deal.

At that meeting Beedle said rather offhandedly that the 1.1 million was paid without dipping into reserve account required by the insurer Cal Mtg. We found out later that 150K was taken from reserves to make the payment.

Beedle and I ended up in a heated exchange that day as I told him that he said this all on video. Again, he said that he didn't say that. (We're cutting the videos this week and will probably fill up our Youtube site with some really fun stuff.)

Now that Beedle is becoming more open about the financial problems, as he has projected a serious problem paying next year's August bond payment. He even intimated that we could potentially have to use our insurance to make the bond payments. Our insurance is Cal Mtg. and once we do that we may as well give them the rest of the hospital. (Well, they pretty much have it now)

Our CEO, has experience with Cal Mtg. as, if I remember correctly, his last employer had more than 115 million in loans insured by the OSHPD offspring. (Office of Statewide Healthcare Planning and Development: see blogs regarding Cal Mtg. and its relationship to OSHPD)

I'll be interested to get his views on the long term debt situation.

You can't just close it, there is a process

Robert Knight, continuing his service to the healthcare district, this time from a seat in the audience where he is seen at every meeting supporting his wife who is the chairwoman.

Knight raised his hand and made a comment.

"This is a district hospital and it is tax supported by people who live here and actually earn their living here, not somewhere else. And I believe there's a section of the law that requires that you cannot just lop off a department, there's a process you have to go through which includes, I believe three different months, weeks, public notices."

The CEO responded that Mr. Knight was "right," saying that this is his first job with a public healthcare district and he deferred to Knight's experience. He said he will confer with counsel as to the process.

Knight went on to say, "It won't hurt to look at these numbers, there's a lot of, when you look at Mr. Beedle's numbers, there's a lot of stuff in there that doesn't make a lot of sense."

The options

Keep the pharmacy open and lose money, Beedle's report suggests. Cut back on staff, keep a minimum inventory with mostly generic medications, move skilled nursing facility pharmacy services into hospital, hours remain same except for being closed an hour for lunch with only one pharmacist on duty.

(That just gave me the warm fuzzies, what's the second option?)

Set a date to close the pharmacy to the public. Inventory liquidated or moved into hospital pharmacy. Employees and covered board members can use the internal pharmacy.

Okay, what did you think of that analysis?

Even more impressive is the data used to create these two top notch options.

When I looked and saw "The Casey Report" being used as a tool for justifying these two skimpy scenarios, I knew instantly the board was correct to hold off any action on this issue so this could be properly analyzed.

What is the Casey report?

The Casey report was done in 2000 by a firm suggested by Cal Mtg who was getting really worried about the lack of funds provided on the debt, but even more so, about the talk of bankruptcy.

Casey made some strong claims in the report, but unfortunately some of the data was not completely accurate, which caused the KVHD board to dismiss it as a source of advice.

Though some suggestions contained in the report, I believe, but I'll have to recheck, led to the closing of the Kernville clinic along with a cardiac rehab type of business. (Gee, a cardiac rehab in a senior community, that couldn't make money, could it?)

I have this report, and since we are now using it as viable data, I'll go ahead and tell you why it was given to me.

Former CEO, and currently a defendant in our felony elder abuse case, Pam Ott, and Bob Jamison gave it to me to impugn Robert Knight as the cause of all the financial problems at the hospital.

There is a reference in the report that the CEO, Knight, needed to be fired.

But the consultant was never hired and there was some question as to the accuracy of the report itself. Now, suddenly it resurfaces and is being taken into account as to the decision with the pharmacy???

We have an obscure report which was a one time deal, as the former KVHD board members chose not to hire on this company. And yet, here it is, an outdated, antiquated, analysis being used, I guess seriously which is hard to believe, to make a decision on the pharmacy which services a good portion of the community. (I'll say no more and just keep rolling my eyes)

As we begin to make decisions as to the future of the hospital and its potential services, business opportunities, there is the specter of that debt which makes it tough to believe much can be done without addressing this issue.

Like I said, I made a proposal to Cal Mtg. back in February I think, and both chairwoman Kay Knight, and Assemblywoman Fuller, were interested in trying to negotiate with the pseudo government agency which is actually allowed to make a profit. (That is the problem, the state is not going to fight about a profitable endeavour such as Cal Mtg. But it's the way they have become profitable which I have addressed and will revisit.)

However, CFO Beedle, talked Mrs. Knight out of trying to cut a deal for some financial breathing room, and the whole effort was stopped short.

Now, at this recent meeting, Beedle announced we could actually be using the insurance if we can't pay.

What about the pharmacy employees? What about the customers?

Chief Clinical Officer, Cynthia Burciaga, addressed Chairwoman Knight's concerns about the employees at the pharmacy.

"Miss Chair, as far as the comment regarding losing employees or having them lay off employees in the retail pharmacy, our open position report is available on line as well as posted in other areas, and there are many positions in the hospital where we can absorb the employees," Burciaga told Knight.

"So you're going to take care of them," I asked her.

Burciaga said she didn't want to lose any of the "valuable" employees and that they could apply for other positions at the hospital or be cross trained into something else. She thanked them for their service as they have had to deal complaints from the public and uncertain hours.

"They've been so good about cutting back their hours to help out, but still maintaining their benefits," she said.

(I'm sure if others a little higher up would pitch in their hours or cut some of their money, it would help much more than taking it from the little guys. You just don't hear the top administrators talking about taking cuts or even cutting their hours at this hospital. How about a furlough program?)

How to pump up the volume

Marge Swendleson, who could be called a community advocate, stood up and addressed the issue of insurance companies sending patients down to Bakersfield or elsewhere when they can have the same services available here.

She said a phone call to the HMO or insurance company by the patient explaining that the services are available close to home can get results.
"They can have the procedure done here and it takes is a phone call because I've experienced it and had nothing but good results."

McGlew agreed with her, but said that the hospital can't do that for the patients.

He explained, the hospital has contracts with these organizations, but they just refuse to let the district do the volume here.
"It's gotten to the point now that just a simple chest x-ray, they will require them to go to Bakersfield to get that. Clearly, the time down and back is exorbitant for a simple procedure like that."

Swendleson said people just need to make a stand, make phone calls, write letters and things can change. She said she wrote a letter to some editor about it.

McGlew said he has contacted the department of managed care to review the situation as well as sending requests for help from two other state agencies.

The CEO said its a difficult situation, "but we will rattle some swords."


Dr. Gross responded, "it shouldn't end with the letter to the newspaper, which I think is a really good idea, but there's a law on the books that basically states that these insurance companies have to provide all services within thirty miles from where they are insuring you at. So, I suggest you write a letter to your representatives as well...letters like that help, they can help an awful lot."

Is this story over with yet? No.

McGlew reported that he attended the annual California Hospital Association meeting recently and that some good news came out of the event.

"The primary purpose of that was to begin putting the network together of the critical access hospitals throughout the state of California."

He said getting this group of similar small districts together will help as far as advocating for the special needs of these critical access hospitals.

As McGlew has talked about getting more specialists up here to create more services and more volume, he said he found out at the CHA meeting, that the telecommunications or telemedicine, will be available soon by way of money from a stimulis package.

"They announced at the meeting that they had already proceeded with the purchase of that equipment for every one of the hospitals. So, that will be coming shortly, that was very good news."

McGlew also made mention of the fact that all the CEO's in the new network, have no retail pharmacies. So, we are all alone in this?

Where's my flu shot?

I guess we're all asking how we can get flu shots this year as the hospital has not recieved it's shipment as of yet. And the only shipment they are expecting will cover patients, staff, and residents of the nursing center.

What happened to the drive by flu shot clinic? I don't know, but I will find out. I need to speak to Public health and find out what has happened.

It's only speculation, but could there have been a problem paying for these vaccinations? Let's find out together.

I need a flu shot, but I will wait until I know our elderly residents and children are taken care of first. And if I or anyone else have to go to Bakersfield to get a flu shot, then we have sunk to our nadir of service.

Odds and then the end...

In his CEO report, McGlew said that they will be going to all the department heads and do a departmental review. Beedle said they haven't done that, but they always kept in touch via reports and records.

Out of the blue, McGlew mentioned a skilled nursing facility policy which prohibits hiring anyone convicted of elder abuse or neglect type issues. He said it is only a SNF policy now, but would like to see it district wide.

Second vice chair, Brad Armstrong, who has been on the board for more than 20 years, through many a disaster including the construction project and the SNF elder abuse disaster, voted with the other three board members to take a look at the pharmacy one more time.

"I most certainly don't want to make the wrong decision." And I concur.

Two new Obgyn's will be arriving in the valley at the end of October as part of the push for specialists.

And "The Drug Store," in Kernville should be keeping a close watch on the pharmacy situation here as it will impact there business as well: they're going to be making some good money if our pharmacy goes down. And they can even expand their delivery business to make it a convenience.

UPDATED: Pamela Ott on QAB 2007/here's your witness Jerry Brown

UPDATED: Preliminary hearing set again for August 20th.
as the preliminary hearing for June 22 looks like another delay until we find out if there will be a trial, the most infamous post on this blog is the day board member and radio jock, Bob Jamison, allowed Ott to go on his talk show and defend all wrongdoing and blame others.
It is the most read post on the blog, as the California Department of Justice had gone off the scent and had Pam Ott as a "witness" in their case as opposed to being charged with elder abuse and other crimes such as covering and removing information, lying to investigators, firing employees for trying to get help and on.
After Ott was brought in by the DOJ she was fired from her CEO position at Sierra Kings District in Reedley California. A recent audit by the familiar company HFS, now in town at KVHD, and a bankruptcy lead to the conclusion that Pam Ott's pattern continued. She used monies Reedley voters supported on a GOB for a construciton project for "other things." The IRS audit showed that Ott and her financial manager, Barbara Jennings may not have paid employee pension accounts for a few months as well.
Read it again, as even with a continuance in the case this week, there will be another day and the judge will have to decide if the DOJ did their job and found the evidence and the crimes.
But this interview has to be the most telling as Bob Jamison made every effort to mislead the community regarding the meltdown. And still does...)

Here’s your witness to the prosecution of Dr. Pormir, and Gwen Hughes, in the case of the State vs. KVHD: Pamela Ott.

QAB radio allowed, KVHD board member, Bob Jamison to set up a departing radio show for the ex CEO, Pamela Ott, who resigned her position amidst troubles at the hospital.

Thank you QAB, this was some really good stuff. I guess ABC allows these things to be done by their affiliate stations.

It was a media war.

In her own words (and a few of mine)


After Pamela Ott stepped down as CEO, her friend, and board member radio broadcaster, Bob Jamison brought Ott on his radio program to prove that she indeed was a victim of the horrible reporter, employees, Department of Health Services, and of course, the Knights.

Because of his incredible adherence to rules, Jamison, brought on former Sun newspaper reporter and former owner of the Kern River Courier to interview Ott, because he said if he did it would conflict with his role as a board member.

This was a long program so I will have to truncate at least the questions to save time. But I will leave Ott’s responses verbatim. Apparently, Jamison had only two commercial breaks during this incredible hour of radio; so it ran long.

Ott’s media man

Bob Jamison: We have a special program this morning and we have a special guest in the studio as you may have heard. Our special guest is the current CEO of KVHD as many of you may know she tendered her resignation-and we’ve invited Pam Ott here to talk about the situation at the hospital and hopefully clear some things up.

Before we begin, I have to once again remind everyone and to be perfectly honest about this, I am an elected member of the hospital board and as such, as Pam her tendered her resignation, it would not be considered a correct thing for me to be the one interviewing her this morning. For that reason I have invited into our studio, Dolly Ogwalla, who is the publisher of the KRV Courier. Good morning Dolly how are you?

Dolly: Oh, good morning Bob I brought a little happy spray with me and I’d like to get started asking some questions since I have plenty.

Bob Jamison: I should tell you that I’ve told Dolly that she is not under any restriction whatsoever to what questions to ask or not ask, that is strictly up to her and, other than to tell her when it’s time to take a commercial break, the show is being turned over to Dolly.

Dolly: Then Good morning Pam
Ott: Good morning Dolly

Dolly: …one of the questions about the current situation at the skilled nursing facility is the employees at the hospital. I understand they have a new management team at the SNF and people are saying that employees in general at the hospital, one in particular are not very happy. Maybe you’d like to talk to us a little about that Pam.

Ott: Let me start before the management company was brought in by the board of directors. Because a local publication which had some fact and much fantasy that was very painful-that was very painful for the staff to have that kind of information about their practices delivered in newsprint. (the reporter did it)
We had several people out on stress leaves, one with cardiac complications, at that time it was a very serious thing. More importantly is our residents who love where they live. And that is their home. And the fear and anxiety that all of that set up was, umm, pretty much unfair. Then it turned into anger for them, because they know the facility that have is fine and they’re receiving TLC. So, getting on with that after bringing in the management firm is, uh, they’re here to change systems and to assist employees in learning new and updated skills. That meant that our licensed nursing staff were not able to work as licensed nurses at the time-they are being trained now, and they are loving the training they are receiving, learning all kind of new updated skills-the nurses aides are just thrilled with all the changes being made and so think we’re going to live happily ever after with that.

Did you say that DHS?

Dolly: …the reports showed something less than standard practice.

Ott: Well, let’s just talk about what really happened there. We had hired a new director of nursing, she came from, Kindred Care, which is one of the top nursing care facilities in the country, and came to us with 36 years of experience and began to work with our interdisciplinary team which is a pharmacist, nursing, social services, etc., and stated that we are not providing standard of care, there were many things we could change, including the types of medication we used for, for residents we had with behavioral issues such as kicking, biting, screaming, punching, that kind of thing. So, she made recommendations to our chief pharmacist and our medical director on those medication changes and those changes were made.
An employee began to believe that this was somehow detrimental to our residents and so rather than reporting through the normal chain of command, reporting since the director of nurses was involved, reports to the Chief Nursing Officer, or even reporting to me, or even a board member, they went directly to the department of health who came into to do an investigation, but that’s absolutely appropriate.
So, what happened was the department of health, came in and said, based on the use of these medications we need you to go get a psychiatrist, in fact, that came in at 10:30 am in the morning, you need to hire a psychiatrist by five pm. Well finding psychiatrists in Kern County it would be easier to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (laughter), but I was able to accomplish that goal through networking. And the psychiatrist came into evaluate the residents-there’s about 17 of them whose medications had been changed and the psychiatrist said upon evaluation of each of those residents, not only are these appropriate, but recommended increasing dosage of some of the residents.
So, that was perplexing so I went back to the surveyors of DHS and said well this was the result of the psychiatrist. And they said well, psychiatrists are just padding their own pocketbook. So, of course, they’re going to tell you to keep them on those medications cause then they get to see the residents more frequently (laughs). So, that was a bit confusing and they told us, the interdisciplinary team, to go back and review all of those residents once again and we make recommendations, we, without, without, a medical license were to make recommendations to DHS on how to deal with the medication reduction. So, we did that. I was rather uncomfortable with that, because I am not an MD nor is any of the staff (laughing).

Dolly: where was the other guy from?

Ott: DHS pharmacist.

Dolly: Okay, what is DHS stand for?

Ott: The department of health services

Dolly: and he wasn’t a physician either?

Ott: He was not a physician and he was telling us that our pharmacist was acting outside of her scope of practice, but then, telling us that, uh, that we needed to make those changes without MD input. So, being uncomfortable with that, I found a psychiatrist, decided we needed a second opinion and two weeks later that other psychiatrist came in, very thoroughly evaluated each resident, called families, talked to staff and at the end of all of that recommended that all of those residents stay on those particular medications and a matter of fact, recommended increasing some of those medications based on behaviors the residents were exhibiting. So, that’s where we stood. In the meantime, DHS, came in for the annual survey which is something we do every year and they’d already pretty much made up their minds that we needed some system changes. They evaluated our staff for their ability to pass medication and I want to explain to you what that means. That every nurse introduces themselves by name. They use two identifiers for the patients, hello Mrs. Smith, what is your birthdate-we have pictures, we can match the picture with the patient, which medications they’re to receive before we administer medications, then come back to an administrative record, where we document each medication which is given.
Well these nurse who have been working with these exact same residents for many years-some of our residents have been there for up to 15 years. They know their residents like their own mother, father or grandparent, and they missed some of these steps. And they may not have necessarily said, hello I’m Susie, and I’m here to give you your medications, what is your birthdate (laughing) And so, and then, because there are sometimes four pages of medication records, we know they gave the medication, because everything is in bubble pack, and if a medication were missed being given it would still be in the bubble pack, but the counts were correct, but they did not write the medication in the medication record at all time. So, there were holes, where there should have been documentation.
So, that’s where we got into this problem with medication administration.

Dolly: (she says its tough for change with employees, people can be resistant about it)

Ott: Change is difficult for all of us, you’re absolutely right. Many of the staff were saying there were too many changes, too fast, this is just making me crazy.
(To shorten the length, I’ve edited out several items, but if anyone wants the whole transcript, let me know.)

Measure M is the biggest concern

Dolly asks Pam about Measure M, the general obligation bond, which would have cost community members property taxes. Ott says the seismic and construction are the biggest things to worry about.

Ott: But the biggest concern for me as I leave this valley is that we have a very serious issue with meeting AB1953 which is the earthquake seismic standard that California state says you will be earthquake safe in your acute hospital by the year 2013, and I want to tell you that is January 1, 2013, or you will no longer have a license to have an acute care hospital.

The Sticky Three board members, support their CEO

Dolly: As a resident that terrifies me, that we, that could ever be a possibility. How supportive are your board of directors in this? Have they been behind you and supportive?

Ott: I will tell you that Brad Armstrong is one of the strongest chair of boards that I’ve had the opportunity to work with in my career. Bob Jamison is brilliant, he asks the difficult questions, he challenges to make sure we do a great deal of research. Barbara Casas studies diligently, knows the issues and they’ve made tough decisions about what we need to do. And that is that retrofit would cost many millions of dollars then we end up with still a small facility. Oh, and an old building. So, they decided we do need to build a new acute care wing of the hospital.

(finally a commercial)

Ott and board responsible/employees didn’t use chain of command

Dolly: (getting phone calls from people adamant about culpability in the situation. She mentioned unhappy, disgruntled employees.) Do you take responsibility for any of the things your employees are concerned about, about being afraid to report, and some of the things.

Ott: Oh, absolutely. I am the CEO and I take responsibility for everything that happens within the organization, that’s my role, uh, interestingly enough that, uh, the board even takes responsibility, they, they, we all understand our responsibility in this, we actually, the management team being the Chief Nursing Officer, the director of nursing and myself put together an agreement with all of the staff in the nursing center to state that they understand their responsibility to report because that is part of their licensure and we signed that agreement with them stating that there would never be any punitive mechanism for reporting concerns through the normal chain of command.
Sadly, there was that director of Nursing, who, umm, who had been there during that time had put a lot of fear and anxiety into the staff by telling them that if they reported up the chain of command, to the CNO or to me, that they would lose their job and she would report their license so that they would lose their license. So, that fear kept the staff from reporting like they normally would through a chain of command.

Dolly: The other thing I’ve been hearing about is the lay offs and the firing and it’s all because they’re unhappy with there reporting or whatever, but I would like to clarify the new team has done some laying off.

Ott: Right, as happens when you bring in management team, they have a completely different focus on how to staff the nursing center and they have a very interesting model where they have RN care managers that are out on the floor doing treatmentsand the kind of thing. They believe because our nursing center is a 74 bed nursing center that we should have an administrator, or an associate administrator, who is specifically for the nursing center and that is a Chief nursing Officer model doesn’t work as effectively as have an administrator type person and so we have had to make some changes in our organizational chart, uh, just to accommodate the changes they believe will improve the functioning of the unit itself. Of course there are other issues like competency issues, etc. that have to come into play and we had to relinquish our, umm, rights to keep or not keep employees to that management team, so they can do what they need to do.

(According to the contract signed by Sycamore Management on 5/27/07, I have a copy, there is a clause where they can only “recommend” policy and staffing changes. And the firings began the day after Ott resigned, which was 5/4/07 three weeks before the management company. The owner of the management company told me he saw the articles in the newspaper and gave the board his business card and they were in; for a while until the money climbed into the millions and the problems with being in compliance were continuing. Then they were sent packing. More careful planning I see and obvious care for the residents)

Urban legend more like truth

Dolly: One of the things we talked about, I have heard this rumor several times so I want to tell it to you because to me about, but I would just like to have your response to this new urban legend. That there was an 82 year old woman in the skilled nursing facility who was overmedicated to the point where she fell out of her wheelchair that she sustained terrible injuries that she later died from. And, uh, actually it said you’re suffering under the fear of indictment, (laughing), from the ……..and you maybe charged with, what was it? Um, some kind of negligent homicide that was the term I heard (laughing harder) used. I find that just a tad amazing but especially since that didn’t make the newspaper, even the other one. So, I’d like your response to that. (still laughing)

Ott: It’s actually not even funny that someone would even say something like that but, I will tell you that the employee that reported to DHS had reported something similar to what you’re describing and we have down our own internal investigation, DHS has done a very thorough investigation, and we know of no incidents such as that.

Dolly: (asks if she had said at a board meeting that the patient would have died anyway)

Ott: Oh, for heaven’s sakes, I can’t even respond to that (laughing)

Dolly: thank you, I wouldn’t tell you if it were not something , you know.

Ott: (cuts in) We love our residents, we’re passionate about the care we our residents and we care deeply about them, that is, that’s all I have to say.

Dolly: (wants to talk about achievements)

Ott: Well, actually they are not my achievements they’re the achievements of a fantastic team, including those three wonderful board members that I discussed earlier and we have made great strides and I think this community understands this through all the terrible reporting, umm, patients continued to use us, our volumes are up. (edited: she listed achievements such as echo cardiogram, several eye surgeons, surgeons like Dr. Holly Spohn Gross, endoscopy and Gemcare.)

(Again, Ott worked with the quorum of board members, Bob Jamison, Brad Armstrong and Barbara Casas. But there are five board members, two of which, don’t get mentioned until its negative. Brown act violations as well violations of their own reporting and personnel and policy procedures occurred with these people.)

Why are you leaving then?

Dolly: Do you have anything to say about why you’re leaving us?

Ott: It’s hard to say goodbye, we have the most incredible auxiliary and so many beautiful women and men who work so hard for our healthcare services-the foundation that does such a great job. The staff that are just amazing in the care they provide and how much they care about the community as well, and I just want to say thank you to all of you for the great four years (crying).

(They begin taking a few phone calls)

Jamison: Good morning you’re on the talk show.

Caller: …I wanted to know why she is leaving? Why did she tender her resignation?

Dolly: I guess you’re going to have to answer that Pam.

Ott: eeewww, um, we have had a board that has had difficulty working together as a whole, and I’ve talked about my successes, but I have failed to help pull that board together as one-and we have so many difficult things ahead of us especially the seismic issues, I need to step aside and see if a new CEO can come in and help pull this group together so that they can make those tough decisions and move on.

(I’m gleaning that if she only had the three board members she would have stayed and everyone would live happily ever after? Except the residents of the SNF and the scapegoats)

Which story is it? There are so many

I called into the show and asked her which story was the cause of the SNF disaster: The Knights, the ECHO program was down for a year, the evil director of nursing, disgruntled employees.

Ott: when we look back it was a systems issue, about every five years this hospital no matter who the administrator was including Mr. Knight, Mr. Dalgren, and some others, has had a situation of immediate jeopardy. I believe part of that is that we are not JACHO (joint commission), we don’t belong to an accreditation group, so we just didn’t do tune ups on an on-going basis making sure we were compliant with everything.

Hart: why did you tell me last year…

Ott: (cuts in) With this new management team in place, they will be back every year making sure we’re compliant.
(of course that didn’t happen. Lots of pie in the sky promises just like with the indicted director of nursing, she had great qualifications, 36 years of experience, and Ott talked the staff into trusting this woman.)

Hart: Can we afford it? (no look at the nursing registry figures from the board meeting)

Ott: With this new management team in place, they will be back every year making sure we are compliant in all issues.

Hart: these problems could have been fixed if we looked at them three years ago; these problems aren’t new-do we have that kind of money to spend on 39 thousand, a hundred and some odd thousand, to pay in penalties?

Ott: we’ve actually been successful setting aside reserves.

Hart: that could be paid for a lot of better things like equipment and services.

“They just got a little lax, that’s all.”

Caller: do you not believe inadequate and sloppy healthcare falls to the board and the CEO that they should’ve checked in on that before.

Ott: I don’t want anyone to believe our healthcare is inadequate or sloppy because…

Caller: (cuts in) that what you said they we’re giving medicines without writing down and so forth, you know I’m just wondering.

Ott: They just got a little lax that’s all.

Caller: You can’t do that in a hospital.

Ott: And we’re fixing that and you’re absolutely right I take full responsibility for that.

Caller: That’s what I want to hear because I’m getting elderly and I want to know that it is fixed up, we need a good hospital here. (Ott always seems to be able to tell people what they want to hear)

Ott: You bet we do.

“What do we know about him”

Dolly: The new management team, Don Doyle, what do we know about him?

Ott: He actually started his career as an LVN, his father was a minister, and he has spent his entire life in nursing centers and so he just has an absolute passion for, um, nursing centers.
(Ott knew little about them, KVHD was ambulance chased by this firm, but she can still tell a story)

Dr. Pormir part of good staff

Dolly: (talking about good staff, and Dr. Pormir)

Ott: Dr. Pormir is over there as the director of the nursing center and he is such a compassionate, caring physician, and he has taken it upon himself to study deeply into geriatric care and long term care services.

(I’ll tell you one of the only people I saw in the skilled nursing center in Dec. 2007 was Dr. Pormir bringing presents to the residents bought out of his own pocket. Every one of them. Mrs. Knight made blankets for each of the residents as well. Celia Juni put on a show of animated characters she moved from her home to the SNF for Christmas. )

My mother was on antipsychotics?

A concerned caller asked Ott about the use of the Depakote and Zyprexa on her mother, who she said was 97 years old.

Caller: …why, why wasn’t my mother notified of this?

Ott: You know that was part of what our problem was is that, um, the DON sort of bullied the pharmacist and staff into these changes without, without properly talking to families with documenting the need. And if you call me up at work I can sit down and review all of that together because it sounds like you’re hurting from that, we can sit down with Dr. Pormir and that out together.

Caller: I mean this nurse was bullying the pharmacist? Why didn’t she say no, you want this medication go through the physician.

Ott: Because the pharmacist believed that she had current knowledge and she did some research, the interesting thing is, is that the pharmacist still working there-not in the nursing center-but here’s the interesting thing for you is that the DON and I went ot a Lumetra conference which is the quality improvement for CMS, that’s Medicare, for DHS, and we went to take some training and when we went to the training the great physician, guru of behaviors gave a lecture and these were the medications we recommended we use for the center behaviors, so he, even CMS and DHS are being trained that drugs like Zyprexa are safer than some of the old drugs like we used to use, xanax.

I visit them everyday

Dolly: there are a lot of people who like the SNF. I personally like to go over there to there (parties) and some of the things they do.

Ott: I’m actually one of them, if I actually don’t get to make my rounds every morning and get hugs and kisses from the residents; it’s not a beautiful day for me. It’s just such a special place.

(So, Ott was doing her rounds in the SNF everyday she says, looking at her special residents. But also touching them and interacting. Then she must have had some knowledge about them. She would have noticed if anything was wrong; she is a nurse of sorts. Ott would have seen that nurses were short staffed and her beloved residents were sometimes sitting in soiled clothing. Everyday strolling through the SNF would have given her a better look at the situation than Dr. Pormir or Debbie Hayes. And obviously employees were in contact. She would have known that the meds were being delivered late because of short staffing. She was administrating the SNF with the former CNO, Sharon Brucker, shortly before the investigation time frame of Aug. 1 to Jan. 25, 2007. The SNF was already in trouble as the state was imposing penalties and denying their correction efforts. Patients had lost weight, some significant, and it just went away overshadowed by the new problems. Ott and Brucker left the SNF in charge of Gwen Hughes because they were in trouble for their own restraint issues.)

The last thing Ott said before getting off the air, was don’t forget Measure M, “…because 300 employees depend on their jobs and because people in this community need healthcare services.”

Umm, thanks.

Recommended reading: Ott's interviews, emails, and newspaper quotes. And Dolly's first interview with Ott, called "tracking down the troubles at KVHD." Another clarifier would be, "Urban Legend/Revelation/responsibility.

I miss the toughness and integrity of 60 minutes: Diane Sawyer allows hack job of Kern Valley Healthcare District elder abuse Story (national but not helpful, thanks for trying)

ABC World News Tonight: sounds good

(I still remember the hayday of 60 minutes, the CBS masterpiece of television journalism, how about you Diane Sawyer?)
We were happy to hear that the story at the Kern Valley Healthcare District was being covered nationally, but that was short-lived as the majority of those who watched it shared with me they were disturbed.

"They don't even know the truth and that is why the media is as screwed up as it is."

"I can't believe they did it again."

"You're right, TV can't really cover this story."

After hours of talking and then reading some emails, I began to realize that ABC World News tonight really did nothing to help our situation here in the Kern River Valley, nor were they able to really get a handle on the story. And the may have even hurt us by coming in at the end basically and using year old footage.

The story eminates from channel 23 in Bakersfield, the local ABC affiliate, much like the only radio station in our mountain town, QAB, is also an ABC news affiliate.

The irony here lies in that ABC news, it could be argued, is a co-conspirator in the elder abuse case.

My argument would be that I personally, and I know directly that others have contacted agencies such as the FCC and ABC news and QAB to complain about the behavior of Disc Jockey and "KVHD" board member, Bob Jamison, in regards to keeping the truth of the circumstances at the hospital from the public.

Which I think makes it a conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

Charged with eight counts of elder abuse, and the last defendant to be charged "thus far" (I hope anyway) in the case, former CEO, Pam Ott, was allowed an almost solid hour (meaning advertisements were purposefully reduced) to make her case with Board member Jamison's blessing.

So, we, the community, the public in general, did not know to what extent the situation at the hospital had degraded.

By this time, I know of one for certain, family that was paid off and took money to be quiet.

Yes, the district paid off a family, a small sum to go away and not let this mess get out to the public.

But when it did, the media, QAB and even the local newspaper, were allowing misinformation, and focusing on what they thought would help (help keep their advertising contract I'm sure) the hospital.

You cannot allow a hospital overrun by criminal and unethical behaviors/activities to be removed of a few and leave the top layer over the rest with no recourse.

We were warned

There was a whistle, a horn, a scream, and then a crashing noise as all of this took place between late 2006 and early 2007.

I'm here because one of the media outlets flat out lied, and the other could not bring itself to understand the problems and give it the coverage it needed.

I'm here because the attorney general had the former CEO, with diplomas from Kennedy/Western University (google that or just look at the post of her whole resume) and emails misrepresenting her credentials. Any rookie human resources clerk could catch that.

I'm still here because the county DA didn't want to get into this morass of small town politics.

I'm still here because people still need help and the truth has not finished surfacing. And I won't be going away anytime soon it seems. As there have not been others willing to step up and take on this crooked situation.

Did your story help us? Then what was it for?

We are quick to beat up on the media, and truly they do need some good wake up calls. But for the most part the media want to report as best as the type of media they utilize can support.

A television station cannot handle a complex story such as the one that has occurred here on the five o'clock news unless it becomes a series, drawn out to allow time for interviews and facts, allowing the viewer to have enough information to decide on their own what has happened.

I could suggest a few segments for television which would cover our story:
"Financial policy leads to short staffing a nursing center potentially causing patient harm. The on-going Kern Valley Healthcare District case."

Then they could add a story on corporate tyrranny and use the KVHD managers and a few board members as examples. "What to do when your manager is doing something illegal: the whistleblower act."

Another, why people are frightened enough to do things they normally wouldn't do?

The list goes on and on, as there are many layers to this situation, and so much to be learned by us all.

Point is there is a lot of material in this story, so which do you do? All of it, of course. Leave nothing out. It's too vitally important.

I'm here to help bring about true change and hopefully watch justice happen in my lifetime. Though I recieved a few exasperated emails tonight from those who just want this to end. Some are families of the nursing center residents and others are just involved somewhere.

I hope that there are those who are redeemed from this horrible situation, as it changed all our lives who are and were involved.

Channel 23 I believe you should make your way up here tonight, at 5:30 pm for the board of director's meeting. It is time for the media to help out, we would appreciate it.

You could help get the truth, "the dam truth" out there. Because that is what our job is about.

A story with a juicy Jerry Brown soundbite is tempting, but that was old news, and he has reiterated the exact same message without elaboration.

I'd like to ask him why or how Pam Ott ever got on the witness list. What drugs were the investigators on when they did that? Psychotropics?

And really I want to know why the rest of the notables, some still stuck at the hospital, are not being at least reprimanded. Maybe not elder abuse, but lot's of obstruction took place, and truthfully, some of it, not so long ago.

So, the media who covered this need to ask themselves if they did this to shock us and make us tingly or to help?

I know that the story contained an interview with the "former" attorney for Dr. Hoshange Pormir, a long time doctor in the valley, from Lebeau and Thelan, about how Dr. Pormir supposedly feels about the drugs which were administered.

I know Dr. Pormir probably didn't appreciate that interview as today in court, the date was continued until March 9, 2010, because he has a new attorney, Donald Etra, from Los Angeles.

That was a very self serving interview I believe, and even more so, it may have damaged Dr. Pormir's case as I saw no reason that he should reveal anything as to the direction his client or his defense is taking the case.

That was a bad and damaging interview.

What happened in court:

It was a strange morning as I struggled to get out of bed, and my camera person had a car breakdown, and my friend hit traffic in the canyon because of road work, and none of us made it to the church on time to see the three defendants.

But I decided to make a call to channel 17, KGET, and then 29 to see if they had covered the case. No.

Unhappy, I decided off chance, though I had not talked to them before as I have the others, to call channel 23, an ABC news affiliate.

I got someone on the news tip line, and asked if they went to court. Yes. I thought great. I was told that it was continued until the ninth of March as a new attorney, Donald Etra, had come on for one of the defendants, he couldn't tell me which one.

I thanked him for the info and then he asked me who I was. I said, I'm Laura Hart, and not hearing a shriek, I continued on to say I am the reporter who was the first investigator on site in the matter and staying on until it's properly and justly settled.

He didn't tell me about the story that was to run later on both the local and national news, but asked me some more questions. I told all he needed to know about me was on my blog: google me I told him. (sounds kind of kinky now that I say it that way)

Anyway, news guy  then thanks me and asks me for my name and number, basically because of my winning personality I'm sure, to catch up later.

Then I try to find this attorney locally, and the name, "Etra" sounds both like "extra" and etcetera" which seemed odd.

So, I call back the newsguy at 23, and just for kicks have him restate the name so I know it's not in my mind, and I dyslexically wrote it down.

He reassured me on the name and so then I looked it up and reassured myself by calling the courthouse to verify the name.

It may not be exciting, but basically, the case was continued, new lawyer needs time to catch up on the situation, and we will see where they are at in March.

There maybe more...I'm still poking around.

Civil case, in Shepter vs. KVHD, they're arguing the statute of limitations law which allows the government entity, say the healthcare district, to be informed that they are going to be sued six months after the injury or death took place. That is in California, other states are even more restrictive.

KVHD is arguing the Shepter case, one of the victims listed in the criminal matter, that they didn't file on time.

These short statute laws offer a kind of protection to the government entities, as many times the people who have injuries or lawsuits are unable to collect or even be heard as they may not have filed on time. The lawsuit could be dropped or not even started based on this shorter than average time frame, statute of limitations.
Tonight: board meeting 5:30 pm in the hospital cafeteria. Please attend as the meetings become more and more important. The auditor will be here, to give his perspective on all things financial. But I want to remind those who attend: this auditor has been doing the districts books for many years, Rick Jackson. And the thing I would like to see happen would be a thorough, forensic audit.

Anyone can take someone else's numbers and say they look all right: but when you actually have receipts, bills, cheques, that is far more invasive and thorough. Yes, costly, but I bet we find more money than not, as billing is behind a few years.

See you there...

Book em' Danno! Or Donno, or I mean, sorry, Donny, Jerry and Steve, our guardians of some California justice

Why not these two?

Now we know if we caught Pam Ott, former CEO of the Kern Valley Healthcare District, charged with eight counts of elder abuse by the state of California, smoking some marijuana, she would be in jail, on "bail" in a jumpsuit, being cursed by board member, and media non-personality, Bob Jamison.

But, because it was a matter of governance, or lack thereof, we seem to have forgiven those who allowed a situation to occur in a hospital and nursing center which may have lead to the demise of residents who knew nothing of the politics which played a role in their care.

I was looking through the California Penal code, for the fun of it, a week or so ago as there are so many laws on the books which could be applied in our case here at KVHD. I sit here this fine Friday afternoon, late for appointments, wondering why there are not at least two more defendants for next week.

We know that there are documents that pertain to the responsibilities of those in charge of the nursing center or any nursing home. The administrator, the leader, is the top dog, according to the district policy and the laws of the state of California.

That should not be questioned.

But our administrator also had a second in command, who knew very well, what was going on. Ott even pointed that finger early in 2006, when Department of Health Services or "Public Health" (thank you, I'm scared already) questioned Ott's credentials.

As has been pointed out on this blog, which has reached an unmanagable 200 posts, (wow, let's celebrate! It took 200 blogs to explain this situation, but only one jury can send the message home) that Ott had help in the cover up.

Let's see the CNO of the time, she definitely knew; the CFO, Chet Beedle, who recently made fools of the board and current administration with his pharmacy analysis, was cutting out more jobs than the mortgage industry, which made for big gaping holes in the staffing, he knew.

And board members, Bob Jamison, Brad Armstrong, and Barbara Casas were either covering for the "leadership lite" administrative nightmare, or they were duped like most of us.

Either way, it's still malfeasance. They should have looked at the records, stopped the cover up, but they, instead, helped Miss Ott out of the "country" off to her new position at Sierra Kings District Hospital which has now met with trials and tribulations under her leadership. They are bankrupting their hospital. (we're just killing our business little by little here at the hands of a CFO, but, let's keep him, pay him, and allow him to continue down this path of fiduciary suicide)

But the CFO, was right in the middle of all of this, taking out personal personnel information to try and keep the employees in their places.

(Yes, we're going to have another holocaust blog for Monday. The first one didn't work out as I was straight out of surgery trying to write it, but now, I'm ready. Are you ready for Mien KVHD?)

How is it that other employees were fired for lesser issues, but, again, the administration gets a break?

Now, the former CNO, who currently works in quality control and the cardiac arrest her departments which were created out of scratch, those medicines off the charts, needs to be addressed in a courtroom.

Thelma and Louise of the SNF, Ott and Sharon Brucker, read reports to the board throughout 2006, with such concern as, "whoops" our patients lost 25 pounds, yes, we need to start weighing them. But only when we can find a way to bring them out without restraints.

Brucker the former CNO, was seen in court last month though, in the audience unfortunately, as Ott took a few minutes to show up and plead not guilty at all, what are you talking about, to the elder abuse charges.

Ott didn't have to post bail, it was all quite streamlined for her, so I asked the Department of Justice, (several times in fact) why she was treated with this "fast track" method of justice.

I have not received a suitable answer or actually any answer. It's not a rhetorical or hysterical question, Scott Gerber, bad boy of PR: I was serious: why would you treat her that way after the evidence shows she had no regard for anyone else, employees, residents of the SNF, or the law itself?

Come on DOJ, serve the "loco" motion

As I said, there are so many laws on the books which could easily be used in this case to make sure, double check, that we got all the people out of there who need to be made an example of for the rest.

Would it be crazy to press these charges? I don't think so. I'm quite certain that even though the DOJ's investigation was late, like me, and the evidence was shredded, and the tapes were lost, (though there were some other tapes made by Ott, which I'm wondering if they have been turned over to the DOJ) there is still evidence.

Maybe you can't get them all on elder abuse charges, but there are other lesser charges, easier to prove that would at least get them out of the hospital so they can't do any more damage. And maybe then, we can heal this place.

But we need felonies as the hospital does not rehire those with felonies on their record.

And you need to take the board members too. Do not let them think they can do this without some sort of slap on the wrist or fanny or something. They knew what was going on: Bob, Brad and Barbara, "the killer B's."

However, politics played a big role in all of this, but the unfortunate element was the residents: they didn't get a vote, on measure M, their staffing, or the drugs a certain nursing director decided to use.

They didn't have a choice, but we do

The residents of the Kern Valley Healthcare District skilled nursing facility didn't know the staffing was cut because there was a need to save money. They didn't know that when they rang their call lights, busy nurses were doing all they could just to keep up with the heavy load dumped on them in 2006 KVHD budget.

The residents also didn't know why the people they had come to love and care about, the nurse's aides, who were pushed beyond the call of duty, were helpless to stop the people at the top. The aides were threatened with licenses and forced to work overtime, and more overtime, sick or well, they had to come in or the nursing center would close.

The residents also did not know why the board of directors so coyly turned away from the employees who tried to blow the damn whistle, but only air and fear came out.

They didn't deserve the disrespect nor did they have any idea what was really going on around them which would lead to such a disaster.

And the families of the residents, how do they feel?

We are now on a new course at the skilled nursing facility, one with more compassion, "more staff", customer service, renewed research into better systems, and a new CCO, Cynthia Burciaga, who is monitoring the situation.

Our new CEO, Tim McGlew, has added a new element as he had the insurance liability carrier, Betagroup, do a risk assessment of the nursing center.

Though we are paying attention now, there was a serious problem for the families who feared for their loved ones in the SNF.

From all the information I have heard and seen, the families had to fight to get information and paperwork. (Yes, the paperwork was delayed, how convenient)

But along with that, they were treated as if they were simple "complainers" in some cases, by the CEO, Ott and even mentioned was CFO, Chet Beedle, whom I accused of this behavior at a recent meeting.

How could the families even watch the video of Bob Jamison calling the tragedy at KVHD, Pam Ott's resignation? I'm sure they felt great that Jamison followed it up by allowing Ott a full hour of radio time to propagate her agenda.

(See posts: Here's your witness Jerry Brown and "Hey Tokyo Rose, where's your Kimono?)

But now we, and I mean the government, the lawyers, the families of victims, the staff, the staff who were fired, the whistleblowers, have to come together and get the truth out there for those who want it, and more so, those who need it to move on from this mess.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, the State of California has sufficient evidence to prove that Pam Ott, the spy, the media attack, the buffer, the number's guy, were part of a cover up of crimes against the residents of the hospital, but not only that, crimes against a community.

Again, we thank you for coming to be our jurors, and we know you will see through the facade, the collusion, to bring the leaders, the corporate administrators and elected board members, to justice for their roles in harming the public and obstructing the investigation.

We know you will be fair and impartial as you hear all the testimony of witnesses and victims of a case which lead to abusing elderly patients for the sake of saving money, (to pay Cal Mtg. I would say that, but they won't), and by the leaders who tried to cover their tracks and scapegoat the little guys. It could have been you, Jane or John juror, you could have been threatened with your job or fired, by an entrenched system of bullying and scapegoating."

That's how I would open my case...You have all that you need to convince a jury full of average folks who probably would not take kindly to hearing about high level, heavily reimbursed, bosses at a public healthcare district who allowed and even prolonged potential elder abuse.

I don't see any problems getting that message across to a jury. Feel free to utilize my little blog here and I've got many other bits of evidence around here at home too. Let's do lunch, then do KVHD...

(I'm trying very hard not to blow a fuse with the uploading problems with the video for Youtube. After three hours on Verizon's DSL, or supposed high speed internet, I managed to load one video last night. It's Chet Beedle though, and you should watch. I don't know what the problem is, maybe I'm competing with Jerry Brown throwing up all his gubernatorial campaign videos on Youtube...I dont' know. I'm still trying though. Aren't I?)

KVHD presents: Flu shots for the communtiy/Ott countdown/YouTube/Bob Jamison gets "cracked" on his show this morning

Quick update: Word is that there will be a drive thru seasonal flu shot clinic on Nov. 4, from 9 am to 2 pm in the front parking lot of the Kern Valley Healthcare District hospital.

Costs are $10, but those with insurance need to check with their providers to see if there is any reimbursement available.

So, a little late but worth the wait. Hopefully the hospital will have obtained enough of the vaccine to catch the rest of us who have not had our shots.

Got a court date with a former CEO I just can't miss:

I won't be at the drive thru shot clinic, because November fourth is a big day in this valley not just for vaccines: it's the preliminary hearing date for the elder abuse case starring the leader Pam Ott.

It will be worth missing the flu clinic to have the camera in court to see exactly what the state of California is going to do. Will it be plea deals or is the Attorney General Jerry Brown serious about following through...we will see won't we.

Next week: the countdown begins, and you will finally get a look at our video from Ott's resignation in 2007. There are only four new videos up currently on our YouTube site, but I'm going this afternoon to try and get you thirty more.

After six months of neglect, our YouTube site is being watered and manicured.

Look for: "Knight Grilling some Ott" "SNF part 1" "SNF part 2" and "Short staffing" are up now.

I've cut the videos into smaller segments, under two minutes, for easier viewing.

http://www.youtube.com/user/OrderBipolarDisorder#p/u

Oh, the story is interesting, but you should follow up with the videos for a real feel for these people.

Quite unbelievable radio today on QAB:

Bob Jamison, KVHD board member, Pam Ott supporter, and radio talk show host, got his name a bit smeared this morning by a listener who didn't like his regular nonsense about medical marijuana.

Apparently, Jamison had a flyer he said was "found" in Bodfish canyon, which was an invitation for medical marijuana event.

As he went on making this some hot issue, the police were supposed to be interested in (it's medical marijuana, Bob, and its quite legal) he took a call from the community.

Now this is really funny and quite fitting, as Jamison uses this radio outlet to attack all who come against him or something lodged in his mind.

This is what happened: The caller came on and asked about the flyer, then told Mr. Jamison she was the one who organized this event.

Then, she said, Bob you drink, so what are you talking about? He began to answer, and the caller told him that she and her son lived in the valley for 20 years and that Jamison was known to drink and beat his wife.

Yeah, we're all agog about this. He finally got a taste of his own medicine on the air for all who listen, (a few left I guess), and it was fitting.

I make no claim to know Jamison's alcohol intake or how he treats his wife, that's their problem or her problem or whatever. Maybe the caller knew more than I did about them, but I don't need to attack him on that level, it's way too easy simply criticizing his lack of ability as a board member.

It's the fact that Jamison was attacking someone on the air about their medical marijuana event, party or whatever, thinking that he was safe and then the caller turned it right around on him.

Go get him Kern River Valley...Don't let him think that he can broadcast an attack on you and not expect some retaliation.

(I've been under attack by Jamison, and for some reason, he seems to think that this is okay, but what I'm doing here on the blog isn't. Hypocrites and cowards always can dish it out, but can never take it. But I would not have attacked him personally regarding his drinking or his wife. The caller did that.

So, you know, both Mr. and Mrs. Jamison felt they could freely defame me, and called me a drunk and other fun things, in front and to people who know me. I'm not a drunk, but he and Mrs. radio broadcast, felt no compunction about this kind of attack. Aside from all the other ones about how I was slanting stories about the problems in the skilled nursing facility at the hospital, yeah, right.

How does it feel this morning, Mr. Jamsion, to be called out on your own Show? Smile. I am.)

Mr. Jamison, from 2007, his famous attack pose, threatening lawsuits, physical violence, and calling Pam Ott leaving the district, "a tragedy."

Jamison at a recent KVHD board meeting in 2009, looking more subdued, but nonetheless, still dangerous as his attacks on people in the community via QAB media, make him quite the popular dinner guest about town.

Some updates on the flu shots/and a hail to Reedley

Get ready for a little prick, as the Kern Valley healthcare District will indeed be getting flu shots for us this year: and we can still drive thru.

The district is expecting a shipment of the mighty seasonal, elixir, before the end of the month, and will be setting up dates and times for us to drive on by to get our shots.

I'll get you those dates as soon as they come available.

(I'm thinking this might be a good opportunity for the hospital to combine the drive thru flu shots and make a little extra cash doing say...tire inflation and window washing...or maybe even some other medical stuff, like, Podiatrist, Dr. Holly Spohn foot checks, or maybe a looksy down the throat and in the ears, or since we're getting new OBGYN's, a "mobile pap smear" only for those with reclining seats though.)

Hail to the straightforward people of Reedley

Since Reedley was put on the map recently (actually we in the KRV are now officially on the map with a pin stuck in us) as the town that hired on our former, elder abuse charged, CEO, Pamela Ott as the CEO for their hospital, Sierra Kings. (They didn't know about it when they hired her, don't misunderstand)

As has been reported on this blog, Miss Ott, was put on administrative leave, unpaid, by the Sierra Kings District board, when she was charged last month with eight counts of elder abuse stemming from her turbulent employment and leadership here at KVHD.

The CFO, Barabra Jennings, who was hired on by Ott, according to the chairwoman of the board, Trish Johnson, who also said that Ott never told them what the court date was about, that the charges came as a total surprise.

(Yeah, she was quite the surprise package here too)

But I like to keep up with the Reedley news as the hospital there is now in bankruptcy, though trying to salvage some of the plans of recovery, with an interim CEO and CFO.

The Reedley Exponent put up such an intriguing headline last week, I couldn't help but be impressed.

"Local Hospital Chairwoman under siege."

(Now I did have my "shock and awe" campaign, but that indeed is not as cool had I been able to put some of the KVHD board and administrators actually "under siege.")

I so like the attitude they have in Reedley about their healthcare. As we know healthcare can sometimes do more damage than good, so it is a dead serious issue. (coming soon: "A Patient's Plea," a rural healthcare nightmare)

According to the article, by Exponent editor, Cheryl Lingo, Trish Johnson received a visit from two members of the community, who on their own accord, asked that Mrs. Johnson step down from her role as Sierra Kings chairwoman.

Yes! Be direct, be honest, you're not doing the job, you're a public servant, and the public is asking you to do the right thing.

No...she didn't step down. (We know that from our local situation. I've not only said step down, I've yelled it, to their faces. But ego is tough skin to tear through. And there is also the fact these people in office, any kind of political office, think that we voted them in to serve themselves and not us. Did you vote for that kind of service?)

But good job Reedley for taking it to them and speaking out against mediocrity.

I would like to say that I am personally sorry you ended up with Pam Ott in your area. I'm sure had you not gotten the letters of recommendation from the likes of our "terminally" a board member, Brad Armstrong, or our famous public speaker, Bob Jamison, or even Aspen Street Architects, you may have looked beyond the facade.

(I wish there was a board of directors I could sit on and vote to close that radio station Mr. Jamison enjoys using as his play toy. I need to ask someone if the hospital is doing any advertising still with the station. Since I don't really like to listen anymore, I haven't noticed. I'll find out.)

So, thank you for again setting an example for the craven, apathetic and ill informed people of the Kern River Valley. I wish you a hospital of luck.

Today at Finance Commit me: Think of yourself not as a charity case, but a "write off"

Well, as usual, I was running late, and I had no where to put my new tiny dog, Johnson. I had to feed the cat, the dogs, wake the Macaw, get the temperature right in the house, close her door, and then throw on a happy face, and skidoodle out the door.

So, Johnson, our new arrival, playmate for my Boxer, Walter, had to go to the meeting. I hid him in my coat, thinking nobody would notice and maybe attribute the movement in my jacket to a gastrointestinally troublesome bowl of chili.

But not.

That new CCO, Cynthia Burciaga, busted me with my illegal cargo.

I explained I didn't have a babysitter this morning, and it would be too dangerous to leave him understaffed, I mean, alone at home, and then Miss Burciaga cut me a break and let the little Johnson stay for the meeting.

Johnson slept through the meeting, which is usually what I want to do, but there was something about this month's meeting that was different.

We were talking about the "real" problems, such as we don't have money, staff or money to put away for our true friends at Cal Mtg.

Stopping the leaks

One of the areas of concern is the fact that the hospital treats people who have no insurance or money, which is by law what they have to do.

With so many people out of work and struggling, there is an increase in need for services without insurance.

Now, that is fine. If you are sick, don't hurt yourself by not seeking medical care and don't think of yourself as a "charity case."

One of the most damaging psychological problems is when people lose their jobs and are unable to support their families. Men tend to be more difficult to get to go be treated by a doctor anyway: and they sure don't like it if they can't pay for it.

Here's the deal, if you don't have insurance, your life has become like so many across the country, you don't have money for anything extra, but you may qualify for some of what they call the "charity programs."

I don't like the word either, and I think since the hospital is complaining, that they would euphemize the word, and call it something like, "payment protection programs."

All this says is that you are signing forms so that the hospital may bill one of the many indigent (here's another great word that should make you feel good about yourself) programs available through the state.

If you can't do sliding scale which is available, then you may be eligible for one of many programs.

When you get treatment and don't fill out this paperwork you are costing the hospital money; you're now featured in the bad debt section of the financials.

But before you come down to the hospital, grab your proof of income and residence, and fill out the forms.

This way the hospital will be paid through the state, you will get your medical treatment, and it will not be a bad debt that goes on "your credit report" too.

Running back, Quarterback, and tight end/multi-purpose team

We've been talking about the staffing issues for a loooonnnnngggg time now, and I've heard many different things from different voices at the hospital.

We spoke again about: having multi-purpose staff who are trained in several areas and work in several areas; the great CNA (nurse's aide) educational jump, as many of the nurses have decided to upgrade their education and are in LVN (the next stop on the nursing journey) school; and that the CCO has been coming in when the staffing is tentative.

Two comments here, one that we still have a problem, but the second part that our administrator is willing to come in when there is a shortage and work whatever role necessary.

Kudos to you Cynthia.

Yeah, it doesn't make me necessarily feel better that she has to do this, that a solution hasn't been pinpointed, but it does make me and all of us, should realize that somebody is going above and beyond their call of duty. And we thank her.

(I'm guessing that is why our new CEO, Tim McGlew, wasn't present at Finance. He was actually fixing the sprinklers and removing trays from the kitchen. He's strong, he can carry a lot of trays.)

Where are we going: where have we been

The community needs new services, but so does the hospital so it can make money.

Bandaids are not big money makers.

There was a whole list of services bandied about yesterday, which included orthopedic surgeons, cardiac services, wound care specialists for the nursing center, as well as a lot more dreaming, but it felt short of planning.

Yes, I would wish this for all of us, my list includes oncology and chemotherapy, and cardiac services, as well as endocrinology, Ear nose and throat (they'd make a fortune there with all the allergies we suffer up here from the lake bed blowing in the wind, and winter with all its wood burning stoves), eye/cataract, Gynecological, oh, yeah, and mammogram.

(Yes, we did have a mammogram machine, but apparently, we had no one to run it. Then we advertised it, then we sold it. We're a bunch of boobs)

There is a shortage of ortho's anyway, so that is a pipe dream. But I had an appointment with my endocrinologist yesterday, which took me off my mountain and down into the city. I spent 30 minutes, we talked, read my records, wished me good luck, and off I went.

That was not worth the trip down. We could have done it by phone. It wasn't worth the gas money, nor the chronic risk of the canyon. I like the doctor. In fact, he's spectacular when it comes to doctors, but it's the drive.

All I ever think about is retired and elderly people going down the canyon trying to get services. And certainly, with age comes more doctor visits, so how many times are these people going down the canyon to get care?

The hospital should wonder about that too.

I say use your strength's right now to make money. I'll say it first here on the blog: From everything I've heard we have a great physical therapy department. They do things that others don't.

If you need physical therapy and you don't have insurance, don't forget there is a sliding scale program.

My impression of all of this talking, was there is no plan in effect, we are just dealing with issues randomly without an outline of the reasonableness of the solutions, with no fixed goals figured.

But that has been a problem for a long time, don't let me tell you it just came up yesterday.

I have all the paperwork from the strategy meeting from 2006. There were tremendous goals back then and each KVHD board member had a task to do to accomplish these things. Great!

Never happened. Not one of those things. I looked through it. In fact we've come way backward.

We need planning and development with input from the community. The hospital should spend a few bucks, throw an open house and let the community know what there is to offer. (They could call it, "a penny for your thoughts.")

Again, we have "great" physical therapists.

Which side of the lake you live on

As we were discussing the pharmacy issue, which they want to tell you about. I'm glad, I don't want to tell you about it. So you might want to show up for the October regular board meeting, Wed. Oct. 7, at 5:30 pm in the Cafeteria.

(You've been alerted, there's a board meeting. If you don't attend, whatever happens, you cannot complain about. My new rule.)

Anyway, in this conversation something was said that has bothered me all night.

And that is that the "reality" of our positions of life and stature in this valley depend on which side of the lake we live on.

As if I were going to agree, it was said that "we all know" (common knowledge) that the money and power structure is greater on the Kernville side of town.

Oh gag.

Not that it isn't true to some degree. Yes, they do have money over there, the housing is quite nice, the shade trees, high speed internet, the business center, why it's a veritable Camelot.

Now here on the South Lake side, we don't have high speed internet, our phone service is a joke, we have a grocery store we're proud of, but we are the local lesser people I guess according to the common knowledge.

The context of this conversation came when we were discussing the pharmacy in Kernville, "The Drug store."

It makes money, but this poor side of the lake, can't do it.

Our low real estate values and apparently low human values, make this side of the lake less appealing to business and those providing services.

I'm actually glad to hear this out in the open so I can respond properly.

Listen, the whole valley is what has been called, "the ugly stepsister" of the county. One suburb of Orange County could buy this whole place, fishing permits and all.

But that is where I find the problems in that there are those who came to this valley in hopes of being that big fish in this little pond.

Next up: Scared and impaired

More on this soon, gotta go...

Accountability countdown to November elder abuse hearings: but who is accountable?

It's peculiar here

We live in a valley, a mountain top, an insular, isolated community situated above the hustle and bustle of city life which lies fifty miles down a twisted, dangerous canyon road.

What is peculiar about our situation here which makes it almost a "Land that Time Forgot, your manners" is that the information which comes in and out of here is generated by a machine. That machine runs off of a word previously discussed called, cronyism.

I narrowed that word to the situation at the Kern Valley Healthcare District, but I realized it runs rampant throughout this valley.

It's everywhere you find stagnation and lack of accountability.

Yes, I have some very ambitious plans in that I intend to prove on my blog, with the jurors being blog readers, who could be considered accountable and why such things that happened at our hospital were allowed to happen.

I had the dubious displeasure of recording Mr. Jamison's radio talk show this morning, though what I heard of it in the fifteen minutes before I promptly fell asleep (some of the best sleep in while, he's great for insomnia) was very interesting.

In fact, Mr. Jamison, announced the new website for the station, KCNQ.com. Just go there for all the news you can count on.

Really, could any of us count on the radio station or the board member who continues to commandeer his bully pulpit without taking any responsibility for the situation which occurred at KVHD?

Certainly not Jamison. He would have to be accountable for not only the problems at the hospital, but his subsequent overreactions and protecting the powers rather than the people.

See again, we all allow ourselves to be victims of the entrenched powers that be, the ones who give Jamison a venue for his personal torment and those who have to listen to it. It's not just Jamison.

No options up here.

They say turn the station if you don't like it. Okay, I will.

What's this?

There isn't anything else. That is what makes this situation different.

Now, yes, I agree, it's not like we're so cut off as to not know what is going on with other media outlets, but most likely we have only TV, which is just a video piece attached with two sentences, and a large newspaper down below which has just enough manpower to cover the two blocks around it's building.

And we know that internet service up here is archaic.

The options are limited as to local information. It's a bit of a "monopoly" here, wouldn't you say?

It used to be different

People will have you believe there were good old days, when news was news, but that never happened, and it never will, because it can't.

Walter Cronkite was a distinguished journalist, an almost American icon, or probably one now, though he just told it how he saw it.

We're all journalists, all of us have a story to tell, and all of us have a unique reference point from which we tell our stories.

Some people actually "hate" me, can you imagine that?

But they read me. And to me that is the biggest compliment.

When you tell your children about what you did as a child, those stories we all have that send the children packing from the room, then you learn about editing and editors.

The story you eventually read in the paper goes through a process, which in the end, gives us, the readers, a repeatedly filtered, perspective of whatever the writer is trying to say. And the politics of the machine the writer works for.

I am often sitting in front of many building blocks of a story deciding what should go where, what should be left out, what's the best stuff and what should be out front. One of the pet peeves of my editors and many readers, is that I like to save the best stuff for last. (There's a lot of foreplay in my stories and even my friends know now after years of listening to my litany of tales, that it will be worth the wait to let me set it all out and get you that punchline you so desire.)

If you notice, most news stories contain the most influential pieces of information within the first few paragraphs. That is because the reader is expected to cut you off at some point and grab onto another subject. This is standard practice in English classes everywhere to teach it this way.

I don't happen to like it, so that's not the way I do it. (I'm not a cookie cutter reporter anyway or we wouldn't be here right now.)

(I hope you're getting my point that there is more to come here to tie up all the loose ends and plot twists. And it may be worth your time to know that I have had only put up a fraction of what information and background I have collected.)

For me to have devoted this time to this monumental task without payment is all about using the tools of reporting and the nature of fairness to try and set straight a road that has been crooked for a long time.

I've used my own money, I've not been bought by anyone nor will I be, my own creativity, the technical knowledge of others, to try and bring some accountability to two different institutions here in the valley: the healthcare district and the media.

Distortion of information vital to public safety. I just made that up, but that could be the new media law. I like it, it sounds fitting to our particular situation.

What I have witnessed here in the valley by people in what would be considered "positions of power and responsibility," those caring for our parents and grandparents, those elected to serve, those dispensing information and calling it "news," those who employ people and put food on the table in many a home, breached all trust with this community.

Without batting an eye. (amazing)

Government officials, and that is what a Kern Valley Healthcare District board member is, and if that board member doesn't realize that then they shouldn't be there. This is a "public" healthcare district and the public has every right to know what is going on.

The public should not, however, be accountable for knowing problems the media intentionally kept from them.

"I didn't know," I've heard people say recently.

Of course you didn't because you walked into the market and you perused the local paper, set it down, and thought that there was nothing to worry about.

You turned on your TV and you find there is no one out there really fighting to bring you local, personal, useful, information to you.

Then the local radio blares a message that there is a threatening reporter trying to uncover a public health threat which doesn't exist. The airwaves are full of messages, that if remain unchallenged, take hold and you begin to disseminate misinformation unwittingly.

But the egregious nature of the Jamison/QAB/Kern Valley Healthcare District/ambulance company/relatives working in clinics/ connection really plays out the dangerous situation of not separation of Church and state, but of media outlet and business/government entity.

Again, my ambitions have gotten bigger, as I realize the problem is bigger than just this healthcare district. The district's current situation is a direct result of poor management, and that includes the management of the powers that be in this town.

The information mongers.

As we speak here tonight, the gauntlet was thrown down by me this week with the two media outlets, QAB and the Kern Valley Sun Newspaper, owned by a little corporation, called Wick. (I guess adding an -ed, would be out of line)

I believe that the accountability of these organizations will directly influence the perpetuity of this valley, so that is why I am choosing to cover these major obstacles and challenges that they are and will be.

I have given the Sun and QAB notice of what my intentions are and what I will be doing in the coming months.

The Sun turned down an offer from me today to pay me for my time and expense in tracking this hospital, as well as the others who have helped, as this was the responsibility of the local institution which likes to call itself a community newspaper.

After I spoke to their attorney this morning, I realize the people at the Sun haven't told him everything, they haven't even admitted it to him. I doubt that was cat and mouse game either. That phone call was about the fact that the three top dogs at the Sun, Publisher, Marsha Smith, Editor, Cathy Perfect, and reporter, Susan Barr, don't want to admit to the harassment, the game playing, defamation and their respective roles in the KVHD case.

Yes, Miss Perfect, can put up three huge pictures of defendants back in February, then when I suggested she make sure the picture of one of what I consider to be the biggest conspirators, former KVHD CEO, Pamela Ott, be equally displayed, she used the smallest photo available.

You don't think this blog has gotten to them?

Rather than just admit they obstructed an investigation and pay me for my time and expense, as well as damages from "defamatory practices" they chose to go the pugilists route.

(And no, standing still will not help you.)

I always give a warning, but only one. I gave it to the Sun today and they have chosen to be sued.

But again, the suing part is out of necessity. I'm just a small time blogger, and they are big corporations, so I have only a few weapons of choice to use against them.

What do I want?

The worst thing imaginable: an admission of responsibility.

And in the case of QAB, I would love to see if we can get a class action lawsuit together for this whole community, as we were not just duped, we were bold faced, unabashedly, lied to and mislead.

If that's not a good enough reason, I don't know what is.

But since I'm not about being "shut up", Kern Valley Sun, I won't go the
normal route with these lawsuits. I want my day in court with you. I want to testify, I want to be heard, in our system which is the only chance left to set the record completely straight.

Relying on a system that is so flawed is ridiculous, but realize that this whole problem has been about a "system failure." Where nobody takes responsibility, nothing is usually accomplished.

Systems that don't work contain the likes of these people who would hide in it and feed off it.

This, of course, leads straight into the main body of government, on which we rely, for civility, decency, fairness and creating institutions and laws that can actually be managed and work effectively. (Which usually doesn't happen, but I can at least wish it would.)

I'm going to be talking about why the DOJ has not, after a month of requests, been able to tell me why Pamela Ott, the shredder, did not get treated the same as the other defendants. Why she had no bail and why she didn't get the conspiracy charge.

So, the update tonight is that I gave the Kern Valley Sun their due warning that I will be using our courts of law to make my case, but not until after I make my case, right here on this blog.

We will now be calling the Sun, "the defiant one's" as they much like Jamison and others, can dish it out, but cannot take it.

Apparently, they didn't like what I've said about them on this blog. And instead of making a decision with accountability in mind (even with good business sense), they have done what they continue to do with me, and that is personalize this and personally attack me, the messenger, not the message.

(Mind you, had the Sun made the decision to settle with me and pay me for my time doing their job, it would have been an admission of an "error" on their part. I would have went easier on them for good behavior. But they don't have enough true self esteem to admit when they are wrong. No they aggravate it by putting things in the paper about me, and also...keeping things out of the paper about me and this whole story...more on this.)

The QAB issue is now being known as "power mongering for morally challenged souls."

I will be updating you on the two cases with my media friends and dishing you the whole story as it goes along.

(It's kind of weird taking on the media, it's a bit like cannibalism to me)

Let me make one point before this fight really begins, and that is, at any point these people could have helped and not hindered, the progress of the investigation by scrutinizing the situation at the hospital.

Compared to the response of other news and media organizations outside this area, they have failed the people they should serve and even went as far as being complicit when they knew they were ignoring or misconscrewbulating the truth.

There are no other ways to do this, but to attack these problems, and pray for some relief. I happen to be built for this kind of thing, and that is why I think I'm stuck with this crummy job.

I'm not attacking these people saying they are evil and totally unworthy: I'm attacking saying they can and could have done better. It's their deeds and actions which I am attacking. But true, actions and character, are often directly related.

(I'm sure Pam Ott or Bob Jamison or Chet Beedle have fed a stray cat or taken the trash out for their mothers, but they did damage too. And that damage could have been not only been avoided, but much of it was intentional. You can't quantify the pain caused to the people who had loved ones in the nursing center and were treated like dirt when they tried to find out what had happened.)

Everyone of us has our flaws, me at the top of the list, but when we go astray and try to make it somebody else's problem, scapegoating, vilifying, then it's gone too far and it has to be stopped before more people are hurt.

If I seem glib to you at any point, realize I'm very serious. And I don't take what I'm doing lightly at all.

But it happened on my watch...

Index of complaints:

Crimes against the elderly and community by the Kern Valley Healthcare District administrators and board members. Getting charges against those who created the toxic environment in which employees did things they wouldn't normally do and the top administrators created a public smokescreen, campaign to cover their tracks.

The KVHD romp against its employees and its continued struggle with staffing the nursing center as well as the rest of the hospital for that matter.

Malfeasance on the part of certain board members in dealings with a big, baddy up in Sacramento, the office inside the office of Statewide Healthcare Planning and Development, Cal Mtg. There's a 17 million dollar debt strangling this hospital and these guys insured it. And promoted it without overlooking what the board was doing. (Oh yeah, it goes up to the state level)

Distortion of the facts and using a media outlet for personal vendettas and agendas, against all ethical guidelines, becoming aiders and abetters of criminal activities, that is what the MEDIA WAR, now underway,is about.

Watch out! Flying words zone.