KHVD under Fire contributor: Advice from a patient

Bad experience: no recourse

I have this best nurse, she has helped me so much, she's my friend and customer, and she gave me some advice you can take or not.

No names, but she told me you don't tell this community about all your issues or nobody will help you. The doctors and nurses stick together and they will lie.

She is the hardest working nurse I know, she's one of the smartest people I know. I respect her so when she told me not to report a molestation by a doctor I got mad real mad.

I felt like a victim, she's wrong and you don't report it they walk all over you, and that ain't okay. But I got to have a doctor, I have a lot to live for, I want to be here with my grand babies.

I know if I speak up I won't be able to get healthcare.

My husband agreed that if we stay here we can't let our business out for everyone to know in this small town where they talk about us. We decided to complain to the nurse board because theres no choices around here we thought it would be safer this way.

We gave the state board our complaint two years ago then no kidding we got a letter 3 days ago. That made me want to write this to our valley.

What took all these years to type a stupid letter only backed the doctor saying they did nothing wrong. My friend hit the nose that they protect each other, and the state board what a fake.

Our family planned on retiring here around the lake, but if we do we have to shut our mouths about what happened.

It's a crappy feeling being afraid to tell anyone but our advice is to be picky picky picky when you look for a doctor. When we had to change doctors we did it by asking around I even talked to the staff. We feel lucky it is worth the drive to feel safe again.

Complaints are the answer

Laura Hart here...

I've heard so many stories over the last five years I've had dealings with the Kern Valley Healthcare District, that I will continue to urge this community to take back its hospital district, its tax money, until there are measures taken to satisfy all safety, HIPAA, requirements and even a "drop" of quality to bring it back together.

The more complaints I receive, the more chances this community has to recover it's healthcare district and make it into something that has transparency in all it's financial dealings, leading to proper staffing, level salaries, and even a neighborly atmosphere.

Sadly, this story hit me as it is so typical of what I have encountered since I began investigating this district. FEAR.

What did they do with all the complaints I sent?

In a question to the hospital about how they handle complaints and grievances, where the information goes, to who or what, I was rather unhappy with the answer and will pursue this information further.

I expected to hear about a clear and fair playing field, where complaints aren't always promises which never manifest, where investigations actually take place with data to provide information and the response was that most of our complaints hit the round file unless you're ready to move into a court room and likely lose the battle.

So, when CNO, Mark Gordon, glows about his few patient surveys, he is not talking about all the material, because they are not tracking it I found out. They seem to have lost pictures a woman sent to me with a complaint as there were used syringes on the floor under her daughters gurney in the ER.

And when I asked Michael Philps the strategic planner who rode up the mountain on his SHIP to impart his knowledge of KVHD's future, he expressed that in his sessions with the community he wanted ONLY positive comments.

We just read a story about a woman who is afraid to complain, yet that is the answer to actually creating solutions. If we had no problems we wouldn't need Mr. Philps, therefore, any information derived from this type of selective surveying, is useless.

But we need more people to step forward. Until there is significant support and a plan of action on the part of the community, I will keep all correspondence anonymous unless directed to reveal your names.

White collar crime

Well, if anyone should be able to tell both sides of this mountain hospital drama, politics and medicine, it would be me. However, it would have been over and done, possibly solved problems, had there been more complaints and more voices.

But the author of the story is correct, she has a small town to live in, and only one hospital, planned on living rural, and if she wrote a letter to the editor with her name, exposing her situation, immediately she would be a healthcare pariah, along with her family.

The employees of the hospital who have known the activities of this district for a decade or so, have followed the KRV staple, "don't ask, don't tell." It's common in white collar crime situations for people to use the excuse, "I was only following orders."

I have not completely done all the research on the ROC laws, but their intent is to keep people from saying just that: "I didn't know." The government has chipped away at the rights of patients, creating caps on lawsuits, obviously the California oversight needs a serious optometrist, and this makes it "dangerous for patients."

These laws are interesting, but they are not the only ones the feds or the California AG could have used to clean house so that there was a chance of survival, which is waning. These are the same people in charge of the new "healthcare reform" which means if they can't reform a small, rural, unsafe hospital, then we can expect widespread failure in the coming years.

Put the board on the stand

In an ironic way this hospital and community had a chance to make great changes to this district when the 2007 elder abuse case came to light. Had there been interest from law enforcement, or maybe our current Governor who has a penchant for penny pinching, we could have taken action.

There could have been a way to charge more people such as nurses who knew the situation at the nursing center, but again didn't want to lose that $10 an hour job, over an elderly persons health.

Nurses went out on stress leave and somehow got away from this case, yet they were the very ones overseeing the situation, daily. One nurse, of course, was the mother of a long time employee, so she hit the road before the storm, as I'm sure she was notified.

Employees lied to the DOJ, and a few even admitted it. But then that was probably not included in the Public relations releases from Sacramento.

And we all know three members of that board colluded and obstructed the investigation while letting the former CEO, Pam Ott, who had diploma mill credentials, go off to Sierra Kings in Reedley and take them down the road to bankruptcy.

Sierra Kings survived: they voted

As KVHD hits the skids, unable to make debt payments on their "new and improved" 6.8 million dollar loan (but they say it's not a loan even though we pay interest and borrow money?) there is much to be discovered as to how we can "force" proper healthcare in this valley.

While Ott is alleged to have managed to get into the GOB the Reedley taxpayers paid for expansion, and also the employee pension fund which cost some people their retirement, the Kern Valley Health Care district allowed her to walk away from a serious situation and knowingly put another community in jeopardy.

But the fighters in Reedly, unlike the divisive KRV, came together and found a way out, and now in the last two years while KVHD CEO, Tim McGlew, and CFO, Chet Beedle, were street peddling for local tax dollars, they went thru a bankruptcy and leased their hospital and are open for business.

And together they saved healthcare for their residents.

I need your complaints and have sympathy, actually more empathy, for all who have had to endure the lack of quality, safety, defamation, negligence and improper billing practices.

There are many solutions to these problems, but when you see the same mediocre practices, lack of vision (due to a crystal ball shortage they say) for the future, and little or no true communication with the people of this valley, the only way out is actually using this democracy to take action. (yes, we need instructions)

So, I'm going over the "stratragic" planning plan, that looks awfully familiar, like all the others we paid for, and I will bring up the options, ALL the options, we have if we intend to create quality healthcare in this valley.

The only way is to unite, stay away from petty differences, and mull over the true options, we the debt holders of the district, meaning we are the owners in every sense, have an obligation to each other in terms of taking responsibility for this mess.

Critical Access Hospital Network CCAHN Strategic Plan 2010-2011

Draft – CCAHN 2010-2011 Strategic Plan. By MJ Philps & Associates January 29 ...

http://www.ccahn.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/CCAHN_Stragegic_Plan_DRAFT_2010-2011.pdf

Hey JB, JB will you fight for me, Hosana hey sana ho Superstar!

Why waste your breathe moaning at the crowd, nothing can be done to stop the shouting...."Jesus Christ Superstar" by Andrew Lloyd Webber


(Jerry Brown, pictured above showing a Democratic crowd in Bakersfield exactly how much he cares about the disabled, elderly and those in need of a good education...)

Just days before the 2010 election, former California Attorney General, Jerry Brown gives a speech before a packed crowd in a pizza joint in downtown Bakersfield, next to the largest "head shop" in the city. (I'm not sure why that location other than a possible impending "bong tax")

This was election time, when Governor Brown, was making promises for change, though, we didn't know until this last week, that change for our Governor meant his own personal change.

At one time Brown came up with some dizzying ideas for change, such as removing personal taxes and replacing them with sales tax. How's that idea going? Oh, yes, no where.

During this particular election speech, (coming to Youtube soon) Brown remembered his days with Mother Theresa in India. He didn't clarify whether they just happened to be in the same country at the same time, or that he worked hand and hand, with the starving, sick and poor.

Whatever the case, he's now dropped away from his supporters in the unions, the clear need for expanded educational programs and his attitude has become one of a despot, as he has made it clear, he's the one in charge of California. (Oh, and he doesn't do dishes either)

Veto power

The democrats can't please him, the Republicans are up in arms due to threats of special elections which would only cost taxpayers more money as Brown wants the people of California to decide whether or not to tax themselves, or actually continue to tax themselves, as the "short term" tax hikes, are supposed to come to a halt this year.

What a good strategy

Instead of just saying it, "we need to continue these taxes" and getting eggs and tomatoes thrown at him, Governor Brown, has cleverly put the responsibility of continued taxes in the hands of the voters.

I suppose you could thank him for involving the people of the state in the budget, but then again, if we vote it out, he will have an excuse to cut more programs that keep some people alive, and give quality education to the children of California who will one day inherit this mess.

So, kudos Governor Brown, I say it's a brilliant plan.

Veto is so "neato"

The Governor threw out a budget that the state democrats scratched out quickly, but you and I all knew that's the plan.

Again, the pressure is on with a "budge-it" slowly coming into a political arena we may have never seen before.

This is a Governor who knows how to leverage, and the state controller is holding back the pay for the legislators until they "do their jobs."

Here is someone who is taking control of the state in a way that's not so pretty or nice even, but in a way that only Frank Sinatra could appreciate: he's doing it his way.

The veto is interesting as it allows a long time Democrat to block the move of both sides, the Republicans too. So, I predict we will see a few more vetoes before this budget is settled upon...by the Governor.

What if he can't do it

I'm old enough to remember Jerry Brown cutting out Summer School and my cousin, a young child, wrote to him and asked him to rescind the cuts as she enjoyed the program.

She recently told me the story and I asked if she ever got a response. "No, and that's why he will never get my vote." (Okay, she's almost 40 now, but she remembers, some of us do, Governor)

Now if Governor Brown had, as was his job as the state's Attorney General, really wanted to cut spending, he would have lifted another finger to look at the Kern River Valley's hospital. They are an example of failure and that is not always a bad thing.

We have to look at the failure of the Federal government, the state, and the county when it comes to imprudent spending if we are to survive this depression.

How can I trust that Governor Brown who had all the manpower of the state to cull out all the criminal and unethical activity in a small, rural, mountain hospital, which included misspending, actually squandering, but doesn't follow through?

I don't remember how many cell phones were turned off in California government offices recently, but Governor Brown can be proud that he made sure that happened.

Yet he could not handle a small hospital.

Bringing people and ideas together

One of our new Governor's promises I watch on my computer as we filmed it, is that he wanted, pre-election, of course, to bring people in to help tell him what needs to be done. People from all areas of the state were to come together so we could all assist our "superstar" in making effective changes.

Never happened. I think my name was first on the list, but I also think our "Retrocrat" was toying with us. Every move Governor Brown has made so far, is to allow one politician, himself, to usurp and monopolize the power of all the others.

He forgot KVHD

With the election behind him, and an economy that can't fill the tank so it can travel into the future, Brown missed out on opportunities to see just how a small hospital finds loopholes in it's finances, passes them out to the top tier, and ignores severe quality issues.

Simply avoiding a grievous mistake such as what our Governor did leaving a mountain community with a hospital on the brink of disaster, or just a disaster, by allowing another agency, the California Office of Statewide Planning and Development and their tumor, Cal Mtg., to financially take control seems a lot like, "collusion?"

The budget

Now, last I heard the state budget gap was around 9 billion, and I can tell you where to find some money: KVHD.

Apparently, the Kern Valley Healthcare District, had millions to spend over the past five years, and yet they are in a deep pit of denial.

In 2010, the CFO promised West America Bank that they would garner "millions" from the general obligation bond, "Measure G," and told debt insurer, Cal Mtg., that 80% of the community were supporting more taxes for the hospital.

Those overstatements lead to a line of credit which was initially said to pay off the August 2010 "old debt" payment of 800K dollars. That statement was quickly rescinded, (actually it took two months for them to come up with a ruse, but they forget they say it on video, hard to take back) and then they played dumb. (it comes easy)

This is what I don't understand

Politicians talk about doing all sorts of things, including telling the truth, but they don't follow through.

KVHD is an example of some of the most egregious financial miscalculations, fraud and abuse, so what does that make the people who are supposed to be overseeing them?

A) Criminals
B) graduates of the California educational system
C) Blind
D) inbred
E) all of the above

Answer: E

Come and get it

If there's one thing Jerry Brown said that I agree with and that is we will have reform or revolution, and the latter is looking more likely as our leaders aren't busting the "white collar gangs" rather they zero in on pot growers or certain "protestors" who not only don't parasitically drain community services, they are also part of the tax base.

White collar crime amounts to losses in billions each year, yet it has been only tepidly pursued?

I would agree with others who have tagged Brown as frugal, so how could he miss the imprudence with KVHD? This is what Brown is known for dragging out the spenders. Didn't it at least irritate his coupon clipping senses?

Where was he at KVHD when a certain CEO was being given train and plane rides, housing, along with the CFO and his long time, toll free, lair?

If Jerry Brown can reach a budget settlement that will both cut waste and promote future growth than we would have to assume he could have done that to this valley hospital. That does not bode well for any of us Californians as the hospital has been given more chances than a death row murderer...