He thinks it's funny: Do you DHS, Jerry Brown, CMS, DA?

Jerry Brown: it's never too late...

KVHD board meeting, June 2009:

Feeling safe and secure he will never have to face his responsibility for the disasters/failures/crimes of the Kern Valley Healthcare District, the district's employees and patients have been enduring for the last two plus years, board member, Brad Armstrong, reacted when I told him it was sick he was still a free man while a doctor and pharmacist pay his toll.

He laughed and smirked.

I asked him, "Do you think that's funny?"

I'm sure Dr. Pormir isn't laughing and neither are the families of the patients in the skilled nursing facility, or the former employees scapegoated and known always as "disgruntled."

While the perpetrators of the disasters sit at our KVHD board table each month, Armstrong, Bob Jamison and Chet Beedle, CFO, without conscience or an understanding of how many lives have been altered because of them. I'm going to make sure they know what their crimes have reaped.

Again, I repeat as I have written in personal correspondence with many of our elected officials, you let the leaders go, to continue the same indifference to laws and ethics while you took the "worker bees."

You want to kill the swarm you go after the queen and her mates. (Don't forget, former CEO of KVHD, Pam Ott, now infesting Sierra King District in Reedly, CA: Oh yeah, she's a witness for the state.)

Apparently the Department of Justice doesn't scare our Mr. Armstrong, I believe he thinks he is untouchable. He should probably take heed there are those out there that "know" what he did.

Bob Jamison has laughed off investigations crowing from his sqawk box at QAB media about the impotence of government. So, now he faces a new hurdle at the next board meeting and every meeting thereafter: having to listen to his own emails being read onto the hospital record.

And Chet Beedle with his funny abacus will never admit to the short staffing, the personal attacks on employees, the grandiose contracts, the short sighted bond refinance, so we are just going to have to help him out with the truth.

But once the state investigators looked away from KVHD, the element just reassembled, added new members, burrowed back in, becoming even more fearless.

At a special board meeting in March, I was asked to get a report for a TV station. When I entered the board room, the board counsel was giving me the synopsis over the phone, when Brad Armstrong stepped in front of me, clicked off the phone as the attorney was in mid sentence, and told me, "meeting adjourned." (Worthy to note, the chairman is the only one to say, meeting adjourned. He's not the chairman. I guess he's still living in the middle chair of his mind.)

I protested that I had not gotten the report. While I was protesting the cameraman from the TV station was getting hit with sprinklers as he tried to film in front of the hospital.

We went up to the bench at the entrance of the facility to do the interview, and suddenly, the sprinklers from the tree, sprayed us. We laughed and I explained to the startled cameraman that it was just the nonsense of stupid people. (He fixed the sprinkler by the way. Chet you owe him five bucks. Or maybe you would prefer he be your sprinkler consultant and you could contract for say, half a million?)

The healthcare district spent $60,000 on a public relations firm to try and change its damaged image.

They then really helped their marred image by turning the sprinklers on a cameraman from KGET, Channel 17 news, out of Bakersfield last March.

Opinion #7-13 Laura Hart:

Mr. Attorney General, if the government cannot serve the type of justice which produces healing by removing the malignant force, then it would be best to do nothing at all. You removed some healthy tissue but left most of the tumors behind. Not a good prognosis.

By ignoring the leaders in your indictments, much like leaving ruthless leaders from authoritarian regimes in power, you let them continue the same actions but with impunity.

Unfortunately, the message the state sent to the Kern Valley was that we are only a provocative headline for you sir and your public relations staff who are working on your next political campaign.

Dr. Pormir chided me two years ago that, "you, Laura, know nothing about politics."

Given our respective situations, related to the political machine, I'd say we're becoming frickin' experts.

June KVHD board meeting: new CEO

I'm just getting a chance to watch the video from the last board meeting and it's really interesting. Here have some popcorn.
The chairwoman, Kay Knight, introduced our new CEO, Tim Mcglew, (sorry if the name is most likely misspelled. I haven't seen the spelling.) who gave a short introduction telling the community he wants to meet us and hear from us.
The new CEO, who has background in nursing facilities and large hospitals, was most impressive I thought that night.
During a period of questioning about a somewhat "superfluos" subject brought up by bored member, Huevos Maximos, (Jamison call himself: see the Scandalous Bob Jamison), the board was wrangling with the insipid but annoying radio star, and the CEO actually got up and clarified the issue.
I rewound the video several times to see such a sight as someone brave enough to take on the issues and actually provide a solution (even prior to his start date).
I felt this little feeling of hope after I heard him speak with knowledge and articulation.
But that soon dissipated as the "Should run a taco stand instead" CFO, Chet Beedle, began his run around the real issues with so many questions not asked of him. The board members have let this man run this hospital into the ground with hardly a word to him.
A few chuckles from friends, Jamison and Armstrong, lunchmates, and buddies, were all that was heard.
It seems the board has allowed Beedle's crimes and budget cuts to go without contention. No questions about the reports which include no breakdown or detail to actually understand.
We have overdue bills and outstanding balances, and a credit rating to match.
I've heard for four years now about the hospital financial problems caused by Robert Knight in 1999. Well, Beedle said we are going to be revisiting this scenario. But he gave himself a break, pointing out how that hasn't happened in ten years. OOOh. He even looked for confirmation from friend, Brad Armstrong.
Cal Mtg. is on it's way this August folks and Beedle, who calls himself a friend of the Mtg., has danced around this subject for six months. Will we have a hospital come September: if so, who will be running it?
Beedle said he wanted to retire here, but he makes little advance in any progress for the hospital to make money, and especially enough to satisfy the insatiable Cal Mtg.
Maybe he doesn't want to be known as a failure in finance and in employee retention and patient happiness; but you are Mr. Beedle.
Not only that you are a criminal who has been allowed to rough up anyone you like (see Beedle blogs). That power was given by the old board who sat and watched the SNF (skilled nursing facility) burn to the ground.
Yes, Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Jamison, you are still here and are seen at the hospital regularly meeting with the Beedle.
Remember all that you two board buddies said for years about micromanaging? Sleight of hand; it's been you two plus a few more we know about.
And tell me about the by-laws Huevos? I have a copy of the former by-laws which seem to be missing something, hmm, what is it? Maybe I'll ask you at the financial meeting this month.
But personally, maybe the community is frightened to come forward and ask the tough questions; but I'm not.
Oh, yes, Mr. Beedle, we can spend money any way you like if no one knows what you're doing. That is going to change.
Is it coinicidence that we have just enough money to pay our bond debt payment of 1.1 milion, added to the bond reserve we are not supposed to use?
The meeting also included a resignation by Tracy Brown whose company has been overseeing the SNF for more than a year.
Brown said: "I want to take the opportunity from everyone in the KRV for all your support on the skilled nursing unit on and during the survey process, and from my first day at the facility.
I regret to inform you that I had to submit my 90 day notice to terminate services as your on site administrator, but I do want you to know if I could ever be of assistance, either myself or of the organization I represent will always be available to you. You need only call and we'll be here at a moment's notice. Again, thank you."
This resignation came on the heels of the CFO announcement that they would have to cut cost in half in the SNF.
Beedle, who illegally hired both management companies, Sycamore and then Tracy Brown. The board in 2007, used the emergency clause in the district laws, to hire Sycamore without having to look at other management companies or options. We all know Sycamore made a bundle off this community and hospital.
Now Tracy Brown came in and it seems though she was paid quite a bit, she is not a favorite of Beedle, Armstrong, and Jamison. Well, they illegally brought her in without looking at other companies. (we will address this for sure)
So, why would they have a problem with her? Money. Are they resentful that she makes money they voted to pay her? (I mean Chet and our old friend Rick Carter and HR superstar, Debra Hoffman, all recieved nice raises ranging from 7 to 19%)
Beedle seems to think so. But he's made these fabulous decisions and continues to maintain a position at a failing facility.

Fire at will! All employees can be fired. Will our new CEO have the "huevos" to push out Beedle and bring in new financial oversight?
And will the board be willing to investigate the three amigos along with the practices in Human Resources?
I've asked for an investigation and I expect to get it.

Questions which should have been asked at the meeting

Beedle: Will three weeks be enough time to get more than $600,000 to pay the holders of the districts really "secure" bonds?
Why did the board and yourself give out big raises when your financials cite an unstable economy?
Did you know that government workers will be taking off the first Mondays and last Fridays to save money? And other government types are taking pay cuts and even giving money back. Why did this hospital throw money around like it was being printed in the back?
Armstrong: Why is it you never pulled an issue off of the "consent" agenda. These are not all "non" controversial items, in fact, there are many contracts that were not good choices.
Mr. Armstrong, did you try to fight to get Dr. Pormir and Debbie Hayes covered by the insurance company so they had a chance in court? And do you feel at all guilty about knowing that there were problems but doing nothing?
Mr. Jamison: Why are you even still here? Do you believe in if you can dish it out you better be able to take it? Are you still in touch with friend, Pam Ott?
Rest of the board: Why are you allowing known criminals to remain in the hospital?