shooting ourselves in the foot, pharmacy, whatever (you've been had, KVHD board and CEO)

(Update: Latest pharmacist gone, obtaining prescriptions still slow, but the pharmacy remains in service)
Follow up to the pharmacy (an editorial, another one):

With the photos of protesters outside of the Sierra Kings District Hospital board meeting, home of the whopper, Pamela Ott, donning the front page of "The Reedley Exponent" on-line newspaper, I couldn't help but wonder what is it going to take to change things here?

I can't help but be envious of the Reedley citizens and their demonstration of unity against government waste and mediocrity last week, signs and all.

They asked directly that the President of the Sierra Kings district board, Trish Johnson, step down and allow someone else to give it a try as their hospital has filed bankruptcy and their former CEO, or current, Pam Ott, has her hearing in court next week on charges of elder abuse which occurred under her leadership here in the Kern Valley Healthcare District.

So many things have happened here in our district, but it seems we have a way of avoiding responsibility and continuing to expect the denizens of the valley to swallow the constant flow of excuses.

If this isn't the last straw, what is?

After actually killing the business at the Mt. Mesa Clinical Pharmacy by announcing that the pharmacy is losing money and cannot support the community by supplying their prescriptions in a timely manner as well as not being able to "stock" or carry "brand name" or unusual medicines, the hospital has created a self fulfilling prophecy.

Though the new numbers examined by CFO, Chief Financial Officer, Chet Beedle, and CEO, Tim McGlew, showed their was life still left in the pharmacy service, the original advice to shut it down, may be the down fall of the business.

For months, the pharmacy has struggled to keep the medicine shelves stocked and the customers served on time, but the money wasn't being paid to the wholesaler of the drugs, and suddenly, the pharmacy hits the chopping block.

Why deal with it? Because there is a community out here to serve, who cannot make the trip around the lake or down the mountain, and we have according to four year old statistics, the same size population on the south side as we do in the Kernville area, where "The Drug Store" continues to peddle its pills without a peep.

Now, we have a situation: yes, there are numbers which support keeping the pharmacy alive, but I guarantee Mr. Beedle will be talking about the most recent numbers attached to articles in the local newspaper about the pharmacy being the number one money draw on the hospital.

(Again, it's a media situation. The local newspaper didn't understand the situation and headlined the pharmacy was closing. What did I say about power? I'll be talking about them soon, as I've had a chance to get a gander at the most recent ramblings of the local media)

But that was caused when people were told that the pharmacy cannot provide their medicine. Why would we go there if the news is that they don't have my prescription?

And there is a board member apparently, no names, only addresses, 104.5, who seems to believe that by not purchasing at the pharmacy himself, he is making a statement as to the viability of the retail outlet.

Well, board members are not looking too good these days, as they sat through the most bias (yes, I use the word too) board report I have witnessed since Pam Ott was telling us the employees, the college, the director of nursing, the leach lines, were causing all the problems in the skilled nursing facility.

Chet Beedle sat in front of all of you and I'm sorry to say the CEO as well, and recommended closing the pharmacy, taking action at that meeting, because of his analysis. (The off balance report)

As I have pointed out he used an old report, a ruler and some scotch tape, and suddenly the pharmacy was too much for us to handle, it is taking down the hospital.

You know there are rumors, as always here, hell we'd have no information at all if it weren't for rumors, that the pharmacy if it stayed open, would bring down the hospital.

How's that one? Another rumor is that I am going up against the pharmacy, that I want it shut down.

Good grief, KVHD, when does your rumor milling get the story right?

I am for financial viability of the district, but I also recognize that this is a rural healthcare district. It's paid for by the public to serve the public. And as the public we better take another look at what is going on.

Get me my prescription, NOW!

Some of us can't wait for the COD to arrive, but I've decided to bring my business back to Mt. Mesa pharmacy so that I can keep an eye on how the medications and customer service are doing.

We all need to come back with our business and demand that the hospital pay out the money to at least keep standard medications on the shelves.

We've already chipped away at the staff there like we enjoy doing as a business practice. Get rid of those costly, pesky employees, then we can make some money.

These employees are supposed to be "first in line" with the transition into the hospital pharmacy in the event of closure. Well, they are the front line of an untended business operation who have to hear complaints day in and day out, not because of the pharmacy, but because of the hospital financial priorities.

It is a priority to get the CFO a nice retirement and continue to pay him good money, while he throws away good money.

We heard about "volume" the secret of the Egyptians and that is no longer going to cut it: cut the salary, even cut the position.

Make the right cut, not the pharmacy: the CFO

You want to have a pharmacy and a hospital in our valley? I do. But not the way it is now.

We have replaced other parts but the car still doesn't run right. Hey we haven't tried to replace the the CFO. Let's start thinking in car repair terms: If it won't start, begin with the battery and move on. Don't take out the engine when it's a battery cable that needs to be replaced.

My advice: Go back to the pharmacy and let's start all over

If you live on the south side of the lake, go back to the pharmacy and start all over again. Maybe not this week or month, but eventually with our business we can bring it back.

Start by bringing your prescriptions that are not urgent, but can wait, for them to do what is necessary to fill it.

And start calling...(I know it's ridiculous to call anywhere now with the additional numbers to dial, 1-760-I hate the government)

But don't call those poor people at the pharmacy, they're just victims of this whole fiasco. They have had their hours and benefits cut while listening to customers complain on a daily basis. Leave them alone.

Call the hospital CFO, Chet Beedle, instead. 760-379-2681 is the main number and then dial O and ask for Chet Beedle.

If you have a problem at the pharmacy call the person who pays the bills, CFO, Chet Beedle. (I'm sure volume may be the answer here too.)

So, go back to the pharmacy if you want it to be there...

Is it safe to go to the Kern Valley Healthcare District for care?

Updated (the woman who I reported as being abused was tossed back to me as their didn't seem to be concern. Shortly after I reported this the hospital has now contracted with a Domestic violence and rape center which will refer all their victims to the hospital for rape tests. Interesting, but how about the woman I reported?)

Where has all the money gone?

Medical care is a tough industry, it requires specialized training, long hours away from family, decisions that effect the lives of patients and families, and it can kill if it's not done right.

Errors in medicine lead to lost lives, careers or disabilities such as the one I have as my doctor never told me Gentamycin could cause me to lose my visual stability, balance and my former life.

I wasn't warned. It wasn't fair.

However, I'm warning you now that there is nothing over the counter, under it or on it, that doesn't have the potential to harm you, your children, your pets even.

But when a hospital is simply getting by, cutting staff, hiring doctors that don't necessarily fit in with the community's needs, and cutting costs everywhere, then, yes, you are in danger.

This is no longer a safe place to get medical care. Somebody said to me today, "I wouldn't go there anyway, I'm not stupid."

Well good. Because now that I"ve warned you, you are responsible for the decision to go to a district that lies to it's constituents regarding it's financial situation, and drops the responsibility onto the patients.

For instance, I wrote a post about a woman being seen in the Rural Health Clinic a week or so ago, and she was being beaten up regularly by her boyfriend. The woman is in her sixties and Dr. Nadler has been treating her injuries.

They are not just injuries they are crimes.

I wrote to the hospital and updated with all the information I had for this woman and they sent me a phone number to call.

No.

You call.

I will make that call and reroute them to Nadler who may need some extra training in identifying these types of situations.

And now the hospital retreats from really caring about this woman.

Look she's just poor, maybe as they like to say here, "a charity case." So, they let her get beaten up, and walk away.

Do you think this is safe? Shall we go on?

A classic case of abuse and the doctor who sees this woman rather regularly can't even identify her.

Again, I will repeat, if anything happens and you think you may find help here in the KRV, I say, I doubt it.

They are worried about money, and your tax money, but seemingly not about you and your safety.

I wonder if there are any abused children at the rural health clinic that they missed?

It seems though, that the aged and elderly get the worst of it here, like in the nursing center. But the woman who is being beaten is more than 60 years old. And nobody noticed her.

She is too afraid to talk. She's too afraid she won't have anywhere to go. That means something, to me, only, I guess, because the ball got tossed back in my court.

Is it safe?

This isn't any business, this is supposed to be the business of caring. And if it is only the numbers, then no, it's not safe.

With the prejudice that has occurred here, there's too much to tell, it will be part of a fictional, but unfortunately true, account of what has happened to people in this valley in regards to their health.

The hospital is sick, and only it's patients can save it. It's blind when it comes to it's awesome responsibility to the people it serves. We must be it's eyes.

When it can't hear the cries for compassion, the longing for care without judgment, then it must hear the things I'm saying. Not easy is it?

Why are we paying so much for mediocrity?

Dr. Nadler told an audience in 2008 that we the community should be grateful for his presence here, and his student loans which forced him to come here.

And had we spent our money wisely we could have had any doctors we wanted, but we are like people with no self esteem and end up with doctors who mistreat us.

I miss Dr. Pormir as he never raised his voice to me, always listened, was often scared of me, but his face was there the night I had the stroke and the ER doctor was yelling at me that I was "drunk."

He politely intervened on my part, while others wanted to believe it was alcohol or I was overtaken by the fumes from the cow manure piled up in the executive board room, Pormir straightened it out.

Pormir, who is now facing criminal charges for something three board members, a CFO and CNO and CEO, did to this hospital and community, is very much missed by many of us who are now afraid of the new administrator of the ER.

(Update: Dr. Pormir, surrounded by famous attorney's Donald Etra and William Ginsburg, has seemed to forgotten that the truth is more important than anything else. I must say it is disappointing to see Pormir, who at one time I and many others considered him our friend. But it looks like Pormir has not shared all his information. For instance, in December 2006, he came to my house to bring me a Christmas present. We ended up arguing about the Ott/Hughes attack of the Knights at a Christmas party. Pormir told me Hughes was "highly qualified" and was doing a good job. New Question: Will Dr. Pormir risk taking the witness stand as he recently greeted his co-defendants with a hug? I sure would like to know as I at one time thought Dr. Pormir was an honest man.)

The left side of my face is still numb, but I don't slur anymore. And the fact that this doctor who treated me that way during a frightening event, is still there, makes me say: it's just not safe.

If you have to go, just don't go alone.... (it's all yours Cal Mtg.)

Bakersfield Now and the Kern Valley Sun only one's with Elder Abuse stories

UPDATE: I find it interesting to go back over this blog as it seems a bit haunted, as I say things, and funny enough they happen. This post is no different as the June preliminary hearing was reset until August, as the court could not accommodate the continuance requested for one week by the Department of Justice who had an expert witness on vacation. Okay.

Boy, the Attorney General Jerry Brown did go on the path of the Governor's office. Great, now there's absolutely nobody to call if there are problems. I say this because the state's case is a "loser." There's no way Muni is going to get this botched investigation past our new lawyers for Ott, Donald Etra. Woops, he's Dr. Pormir's attorney or is it Hughes? If nothing else they like to take car rides together, all of them.

The cries for help, the botched investigation, the lack of interest other than a bid for the top office from the state.

It's sad.

But after Mr Etra and Ginsburg passed through our town a few months ago and had a visit with what they said was a simple gathering of support for Dr. Pormir, they ended up with a story and some documents. Not exactly a nice thing to do as the duo teamed up with Jim Faulkner and Bruce Blythe, helping the three left to face...the ominous, no...sloppy DOJ.

I'm going to open this thing up like a wound soon, and you the reader, the players, whoever you are, you're going to be up here on the plank.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I, of course, decided to sleep in on this court date, let someone else do it, I thought rolling up in my comforter would be better. And there they were, the Kern Valley Sun, finally doing their job. ZZZZZZZZZ

Though, Bakerfield Now, had the early edition of the story, it was one long paragraph, with the facts. It was out on the internet before 2 pm.

The Sun came in later, but they had the best picture of Ott and her attorney, Jim Faulkner, it's worth taking a peek at as it seems the editor jumped out of bathroom or a hallway and scared the two of them. For Ott fans you may enjoy that look on her face, something out of a B movie.

Unfortunately, the facts were not correct as they tried to overwrite rather than sticking to the latest, basic facts, where you can't go wrong.

In the Sun article, Perfect said that Pormir, Hughes, and former defendant, Debbi Hayes, were all charged with assault stemming from an incident where a resident was held down and given an injection of Risperdal, a very strong antipsychotic which has to be given in slow, smaller doses, or the patient could possibly react and die.

However, It is former Director of Nursing, Gwen Hughes who has the assault charges, NOT DR. PORMIR (that's for the hard of hearing) or Ott. And Debbi Hayes has no elder abuse or assault charges against her, as she is a witness if the case goes to trial.

And the other error that admittedly the Sun would not know about was that the woman allegedly given this shot of Risperdal, Louise Zimmerman, the date is incorrect as to when it occurred. (That's a whole other story isn't it DOJ?)

Another thing that is irritating to a reader about an article of this magnitude is the repetitious information which came from last year or the year before. I think if you ask any nurse working in that hospital at the time, not that many work at KVHD now, but they will tell you the repeated mantra about the Ombudsman in 2007, makes people believe it was real.

All that is is a statement from the DOJ report in Feb. 2008, but the information has changed, and the truth is there were complaints early in 2006, all the way thru Jan. of 2007, and they went to Ott, the board of directors, the public health department, the Kern Valley Sun Newspaper, a freelance writer, yes, the state and local ombudsman, social services, and exactly how many other places were these people supposed to go?

That kind of reporting makes for slippery information which can't be backed up with paperwork, only by an ancient, inflammatory statement from the attorney general's office. That's selling cheap information, a second grader could do that with blunt scissors. A cut and paste job.

But as far as winning the race and bringing along a few good facts, and the best picture, the Sun, attempted the job and brought part of it home. ''

What about the timing of this

Though I wish the Sun had gotten a picture of mysterious attorney, Donald Etra, who came on with Dr. Pormir last month, I would love to hear some details about him rather than a press release sort of thing.

Since only two outlets covered the case, as I called the rest, and one called me, I'm assuming the Sun and Bakersfield Now (channel 29 and 58), are the only ones inside on this case.

I'll find out more.

Now, we have three months, and they have finally set up the preliminary hearing date which goes the day after the pre-preliminary where anything can happen and usually does.

But progress has been made, date sets, but what about that June date? (see update)

There are a lot of brides in June, could it be someone is getting married to say, an election bid for governor?

If current AG Jerry Brown goes on to win his parties' backing and go screaming for the mansion, doughnuts on the front lawn, it would be prudent that he prosecute our case since it has gotten so much publicity, right Diane Sawyer. And now, right Cathy Perfect?

But if he looks like a long shot come June, we could see our case dropped like a hot rock.

So, it comes down to politics, not justice.

And hey, Donald Etra, send me a pic, even your facebook pic, i don't care.

How did the Kern Valley media "cover itself." Product reviews

update: we currently see that the Sun has taken up advertising the Kern Valley Healthcare District, and writing kind and gentle stories about new pharmacists. They will probably be busy with the "happy" stories about the district, as they are happy being paid for the new advertising. But noticably missing from the KVHD board and the Sun is discussion as to what to do about the hospital.
We know they are in default, serious default, and they want the community to pay the old debt and the leftovers are for a potential new ER and remodel of the old ER with increased property taxes.
Hey, what about this? We do the same thing again: we use revenue bonds to build onto the hospital.
What, you think that's stupid?
We did it before. If it was such a good idea then why not now?
Oh, because you cannot bankrupt on "government" bonds it might make it risky.
Now they are taking out all their risk and putting it on the community to pay. Free money is used how?
Generally speaking, I use it like a boon.
My question, other than an ER and a new room to be over radiated in, what will this community be getting? More on this...







The Kern Valley Sun Newspaper and QAB radio, were the only two media outlets covering the skilled nursing disaster at the Kern Valley Healthcare District in 2007. The Sun had a reporter and QAB had a board member.

When three hospital board members began stonewalling the only reporter in town, me, board member, and radio "jock" Bob Jamison, brought former, CEO, Pam Ott, to the radio station. He allowed her an hour of time to deflect all accussations regarding the nursing facility as either the vendettas of disgruntled employees or a certain reporter. (see Ott interview QAB)





Jamison began using his QAB internet blog to attack me as I apparently made them nervous when I asked them to answer to the problems. One of his Freudian slips belonged to a blog where he called me the "foul mouthed" reporter, looking through years of hospital records for the "elusive" smoking gun.

Odd, that he didn't say non-existent smoking gun: just one that he seemed to be promising would be difficult to find. However, that wasn't the case as there was and still is an arsenal over at KVHD



Kern Valley Sun, editor, Cathy Perfect, in background at April 2007, Kern Valley Healthcare District board meeting attending for the first time as rumors started look like fact. Reporter, Laura Hart, (me), in foreground, who had been writing articles about the hospital for more than a year, got the cold shoulder from certain board members and the Sun newspaper as I asked the tough questions.

That same month KVHD had the Kern Valley Sun newspaper's advertising contract before the board.


Susan Barr, current Sun reporter, throwing up her hand to ask a question at the July KVHD board meeting. She offered a Sun style town hall meeting to the new CEO, Tim McGlew, who said he would consider it.
Barr, pictured here using photo shop filters and effects to make her "look better," much like her KVHD stories.


The Sun backed off on any "negative" coverage of the hospital back in 2007. Then without a reporter, editor Cathy Perfect took over the KVHD coverage that summer.

A new CEO came into town, at the same time the SNF was under the management of Sycamore Asset Management. The CEO's style was quite smooth when speaking with the public and press. He stayed for three months in 2007, coming from the Tehachapi hospital, which was apparently a cake walk compared to KVHD.

Perfect, I guess assumed I would give up the story as I had no venue for my articles, and did not expect me to show up at the welcome party for this former CEO.

As I like to tell this story to friends, I walked in to the dining area, where Perfect and the CEO were grabbing at the food. Perfect had a mouthful of a colorful salad which spilled out of her mouth and onto her plate as I walked through the door. Surprise.


The CEO seemed startled too, but I don't know what stories he had heard about me by that time.

Then the Sun publisher, Marsha Smith, saw me and tried to head for the door. But I met her there and shook her hand anyway. (I saw no reason to be impolite; I had no personal issues, just journalistic differences)

However, Editor, Perfect, utilized the indictments from Feb. 2009, which were from an investigation in 2007, to put up the three grossly over-sized photos of Dr. Pormir and Debbi Hayes on the front page of the paper in shackles. (as well as the former, Director of Nursing, Gwen Hughes)

How did that serve any of us? I'm sure it sold newspapers though.

The community appeared suddenly shocked by the indictments though they were part of an investigation that was downshifted while in full gear, when the Kern Valley Sun became timid about possibly "stepping on certain toes."

I was flabbergasted when I saw the front page of the Sun this past February. It wasn't just the pictures, the article came from the press release. I think it was completely self serving. There was no continuity between the initial investigations, the year long smoke screen of information and the new interest on the part of the Sun. Yet they jumped on two community members they knew nothing about, except for a story based soley on an indictment and press release.

I'm inferring that means to the Sun editor, that an allegation is worth a huge front page picture. An assumption that every indictment which is made is going to be correct and true. This one wasn't on the mark at KVHD, and that's why I'm still here.

The Bakersfield Californian jumped into the soup as well, as the Attorney General sent out that provocative news release on the case, calling the KVHD nursing home disaster the worst they had seen.

The Californian, which generally covers the Kern Valley only occassionally, took these indictments like a hungry dog and ran with them. However, they had no foundation to rely on, though I had given them all my KVHD paperwork. They sat on the story as well, and were severly reprimanded by me for "using" the KRV for its disaster special edition.

At least, though, the Californian interviewed people and attempted to make a story out of it. They put in some sweat, made the calls, did the interviews, had some quotes, unlike the Sun.

But the Sun and QAB shoulder most of the responsibility for not getting the truth to the people in our area. That's what we rely on them for.

Yes, it's nice to write "feel good" stories and get pats on the back. I did it here for two years, being a requested writer, I was quite busy. And I enjoyed meeting the people in the community, but my services as public relations ends when there is deception underlying the issues.



During 2007-08, the Sun newspaper continued to ignore the underlying facts, creating a facade for the media and the hospital.

The radio Jock, Jamison, took his agenda again to the airwaves as he ran for the board again in 2008.

But while doing so, he attacked everyone, including specific people working at the hospital. The station owners obviously allow him to use the radio for his board agenda, and to my knowledge have not made a single explanation to the community.


Questions for the Kern Valley Sun:

Why did you not follow up the story at KVHD in 2007?

I'm going to answer this for you in a way the hospital can understand: they were understaffed.

To do a story like this one takes time and the tenacity to gather all the facts and interpret them.

Where was the Sun and now QAB reporter, Scott Costa, when the board was giving grandeous raises to administrators?

Where were they when the cheif financial officer said for the last six months that the hospital could not pay its August bond payment?

Remember, the devil is in the details.

QAB, is another situation, unlike the Sun. They have allowed their whole reputation to be colored by KVHD board member, Bob Jamison, and his unethical conduct both at the hospital and at the radio station.

With this information from these two dominant media outlets and nothing else, what would the community believe at this point in time?