SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS week.
Let's call it a candid conversation about our community's hospital, with the voices of people from the inside--employees who work at UP Health System Marquette, formerly known as Marquette General Hospital.
We've all heard the murmurings, mumblings and grumblings within the hospital over the past few years, and they seem to have gotten louder since Duke LifePoint took over. But understandably few of the hospital's nearly 2000 employees want to voice their criticism publicly. They worry that they might lose their jobs.
And the media, who have their own economic concerns, also seem reluctant to take on what is arguably the most powerful institution and business in the county.
So we'll take a crack at it.
A couple of notes first. The four employees who spoke to us did so anonymously. We'll call them Doctor A, Doctor B, Physician Assistant, and Nurse.
After we conclude with their comments, we'll get responses from hospital CEO Ed Banos.
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WHAT MANY OF us have heard anecdotally over the last couple of years, especially recently, is that doctors are leaving the hospital. Quitting. Bailing out.
"Absolutely," says Doctor A. "It's not normal turnover. Doctors are fed up. It hasn’t been good and now it's getting worse."
"There's definitely been a spike in 2014," Doctor B agrees. "People are always coming and going, but we’ve lost some key doctors recently, and many of them were people we spent a long time trying to recruit. A big part of it is a lack of respect. The administration makes it clear that everyone can be replaced at any time. You can hit the road if you don’t like it."
So what's caused the problem? Is Duke LifePoint the culprit here? Well, that may be a little simplistic and unfair.
"The transition to Duke LifePoint has been rocky," the Physician Assistant concedes. "But nonprofits are being bought up by for-profits all over the country. This kind of transitioning is taking place everywhere, not just in Marquette County. When you make changes like this, people get apprehensive because you wonder whether the administration is looking for people to cut."
The Nurse noticed the change almost immediately. "When Duke LifePoint took over, they told us we had to get our nursing budget under budget," she says. "Otherwise, we were told they'd start slashing the staff. They were threatening people. I have a lot of friends whose positions were eliminated and some of them were awesome people."
"Ed Banos recently told a meeting 'We're going to get rid of negative people,'" Doctor A explains. "That sure seemed like a threat. If we try to bring issues up, we're reprimanded, we're called naysayers. A nurse recently brought up a problem and she was called a troublemaker. But she was right!"
The Nurse has kinder words for the CEO. "I have seen Ed Banos around. He seems to be putting in an effort, but the rest of them (the administrators), we never see them. I don't even know who they are. And the problem is, they're making staffing decisions without knowing what it takes to work on the floor."
"Comunication is essential," the Physician Assistant tells us. "The senior administrators need to let us know what we're doing and why, and they should listen to us. They don't do that very well, especially the senior staff. We never see them."
Possibly the biggest problem, according to the four employees, lies in the fact that the hospital is now owned by a for-profit, out-of-state corporation.
"Every decision comes out of Tennessee now," Doctor B says. "That's made a huge difference."
"Our supervisors and managers here have no say," the Nurse agrees. "Nobody at the hospital has any say. Everybody is a number. Everybody is replaceable."
"We're now practicing corporate medicine," Doctor B continues. "It's all about money. It used to be, What can we do for the community's benefit? We used to feel that we had a medical mission. No more. That feeling is gone."
"It's all about money," Doctor A says. "See more patients, earn more money, but do it with less staff. What can we do about it? We can leave or we can do what they want. We have to see more patients, we have to make more money. We're being asked to make a profit on people's suffering."
The single, indisputable fact is that Duke LifePoint is in business to make money. It has to be concerned with the bottom line. That's the nature of the beast. Increasingly, whether we like it or not, that's American medicine in the twenty-first century.
"An administrator
said to me, 'What can be done to increase your productivity and our
revenue?'" the Physician Assistant tells us. "It’s that simple. We all realize that’s what they want and if we want
to keep our jobs, that’s what we have to do."
"There's a
constant pressure to see more patients," Doctor B says. "It’s always, 'Can you see two more?'
We’ve always been encouraged to increase our patient load but now the emphasis
has really changed. It's always 'Can you squeeze a few more in?'"
And for the doctors who aren't seeing enough patients, there can be consequences. Their performance and salary are determined by their total of Relative Value Units (RVU's) which takes into account the number of patients seen and the severity and complexity of the patients' conditions. Doctors are encouraged to boost their RVU's.
"And they have a scorecard at the end of the month," Doctor A explains. "The fewer the patients, the worse. Names and identities are attached to the scorecards, so everybody knows the score. They try to shame you. It's like churches that used to publicize who put how much into the offering plate."
So is there something wrong with encouraging doctors to be more productive?
"Absolutely," says Doctor A. "Patients get
the idea that we have to hurry up because we have other patients waiting so when they're talking to us, they leave things out. And then we as doctors
are going to miss something because of the pressure to hurry up."
Clearly, there is pressure--to see more patients, to make more money, to make certain the hospital is economically viable.
"It’s a
competitive market," the Physician Assistant points out. "Duke LifePoint is worried about Aspirus. Its just like Walmart in
competition with Target."
The picture they paint isn't pretty, but they concede that this may not be just a local problem.
"For a city
this size, this is a good hospital," the Physician Assistant tells us. "We're blessed to have the physicians and the technology we have. Yes, we have egos and problems, but that’s probably like everywhere else. My feeling is the major villain in all this is the insurance companies and
federal government with Medicare and Medicaid. They force us to treat patients
like numbers, not individual patients."
The doctors are less kind.
"The Hippocratic oath says nothing about money," Doctor A says. "We all swear by it, but that's not how we're allowed to practice."
"I'm not really optimistic about the future," Doctor B says. "How can you recruit doctors to a damaged place full of bitter doctors?"
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NO SURPRISE, CEO Ed Banos has a different take on what's happening at his hospital.
Unusually high turnover among doctors? Not really. "We've had some specialists who've decided to leave recently," he explains, "but overall turnover has been normal. And those who decided to leave left for good jobs."
NO SURPRISE, CEO Ed Banos has a different take on what's happening at his hospital.
Unusually high turnover among doctors? Not really. "We've had some specialists who've decided to leave recently," he explains, "but overall turnover has been normal. And those who decided to leave left for good jobs."
Banos says he and an outside group have done their best to gauge employees' morale, and their conclusion is that it's actually rising.
"This has been a busy summer and a busy fall, and people have been working a lot of hours, but overall I think we're doing well," he insists. "And our patient satisfaction scores are improving. When I came here a year and a half ago compared to now, our quality scores are up."
How about the criticism that Duke LifePoint is pushing the staff to see more and more patients?
"I'd like to say
its like that in any business," he explains. "We’d like them to see more patients and serve more
patients. There are standards in this business and we want our doctors to perform what a
normal practice can do. We’re trying to stop patients from migration. We don't want them to go to Green Bay."
As for the charge that the hospital is trying to weed out staff members who are maybe...too negative, Banos doesn't deny it.
"We make
thorough evaluations of all of our employees and we take those evaluations seriously," he says. "We
have a commitment to quality. We want to make sure we’re all on the same page
here. We want to act as a team. If not, then maybe some employees might find
that they're not the right fit for our hospital."
"I can't get out and see all 2000 employees every month," he tells us. "I
do structured rounds and informal rounds every month and and we have employee
forums. I try to get out as much as possible, especially in departments under
stress."
"I think it’s only a
small minority who aren’t happy in their jobs," Banos concludes.
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Now, you could conclude that the four employees, from different departments, are not representative of the rest of the hospital, and that maybe they're just whiners.
Or on the other hand, you could decide the CEO is oblivious or disingenuous, and Duke LifePoint is nothing but a cold-blooded, cold-hearted, money-grubbing corporation.
It goes without saying that all big businesses and all big institutions have problems. Employees are frequently critical of management. Who hasn't thought, at one time or another, that his or her boss was an idiot?
But the internal, critical noise does seem to be a little louder here.
Transitions are tough. Maybe we'll get over it. A brand new, state-of-the-art hospital, still at least a couple of years away, will certainly help.
It's just that hospitals occupy such a special, unique place in their communities.
We care deeply about them because they take care of us. And this is our hospital in our community.
If you want to be notified when Word on the Street is posted, go to Word on the Street by Brian Cabell and "like" it.
Don't forget that Bell lost all their surgeons since KnifePoint took over and their employees live in fear every day as well. Even though they were told the hospital made millions in profit last year it is never enough for these blood suckers from Nashville. It will be great when Aspirus or Bellin does come in, more choices for the patients and good healthcare workers. What happened to the local 'boards' that were supposed to make sure they played nice?
ReplyDeleteI worked at the hospital for 14 years and was forced to leave along with many quality nurses and aides. I went from full time to begging for hours and being forced to file for unemployment for the first time in my life. I saw a lot of other nurses from the hospital at the unemployment office as well. All of them wanting to work but there hours were cut even though the were needed. Lifepoint doesn't give a damn about their employees or their patients. A hostile work environment for sure.
DeleteThis CEO is nothing more than a liar, trying to make his company's ridiculous business practices look good. My spouse, a former employee of Bell, got the Axe for false reasons. The process took them through arbitration with the local union, and she was given a severance because the new CEO knew that if it was taken to court, Bell didn't stand a chanc . Within two months of this "incident", more than 14 more employees were dismissed, or flat out quit due to the shady politics at hand. The CEO of Marquette general tries to "sugar coat" this by saying that evaluations are how they figure out if their employees are "team players" or not? Lies. Several employees were walked off the premisis without good reason. These tactics are nothing more than a head hunt. Its about slimming down staff, no matter the quality, to save a buck and meet a dollar figure. Now the entirety of Marquette county is forced to pay more for substandard treatment.
ReplyDeletePatient care and outcomes have been out the window for a very long time-the staff has to work for THEIR survival, not ours. With the takeover by Duke Lifepoint of Portage Health it will only get worse in the Copper Country as well. Productive is not even the word-it's predatory, period.Our experience with Aspirus and U of Texas Health system proves that outcomes, not RVU's produce long term profits without sacrificing community health.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Goodwill several years ago when all the changes were made. If you questioned them on all the wrong doings......you were gone. They either fired people outright, or made them so totally miserable they quit. Same thing...we were all basically told we were disposeable. Nobody mattered.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Thank YOU,THANK YOU! And a special Thank you to those stepping up and speaking out! This is something that has needed to be addressed and I am sure your comment section is about to BLOW UP! Growing up in a reuel area you learn from a very young age what the "Backbone" of YOUR COMMUNITY IS ... Your HEALTH SYSTEMS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION AND EDUCATORS AND YOU LOCAL EMPLOYERS.. LARGE AND SMALL! Now after looking at all the above mention, what is it that they ALL HAVE HAD IN COMMON DURING THE PAST 2 YEARS...?? MONEY!.. BE IT LACK OF OR THE NEED TO MAKE MORE. Because of this we are losing so many professionals from this area that could be or are the best in their profession... THE ONES WE NEED MORE THAN ANYONE KNOWS... THOSE WHO HAVE A PASSION FOR WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR LIVES! THEY ARE THE ONES I WOULD WANT TAKING CARE OF ME, KEEPING MYSELF AND COMMUNITY SAFE, TEACHING MY CHILDREN, MAKING THIS A WELCOME PLACE FOR EMPLOYMENT... It once was about helping to make this place a better place to live and work. It seems now that it has turned into a place to make money so others who live elsewhere can have the life we all would so love to have! So now they will be the ones able to receive the BEST OF HEALTH CARE, LIVE IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE WELL LOOKED AFTER BY THEIR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEIR CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE BEST OF A EDUCATION SO IN RETURN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND START THE CYCLE OF HOW MUCH MONEY CAN ONE MAKE ALL OVER AGAIN! Great read, Thanks again!
ReplyDelete"Transitions are tough. Maybe we'll get over it. A brand new, state-of-the-art hospital, still at least a couple of years away, will certainly help."
ReplyDeleteI can say with certainty that building a new hospital will no 'help'. The ropes will be tighter and demands to profit will be greater. Duke with have a HUGE mortgage on their shoulders and will expect increased productivity by providers with even less staff in the new hospital. I have experienced this personally. We built a new hospital a few years ago, and have been operating a loss since. Positions have been cut to bare bones (well except management) and morale and patient satisfaction has never been lower. The nurse is spot on, management is making decisions based on balance sheet numbers, not based on patient's well being or employee satisfaction. Perhaps MGH/Duke deserves for their deserves to go to Green Bay. They have excellent patient care, happy staff, high morale....perhaps we should all pack up and move.....
Actually things aren't that great in Green Bay either. While I agree with most of what is being said here, it's important to realize that this is not a local or regional phenomenon. This type of thing is happening all over the nation. On another note, Mr Cabell, why dont you double check Mr Banos' claim that patient satisfaction is increasing. Last time I checked the CMS website mgh was fully 10% lower than the national average in most patient satisfaction measures. Recently mgh completed a employee satisfaction survey. Maybe Mr Banos would be willing to share those results with us.
DeleteI visited a very, very sick friend yesterday at MGH. The hour I was there, she had revolving care
ReplyDeleteEither a RN, LPN, or AID. I left with the feeling patients on the 7th floor were very well taken care of. With the feeling my friend is in good hands. Of course I was only there an hour. P.S. Someone even stopped to pray with us. Not saying who that would probably be forbidden.
The only thing that a new hospital is going to bring is higher costs which means rates increase. Fewer people will be able to afford medical treatment and just won't go anymore.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this, have been wanting to blow ever since Duke took over. My good doctors have left. I had heard that they had to sign a paper saying that they would not work within 100 miles of Marquette if they left after a certain date. This is why now I drive to an Aspiris hospital. I have a question for Banos, Who evaluates you on your "quality scores" ? Usually its an internal evaluation, the way they do in education and other institutions As soon as they came in the words "For Profit" came too. Why in the United States do we have health care for profit? This is crazy, look at the other countries in the world. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Holland, Germany. etc, etc.etc. Wake up people we are behind and feeding the pockets of the Republicans and Money makers.
ReplyDeleteNot all greedy jerks are republican. How do you explain democrat politicians or the the president's wife was a hospital admin, if I remember correctly she is a democrat.
Deleteit is for profit. it is all about the the money. as long as medicare, medicaid (which is the majority of the UP business) continues to under pay and deny pay for services and other commercial insurances follow their guidelines reducing coverage and payment, there is no profit. It's all about the profit, so more is demanded of the few to provide what many used to. thankfully, the ACA has provided many who formerly had no insurance with coverage and the hospital with payment that used to have to be absorbed and written off. it is a "for profit" world that we now live in not for compassion. I blame our for profit insurance companies for the mess we find ourselves in. CCI has started cutting salaried retirees coverage forcing them to buy individual policies. they worked for 30 - 40 years believing they would be taken care of when they could no longer work. it is all about for profit. the robber barons of the 19th century have returned to america. it is not solely the UP that is suffering, it is the country in this "for profit" society.
DeleteThank you so much for reporting and writing such a very truthful article-I worked at MGH for 26 years and totally agree with the Doctors and Nurses statements in this article. So glad you published this what an awesome job of reporting!
ReplyDeleteIt should be said that the hospital was in a terrible financial position and no one knows what might have happened if it hadn't been taken over.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone is saying that the hospital shouldn't have been taken over. There were options and it appears that the board and the former CEO (who made millions with the sale by the way) didn't seem to do their homework well. Unfortunately, Bell's board didn't do any better so now there is a predatory, monopolistic entity driving great doctors and staff away.
DeleteFinancially the hospital wasn't profiting, but it also wasn't in deficit. The way they were calculating charges and billing were inefficient. Correcting those issues alone could have brought in the necessary dollars. That's why people are getting bills out of nowhere for services from years prior.
DeleteMgh could have jusy as easily made sound financial decisions and tightened thier fiscal belt just like lifepoint has done. There was no need to sell the hospital in order to become profitable. Mgh is down close to 500 employees. Thats over 50 million dollars that is no longer flowing into our local economy.
DeleteI too have seen some excellent care when a family member of mine was being cared for at mgh last month. She is doing well now and had nothing to say but positives. At some point the ceo's and administration must realize that good care and outcomes will bring new patients in, not threats to the people responsible for those outcomes. For all of us up here, I hope this thing rights itself. I hope too, there is a follow-up with actual stats, infection rates, outcomes, are things improving etc...
ReplyDeleteGood article. As a frequent " client" both at the hospital ando Medical Ctr.I have seen and felt the changes from day one. I do have to say that I have had really good care and always felt well taken care of w some very compassionate and caring staff. Wonderful Dr.s and nurses left and I know for a fact how worried and stressed they are - yes,and scared to speak up as well. Corporate greed at its best. And what can we do? We live too far away,not all insurances will cover out of state/area visits. We have lost some excellent Dr.s/ nurses here in Mqt because of Duke and as a patient of these Dr.s I am very upset,sad and disillusioned on what is still ahead. Frequent travels to Ann Arbor U of M or Mayo Clinic in Rochester are not always easy or doable options.
ReplyDeleteLaughing at the comments above which imply Aspirus is going to save anyone. I am a former Aspirus physician, and left for the same issues: incompetent administration that did not care about patient safety. The hospital I left was also hemorrhaging physicians, and interestingly, my former CEO took the same approach as Banos when I pointed this out: #1 Deny the problem. #2 Rattle on about satisfaction scores.
ReplyDeleteI see some of the comments above indicate that care will be more expensive to patients. This thinking is based on a poor understanding of billing. What you pay is based on your insurance program's negotiated rates. What has long ago happened, even at the "not for profit" hospitals, is that patients with "bad debt" (i.e. previously unpaid bills), are prohibited from receiving any non emergent care without making prepayments. This is standard practice now. So patients won't see "bigger" bills. But they will have more pressure to pay outstanding bills, instead of hospitals writing off bad debt, but again this change had already taken place at non-profits.
What you will see, is that when a hospital has poor morale, bullies its physicians, and provides low ball contracts for higher than average work loads, the competent physicians flee, and those with questionable track records who cannot find other employment, stick around. At the hospital I left, the surgeons and anesthesiologist were not boarded (i.e. they had not passed or taken surgical board exams). Yikes. Not care I would want for self or a loved one.
If Aspirus, Bellin or Aurora do come to Marquette County the competition should raise patient quality and customer service levels. As long as DLP is a monopoly there is no incentive.
DeleteThe problem with this type of journalism is that we ARE just left with "he said, she said." There is ample area for hard data to be injected into this argument, so we can tell who is (at least on some of the issues) in touch with reality.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you are trying to figure out who the people are who spoke. They don't fit your KnifePoint model employee and need to be 'corrected'... Or worse yet, you are the Mining Journal or TV6 and feel the need to defend your turning a blind eye to the deeds of a big advertiser.
DeleteHah! So you are opposed to real data? When one side says "X" and one side says "Y," you feel we should just go with our gut instinct. Yours seems pretty refined. You have not only intuited my position, but also my place of work...from just two sentences! Do you do birthday parties and bar mitzvahs?
DeleteI'm not really sure this is "journalism" - sure in a round about way. It's a blog. He can say and report on whatever the hell he wants.
Delete...but I thought corporations were people, too?
ReplyDeleteBrad! You're the only one to post not anonymously
DeleteThis article is long overdue! The staff work hard to do their job as kind, caring and competent employees. They are working under great stress! How long til lives are lost do to the hurry up, do more faster, see more mentality. And How many lives are expendable? How many do they allow! Are the patients just as replaceable as the doctors and staff! I for one will be trying to do everything I can to stay healthy and OUT of the grasp of Duke. It is a sad time for our community!
ReplyDeleteThank you Brian for your excellent journalism and for asking the tough questions our local media are afraid to ask. Look forward to future articles.
ReplyDeleteNeurologist, Dr. Karl Meisel left MGH. I hear Neurosurgeon Richard Rovin, MD is also planning to leave. How does one staff a costly new hospital facility without board certified physicians? CEO and administrators have their heads in the sand (here in the U.P. in the snow bank) if they don't understand there is a physician shortage nationwide and particularly a shortage of Family Practice Physicians in rural areas such as ours. There is also a shortage of Board Certified physicians in Geriatrics in a population in the U.S. that is aging. We had a good experience with a physician at Aspirus.
ReplyDeleteMeisel left because he was offered his dream job in California. His wife, also a physician, wanted to stay here but ultimately supported his decision. These are things that happen in marriages and life. I can't speak to Richard Rovin, but I know his children are all out of the house now ... perhaps he just wanted a change of scenery. There are always reasons why people stay or leave, and they don't always relate back to their employer. As a non-profit hospital, MGH was swimming in insupportable debt. Any for profit company is going to find ways to run a leaner, more efficient operation. Ultimately, that should result in better patient care, and not just at the physician level. Do you want to be greeted promptly and courteously when you walk in or someone who acts like it's a chore to help you? Do you want an excellent nurse who seems genuinely concerned with your well-being or one who acts like you're faking it to assess you? Do you want a PA who's at the top of his or her game and is willing to consult with a doctor when necessary or one who assumes you only want an antibiotic or an X-ray? Do you want a physician who is dedicated to patient care, the community, and who has an excellent bedside manner or one who treats you like an idiot who can't take care of yourself? Examples of all of the above are currently employed at DLP/MGH. Streamlined patient care and excellent patient care do not have to be mutually exclusive.
DeleteHahaha... this has to be a joke !!!! Tell you now, most of the terminations and people leaving have EVERYTHING to do with MGH from what I've heard.
DeleteUm, last winter was no cake walk and the summer was nonexisent.....yeah, people with means may have other reasons to leave.
DeleteHahaha, it's not a joke. Everyone has "heard" something. How many of us have gotten it straight from the source?
DeleteI wouldn't post anything if I didn't experience it or hear it from the sources themselves. This has directly affected my family and many close friends. So I DO believe I have it "Straight from the sources" Thank you
DeleteThe guy who posted a reply to this at 9:06 mark about Meisel leaving sounds like a defensive hospital administrator. My guess he is with MGMG. Why not just identify yourself as the hospital toady. Your explanation about why Meisel left sounds straight out of the hospital talking points. Your explanation as to why Meisel is leaving is pathetic. It has everything to do with MGMG overpromising potential recruits and underdelivering. As to why Rovin is leaving, again your explanation is what you want to believe. As a first step, you need to acknowledge that you guys have a problem and then, only then, can you solve the problem.
DeleteDr. English the Bariatric surgeon has left, Dr. Baldwin the cardiologist is leaving and who knows what other cardiologist's are leaving. EVERYONE is under a lot of stress and are overworked there at the hospital. I'm talking Dr's all the way down to the support staff which includes dietary, housekeeping, logistics, maintenance.
DeleteWhat about their laundry dept? They are now outsourced to Aramark all those people that worked in laundry got absorbed in the hospital somewhere or they left.
DLP is NOT for anyone but themselves.
They have cut out the longevity for the ones that are still there that have a lot of time in.
They don't give raises to their employees. Oh sure they gave one this past fall what a 1.5% what is that a whole 12 to 22 cent raise? And they say if the scores are good come Jan, they will give their employees another .05% to 1% in Feb.
I am the person who posted about Meisel leaving. I do not work for the hospital or anyone associated with it. I am a friend of the family. Like you, I choose to remain anonymous; and, also like you, I don't have to explain why.
DeleteYou are complaining about a "measly" 1.5% raise, and an additional raise if patient satisfaction scores rise. I believe before this MGH hadn't given raises in over 6 years and this raise is an incentive to increase your satisfaction when you go to the hospital. So basically your complaining that staff are finally getting raises and being encouraged to help create a better environment for you and your loved ones. Ridiculous and narrow minded. Everybody just needs something to whine about.
DeleteI recently spent a week at MGH/DLP. My entire stay was a nightmare. I tell friends and family "go anywhere but DON't go there!" If anyone thinks a new state of the art hospital is going to even partly solve MGH's problems then "I can walk on water." MGH/DLP will NEVER ever come close to being a Mayo or Green Bay Hsp. There is no one with experience left to pass on wisdom to the young employees there. They know not compassion, empathy, or caring. They spend more time on the computer than actual human contact. I was a name/birth date which I had to recite 50 times a day (for god sake, just tattoo my forehead). To get my meds took 20+ min. as each had to be entered by barcode into the computer. Their entire computer system is for crap as computers in different locations can't talk to each other. In three different locations my information was pulled up from 2011 even though I had been to the ER the prior month and all my info had been updated,. I could go on and on with even worse things that happened butit would be a book.. DO NOT go there unless it is an emergency. If you or a loved one is admitted, have a family member there 24/7 because the nurses are assigned so many patients you'll be lucky to see one every 5 hrs. These were a few bright spots: the doctors (the one's left that is), housekeeping (saw them more than my nurses), & the lab phlebotomists (kind and professional). I am a former employee of the hospital and am appalled at what it has become!
ReplyDeleteIf you'd like all of your former co-workers to end up out of work, just keep making comments encouraging people to take their dollars out of the area.
DeleteSince duke took over they have changed the nurse to patient ratio on all of the patient care units. And I can tell you that I have been taking care of LESS patients during my shift than before the duke buyout.
DeleteAnd yes we will probably never be as big as mayo clinic and have all the specialists. But a coworker of mine was just down there with a family member and she said that the nurses were taking care of more patients than we are in Marquette.
Also, when we ask you your name and birthday a thousand times is for your safety. We are double checking two identifiers to verify we are giving the right medications to the right person. And yes the computers are slow sometimes. Especially if you have a bunch of medications. But using the barcode system (which is mandatory for ALL hospitals by the government or you get fined) is much safer then how we passed medications in the past.
And to say that the nursing staff is uncaring and had no empathy is completely untrue. We went into nursing to make a difference in people's lives. We went into nursing to take care of people when they most need it. To be there for family's when they loose their loved ones, and sit and cry with them and morn the loss of an important life. I'm sorry of you had an unpleasant stay at the hospital but I know that my coworkers and myself go out of our way to do anything for the patients on our floor.
I don't like that it is implied that the nurses are these lazy, web surfing idiots. We are so liable for an imense amount of charting and it takes forever. Then to provide total care for up to seven patients by yourself is ridiculous. As an RN, I am not above any task. I'll wipe a dirty butt, I'll get my patients their perfect water/ice ratios, but it gets a little difficult when I have to do all that, by myself, plus be responsible for interpreting all your lab values and vital signs, making sure the docs are ordering the right interventions for your care, coordinating care between departments, all this just gets to be a lot for one person. Rather than bash the RN for taking 20+ min to get your meds because they are probably in with one of their six other patients, start supporting the state of Michigan to create safe staffing laws for nurses.
DeleteAs a retired employee of MGH I was a fan of the hospital till I experienced the patient care first hand last year.....what a difference in patient care....what a shame.I also can comment that the nurses and other current staff do not feel they can not voice their concerns on patient care issues without risking their jobs.
ReplyDeleteI have never felt my job would be at risk if I spoke up. And I have to my managers and clinical director when I think that something isn't right. I also feel free to voice my opinions to the supervisors and other upper level administrators.
DeleteI can't help but notice how many people feel so strongly about this and are not willing to put their name alongside their comments. Just an observation, don't freak out on me now.
ReplyDeleteThey fear job loss Paul. Who knows, there may be a piranha here in the mix baiting any employee that gives their name. If there were no fear in speaking their minds, I would guess this article would be blowing up with comments right now. The changes at the hospital have been among most conversations I have with people and I know a lot of people and they don't all work at MGH/DLP, but even those that don't, have nothing good to say about the place..... sad really !!!!
DeleteAnd where else am I suppose to work when Ed Banos deems me as "not the right fit"for voicing my concerns. Look in the paper and see how few nursing jobs there are in this area outside of DLP. Happy trolling though Paul.
DeleteThere is nothing wrong with having to deal with ideas rather then putting a face to the person writing it. After all, it is about the ideas here and not the person. It's about what they are having to deal with in their working environment. What difference would it make to anyone who said what, other then for you to know who to terminate cause of their "Negativity" (what a joke that is).
DeleteLISTEN to what people are writing here !!! There are obvious problems in this working environment for the staff who I know go above and beyond to help their patients ... why don't you listen to that and take what is said into consideration, and STOP worrying about who is saying what !!! Behind your title....... your just a person like the rest !!! Just because ones opinion differs, does not make them wrong, or negative, or invalid.
Hmm, I wonder how and why Ed Banos deleted his reply to the 10:33 AM comment ? Interesting !!!
DeleteIt wasn't actually Ed Banos...that was me making a subtle point about "anonymous posting"...you can write in any name you want. Some site admin deleted the comment.
DeleteSure you can put whatever name you want on here, but there can be consequences to those actions when your replies portray someone you're not, as being cruel or unreasonable.
DeleteThere is a reason we can remain anonymous here. Those that choose to put their names behind their comment are practicing their right to freedom of speech without being afraid to do so. Unfortunately, without consequences, many others don't feel that same privilege.
There are several reasons I don't believe you are now telling the truth. I'll leave it at that.
Odd, I remember how everyone use to rip on mgh before it was bought out. No good doctors there, etc... Now all of a sudden, all the good doctors are leaving! People, like to complain all the time. If there are problems and like anywhere else I'm sure there are, then find solutions. And no I do not have the answers but seems morale, and recruiting good doctors/results and some happy employees speaking out may be a start. Better than telling people to go elsewhere for a procedure that can be done locally.
ReplyDeleteNever again, I had to take care of my husband for a whole week while he was admitted! They never could figure out why he was in so much pain and just discharged him!!! We flew him to mayo clinic, they knew the problem within hours! I got called a security threat when I stayed after visiting hours with a very sick husband who was bounced in and out of ICU/CCU then I had nurses show me ti the linin closet where all the supplies were so I could take care of his needs, bathing fresh bedding etc.! What the hell?!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteEd Banos is being disingenuous. Physicians have left in large numbers ever since KnifePoint took over. Morale is low. The administrators that manage physicians (MGMG) are an inept group of low achievers who make grandiose promises when recruiting physicians and then are unable to retain those physicians when their promises fall flat. The physician contract is written in a punitive manner, I have never seen a contract like this in other institutions. First step here is to clean out the crew at MGMG and replace them with competent people. On the other hand these guys maybe taking their orders from Banos; I don't know. All I know is who I am dealing with and that group is MGMG.
ReplyDeleteSince DLP took over, my billing for a doctor visit now includes an "acquisition fee" -that's almost $100.00 over and above the regular visit charge. ACQUISITION FEE????
ReplyDeleteMy excellent physician is leaving the area. My new MGH/DLP physician and I had an appointment and during that appointment he made it clear PT could help me. He asked if there was a place I would like to go. I told him Active PT. The person at the desk said they would get it set up. Later that day I received a phone call from MGH's PT place by Target!! I called my doctors office to express my dismay and the "referral coordinator" told me that they have been instructed to try to keep things in house whenever possible. Shouldn't I have a choice where I go for PT, my labs, my x-rays? Also, when I did finally go to MGH's PT place by Target I was treated like a number and my issues were never addressed. This strategy by DLP/MGH to keep everything in house is sure to backfire on them.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a new tactic by just DLP. Lets not forget that the previous management group was often referred to as the Louisiana Mafia and MGH has always been referred to as the Gorilla in the community. They whine when people outmigrate to Wisconsin and even had commercials that said by outmigrating you are hurting your neighbors. What about the neighbors in the community trying to run independent labs, imaging, rehab, and private physician groups? To MGH or DLP stark laws seemingly don't apply.
DeleteIt is the patient right to go wherever they want for PT/Lab/X-ray. Mgh has done this for years telling patients from the west end that they had to have their tests done in their hospital. Patients need to be educated of their rights.
DeleteGood story. MGH is right in weeding out poor performers and negative pirates on the ship. I've seen firsthand MGH aggressively recruiting IVY league physicians and top talent. This activity will allow DLP to provide the best care.
ReplyDeleteTroll...
DeleteHahahahahahaha... good luck with all that..... we are losing some of our phenomenal physicians because of the bullshit that's happening around that place, & do you know how many "ivy league recruits" are turning down job offers because they are getting dicked around before they are even hired. What a joke.
DeleteMany of the people who lost their jobs, lost them not because they were negative, poor performers or naysayers. They lost their jobs because they were good workers who were paid top dollar. I am one of those people who was offered a severance or be fired! I am not allowed to talk about any of the details therefore, I must post anonymously. I was let go because of the money I earned.
DeleteI am sorry you lost your job but most likely your position was cut because it was no longer needed. I don't believe they looked at salaries to determine who to cut but most likely at who had a job that could be combined with another in an effort to pull MGH out of a deficit. MGH cut alot of positions and the change was scary and awakening because as an employee we have learned that we can absorb the extra work and still get the job done. Best wishes
Deletewhen you get those IVY leaguers to come and stay more than 2 years, give me a call, assuming these IVY leaguers your husband is recruiting is aged under 50 years.
ReplyDeleteTouché
ReplyDeleteOn the comments about the staff doing a good job while friends and family where in the hospital...I'd say they are being bird dogged from every angle. They have to do an above average job cuz their job is at risk of being eliminated everyday. Talk about walking on eggshells who would want it?
ReplyDeleteWhy does everyone believe jobs are at such a risk? If you do your job and work as a team to keep improving quality and satisfaction then your safe. I always felt management and administrators listen to my concerns without judgment. If you are that worried about your job maybe it's because your not proving yourself to be worth keeping. I wouldn't want a bitter negative nurse taking care of my loved one
Deletehttp://www.thedacare.org/News-and-Events/Company-News/Partnership-of-Seven-Wisconsin-Health-Care-Systems-Announces-Name-and-Logo
ReplyDeleteCut and paste to a browser. This is long overdue. I doctored for over 30 years at MGH, and this DLP thing is very disturbing. For the past 15 years I have been seeing various doctors at the Thedacare system and it is awesome. They also partner with the Mayo Clinic and the whole system has been studied by the prestigious John Hopkins University. They must be doing something right!
I was a previous employee as well...I agree with what most are saying..DLP makes a lot of promises however the realities are much different. The administrators do a poor job of communicating anything to their employees. I knew of several people who worked for many years in the system who were shamefully walked out of the hospital by security right in front of their peers with no explanation given by management. The ones that remain still have to deal with being called off at the last minute because they were not needed. I personally know several nurses who rarely work their scheduled shifts during a pay period..many are lucky to get half of them..how is one supposed to make ends meet with a schedule like that and the union cannot do anything about it...SAD...I really hope things will improve however Lifepoint does not have a great track record...I Googled them when I first found out they were coming in and one of the first reviews I read stated " you better update your resume when the come into your hospital" which got a laugh but boy were they right on. I encourage everyone to follow up and Google Lifepoint hospital reviews to find out what everyone else is saying at their other hospitals they own....90+percent is not good at all.
ReplyDeleteI will not go into my experiences with MGH or now, Duke Knifepoint. I WILL go elsewhere whenever possible.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sooeveningnews.com/article/20141101/NEWS/141109918
DeleteIf you want hard facts and want to go elsewhere try the Sault St Marie War Memorial Hospital. In the above article it shows how Leapfrog has graded them an A for patient safety. MGH was a C. Munson a B. McLaren a D. Travel will get you the care that you need.
This article is long overdue. However, morale was not good before Duke-Lifepoint purchased MGH. It appears that Duke-Lifepoint has not been able to reverse the downward spiral, but has indeed accelerated it. I worked at MGH for 35 years when I decided I couldn't tolerate the politics and atmosphere any longer and quit almost 5 years ago to work at one of the top hospitals in the nation. It would be great to see a series of more comprehensive articles on MGH as well as the impact that the affordable health care act, health insurance companies and other government entities have had on such institutions.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed the change at MGH for the past several years but had no idea that it was because of this. Recently I was referred to MGH for a hysterectomy and knowing in the past they did surgeries there. During my visit with OB/GYN they referred me on to Green Bay, Wi to the OB/GYN at St. Vincent's Hospital. With all that I am reading here I am even ever more so grateful that they did. When I go and see a doctor I want one doctor, NOT several. I don't want a 5 minute visit and misdiagnose me with something I don't have. I want a doctor who is going to take his time, not be rushed and get to know me as a patient and give me the proper treatment I deserve without my life being at risk because they can't do it properly. If I have any say as to where any of my referrals go from now on I will Not chose MGH. Thank you all for coming forward and giving all of this information out
ReplyDeleteTo the commenters suggesting that people should not encourage their friends and families to go elsewhere: would you seriously recommend a hospital where you received unsatisfactory care to a loved one just to keep health care dollars in the area? I would never put DLPs profits over my family's health, and I work there.
ReplyDeleteWe still have great people working there, from doctors on down, but everyone is stretched as thin as possible. Comments like the one posted anonymously at 9:02 get under my skin. Do people really think nurses want to work like that? Nobody goes into nursing because they want to spend 5 hours of their shift charting. It's awful that people don't get the care they deserve, but that is not because the staff lacks caring and compassion. It's because the hospital lacks staff.
It just highlights the absurd thinking that merges healthcare and economics. Consuming products and services is about choice, price, taste....consuming healthcare is about necessity, it's about life and death.
DeleteNobody is going to choose a shitty hospital because it's good for the economy...just like nobody is going to walk into the ER and say "I've got this stab wound...do you have any specials on stab wounds today?"
As a student in a health care program, I did clinicals at MGH just as Lifepoint was taking over and then worked at a hospital in the UP that was recently acquired by Aspirus. I can say that while things are definitely worse in Marquette, Aspirus is not much better. Upon taking over, hours and positions were cut, the environment became increasingly controlled and everyone was on edge. My department was fast becoming a revolving door of new people hired as contingent, being promised better positions, and then leaving when they never got them. There were only 2 full time employees in my department, everyone else was contingent. (No guaranteed hours, no insurance, no PTO) Priorities were quite clearly money, followed closely by reputation and then patient care if there was any effort left. Administration made it quite clear that employees were no where on that list. I left because of the constant pressure to charge patients for things they didn't receive and to perform unnecessary, risky procedures all to increase profits. (Not to mention 1000% markups on nearly everything) All I hear from my former coworkers at MGH is horror stories. I feel like I have no options and I 100% regret my career choice . I thought I was being smart in choosing a major in health care, because I thought surely I'll be able to get a stable position with benefits. Short of moving to Alaska or North Dakota, there is no opportunity in my field, even though the need in growing. The nation-wide trend of large corporations buying out non-profits is benefiting a tiny minority of those at the top and hurting everyone else, patients and employees. After working in both environments, I certainly hope I never have to be admitted to either place. Employees just can't keep up with unreasonable demands no matter how hard they work.
ReplyDeleteIt is about time someone has put into print what the majority of physicians, nurses, techs, and patients have been saying since Duke Lifepoint took over MGH!
ReplyDeleteHave been hospitalized three times in the last 3 months. All three hospitalizations nurses grumbled about being short staffed and those nurses still employed being overworked with double shifts. And what happened to continuing education courses? Sorry, but I do NOT want to be the guinea pig for nurses to learn on.
And the comment about the computer system being slow? It's slow because it's outdated program trying to work with new computer system.
Physicians ARE being forced out. Know of several who are supposedly retiring and two who were forced to take "early retirement" from the hospital and moved out of state to work for another hospital.
Duke is all about profit and their bottom line. It is the physicians, nurses, and especially the patients who are suffering.
Oh, and as for "patient satisfaction" it's probably only the patients who weren't overdosed (about 65% increase in rapid response needs) and those who survived their secondary infections (OR infections up over 50%!!!)
Hate that I have no choice but to go to MGH cause if I could, I'd go somewhere else...
Something happen with Dr. Guiti also. M w my daughter doesn't have a specialist to see for her diabetes and no contact has been made for anyone else yet. He was a great Dr. They did something to make him mad and leave
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this - what we've all known who've had any part of this institution over the last 35-40 years. It is no longer a community based hospital with the emotional investment of all it's employees. We know employees who were forced to sign non-disclosure documents, who were walked out with no notice after giving 35+ years. I am sad for the dedicated medical staff of this hospital - it will never be the same. Sincerely, Merrilee Keller
ReplyDeleteVery well said Merrilee Keller
DeleteHey DLP here's an idea, follow the Mayo Clinic model !!!!! That brilliant advice was free so it should not undermine the bottom line. Learn and run with it......
ReplyDeleteI used to work at MGH a long time ago. I had to leave because of an awful boss and the hospital give me no support. I had been one of the people supporting a union at the time. They had also brought in some out of town group to tell us what our jobs were worth. They found we were not worth much! So, I left, and later had a chance to go back to a department with a great boss and found I was "black balled", so I moved on. I had a surgery at Bell in 2012 and was inpatient and treated well, not so in 2014. My toe was removed out patient and they got rid of me asap! Blood was dripping out of the IV tube onto the floor!!!! When I went to see the surgeon in 2 weeks, I was seen my his PA and she only gave me antibiotics because she saw a dog hair on my foot! No x-rays or cultures. When I said I was moving, she told me since I was a diabetic I would have to keep coming back anyway, so it didn't really matter if I moved. Thank goodness I moved! The doctor here found that I had a lot of infection in my foot and toe. He took x-rays and cultures and an MRI and cared for me. I not only had a lot of infection, my second toe was fractured! I ended up losing another toe and part of my foot, I had not been treated like that at Bell in 2012, so I was shocked at the treatment in 2014. I am so lucky to have left the area and found doctors who cared for me. I don't know if it was because of the changes at Bell that my treatment was so dismissive or if it was the doctor, but I know it was not the same after someone else took over. By the was, the infection was a staff infection, which may have been because they had me out before I saw the doctor again. He didn't care for me at all!!! MGH has been up and down for years. Sometimes, I, and others I know were treated great and sometimes like crap. It was always iffy and that should not be when you are in pain or upset over a loved one. It is a hospital! Maybe, I am old school but a hospital is not McDonalds. There should not be a sign--1 billion served! I don't care if they make money as long as that money aids the patients and the people who put their trust and their lives in the hands of the hospitals close to their homes. I saw someone I used to work with at MGH and she told me she cried everyday before she went to work, and before she loved her job. Things are always changing, but not always for the better. I just wish people would not blame Medicare and Medicaid, because the big insurance companies are the ones who set these high prices and shorter and shorter hospital stays. If you don't believe me, check with BCBS. They are under investigation for over-charging. And, yes, some people who work at hospitals are just mean, and need to find employment elsewhere, but when so many people are being laid off and patients are leaving because of bad care, someone needs to do something about it, fast. The CEO has people to help him find out what is wrong, People should not be afraid to speak up. I did and I was not allowed back, but maybe that was a good thing!
ReplyDeleteEveryone is willing to bitch and complain but nobody wants to get off their couch to do anything about it. I do agree that Duke Lifepoint is all about the money and don't give two shits about their employees nor patients, which is why I give them horrible satisfaction ratings and note that the employees seem like good people who are just irritated and exhausted from being overworked and understaffed
ReplyDeleteThanks for the horrible satisfaction ratings, that directly impacts the pay and staffing of us employees.
DeleteSTRIKE!!! It's the only thing they'll understand!
ReplyDeleteI love this article. So true. I am also an employee at "UP Health System Marquette" & have been for almost 6 years. Before all the changes that Duke has brought upon us, I absolutely LOVED going to work. Now, I dread it. My entire unit has been drowning in 16 hour shifts, high patient acuity, & inappropriate assignments. The meager attempts at hiring more nurses has been dragged out over 6 months.. we have hired ONE. Our days are stress filled, everyone is tense and pissed off all the time. Our units are stuffed full and physicians are forced to accept more patients, which forces us to push patients out faster than many are ready. I love my job. I absolutely love being a nurse. I care so much for my patients and their families, and I work with a bunch of absolutely wonderful nurses and doctors. Yet every day I see my wonderful worn out coworkers being pushed closer to leaving, out of frustration, exhaustion or desperation, when we have lost so many already, it's become completely disheartening to go to work. The hostile work environment, that Banos so so quick to deny, is pushing out the hospitals best. Saying that most people are happy with their jobs is a joke. The ones who don't complain are the ones scared for their careers, the ones who do stand up for us, but supposedly aren't "team players" are just so fed up they don't care anymore. Pushing out the best advocates to have a quiet bunch of sad drone nurses who are overworked is not the way to make profits off of our community.
ReplyDeleteI was a former nurse at MGH for 17yrs, I was always proud to say I worked there. I left because the working conditions became unsafe for my pts. I expressed concern after a patient nearly died due to understaffing. I was told if I didn't like it to go elsewhere. I did. Recently my mother was hospitalized on the cardiac unit for CHF and A-fib, her O2 sat was 74% on admission. After 4 days as an impatient she was released. NO CARDIOLOGIST CONSULT! We were told everyday that the cardiologist would call when he had the test results. No tests were ever run, the only doctor she saw was a resident who knew very little about cardiac medicine. Not only were we continuously lied to but there entire focus was on getting her O2 sat above 90% and sending her home (she has very good insurance). She was sent home without oxygen and was gasping for breath before we got her in the car. Her follow up appointment was made by the hospital with a doctor she had never heard of and who knew nothing about my mother. She did however state that the nurses took excellent care of her. Do we have to kick and scream for the care we deserve? MGH would not have discharged her without a cardiology consult.
ReplyDeleteMy wife has had her life saved by MGH and spent a lot of time there in ICU and regular care. I stayed by her side the entire time she was there. She received excellent care and there was no problem with me being there with her. She received excellent care around the clock. If it wasn't for the Drs. and nurses there I would have lost my wife. We are very Thankful for the excellent care she received.
ReplyDeleteI know of one physician who was offered the opportunity to do the same amount of work for less money. This doc now works elsewhere at a hospital that recognizes the value of quality. Our loss, their gain.
ReplyDeleteDLP won't need to build a new hospital...Bell should be just the right size for the number of staff they'll have left.
ReplyDeleteSince Duke Lifepoint is a "for profit" company I'm curious how their bean counters hope to recoup their initial investment to purchase MGH and pay for construction of a new facility along the 41/28 bypass?
ReplyDeleteAdd Bell and Portage to the equation that's some big bucks that must be recovered plus make money on their investment. Where are the patients going to come from in this area? Perhaps the investment in this area is viewed as a tax write off for Duke Lifepoint. Many people have and will continue to leave the area for their serious medical needs. My wife after a hip replacement and later a revision at MGH was sent (by area ortho spec.) to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for another needed revision.
The revision at May was thousands less than the previous revision at MGH. Today the wife and I both have Mayo patient numbers, only a phone call is necessary to get a appointment. Regards; De Yooper
The city will pay for all that work, and abate taxes, and so on... They were strong armed by the hospital too.
DeleteAs a long time nurse and also as someone with a chronic health problem, I have been involved in many different hospital systems with many different doctors. MGH has been by far the worst. I needed an appointment with one specialist and they were booking over 3 months out. I need an appointment with another specialist and the soonest they could get me in was 6 months. The one specialist I could get in to see in a timely matter called me stubborn. No wonder people are leaving the UP for their medical care! The only physcian that I was seeing in the Maquette area was neurologist Dr Meisel, and he was fantastic, he spent a good amount of time with me and always made sure that my questions were answered. Now that he's gone I will find a neurologist in Green Bay, where I get the rest of my medical care.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know what they are doing with coding and billing and if those have been outsourced. Our hospital was recently purchased by Prime Healthcare, a for profit company out of Californian and we are going through the same um....growing pains as MGH is right now. There are some shady practices and the coding has been outsourced to India!
ReplyDeleteWow all 84 people that read this, had some gossip to add, onto the national inquirer rag
ReplyDeleteYou can call it gossip if you want, people who work and have worked there know that this article as told by the Dr and Nurse in it was the truth-you obviously are neither.
DeleteYes that is correct-what kind of society would it be if everyone followed in line like sheep even when they see things that are not correct or go against ones beliefs-if patient safety is being compromised and what not people should speak up!
DeleteYou won't make this subject trivial with ignorant remarks when your life and/or employment is on the line! This very important conversation should be taking place everywhere in this country until we reform our health care systems and have best practices in place everywhere. I am alive because I choose to drive to Mayo Clinic for my cancer treatment...
DeleteBefore Duke took over I enjoyed coming to work. but before I left I was dreading going to work. I was sick of the way we where being treated and you are afraid to go above your supervisors head and go talk to there boss because you know that there boss are going to talk to them and then you are going to be pulled into the office and get yelled at for telling them about what's been going on and there going to tell you that you lied about the whole thing and then there going to make your life hell until they find away to fire you or you end up quitting. But i'm sorry they tell us to use words that work but how are these words that work I got told by my supervisor that if I don't like my job I can find another one. and she told me that people who are like me are never truly happy in life and there is a 1800 number for me to call and I asked for help one day and they told me that I need to learn to manage my time better. I'm sorry but I know i'm not the only person that vent I've heard far worst we are all not happy. we are not allowed to talk to them this way and yet they can talk to use like this all the time.
ReplyDeleteI was also sick of being told that you don't have PTO time so you cant have any days off I have a little kids being told I cant have Christmas off to be with them i'm sorry but I cant help that I got sick and that used up all my PTO time and we cant accumulate enough time to have any time to do anything. and why can some place use low need and other place are told that they cant use it..it should be our choose if we don't want to get paid for 8hrs or how ever many hours we need off to be with family or DR or whatever it is that you need the time off. this place has gone down hill and its only getting worst. at the end of the day I as all ways felling low sad unhappy and just felling like I waned to cry all the time and then i would go home and take thing out on my family. we are also a health care provider how is it ok for them to think that we need to be at work when we are not felling good. we know our body's not them how is it ok for them to tell you that you need to be at work because you don't have anytime to use to be sick. I would rather be at home sick then at work making other around me sick and the people that are in the hospital being treated or visiting someone sick. I hope that things will get better for the people that are still working there
It must just be how working for a big corporation is. You could take out the the names here in this article and insert the CEO's, director's, manager's from the corporation I work for and no one would know....or the corporation my father worked for....... they care little about retention because there's always a body out there to fill a position, and sometimes thats all it is. What senior level employees are leaving. No big deal. Well give 5000 dollers to new hires even though they'll probably leave in 3 months. We'll take away pensions but give new hires first round vacation pics...
ReplyDeleteEither the MGH board who allowed the sale of MGH to DLP to occur did not research DLP's track record with their employees or they did not care what happened to their local community hospital and neighbors
ReplyDeleteThis all sounds like the world of public education.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/LifePoint-Hospitals-Reviews-E9321.htm
ReplyDeleteVery interesting article - sounds like most of the reviews mimic what is being said about MGH. Most of us would not stay in a 2.3* rated motel/hotel. Why would we choose a hospital with that same rating for something as major as our health?
DeleteI enjoy working at MGH. I am NOT an administrator or married to one. No institution is perfect. DLP is a business. This is the direction in which the business of medicine is headed. Everyone I do know in admin works hard to provide quality care while still keeping the doors open. Let's not forget that MGH was in pretty dire straits prior to the buyout. We could have been left with NO hospital. Also, I have not ever felt threatened for voicing my opinions. I found this bit of journalism to be very biased. The administrator was SET UP to appear insincere. What do you expect him to say in response to the anonymous employees?
ReplyDeleteTHis is FAR from BIASED journalism!! This is the TRUTH!! I work on a nursing unit and live this every day. Ed Banos has his head in the sand. Employees are anonymous because if they don't say "words that work" they will get their butts fired! GET REAL!! Ed needs to get some scrubs on start wiping some butt.
DeleteWell, we definitely know what he would say to the employees who put their names on the comments "Your terminated". Your only fooling yourself to think that those voicing their minds are not telling the truth. Your forgetting what a small community this really is and the impact all those terminations and walk outs did to people. So, while you may not of been effected by the changes, do not dismiss the wrongful way others are being treated. The administrator deserves to take the heat if he can dish it out. Why would it be okay for him to treat people like this but not okay for one to voice that they are being wronged without losing their job? Stick up for them all you want, actions speak louder then words.
DeleteClearly you work in the administration offices or the like.....you should get out on the floors. Threats of no hospital doesn't work for me anymore. Those days are gone/in the past. I do believe Ed was quoted- that's not "set up". By the way, you can still like what you do but hate the job. There is a difference. I am a nurse. Love nursing, hate the circumstances. I love the people, UP, the dying, the living, making people feel better, the adrenaline, even the exhaustion- but I must be allowed to do my job. That is getting impossible here.
DeleteI absolutely do NOT work in administration or the like. All I am saying is that the grass isn't always greener. DLP isn't the problem. The entire healthcare system is broken. Everyone is entitled to voice their own opinion and experience, including me. And, if I did work for admin, I wouldn't waste my breath on commenting in this forum. Clearly, they can't win. I do work on the floors and have at multiple hospitals.
DeleteI think it is clear that Ed Banos is acting in his role as CEO and cannot say anything but the words printed in this article. Realize that he is also nothing but a number in the corporation that is Duke LifePoint Hospital System no more than any of the other employees at the hospital. He is a FOOL to think that any employee there is truly happy with the circumstances within any of the walls as they are at this time. Some of those situations are driven by LifePoint, some by the current administration, some by the unit managers, some by the state of current heath insurance fiascos--But mainly by the corporation that is Duke LifePoint and big business of for profit healthcare. So the challenge is this: ED BANOS ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A FOOL? or are you to going to stand UP to Duke LifePoint and up FOR your EMPLOYEES?
ReplyDeleteAs you said, Mr. Banos is a number just like DLP wants "yes" people. He wants his job. He will say and do whatever is needed to meet the "deliverables" required of him.
DeleteThe problem is both MGH and Bell are making money now so there is no reason for Duke or LifePoint to make any changes in how they are managing these facilities. What is important is the next quarterly earnings report, not how you got there. Unfortunately, the only way for change to occur is for people to go to other providers of care, whether they are local independents or out of the county. Only when their profits fall will they pay heed. Unfortunately there are independent practices like orthopedics and general surgery that would be impacted by this tactic and could be weakened enough to be bought by Duke then. It's a tough call, but in the end the only way there will be any change is if they start losing money.
ReplyDeleteEd Banos seems to think that all the negativity is coming from losers and dead enders. He fails to see that there is a real problem here. It is incredible that some person actually posted that Ed was "set up"! I say Brian Cabell has done a real service shedding light on this issue; something the Mining Journal and TV6 have failed to do -- probably because they thought the ad dollars will go. If Ed and his administrator cohorts are unable or unwilling to admit that there is a systemic problem at his institution, then we have no hope. Step 1 is to admit you have a problem Ed, quit blaming others. Accept you have a problem, (like Alcoholics Anonymous) and then you can take additional steps going forward.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that this site existed. It certainly offers the ability for the "give and take" of any opinion driven topic.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone in Marquette is concerned about local road infrastructure. the 2015-2019 MDOT draft transportation plan - released today - does not show a roundabout, nor an overpass, at Grove Street and US41 intersection. As much as the ambitious vision of the city and DLP are to be applauded for their plans for city property, there may be a conflict between state traffic management directives and local promises to business interests.
ReplyDeleteumm, yeah 2015 is like 3 weeks away. The state government moves at the same deliberate speed of all big complex things....highly unlikely a 2015 mdot plan would be showing this concept. Relax, it is not a conspiracy. And to the other comments I can only say I for one hope DLP pulls this off and becomes the best possible hospital we can imsgine. I'm sure there were good people who left, and there will be good people who join. I'm sure too there were bad people who were fired and new ones will try and get hired. The world is the same all over. I wish DLP the best, our area deserves it and needs it.
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DeleteThe FIVE YEAR PLAN -the one that forecasts future plans FIVE YEARS INTO THE FUTURE, doesn't show a project at that intersection, at anytime between 2015-2020. As far as MDOT's planning is concerned, that intersection is not getting a scoping or funding at this time. the only 'consipracy' would be DLP and the city overpromising infra. the state transportation department has no advance planning for. restructuring a section of federal aid highway to benefit the development plan of a private corporation is very, some would say unrealistically ambitious, on the part of the city commission signing off on the incredible memo of understanding between the city and DLP.
DeleteBut if a 5 YEAR plan starts in 2015 and for publication in 2014.....there is no time , simple as that!!!!
Deletewhat year do you think MDOT will clear the construction design and alternatives? MDOT does not re-design federal aid highway intersections hastily. the focus is on fixing the traffic in Harvey and west of the city- where the city has forced more heavy truck traffic, necessitating a road fix on us-41 west. I do not think MDOT even has this in the scoping process, to be honest, anony. plese, When do YOU think MDOT will put in on their five year plan, for what year?
DeleteThe Freeway will just magically start getting major intersection revisions in 2015, for the sake of DLP expansion plans and a memorandum of understanding with the city?
To state the city & DLP plan is perhaps, overly ambitious, IS an accurate assessment of the traffic planning when taken in conjunction with the proposed build schedule.
U.S. 41 = federal not M.....michigan.
DeleteSemi serious- you said it yourself, "draft".....not sure what the point is....peace.
DeletePeople should be very aware, the previous administration and hospital board are the ones responsible for putting the hospital in such dire straights, the corporate raiders were the only ones willing to step up to purchase such an ill-managed, debt laden excuse of sound non-profit fiduciary management. people throwing dirt at Duke need to recognize, they are the bottom feeders that prey on poorly run health care organizations, like MGH was. it was run into the ground and attained huge debt at the hands of the marqueteers running the place, back in the 1980s. What let Marquette's health care and hospital down was the previous administration and public boards running the place. shame on their corporate raiding, prior to being sold to duke. Do people remember how much MGH was sold for, BTW? ONE DOLLAR and the assumption of the balance sheet. Good work, Marquetteers. we set ourselves up for this, no offense.
ReplyDeleteSemi-Cyclist Thanks for bringing to light just how dumb DLP really think we are.
DeleteI guess the old" If-we-build-it,it-will-okay" additude is how DLP thinks. Look at the helicopter issues this summer the plan was in placed just forgot to tell the public
Very well said semi serious cyclist.
ReplyDeleteSo, what do the employees and people of Marquette do about this situation? We all love Marquette. The community, nature, and the people. Many felt as though DLP would bring change for the better before the sale was finalized. Management throughout the hospital was feudal and archaic at best.
Now it sounds as though it has only gotten worse.
Some have said go elsewhere for health care to defund the hospital and force change. Might work, not sure.
Other comments have voiced it is time for all employees to unionize. This makes the most sense in the short term. Sure unions have overstepped their bounds in some peoples eyes in the past. However, when your back is up to the wall and your family's livelihood is on the line, solidarity makes sense. By the looks of how this company is behaving, their behavior is what brought about unions in the first place.
In the past it has been the general consensus that union drives failed at MGH due to certain groups being easily intimidated.
Maybe it is time for the technical, nursing, EMT, and less easily replaceable people to organize.
DLP has a history of being very anti Union, so there will be intimidation and strong language used by the admin.
I'm sure just like in previous union drives your manager will take you and coworkers in small groups and tell you how bad unions are and that they were once in a union and all the union did was take their union dues, blah blah blah.
This same manager I had at the time, giving same speech, probably wishes now he didnt become management and had stayed in the Union. Why? DLP fired him.
I grew up in Marquette. I do not like seeing so many hard working people feel like there is no hope.
It is a very very hard decision to unionize. Fear of a long strike without pay. Fear of being permanently replaced. However, when you are considering quitting, and moving, this may be an option to bring change for yourselves and fellow employees, and in turn for the patients in the community.
You may be right-forming a union sounds like something people should really think about. I agree.
DeleteHow has the Union helped the Nurses?
ReplyDeleteThey havn't. Certain patients were considered half a patient so that the nurses could be given twice the workload. The union did nothing about it.
DeleteOn my phone, it shows that this topic has over 2,900 shares. Thank you Brian Cabell for writing about this. It was long overdue.
ReplyDeleteThe RN's at MGH/DLP are the only group that are unionized and they have preserved a lot of the benefits and pay that other employees have lost. Such as paid holidays , sick/vacation time with with realistic accrual rates, reasonable health insurance costs, protection against mistreatment from managers, and most importantly - a voice in what happens at their workplace.
ReplyDeleteI sure wish the rest of us employees would have stood up and pushed to bring a union into this hospital.
Here's a concept you commenters should check out: THE PARAGRAPH!
ReplyDeleteYour meaning to "paragraph"
DeleteIt's a grammatical construct that would make some of these epic textwall rants more readable. I hear the "paragraph" has really caught on in more advanced countries like the United States.
DeleteWhile I do not disagree with you I think you ar being a little rude.
DeleteSome of it just may be that the person writing the comments are very upset.
The message is the important part.
I am not against the idea of a Union but has the Union been able to stop or intervene on the number of Nurse to patient ratio issues. What about all of the call off to work calls we get
ReplyDeleteThe problems all of you are describing, I feel, are going on in most of the country right now. Companies are having to trim the fat in order to stay alive. It's unfortunate that hospitals are in that mix also. My husband died 4 yrs ago. He went in with gastritis and distal esophagitis which isn't a big deal, but got an infection (hospital acquired), went into sepsis and died within 2 weeks. I felt the floor he was on (IMCU) wasn't adequately staffed. The nurses seemed too overworked, doctors almost impossible to track down to talk with. I feel it is the insurance companies and their quest for big buck profits that are behind this whole thing. Patients are dying because of inadequate care. They are being sent home too soon, staff is too rushed to practice good infection control. I agree that health care should not be big business like it is, but that's what we are being faced with. For the sake of my many family members living in the UP I hope your hospital gets things ironed out. Not an easy task.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss. God grant you peace.
DeleteI am an ex-employee. Maybe some of you have forgotten, but MGH was operating in the black (barely) for a while, but the thought process was that we didn't have enough to drastically improve things in the near future without help. While DLP was being questioned about how they were going to recoup the 1/2 billion dollars they were offering on the table, they said they were going to EXPAND services (recruiting more physicians specialists), Duke was going to improve the quality making Marquette a destination, while Lifepoint was going to optimize efficiency- which would attract most of the $85 million being lost each year by patients going to Wisconsin alone. They have demanded blood, sweat, tears and mental health to accomplish their idea of efficiency, but I believe the first two are grossly and utterly false. It is hard enough to recruit good qualified people to a more remote place with 5 months of winter, but the few of us families who did come were PLANNING to stay. Outstanding people have quit or been dumped, which has resulted in FEWER services offered.
ReplyDeleteOverworked staff are forced to take paid time off, and the reward for efficient work is you get to keep your job (and you should be grateful), and then given even more work (and don't say anything is wrong). In this "business," a patient is a dollar amount ONLY, while there is contempt for the cost of new updated equipment and staff salaries are liabilities eating into the "profit model." Where is the "care" in this HealthCARE facility? Aside from the top eschalon who boast to anyone who will listen that everything is exceptional/never better (for me), I have not talked to anyone who WORKS there who feels there has been an improvement (including managers, physicians, nurses, techs, etc). Many years of hard work to improve quality through "multi-disciplinary service-lines" means nothing if you can't implement them due to short staffing or lack of time. It is heartbreaking to see everything unraveling. Within 2 months of my being laid off, I had three patients saying they were going to travel instead of staying in Marquette. I'd be interested to see how many patients are outmigrating now (opposite of their "stated" plan)? I'll be surprised to see a new hospital actually built, and if so, will they need much more than an urgent care clinic?
With more than 55 facilities, and one of similar size as MGH, I have a hard time believing that these results are due to negligence or ignorance, and come to the conclusion that it is intentional. I believe the only way for DLP to learn the price of uncaring medicine towards patients in the Upper Peninsula will be the result of numerous malpractice and negligence lawsuits, as well as disability claims by staff. The staff ARE the future of MGH! Patients are not dollars or profit margin; they are our friends, neighbors and family!
>>Patients are not dollars or profit margin
DeleteIs this your first visit visit to The Corporate States of AmeriKaa?
History shows that a group of "leaders" who does not feel responsible for the well-being of it's members typically becomes abusive and exploitative. "Us against Them," instead of "We."
ReplyDeleteParaphrasing a short story I read as a child: 1930's. Nazi thugs would come in the middle of the night and break into a neighbors house. Our neighbors were beaten and we heard their screams. We hid in our house. They were taken away and no one saw them again. Happening over and over, things got progressively worse and more frequent. One night, they came for my family, and there was no one left to hear us scream...
Anyone who disagrees with the cause and "ideals" of a fanatical ruling class are eliminated with extreme prejudice. The Spanish inquisition, Russian Czars, Aztec priests, Christians during Roman times... There may be some similarities- good thing we have a different definition in this country of being "terminated."
Intimidation and bullying are what create fear, and when persistent- hopelessness. As trust for honest and open dialogue has been destroyed (the majority of these posts are "anonymous"), I do not know how this situation can improve without impartial 3rd party mediation- maybe aboard this website or something similar? Of course, that would take BOTH parties wanting to change...
Bell hospital has also suffered under Lifepoint's takeover. LPN's were eliminated, ICU department considered non-existant (anything serious gets sent down the road to MGH), many doctors migrated, more outpatient surgeries than inpatient now and too tight patient to nurse ratios. I've heard many complaints about inpatient care being inadequate. I've also heard from a friend who went for labwork and was expected to pay upfront for expected cost of lab tests in addition to her co-pay! Labs can be very expensive, who carries that much money with them. I suspect Bell will either become a short term rehab center or outpatient surgery center. Too bad, I always thought it was a good thing to have competition between them and MGH.
ReplyDeleteWake up people!! The U.P. is just now experiencing what the rest of the country began experiencing 5 years ago. Hospitals have to watch their budget profit or non profit or they will close their doors. This is because of REIMBURSEMENT or I should say LACK of REIMBURSEMENT primarily by the federal government. How can you run a business when you are reimbursed 20 0r 30 cents on the dollar.
ReplyDeleteThe people at UP Health Systems/ MGH are very hard working caring people who will do their absolute best. Truly Aspires and Beliin are not the Holy Grail, they have the exact same issues. Duke LifePoint is not the anti Christ they are trying to stabilize and improve care and are definitely working with an outdated and very limited computer system which slows care.
As for the physicians, they are being held accountable for the first time ever at this hospital. Duke LifePoint has made some refreshing changes and this institution was due to cut some negative, downright rude people from it's payroll unfortunately those are the people that speak the loudest. The bottom line is that this Hospital is going through a transition and will come out a much better more stable institution. You can go to this hospital and get excellent care. I see things improving and I do know that safety is the number 1 priority.
So if reimbursement are as bad as you claim, which I believe, why even invest in such a poor performance business. Would you buy stocks that gave you a twenty cents on the dollar return.
DeleteIf there isn't money to be made but DLP why is DLP trying to continue to expand now into Wisconsin?
I will be the first to say that any business can improve a bottom line, which is why they are in a business in the first place, but when you destroy the folks that are working for you that is a recipe for failure.
What will DLP do when their ten year no sale contract is up. Are they trying to force all of this just to get a better price... I wonder?
First, I was a bit dismayed when the physician malpractice account appeared to have a Caymen Island address... Second, how many millions were in the pension fund they acquired with the sale... and where is that now?
DeleteI'll also take exception to the statement as to the physicians. I'll bet everyone on this post can name several to-notch physician families who were conditioned to leave: Cardiothoracic/plastic surg, Pulmonary/OB, Neuro/pediatric neuro... who were the salt of the earth. On the other hand, the rudest physicians I'd encountered are still there, seemingly because they generate substantial income for the institution. If I could "prove" my suspicion of fraud... you bet I'd call the hotline to collect the reward- I'd call that "accountable."
If "patient safety is the number 1 priority," why are staffing levels as they are? I will say that I believe the staff is doing the best they can, given their substantially imposed limitations which are not of their own choice.
See even folks from DLP sign in as Anonymous. Even they are afraid of Corporate
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I want to thank everyone even Ed himself, as he must be the one that wrote the comment at 9:57 P.M. last night( is corporate also afraid to sign)
ReplyDeleteFor those who don't like folks signing anonymously show me a better way to get the story out and not lose your job or put someone else's job on the line.
As a former employee I still am afraid that I too will cause harm to the Department that I worked in. But I can say, my opinion only, the very large majority of these comments are spot on.
Thanks again for trying to get the word out and I have emailed many of DLP board members a link to this blog.
Let's hope some good comes out of this. And remember Ed is in the same boat as all of DLP employees. It's DLP that has destroyed,my opinion,this hospital
I too, a former employee agree totally with you Peter-well said!
DeleteIts funny to me how some comments justify the actions being taken because it has been happening "all over the country". As if that makes it right. They are in a position to say as they want because they still have a job. Its not true about them getting rid of "negative" people. They consider the negative people the ones who speak up or try to voice their opinions. Even if its in a positive way. I know people who have put their all into their profession because its what they love. Co- workers and patients would stand behind them. Not only loved at the hospital but outside of it as well. These are good, positive, hardworking people. People who have dedicated their lives to helping others. People who have gone out of their way to help others and make a difference no matter how small. It was never just about a paycheck. These are the people deemed "negative". Its like the company is brainwashed. Yet the negative ones who are causing others this harm still sit in their seats behind their desks getting a paycheck knowing they have destroyed the livelihood of others and you corporate rats say its the emoloyess who are negative ? WOW !!! Its amazing you guys are able to sleep at night.
ReplyDeleteExactly!! "Negative"?? Define that please, because most of the people speaking up that are being labeled as negative by the administration are speaking up for PATIENT SAFETY!!!
DeleteGod sees all, and knows their hearts and minds. We will all be judged.
DeleteThank you for the acknowledgment., You don't always get paid with money for doing what is right, like holding someone's hand for 20 seconds; but that's everything that made the job worth it. When you lose that, it's tougher to get out of bed.
If your health plan is UPHP (Upper Peninsula Health Plan) your health plan is owned by Duke Lifepoint.
ReplyDeleteLifePoint isn't doing too bad...and don't think that locally it isn't literally on the backs of the employees. http://www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:LPNT&sa=X&ei=YNaFVPaKJMmnyASfhYDICQ&ved=0CBMQowE
ReplyDeleteMany of the people who read this editorial blog completely missed the point. This article doesn't bash health care locally. No one is saying the doctors and nurses locally are bad providers of care. In fact it doesn't directly address the quality of care provided by UP Health System -Marquette at all. It simply addresses the fact that the employment culture of our biggest local employer has substantially went to sh*t since the transition to new leadership. (Not that it was all roses before but it was stable and there was a fundamental understanding that investing in and respecting the work force would yield positive dividends). A result of the lack of respect, lack of support and the overall diminished morale is a hostile environment (Clearly reflected in this comment section). This new culture substantially handicaps the current talent's ability to provide top notch care and for the institution to recruit for a stable future infrastructure.
ReplyDeleteSo many people are blaming the fact that the hospital is now 'for profit' is the reason for the management changes. That has nothing to do with it. (Hear me out...) Whether an organization is non-profit or for-profit- they both have to be able to operate in the black or the show can't go on. Fundamentally the difference between the two is what they do with those profits at the end of the day. Now that said- yes LifePoint pulls the profits that once stayed local and they run with them and that has negative impact on many aspects of our community. Not to mention the negative impact of the lost income base of the 5-600 employees that that are no longer employed. Yes the number is somewhere between 500 and 600+ people that have lost or left their jobs since the transition.
All that aside, the fact that the employment culture locally is bad, has nothing to do with non-profit or for-profit status but it comes down to the leadership itself. Look at Google. Look at Disney. Both for-profit companies and one is known as one of the greatest employee-employer experiences and the other for the greatest customer experience in the country if not the world. Yes - it's a tough time for healthcare right now but there are working models functioning today that offer great employee and patient experiences. THEY DO EXISIT EVEN IN THIS TIME OF SHRINKING REIMBUREMENTS! The difference is exemplary leadership! And for those stating the current leadership in the UP "can't be held responsible" or they started in hole- it has been 2 years under the LifePoint/ Bano's regime. At what point will they be held responsible?
I want to let everyone know something here. Come January 1st the employees of U.P Health Systems/DLP will no longer have BCBS of Michigan, they will now carry BCBS of Tennessee. Now what is that going to do for the state of Michigan? Do you think that is gonna help? Hell no it's gonna help Tennessee instead. I think that is just bullshit!!
ReplyDeleteand to keep the current "premier" package we have, our contribution increases over 30%. My earnings have not even marginally increased with inflation over the last 10 years. Presently, half of my pay goes to cover deductions for "benefits". This trend started by MGH board of directors years prior to LifePoint.
DeleteWhy do we, in the Central and Western UP, have the highest insurance premiums in the entire state? Do we get the best care? Why does the Traverse City area have the lowest health insurance premiums in the state? Is health care in the Traverse City area better than it is here?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.michigan.gov/documents/difs/Premiums2015_472978_7.pdf
Area 14 is TC, area 16 is Central and Western UP.
Here is the Map of the different Premium areas
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/difs/Map_of_MI_Rating_Areas_435327_7.pdf
We should be getting the best care in the state for what we are paying for insurance here! Are we?
It is cheaper for DLP to pay an already overworked tired stress staff time and a half, than add a staff member or two.
ReplyDeleteDoes this have an effect on patient care/safety, it sure does!!!
They don't give a rats ass about patient care/safety!! It's all about the money and their stockholders!!
DeleteThis is completely wrong. I have been an employee for quite awhile and this upsets me. Prior to Duke buying MGH we did not know if we were going to get a pay check. Duke gave MGH a chance. I have great health benefits, a pay check and great coworkers, so I will not be talking poorly of the place that provides me with so much. If anything, this blog will redirect patients elsewhere. Shame on all of you that are employees and cashing a paycheck and then talking terribly about a place that is working hard to get out of the hole it was left when it was non-profit.
ReplyDeleteAs a long time employee and knowing the financial history of MGH you were never at risk of not having a pay check that you could not cash. If you have been told differently you were misled.
DeleteThey is nothing wrong with trying to make a workplace safer and better for all
If people don't speak out NOTHING would / can change
I have been a MGH/UPHS employee for several years and it saddens me to see so much strife in our community regarding our hospital. I would like to reemphasize that we arrived at this point because of the slipshod business practices of the administration and it cronies over the past 30 years. They had no idea of what the hell they were doing and they screwed over the employees pensions in the process of rendering a viable institution into bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to let the community know that in spite of all this turmoil there are several MGH/UPHS employees that do their best each day to try to provide quality care for our patients. Yes, some days it is not easy with the changes that have occurred and we are trying to open the eyes of Life Point to see the needs of our patients and our community.
Life Point has brought some positives to us; more fiscal accountability and prudent purchasing practices. That was lacking for far too many years with the old guard.
Unfortunately, this hospital does not fit well into the Life Point model of hospitals. We are a round peg being forced into square hole. I think they underestimated the size and scope of what this hospital means to the UP residence and the important services it has provided over the years. I sometimes feel they would be content to see this hospital turn into a community hospital instead of a regional medical center that it has been. Yes, we do not fit the Life Point mold and if they had any sense they would recognize that and make adjustments to their "one size fits all" business practice. I feel they lack vision of what they/we could do to make our hospital exceptional.
A shinny new hospital is not going to turn this situation around entirely. Life Point needs to invest in better staffing for quality patient care. The reality is people get pissed off when they or their loved ones are not treated well or taken care of properly. Retaining quality surgeons and other specialists is paramount. Life Point needs to get it to it in their stubborn heads that good doctors are hard to come by and that just any doctor will not do. We have lost too many great physicians/surgeons this year. Treat them as allies not adversaries.
Yes, you will initially have to spend more and go outside the Life Point cookie cutter hospital model to do this right. But, in the long run you will reduce the out flow of patients and attract business buy providing care we can all be proud of. To make money you have to spend money not only on the infrastructure but on the personal that works within its walls.
I hope for our community things turn around as we do not wish to travel 120 miles away to get our health care; we want to keep it here in our UP!!
Well said. They've already lost so much, including reputation. A "shiny" hospital would be great... but how many beds- 100? Less?
DeleteThey also underestimated stubborn Yoopers willing to drive hours for care, "Jus down da road..."
Hope they'll see the light... Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward men. Happy Holidays.
Heard today that the guy who was head of physics and looks after the radiation cancer treatment machine resigned a month ago. you've seen him- he's the guy on the billboard in Escanaba. hope no one needs it!! I believe Ed Banos is right "I think it’s only a small minority who aren’t happy in their jobs," Banos concludes. Yah, because almost everyone else has left!
ReplyDeleteShame on all Duke staff for their negative comments. You want to be heard then speak to Mr Banos yourself. Do you really think telling a community that your job and their hospital is awful is providing benefits to anyone. You are creating unnecessary fear and working yourself out of a job when ppl decide to go elsewhere. For everyone saying they are afraid to speak for fear of losing their jobs, I call you cowards. If your concern is valid it will be heard, but if you want to nag about the ppl signing your paycheck behind their backs then you are no better than you accuse them of being. This is a great hospital that I am proud to be apart of. Every workplace has its challenges but as a team it can be fixed and Duke has been dedicated to a team approach and treating patients and co-workers with respect!
ReplyDeleteHahaha.... as YOU yourself post anonymous. Talk about calling the kettle black ! I would hate to be considered a brown noser also !! First of all.... I have known people who have spoke up to him and they HAVE been deemed negative and were dismissed !!!! Have you not read some of the responses posted here? Seriously YOU should not talk cause you know NOTHING about what others are going through or have been put through !! You weren't there when each of them was terminated were you? You don't know the reasons. Shame on YOU for being completely satisfied knowing that the majority of your fellow co workers have to worry and stress over their jobs !!!!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIt would seems that you also have some fears as if you really believed in what you have blogged,( sounds as if you are from DLP Corporate) you would of not posted as ANONYMOUS
DeleteIt must be easy to label someone a "coward" from where you are sitting... you must be very comfortable to be so judgmental.
DeleteMy only concerns were for the patients, staff and people of the UP. I was not the only one to make suggestions or comments to Mr. Banos, Mr. Muller, and Dr. Noren- there were many, and we were heard! Then I was informed directly that I am "negative" (used that term specifically), and let go. That was not theoretical conjecture or here-say... that was REALITY! Not only do I feel unheard and ignored... but betrayed. And now I am being called a "coward." Neither of which sounds like a "team approach" toward "respect," thank you.
It's not a popularity contest, but people cried as I cleared out my personal belongings- does that sound like a "coward" or someone with "ulterior motives?" I am ashamed... for not speaking out sooner, more emphatically or more publically. How many good people have YOU seen let go? Did YOU say anything, or were you the coward?
Can the admin hear me now? MUST it have to come to this? I guess so... Unfortunately, life's lessons are repeated over and over until the lesson is learned.
Here are 2 truths: "the golden rule"- treat others as you wish to be treated; and
the Gadsden flag "Don't tread on me" with a rattlesnake- implying consequences for arrogance or ignorance (explicitly in argument/debate/legal battle, or implicitly with patients/staff going elsewhere).
The past is in the past... I don't work for them anymore, but I do NOT want to see the hospital fail! And STILL my only concern for this institution is that I want the administration and corporation to step-up and provide CARE to the community of the U.P. -as they promised! The problems (overwhelming financial focus) came from the top down, and SO MUST THE SOLUTION. It shouldn't take posting on a website to know that people (patients and staff) are more than +/- dollar signs.
ED BANOS are you reading? The first step to finding a solution is admitting you have a problem. --"nurse"
ReplyDeleteAnd how are things these days?
ReplyDelete