Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The King is Dead

Anonymous offers:

Rumor has it that the King’s Daughters Hospital will suffer its final indignity tomorrow. Ray and his marketing gurus have decided that the “King’s Daughters” name is inconsistent with their current marketing strategies, so out it goes! Actually, Ray may be right on this one. The “King’s Daughters Hospital” has always represented quality, pride, compassion and dedication… all qualities that are quite foreign to the current DRMC.

Seems that they had a big send off today for Dr. Frothingham. The boot marks were quite obvious on Rodney’s rear end in spite of the “retirement” spin Ray was shoveling. Excellent marketing campaign Ray… you fire the only respected member of your administrative team and then abolish the name of the hospital that founded health care in Greenville!

Gee, and we only paid 4 million dollars for these epiphanies. Here’s an idea that could really boost your popularity: Why not hold a public burning of the King’s Daughters Sign (“In His Name”). Surely that will forever prove that you fear neither man nor God!

Check out the 10 PM report tonight on WXVT. It’s about a pregnant woman who is bleeding and goes to DRMC’s ER. She has to wait 7 hours to see a doctor! Yep, Ray… you are building the “next great hospital” in Mississippi!

Anonymous said...

Well, I work in the healthcare field in a nearby city (fled DRMC after years to be free of Ray's stupidity) and have the opportunity to see patients and their medical records from other facilities. You wouldn't believe the number of patients who were seen in Cleveland or Greenwood ER because they went to Delta Regional and were turned away for no money.

I'm really surprised the pregnant woman was even seen in the ER - she must have been insured and been able to pay her co-pay on the spot...other bleeding pregnant women have been sent away because they didn't have the ability to pay. Yeah, its in all caps typed right in the triage form. PATIENT STATES SHE WENT TO DELTA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN GREENVILLE WITH COMPLAINTS OF BLEEDING/5 MONTHS OB PATIENT BUT WAS TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF PAYER SOURCE.

Anyone who knows anything about healthcare here in Greenville will agree that Ray's lil campaign that he spent four million bucks on makes one sick every evening while watching the news. All those employees speaking all those lies.

Ray is a despicable man for what he has done to this facility. Dr. Frothingham is 100 times the man he is. The next great hospital...yeah, right. I'm just sorry I missed the ten pm news. We are all hoping that one night we'll hear the lead story "Humphreys and his leadership team purged from DRMC". Now, THATS gonna be something to celebrate.

I had not heard the rumor about Ray abolishing the King's Daughters name; although it does not surprise me. Ray has hated everything about KD since the acquisition, including its employees, most of whom he and his "hit men" have successfully terminated.

Dr. Frothingham may be the luckiest person in this huge debacle. He will finally be free of Ray's tyranny and evil deeds. As for the "King's Daughters" name and memory, I tend to agree with the first author that the two hospitals have never shared the same basic values or reputation for quality. Therefore, this final "disenfranchisement" shall only serve to protect the good name that KDH had earned.

As for Ray, he continues to revel in his delusion that a 4 million dollar "white-wash" is going to conceal DRMC's gross mismanagement, lack of qualified medical personnel and the daily atrocities that face patients in the ER. In the midst of all of this chaos, he has the nerve to boast about the opening of a NICU and a Heart Center. DRMC barely has enough nurses to tend to the few acute care patients they have left, let alone staff these two highly specialized units.

Perhaps we haven't given Ray's marketing campaign enough time to work. Who knows? After the rest of the country gets wind that Ray Humphreys has built the "best hospital in Mississippi", nurses and doctors will no doubt flock here in droves. Yes... yes, that's it... we just need to be patient.

Forthright

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I also had not heard the rumor about Ray abolishing the King's Daughters name. It does not surprise me either. As an employee we are the last to hear many things. Especially when they are underhanded or they are trying to 'sneak them under the radar'.

Dr. Frothingham's forced retirement was the same way. There was no formal announcement in details. He was not honored with all of the other retirees that were noted in Jan. That was a very shamful thing Ray did and tried to shove it under the rug.

Even in the latest meeting it was reported that Ray made a big production and actually had the balls to stand before everyone there and 'express shock/hurt when Dr. Froth told him of his intent to retire'?!?!?!?

*shakes head*

There is nothing I cant stand more than someone like Ray who had the gall to stand before that room and lie in the same breath that he used to quote scripture from the Bible. He should drop to his knees and give thanks that the Lord didn't strike him down for using His words, trying to shame the folks who come here to read and post in this blog, while spouting lies in the very same breath. Does he really think the educated people there believed him? I can answer that one for you Ray. NO!

(umm...so it's ok for Ray to come here to read the blog, he just doesn't want the rest of us to see it?! I think they should post the web site address on the evening news or in the paper so everyone in town can join in and express their views, pro and con.)

But beyond standing up and calling you what you are to your face, a lier...which I would of proudly given my job to see, there isn't much one can do when the board isn't going to do any thing about it. So you got a reprimand? Is that like them saying "Bad Boy! Bad Boy!" and spatting you on your nose?

What would I actually LOVE to see? When Ray was giving his theatrical production of being shocked and hurt... I would of LOVED TO SEE Dr. Frothingham make him eat his words then and there. He should of stepped up to him in front of everyone and gave his own performance....

"Well, Ray. I didn't know how much this was going to affect you. After careful consideration and to not cause you any further 'hurt' I withdraw my retirement and will gladly continue to serve in my givin duties so the patients in our Rehab will not have to suffer and you will no longer have to 'hurt'" (especially since Ray still hasn't seen fit to cover them with a physician at this point!)

Now THAT would of been something to see. Could you imagined the look on Ray's face if he had of done that?! I would of loved to see Ray backpaddle out of that one!

But sadly, Dr. Frothingham isn't like that. I do get tired of hearing other doctors express 'regret' that he 'decided' to retire when standing out in public, especially when I know they know the truth. They should just keep their mouths shut. It's like rubbing salt in an open wd.

When will they learn? As much as we would of hated it, no matter how it happened, it would of been respected a lot more and a lot less hurtfull if they had of just came out and announced that due to financial reasons they were requesting his retirement and he agreed. But to have to be forced to retire behind closed doors and then have to listen to Ray spout his bull hocky out in public is a major INSULT not only to Dr. Frothingham, but to all that love and respect him. Where Dr. Frothingham has a LOT more decorum than I do and stands gracefully and silently by, I for one have never claimed to have an ounce of decorum!

My request to Ray.. Shut up! You did it. We know it. We don't believe any of your lies over Dr. Frothingham. If you are the 'PROFESSIONAL' (and I'm using that word loosly here) that you claim to be, STOP preaching scripture! That is an insult to me! You are NOT my preacher. If you want to be a preacher, I would suggest you clean your act up and change your profession. Otherwise drop it! Stop trying to preach to others and start practicing what you preach!
Focus on being a more honest and moral businessman.

Does it not bother you KNOWING what everyone thinks and KNOWS about you? Just remember... since you are such a religious man and all...you may not have to answer to us, but you will have to answer to Him and you will be judged. The old saying "You reap what you sew" I just hope I'm around to see it when you get what you actually 'deserve'.

*Watching Eyes*

Anonymous said...

I completely agree. He will have to answer to a higher power eventually.

It was horrible that he would say those things and Dr. Frothingham had to take it in silence. That all of us who knew the truth had to sit there and listen to Ray. Unable to call him out.

I think Dr. Frothingham should of stepped up and started out with... "I would like to clear this misconception up once and for all before I leave this week"... and make it public knowledge exactly how everything happened.
What does he have to loose? They already took the Rehab Center away from him.

I would love to hear what explaination Ray would come up with to explain the initial plan, then the lies that followed to cover up how he handled it.

This is his last few days and they still have not made provisions to cover the patients over at KDH. The patients medical doctors are going to have to 'fill in' and they know nothing of the process and protocols of running a Rehab Center. Maybe they should of asked Dr. Frothingham to consider going part-time, down to the 20 hours a week they are trying to get by with instead of getting rid of him and now trying to scramble for a physician who really doesn't want to be bothered 20 hours a week at the Rehab. Still no takers?

How is that good for business?

Anonymous said...

Well, IF I were a forensics expert, and IF I could make such a judgment, I would have to say that Anonymous # 1 and Anonymous # 2 are the same person. What are the chances that two consecutive angry rednecks would use the phrase "would of" (instead of "would have")so frequently in the same thread? Anonymous: we get your gist. You hate Ray. You have an issue with him. You don't trust him. You (and others, unless you are very cleverly and creatively disguising yourself in other posts) have no confidence in DRMC and its administration. CALL THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. Lodge a formal complaint. Stop trashing this fella online. No one who reads this is in a position to affect an immediate change---other than yourself, of course.

Anonymous said...

No one trusts Ray. I bet his rear end has been so tight after reading the last few posts that he can't sit down. After all, who would have been privy to that information unless they were in the leadership meeting yesterday? Sounds like there is more than one "angry redneck" in the crowd!! Stop trashing "this fella" online?.... NEVER! It won't stop until he is GONE and his back stabbing crew of unqualified senior leaders are out the door with him.

So, "anonymous" it sounds like you are worlds smarter than us "rednecks" and if I am reading your contribution correctly, it also sounds as if you are demanding that writers cease to offer their opinions here. Just why does this blog make you so angry? You may assist Ray with controlling DRMC and ruling with fear there, but NOT HERE.

HAVE A DELTA REGIONAL DAY

Anonymous said...

To the 'forensics wanna-be'...
From anonymous #1...aka *watching eyes*:

Feel free to express your self, as I will continue to do as "I" see fit. That includes the manner in which I speak and write. After reading #2 I have no objection to being linked with their train of thought if you care to place us in the same corner on this subject. Feel free to do so.

I must say I also got a nice chuckle from the 'angry redneck' crack! Thank you. That actually hit my funny bone and was a nice end to this evening. roflmao! (You might be a redneck if.......*grins* )

Am I unique that no other person shall speak or write any phrases as I do? I am southern born and raised after all. My mannerisms are quite common to these parts as well as probably some of my spelling mistakes? If not phorensics perhaps you are an English teacher? (never my best subject) lol

As far as not having confidence in DRMC, I won't go that far. I am an employee there and I will say a damn good one at that. There are many damn good employees there on all levels. That includes upper management as well. That is part of DRMC and needed as in any organization. I have issues with very select few. Ones in specific who have hurt my feelings, my patients, and others that I have come to care about after working there so many years. I love what I do dearly.

Anyone who comes in and rules not in the best interest of the hospital, its employees and the patients that I care for and who place their life in my hands....YEAH, I have a very big problem. If this is the only place where I can come and express my feelings in a semi public way without fear of retribution that has been threatened, I am going to do it. ( ESPECIALLY after being threatened....) Knowing others understand some of what I am going through helps me get through this mess a little easier.

As for "CALL THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. Lodge a formal complaint. Stop trashing this fella online. No one who reads this is in a position to affect an immediate change---other than yourself, of course."

Hmmmm....
*Not sure how the attorney general would react to my venting my feelings? It didn't seem to go over so well with you, eh? Venting to Ray himself would result in loosing my job.
*How can you say with any authority that no one who reads this is in a position to affect an immediate change? It is my understanding that many from DRMC, including Ray, read this blog. Monitor it very closely in fact. Who else would be in a better position to "affect an immediate change" than the very one who I have issues with?

There are other "not so nice ways" of getting my point across. That would include hurting many other innocent people and my self included in the long run. JACHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) would be most interested to hear some bare truths from many a worker at DRMC, or how about Ms Board of Nursing? But what good would it do for the workers or patients to 'cut our nose off to spite our face'? Don't think just because we come here to vent, that we are not trying to affect 'change' in ways we can at the hospital. Monthly staff meetings where we voice our concerns to the appropriate chain of command, our supervisor. Meetings where Allyson has come to speak with us we have expressed many concerns for employee and patient safety alike, both of which are compromised on a daily basis with a matrix that doesnt take the acuity or humanity of the patient in account. Practices that put us and the patient at high risk for injury. Demands that are impossible to meet. Each person is only one person. One person can only do so much. Even when we have a great team working together it is hard for that family member to understand why "they let my Mama fall" "they let my Mama be in pain for two hours" "they let my Mama lay in piss for a hour!" I only have two hands. I can only lay them on one patient at a time. Each patient demands, rightly so, immediate attention to their needs. After all they are paying a hefty price for this service. I am one who likes to give 110% to my patients. Anything less and I feel I have let them down and myself down. I have been a patient myself and had nurses who didn't give a damn. I wouldn't want that for any of my patients. If I can't give high quality nursing, I would rather not nurse at all.

We are the nurses who get injured when we don't have adequate staff to transfer the patients. We are the staff who have to face the patients and their families when things go wrong. We are the ones who get screamed at by some of the physicians weather we could control what happened or not.

There are ways to make it safer and happier for the staff, patient and physician. Certain upper management are not concerned with that aspect unless it slaps them directly in the face.

Any other constructive recommendations?

*Watching Eyes*

Anonymous said...

By the way, I have been out of the loop lately, so I may have missed it in the paper or on TV, what is the latest with the plan to build a third hospital and close down the other two? What about the land off Hwy # 1 that DRMC owns and is in the process of cleaning and preparing, is this the first sign of the new hospital or clinics to come?

Anonymous said...

Watching Eyes, I don't know who you are, but I, too, am an employee. Been in those shoes that you described and have also witnessed first hand administration's horrific ignorance and obvious no-care attitude about important priorities concerning basic patient care. Instead, they are running around policing cell phone usage, screaming at nurses for having a covered drink at the nurse's station (and most of the nurses who work 12+ hour shifts don't get the luxury of taking that 30 minute lunch break they are docked for daily), and busy conniving to find more ways to waste money that we supposedly don't have on things we definitely don't need.

That lame marketing campaign is a huge waste of terribly needed resources that has been erroneously allocated. Couple that with all the six figure incomes of unnecessary middle/upper management and you have one huge mess. Now, ask any employee at DRMC about the condition of the place and Ray's spending habits and they will tell you it is past ridiculous and SURELY the general public can realize how ludicrous it all is also.

As far as the land that Ray paid a fortune for on Hwy 1, who knows? He goes from one delusion of grandeur to the next. I can't wait to see how he plans to staff his "field of dreams" the NICU and Heart Hospital. What a joke.

Ok, Wandering Eyes, I'm sure I pass you in the hall daily. Since I don't know who you are to thank you personally, I'll do it here. Give 'em hell! We both know this administrative team deserves it!

PS - that angry redneck comment? Sounds like Alphe to me!

Anonymous said...

I am sure this is a dumb question, and in no way am I defending Humphreys,but I have to ask,"how does he benefit from this chaos and tyranny?" Besides his fat paycheck and being in control, there must be more to it for him to pursue such insane avenues for the hospital, the staff and the community's future.

Is it kickbacks? Some sort of pay increases for each push on the expansions? What is the deal?

From all of this, what is it going to take to get him out of office? This has been going on for years now, what needs to happen to make a change in the right direction?

Anonymous said...

That's a very good question. I have no clue what the answer is.

Some one said the other day, that the board gave him a "reprimand" for the way he handled the situation with Dr. Frothingham. I don't know if that is true or not. That's too little too late. (Dr. Frothingham's last day was yesterday.) :(

They also said that they then renewed his contract for another 2 years?! (Is that true?)

From what I have seen over the last years, Ray is known for 'forging' ahead. He really stretches out there. Bought all those clinics, doctors, labs, property and the KDH. This looks really great for him when others look at it on the surface.

What they don't see, is that with every purchase, he started cinching the noose tighter around our necks at the hospital to cover those expendutures. Cheaper supplies were acceptable, even lack of supplies at times. Lack of staff was expected. Cutbacks HAD to be made to allow for progress out in the community. As long as we complained, it was just nurses "B**ching". It gets written off very quickly as bashing 'the Man'.

Even patients complaints are written off if we are the one's reporting them or if we take care of them without letting them get to upper management. I started some time ago offering the house Supervisors phone number and telling the patient and family, that unless they personally called and reported the problem, nothing would be done or changed to prevent it in the future because they would not listen to the nurse reporting it. This is how they run the business now. The patients or families who actually follow that advice and call the right person then will get 'compensated'.... Free meal tickets, an apology, several other things. That really sounds nice for the lucky one who gets it, but really burns my bun for the many who should of gotten it and didnt because their complaints weren't public enough or were dealt with by us by understanding patients that liked us and were afraid that if they complained about the 'situation' that we would get in trouble.

They say it's never acceptable to tell the patient that there isn't enouth staff. What else do you tell them? "Im sorry it took so long to get here, there is only 2 or 3 of us here and were were tied up in another room" This the patient understands. Doesn't like, but can understand especially from a caring and otherwise attentive nurse. But upper management doesnt want us to indicate to the patients that it's their fault that we dont have adequate staff. I guess we are suppose to just look like we dont care? "I'm sorry it took me so long" only goes so far when it happens again and again, without someother form of explination on WHY it took so long.

We also found out yesterday that the rumor about them planning to abolish the KDH name was true. It will be a sad day when I drive by there and no longer see that historic name. All of my children were born there.

This is truely a sad time. Saying goodbye to The King's Daughters name and to Dr. Frothingham both in such a short space of time. Both will remain loved, respected and remembered by this Delta girl.

*Watching Eyes*

Anonymous said...

Yep, "service recovery" kits are made available to patients with complaints. My question -- is it really ok to buy their way out of poor service? Delivering plants, flowers, candy or other goodies does not excuse poor care. Now, don't get me wrong; I am a nurse too and I can tell you that if Ray Humphreys or Florence Jones had to function one day in a nurse's role, they would die. The staffing matrix in place is not realistic at all. We are all worried about priorities such as medication administration, monitoring the patient and carrying out MD orders and when you have 10 patients of your own plus LPN's IVs, this becomes nearly an impossibility. It is very frustrating to see the kind of care our patients are receiving and know that you can only do your part. Worst of all, our so called leaders of our hospital aren't concerned with patient care. They may speak those lies about quality care on television but take a walk around the place. Watching Eyes is right. Sub-standard supplies (I even heard an orthopedic surgeon a few days ago complaining of the cheap surgical supplies he had been forced to start using), lack of resources (a pillow is precious commodity) and having to read signs posted in the bathroom, med room, etc that state "Please do not clock in early or late as we cannot accrue overtime". We all hear daily how "broke" the hospital is and how we need to help save money. But, wait a minute, in the public, Ray proclaims that all is great at the DRMC house. I, like you, have started giving out phone numbers to patients who are irate (and rightly so about their poor care); except I give them Florence's, Ray's or Allyson's numbers. I figure that's only right. He is calling all the shots. He needs to understand the entire picture. And our board?- pitiful. They must all be cowards with no brains for allowing this to continue. And the four million marketing campaign? Just think what the hospital could have done with that. How sad.

I sure wish we could have ditched Ray and his mean crew and hung onto Dr. Froth. He will be greatly missed. What a stupid stupid move, Ray.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Can DRMC and Washington County get any worse? We have inept hospital administration - with the exception of CFO Courtney Phillips - and a board that is deaf, dumb and blind. Our county officials seem have their heads buried in the sand and there is yet another public servant in cuffs this week over corruption! Are we, the citizens of Washington County truly blind and just as inept as the ones in charge? We elect these people to do these jobs for us. Maybe we need to complain to our supervisors first about the obvious decaying situation at DRMC. Tell them you think the board is not doing their job, after all, they are volunteers and not paid for their time or efforts. Can you imagine what it must be like to be on the DRMC board? All of the wailing and whining is not worth the effort for no compensation! I say fill the board with bankers and accountants and not people who have numerous failed businesses or are too declined in their own health to remain awake during a board meeting! The problem with DRMC can be traced back to the Washington County Board of Supervisors - start there and keep pounding - I'm going to!

As far as corrupt public officials - screw all you dirty bastards and bastardettes for thinkning you can screw those of us who work hard to pay the inflated taxes around here to support a slothful population and not get jack sh-- in return for it! I am sick of ignorance! I am sick of the race issues, but most of I am just sick at what our society has become - one of the entitlement mentality with a color attached to it!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous...you are right. We all need to contact our supervisors repeatedly. And, I'm about to do just that. I think I will begin with a letter. It is a crying shame that each time you turn on the local news you see another public official being led away in cuffs. At DRMC, Ray Humphreys may have not broken any laws, however, he is an offensive, despised man who is morally irresponsible with the power he holds.

And yes, I think Mr. Philips is just there because he needs a job and a paycheck. He was caught in the cross fire of Ray's grand merger. Poor thing - wonder if he knows they will set him up to be the bad guy when it all goes down. And, by the way, Ray has hated KDH from the day he paraded into town. He couldn't wait to get his hands on that place to close it down for good. He was willing to pay 20 million dollars for a facility that had no hope of even breaking even. WHO LET HIM DO SUCH A STUPID THING? Oh yeah, now I remember, that's why Woody White had to leave - because he outwardly told Ray when he was cooking up some scatter brain financial scheme. Mr. Humphreys does not like anyone who thinks on their own or opens their mouth to say anything except YES. That's one reason Ray got rid of Dr. Froth. Ray knew his character wouldn't permit his crazy and irrational behavior to continue. Dr. Froth is not into treating people like Ray. He actually cares about things like patients and their care and employees and their well being.

Thank you anonymous for the motivation, I am beginning my letter now. I will follow with a phone call bright and early on Monday morning. I hope others will do the same. Complain! - loudly.

Anonymous said...

Puzzled ~~~ I think Mr. Ray Humphreys is a power freak. He is definitely on a large power trip. Additionally, I'm sure there is an appropriate psychological diagnosis for his erratic behavior and his delusions of grandeur. We should have known years ago when he started talking about his "vision" that we had a nut case on our hands.

Anonymous said...

It is very sad that we live in a county that is so corrupt and even worse it is being tolerated.We all do need to do something but as far elected officals I am not sure what we can do. They were voted in and maybe not my pick but we all still have to live with it. I think contacting our Sups is a great idea. Bark loud enough and someone might listen.

Anonymous said...

Well I have sat by and read the blogs one after another and it never seizes to amaze me. The next time I sit in the board room or in the 1 east conference room I will be looking at my co-workers, saddened that we all feel the same way, but the question is what can we do about it? Yes, we have a choice to work at DRMC. Those of us who have been "loyal employee's" for a number of years. Who have been told by administration, if you are not happy then go elsewhere. Greenville is where I choose to live, to raise my family, and yes to work. I could follow so many of my past co-workers and drive 40 minutes to another hospital...but the grass isnt always greener on the other side. Even after almost twenty years in the nursing profession, I still believe that we have the skills and knowledge to give good nursing care. We just need the resources to deliver it and the support from administration to make sure that happens. So for those of us that really care about our patients and what the public thinks about our hospital, dont give up. We have worked hard to earn our nursing degree, and I pride myself in what I do. I will not allow the "Rays" of the world to take that away from me.