"Economic Engine" Needs a New Engineer!

Anonymous said...

Don't be naive and think that a change in the supervisors will cause any change at DRMC. The supervisors appoint the DRMC board; but, it is an independent board that functions entirely without political interference from the supervisors. The "old guard" knows that if they control the administrator, they control the board and the hospital. So - the status quo will go on whether there is a change in the supervisors or not. The sad problems is that the supervisors and the citizens of the county may get stuck with quite a bill if there is any default by the hospital on its ever increasing debt load. What should be a tremendous asset to the county and its citizens, may turn out to be worthless.

Anonymous said...

It is amusing to read so many negative comments about the care at DRMC, yet nobody have any data to back it up. As far as I understand, DRMC was re-accredited this year by the Joint Commission which awards a health care organization that is in compliance with all standards at the time of the on-site survey or has successfully addressed requirements for improvement within 90 days following the survey.

Also, based on National Patient Safety Goals and National Quality Improvement Goals, DRMC performed at the same level that most accredited institutions in this country. I am by no means saying that DRMC is perfect, in fact, there is a lot of room for improvement.

However, bad experiences are not the rule among surveyed patients and bad outcomes happen everywhere. For example, the Lewis Blackman Hospital Patient Safety Act, which requires all physicians in South Carolina to wear identification describing their rank, was introduced when a group of residents in a major university hospital in Charleston screwed up big time.

For those people that sneeze once and fly somewhere else for medical care, I encourage you to review the list of Best Hospitals in America (US News and World Report). Not a single hospital in the State of Mississippi, in any single specialty, has ever made the cut. In fact, the University of Mississippi Medical Center does not even have basic services all the time (Dermatology for example). By the way, some of the doctors in this town have formal training in hospitals that have made that list. With this negative attitude towards your hospital ("the economic engine of this county"), you are hurting yourself and your loved ones. Be an ambassador for your town, bring up the best qualities and please, chose another topic!!!

As a health care professional, I can speak to the efficacy of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO). This is a national accreditation that is purchased by a hospital. It costs the hospital between $30 to $60K for them to say that you meet their standards. Although recently revised, it is still largely a paper survey in which you are privy to the "right" answers at the time of purchase. It would be ludicrous to fail and certainly in neither party's interest.

Every hospital wants this accreditation for reimbursement reasons and 96% of all hospitals achieve it. Do they monitor the daily activities of hospitals? No. Does this accreditation mean that the hospital is safe? No. It merely means that the hospital has learned to jump through a series of bureaucratic hoops in order to hang a plaque in the lobby... bought and paid for.

As for proof of the allegations against DRMC, it is out there, but here's where Ray's true talents come to play. Ray is the master of "truth-slaying". He buys the silence of those who dare to expose the truth and in doing so, continues his autocratic reign. He surrounds himself with fools and stooges who share the financial bounty of his human plunder.

As for the "public image" of DRMC, the hospital spends over $2 million a year in marketing.... Remember, "Better Together"? Ask an ex-KD employee how much "better" it is today. Ask a recent patient about their experience at DRMC. If you are naive enough to believe the statistical rhetoric spewed forth in defence of this failing medical center, you probably voted today for all of the incumbent county supervisors.

The one thing of which I am certain is that DRMC will one day regain its recognition as a quality medical center. How long it will take for Greenville and Washington County to acknowledge and resolve the true issues at hand, is my most grave concern.

Forthright