Cambio Pink Slips the Shrinks

That’s right the Tennessee Titans are at it again. They sent notice to the psychiatrists at John George Psychiatric Pavilion that their jobs would be contracted out to a subcontractor effective June 1, 2005. That’s right, the Psychic Hotline will be providing the service at a fraction of the cost. Actually Cambio has some friends, cronies or relatives they plan to give work to. Cambio once again forgot about union protection, the Memorandum of Understanding and the physician’s liaison committee, so this will likely turn into a long, protracted and expensive legal dispute, which will cost time, energy and money.

Staff can barely contain their excitement at the consultant withdrawal. Occupation of the medical center by health care consultants has created huge problems, stress and political instability. As a step toward autonomous self-governance and healing, staff have proposed that all Cambio hires and promotions be re-interviewed for their positions after the official pull-out in August.

The medical center is a mere $3 million over budget and still Supervisor Haggerty wants to see lay-offs. Meanwhile the County’s own department of Risk Management overspent by $ 7.6 million and the supervisors are not whining about fiscal mismanagement. The hospital deserves a break.