What will happen? Did the board of supervisors know the medical center is in deep doo doo with the state and the feds or did they find out about it Sunday when they read the Oakland Tribune? They get those “secret briefings” with Cambio Health Solutions. Let’s hope somebody has a plan, November 10th isn’t that far away. Where’s Temporary CEO Mike and the spin doctors when you need them, a few lines would do, how about, “hope for the best, pray with us, or this might be a good time to tune up your resume.”
I just don’t get it, the medical center is about to be closed down over staffing and safety issues and the board of supervisors is still fighting for layoffs. I’m confused and well frankly annoyed; I should be spending my precious free time trying to get a Democrat into the White House. Instead, I’m stuck here struggling to explain the obvious to a bunch of Democratic supervisors that I voted into office. Sometimes it’s hard and well quite honestly embarrassing being a Democrat in Alameda County.
Rumor is that Cambio and the board of trustees may have finally come to their senses and that some kind of proposal to postpone layoffs and focus on the more immediate problems maybe forthcoming. This thanks to the tireless work of medical center employees and SEIU locals 250, 616 and 535. So anyway, things will happen this week.
The board of trustees is meeting:
Wednesday September 29
Highland Hospital
Classroom A
Public Comment at 6:00 pm
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Medical Center Closing?
Well those fun loving Cambio Health Consultants and their spin doctor have done it again. There's so much dirt even the Tribune's digging into them.
To read Rebecca Vesely's piece, "Feds May Close Medical Center," in the Oakland Tribune click here:
www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~2428356,00.html#
To read Rebecca Vesely's piece, "Feds May Close Medical Center," in the Oakland Tribune click here:
www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~2428356,00.html#
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Good News At Last- Walkouts
I got a medical opinion at Highland about my consultant-induced situational depression. A physician I admire and respect told me quite candidly that it would take a lot of prescription medications and possibly recreational drugs to take the edge off the current situation.
The most popular conspiracy theory this week is that Cambio Health Solutions was brought in to close the medical center down, employees can’t believe they could make this many mistakes unintentionally. Personally, I’m a big believer in stupidity and incompetence. Besides if CEO Burroughs had a timeline to close the hospital he’d come to work more. According to his assistant Mr. Burroughs will be at an offsite conference this week. These Cambio Health Solutions guys are on the George Bush attendance plan. If you can mismanage a country working a couple of days a week, there’s no reason you can’t mismanage a hospital on the same schedule.
But I digress there is great news; we’re planning wildcat walkouts. That’s right union employees have begun planning multiple surprise work actions. Workers have basically given up on influencing hospital leaders. We’re going to picket the politicians. That’s right, picture a thousand healthcare workers picketing down at the county board of supervisor’s offices- dawn to dusk. They can’t just send their staff out to say they’re at important meetings- they’ll have to come out to eat or pee. It’s pressure and accountability my favorite approach to incompetent elected officials. Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele here we come.
I’m personally quite excited since lately when you come to work at the medical center you may or may not get paid and since our leaders have yet to acknowledge their “security problem” you may or may not get hurt. So cheer up folks, fun is on the way, and remember you don’t have to work at the medical center to come down and picket!
The most popular conspiracy theory this week is that Cambio Health Solutions was brought in to close the medical center down, employees can’t believe they could make this many mistakes unintentionally. Personally, I’m a big believer in stupidity and incompetence. Besides if CEO Burroughs had a timeline to close the hospital he’d come to work more. According to his assistant Mr. Burroughs will be at an offsite conference this week. These Cambio Health Solutions guys are on the George Bush attendance plan. If you can mismanage a country working a couple of days a week, there’s no reason you can’t mismanage a hospital on the same schedule.
But I digress there is great news; we’re planning wildcat walkouts. That’s right union employees have begun planning multiple surprise work actions. Workers have basically given up on influencing hospital leaders. We’re going to picket the politicians. That’s right, picture a thousand healthcare workers picketing down at the county board of supervisor’s offices- dawn to dusk. They can’t just send their staff out to say they’re at important meetings- they’ll have to come out to eat or pee. It’s pressure and accountability my favorite approach to incompetent elected officials. Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele here we come.
I’m personally quite excited since lately when you come to work at the medical center you may or may not get paid and since our leaders have yet to acknowledge their “security problem” you may or may not get hurt. So cheer up folks, fun is on the way, and remember you don’t have to work at the medical center to come down and picket!
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
I took my own advice had a cold one and cooled off. So let’s look at the situation objectively, what’s going on? Well, Cambio Health Solutions on the eve of what the press is calling a gang war, is still proposing to layoff a big piece of the emergency department staff. Nurses continue to quit citing safety, incompetent senior management, heavier patient care loads, and less support staff than other hospitals. The layoffs have been put off so long that many employees have begun to focus on the more immediate problems, like getting paid and avoiding friendly fire.
Our leaders continue unpaying workers, yep, you heard right, medical center employees with direct deposit get their paychecks sucked back and forth in and out of their accounts. Our leaders are pioneering a cutting edge direct withdrawal system. This results in headaches, bounced checks, delayed vacations and piles of overdraft fees. The problem is of such severity and magnitude that even management noticed it. They actually wrote about it, Cambio is busy fixing the “payroll goof.” Golly fellas, in California when you screw up a multimillion dollar payroll, we don’t call it a boo boo, we call it a mistake and since people’s money is being taken without their permission an apology might help.
Personal safety issues eclipsed the medical center’s ongoing problems with layoffs, short staffing, missing payroll and lack of leadership this week. Staff who witnessed the bullet riddled Lincoln crash into the hospital grounds and the dead, dying and shot up young people crawling out of the car, just keep talking about it. They tell you what they saw over and over again. When social work and the chaplain put together a debriefing, for traumatized workers they were scolded for holding an “unauthorized meeting.”
The numerous staff that called Claude Watts and Mike Burroughs about the lack of a preparedness and a security plan, have not gotten responses. Apparently Chief Operating Officer Watts and Chief Executive Officer Burroughs’s gang security plan was to leave early Friday and be out of town for the weekend. Until management puts forward a credible written security plan and shares it with those of us who might get hurt, the Dirt recommends that Highland patients and staff let their fingers do the walking and dial 911 at the first sign of trouble.
Our leaders continue unpaying workers, yep, you heard right, medical center employees with direct deposit get their paychecks sucked back and forth in and out of their accounts. Our leaders are pioneering a cutting edge direct withdrawal system. This results in headaches, bounced checks, delayed vacations and piles of overdraft fees. The problem is of such severity and magnitude that even management noticed it. They actually wrote about it, Cambio is busy fixing the “payroll goof.” Golly fellas, in California when you screw up a multimillion dollar payroll, we don’t call it a boo boo, we call it a mistake and since people’s money is being taken without their permission an apology might help.
Personal safety issues eclipsed the medical center’s ongoing problems with layoffs, short staffing, missing payroll and lack of leadership this week. Staff who witnessed the bullet riddled Lincoln crash into the hospital grounds and the dead, dying and shot up young people crawling out of the car, just keep talking about it. They tell you what they saw over and over again. When social work and the chaplain put together a debriefing, for traumatized workers they were scolded for holding an “unauthorized meeting.”
The numerous staff that called Claude Watts and Mike Burroughs about the lack of a preparedness and a security plan, have not gotten responses. Apparently Chief Operating Officer Watts and Chief Executive Officer Burroughs’s gang security plan was to leave early Friday and be out of town for the weekend. Until management puts forward a credible written security plan and shares it with those of us who might get hurt, the Dirt recommends that Highland patients and staff let their fingers do the walking and dial 911 at the first sign of trouble.
Meet the President of the Hospital Authority Board
Vote Health, the coalition of community groups and labor unions who have fought tirelessly and successfully to keep the medical center open is having its monthly meeting. The hospital authority board’s newly elected Commander and Chief Dr. Ted Rose will be the guest speaker. If you’re concerned about the way things are going, come down and give Dr. Ted a piece of your mind. He’s the man.
Monday September 20
7-9 pm
California Nurses Association Offices
2000 Franklin Street, Oakland
If you really must learn more about the medical center and the people and organizations fighting to save it, here are some fun links:
Vote Health : www.votehealth.net
CureACMC: www.cureacmc.org
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local 250: www.seiu250.org/onthejob/hospitals/acmcupdate.cfm
Service Employees International (SEIU) local 616: www.seiu616.org
Monday September 20
7-9 pm
California Nurses Association Offices
2000 Franklin Street, Oakland
If you really must learn more about the medical center and the people and organizations fighting to save it, here are some fun links:
Vote Health : www.votehealth.net
CureACMC: www.cureacmc.org
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local 250: www.seiu250.org/onthejob/hospitals/acmcupdate.cfm
Service Employees International (SEIU) local 616: www.seiu616.org
RIP Chivo
Rest in peace Chivo, gee thanks Cambio Healthcare Solutions, now we have gang tags (graffiti) on Highland’s sidewalks. Is this a part of that marketing magic we’re paying so much for or is this another “goof.” Did you know “memorials” are being removed all over Oakland because they become crime scenes?
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
I don't know what to say, I'm so upset.
I came into work today to find that three of my friends had nearly been killed when a car full of shot up young people crashed at Highland Hospital, according to the Tribune, probable victims of gang violence. I then was threatened by a group of six young men going up in the elevator to visit a “friend.” When I left the hospital at lunch there were four sheriff’s cars in front of the hospital, they had been called in to break up fights in the lobby.
All day the nursing floors of the hospitals were overrun with “friends” of the victims. I called Mr. Watts, the COO, he was in a meeting and his assistant didn’t know who was in charge. It wasn’t until the security, the sheriffs, and the Board of Supervisors had received dozen of complaints that we began to see security on the nursing floors and an attempt to limit visitors.
After five pm when I was leaving the hospital I saw a fight erupting in the lobby and had to go get security. More “friends” of the victims were parked in cars in the entrance to the hospital and still more were driving around the hospital.
I have worked at Highland for almost twelve years, I have seen a great deal of this kind of violence, but I have never witnessed such a complete failure of leadership and security. No administrator even came around to assess the situation much less manage it.
There are simple measures that can be taken to insure the safety of our patients and staff, since the Oakland Police Department feels this could be gang violence, maybe some executive could be torn away from an important meeting to work with staff on a plan to make sure that Highland does not become a crime scene.
All day the nursing floors of the hospitals were overrun with “friends” of the victims. I called Mr. Watts, the COO, he was in a meeting and his assistant didn’t know who was in charge. It wasn’t until the security, the sheriffs, and the Board of Supervisors had received dozen of complaints that we began to see security on the nursing floors and an attempt to limit visitors.
After five pm when I was leaving the hospital I saw a fight erupting in the lobby and had to go get security. More “friends” of the victims were parked in cars in the entrance to the hospital and still more were driving around the hospital.
I have worked at Highland for almost twelve years, I have seen a great deal of this kind of violence, but I have never witnessed such a complete failure of leadership and security. No administrator even came around to assess the situation much less manage it.
There are simple measures that can be taken to insure the safety of our patients and staff, since the Oakland Police Department feels this could be gang violence, maybe some executive could be torn away from an important meeting to work with staff on a plan to make sure that Highland does not become a crime scene.
Thank You
It is very saddening to have violence taking center stage again in Oakland, but I am so proud of the exceptional response of Highland's staff to yesterday's tragic shootings. Staff who were nearly killed by the vehicle as it crashed, ran to get gurneys to help out the injured passengers. Nurses and doctors from all over the hospital responded. I am very proud of my friends and co-workers.
Monday, September 06, 2004
“Why Can’t We Be Friends?”
Well, Cambio Health Solutions took another decisive step toward that cliff they keep flirting with. They had close to a thousand employees walk off the job. Those that didn’t walk out the consultants locked out. Negotiations, lay-offs, board meetings, everything except Cambio’s weekly paychecks has ground to a halt. Sure the Board of Trustees and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors are having closed, hot, sweaty, and unproductive meetings, but nothing is happening.
The medical center pays millions for leadership, PR and experts so what do you get when they put their heads together? That’s right, another memo, last week the medical center employees were treated to the, “why can’t we be friends memo.” Arg! Stop, already with the patronizing dribble, it just irritates people. Save a tree! Remember what your mother used to say, “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all!”
The problem with healthcare consultants is that they’re “experts.” Since they’re supposed to know more than the poor slobs they’re sent in to help, they don’t listen. The medical center’s employees have been valiantly trying to explain things to the consultants but they just can’t seem to shut up long enough to hear anything. They have a set game plan, never mind that they’re playing football on a basketball court with a bunch of gymnasts.
The thing about healthcare is that it’s both complex and regional. You cannot ignore the caregivers, the community, the politics, and the services around a hospital and understand your patient’s needs. After nine months the “experts” still don’t understand the medical center’s problems, so they can’t possibly implement a solution.
The medical center pays millions for leadership, PR and experts so what do you get when they put their heads together? That’s right, another memo, last week the medical center employees were treated to the, “why can’t we be friends memo.” Arg! Stop, already with the patronizing dribble, it just irritates people. Save a tree! Remember what your mother used to say, “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all!”
The problem with healthcare consultants is that they’re “experts.” Since they’re supposed to know more than the poor slobs they’re sent in to help, they don’t listen. The medical center’s employees have been valiantly trying to explain things to the consultants but they just can’t seem to shut up long enough to hear anything. They have a set game plan, never mind that they’re playing football on a basketball court with a bunch of gymnasts.
The thing about healthcare is that it’s both complex and regional. You cannot ignore the caregivers, the community, the politics, and the services around a hospital and understand your patient’s needs. After nine months the “experts” still don’t understand the medical center’s problems, so they can’t possibly implement a solution.
Simple Solutions for Supervisor Keith Carson
Caregivers have given up on trying to reason with Cambio Health Solutions. They have taken it to the politicians, hundreds of the medical center’s employees and patients have called, visited, or written the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Supervisors Keith Carson and Alice Lai-Bitker hide in their offices and send out hapless staff members. The coalition of community groups, labor groups, patients and staff who passed Measure “A” are being ignored by the Cambio Health Solutions and the Board of Supervisors.
But don’t despair, the Dirt is listening, it feels your pain and frustration. More importantly it hears the leadership plan emerging from the many voices who fought for Measure “A” and want to see the medical center thrive. So Keith, Buddy, these are four simple steps that will stop walkouts, lockouts, bad press, bad medicine, and those pesky visits from hundreds of union employees.
First
Get a real CEO for the medical center someone with experience managing a public hospital by December 2004.
Second
Review Cambio Health Solutions performance and make the gruesome details available to the public who voted for Measure “A”.
Third
Delay the layoffs until a real CEO takes over and has time to develop a strategic plan.
Fourth
Continue to support the medical center financially. You asked the public to support this institution with a sales tax, so lead by example and make good on Measure “A” campaign promises.
I could say more but I don’t want to overwhelm our local leaders.
But don’t despair, the Dirt is listening, it feels your pain and frustration. More importantly it hears the leadership plan emerging from the many voices who fought for Measure “A” and want to see the medical center thrive. So Keith, Buddy, these are four simple steps that will stop walkouts, lockouts, bad press, bad medicine, and those pesky visits from hundreds of union employees.
First
Get a real CEO for the medical center someone with experience managing a public hospital by December 2004.
Second
Review Cambio Health Solutions performance and make the gruesome details available to the public who voted for Measure “A”.
Third
Delay the layoffs until a real CEO takes over and has time to develop a strategic plan.
Fourth
Continue to support the medical center financially. You asked the public to support this institution with a sales tax, so lead by example and make good on Measure “A” campaign promises.
I could say more but I don’t want to overwhelm our local leaders.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Consultants Pay Workers to Picket
Nurses called a work action in response to Cambio Healthcare Solution’s ignoring their input on patient care and safe staffing, they called for a one day walk out. The walk out was scheduled for Highland Hospital, Fairmont Hospital and John George Psychiatric Hospital. When workers at the county clinics showed up to their work on Friday, they were given a memo saying that the clinics would be closed on the day of the walk out and that clinic workers would be expected to report to the hospitals. When clinic workers showed up to work on Monday, August 30, they were locked out. So hundreds of additional paid picketers came to the hospitals and joined the protest.
Cambio Healthcare Solutions mismanages three hospitals and a string of community clinics. Most of their employees were standing outside today in front of the hospitals with signs that said “Safe Staffing Now”, “Don’t Close the County Hospital” and “Cambio Has Got to Go” and Cambio decided to play it coy. A Cambio representative at the rally actually told a reporter he didn’t know what this walk out was all about. Scary but probably true, Cambio and the executive temps don’t even show up to union negotiations anymore, they send a sub sub consultant and they do seem utterly befuddled by hospital management. They have however correctly identified that they have, well, a “situation.” So they’re doing what any patient centered quality minded management team would do, they’re getting more public relations. Cambio muzzled their millions of dollars worth of temporary executives, all of whom are vying for permanent positions at the medical center. Now Mike Brown, from Raleigh and Brown Public Relations Consulting, takes all the questions. Raleigh is apparently in Afghanistan trying to put a happy face on the Bush administration’s little problem over there.
Cambio Healthcare Solutions mismanages three hospitals and a string of community clinics. Most of their employees were standing outside today in front of the hospitals with signs that said “Safe Staffing Now”, “Don’t Close the County Hospital” and “Cambio Has Got to Go” and Cambio decided to play it coy. A Cambio representative at the rally actually told a reporter he didn’t know what this walk out was all about. Scary but probably true, Cambio and the executive temps don’t even show up to union negotiations anymore, they send a sub sub consultant and they do seem utterly befuddled by hospital management. They have however correctly identified that they have, well, a “situation.” So they’re doing what any patient centered quality minded management team would do, they’re getting more public relations. Cambio muzzled their millions of dollars worth of temporary executives, all of whom are vying for permanent positions at the medical center. Now Mike Brown, from Raleigh and Brown Public Relations Consulting, takes all the questions. Raleigh is apparently in Afghanistan trying to put a happy face on the Bush administration’s little problem over there.
A Reader's Response to "What Are They Hiding?"
Want to know what Cambio Healthcare Solutions is hiding? I can tell you. I am just an RN but I can tell you what I would hide from the politicos. I can't get food for my patients, everyday. I can't get my meds on time to my patients, everyday. I can't get basic supplies to take care of my patients, everyday. I can't get clean linens for my patients, everyday. I can't get charts from medical records for my patients, everyday. I can't provide safe and competent care to my patients, everyday. I can't get blood products for my patients, everyday. I can't get critical labs for my patients, everyday. I can't get x-rays or CT scans for my patients, everyday. I am forced to work with registry and travelers who could care less about our policies and procedures, everyday. I cannot and will not blame these problems on their various departments, as it is not the frontline providers who are to blame. Well, whom do you blame? That, I can tell you. Cambio and the executive team are aware of these problems, as I have spoken to several of them personally. The Board of Trustees is aware of these problems, as I have spoken to several of them personally. Supervisor Gail Steele is aware of these problems, as I have spoken to her personally. Our Chief Nurse Executive is aware of these problems as I have, along with others on many, many occasions brought these problems to her attention. We as frontline caregivers must focus our anger and frustration on those who perpetuate the persistent and very dangerous environment we are forced to work in. At least those of us who are left. I applaud my co-workers for the commitment they have to our patients. We are not the problem, we are the solution. WE ALL MUST BAND TOGETHER AND SUPPORT THE SAFE AND DIGNIFIED CARE OUR PATIENTS DESERVE EACH AND EVERYDAY!!!!!!!!!
Lynne Behr RN
Lynne Behr RN
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Walking Out
Walk out! Actually, medical center staff just won’t walk into work on Monday August 30, 2004. Caregivers have tired of reasoning with absent executives and Cambio consulting.
The Highland emergency department (this includes the trauma center) is budgeted to have 126 full time staff. There are 29 vacant positions. When Cambio presented their lay-off proposal to employees they re-labeled the 29 vacant positions overage, cut them, and then decided they could lay-off an additional 12 people. It’s the, Eron school of accounting. Their proposal leaves 85 people to do 24 hours, 7 days week coverage of the emergency department. This kind of staffing won’t get us through a mild flu season, much less an earthquake or State hospital inspection.
Caregivers have decided to take their case to the public, the politicians and the private hospitals. After all Alta Bates and Summit Hospitals will have to take all the patients who will be turned away from the medical center because of staffing shortages.
The Highland emergency department (this includes the trauma center) is budgeted to have 126 full time staff. There are 29 vacant positions. When Cambio presented their lay-off proposal to employees they re-labeled the 29 vacant positions overage, cut them, and then decided they could lay-off an additional 12 people. It’s the, Eron school of accounting. Their proposal leaves 85 people to do 24 hours, 7 days week coverage of the emergency department. This kind of staffing won’t get us through a mild flu season, much less an earthquake or State hospital inspection.
Caregivers have decided to take their case to the public, the politicians and the private hospitals. After all Alta Bates and Summit Hospitals will have to take all the patients who will be turned away from the medical center because of staffing shortages.
What Are They Hiding?
Well just when you think things can’t get any stranger, they do. Today representatives from State Senator Figueroa’s office, and staff from Assembly Member's Ellen Corbet, Wilma Chan and John Dutra’s office along with County Supervisor Steele and staff from Supervisor Carson and Lai-Bitker’s office all came with union representatives to tour Highland Hospital and speak with hospital employees.
They were met in the lobby by the Cambio Health Solutions team, the temporary executive staff and Cambio’s attorney. The politicians were told they could not tour the facility without a Cambio escort. This resulted in a heated exchange between County Supervisor Steele and a herd of tall suited men. The consultants maintained that patient privacy would be compromised if politicians walked through patient care floors. Staff found this a little odd since they sent a documentary film crew through a couple months ago with just a PR guy. In the spirit of compromise and in an effort to get out of the lobby, the state and local politicos agreed to only visit outpatient areas and to do so under the supervision of a sheriff’s deputy.
Patients and staff were really disappointed when the standoff in the lobby broke up, and no one is quite sure what the consultants were trying to hide.
They were met in the lobby by the Cambio Health Solutions team, the temporary executive staff and Cambio’s attorney. The politicians were told they could not tour the facility without a Cambio escort. This resulted in a heated exchange between County Supervisor Steele and a herd of tall suited men. The consultants maintained that patient privacy would be compromised if politicians walked through patient care floors. Staff found this a little odd since they sent a documentary film crew through a couple months ago with just a PR guy. In the spirit of compromise and in an effort to get out of the lobby, the state and local politicos agreed to only visit outpatient areas and to do so under the supervision of a sheriff’s deputy.
Patients and staff were really disappointed when the standoff in the lobby broke up, and no one is quite sure what the consultants were trying to hide.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Rock Bottom
Well, the medical center has been around awhile, it’s seen some spectacular scandals, some flamboyant flops, but lately it feels like things might have sunk to a new low. Staff and supply shortages have ground many areas to a crawl if not a halt. Sure the consultants continue to forge ahead insisting that cutting 43% of the staff on a nursing floor that treats the critically ill won’t affect service or quality, but no one really listens to them anymore. They keep coming up with new bad ideas, but the consultant/executive team has become so dysfunctional at this point they couldn’t fix a sandwich, without 20 subcontractors.
The county supervisors hired them to “downsize.” The supervisors wanted a fast neat surgical strike, hundreds of annoying union employees gone in a single blow, leaving a budget surplus. The extra cash could be quietly moved back into the county supervisor’s pockets and used for Alameda County’s high priority projects like paying off Al Davis, building more jails, or granting fat contracts to big political donors. Well, things didn’t go as expected, that’s the problem with these “get rich quick plans.” The consultants couldn’t deliver the cash, but that’s the good news, the bad news is they don’t know how to run a hospital; things aren’t just staying the same they are deteriorating rapidly. It‘s time that we officially declare this situation a quagmire.
What has frightened staff and patients more then ridiculous lay-off proposals is the consulting team’s complete inability to manage the day-to-day operations. As my mother used to say when I would leave her home alone with my father and my brother, “I’m in a sinking ship with blind sailors!”
The county supervisors hired them to “downsize.” The supervisors wanted a fast neat surgical strike, hundreds of annoying union employees gone in a single blow, leaving a budget surplus. The extra cash could be quietly moved back into the county supervisor’s pockets and used for Alameda County’s high priority projects like paying off Al Davis, building more jails, or granting fat contracts to big political donors. Well, things didn’t go as expected, that’s the problem with these “get rich quick plans.” The consultants couldn’t deliver the cash, but that’s the good news, the bad news is they don’t know how to run a hospital; things aren’t just staying the same they are deteriorating rapidly. It‘s time that we officially declare this situation a quagmire.
What has frightened staff and patients more then ridiculous lay-off proposals is the consulting team’s complete inability to manage the day-to-day operations. As my mother used to say when I would leave her home alone with my father and my brother, “I’m in a sinking ship with blind sailors!”
Cambio Health Solutions Attempts to Kill Free Money
In the last few years the medical center created the, better late than never, department of diversity affairs. Though good intensions count, funding has been lean, so the physician director of the department applied for $500,000 worth of grant funding to run programs for patients with low English proficiency. There’s nothing better than free money and most hospital administrators encourage their people to seek this kind of funding. Not so with Cambio Health Solutions. Temporary COO Watts contacted the grant agency and withdrew the proposal. This created a huge dust up, politicians, doctors and community groups all called foul, so Cambio backed down and allowed the grant to be submitted. No one can figure out if it’s the free money or the minorities that they don’t like.
Anonymous said... (from comments to "Rally Fever")
Anonymous said...
Well,well,well. Did Cambio get caught by suprise when the state inspectors showed up? Do you suppose that they actually thought their fine work would go un-noticed? Hey, speaking of work, what have they actually done since February 6th? That fabulous productivity report is garbage and unusable. You can't compare apples to hot dogs and get away with it. Perhaps they could generate some revenue if at the next rally they give us cups and signs to beg for donations. Hey, better yet they could charge us admission to rallies or board meetings. If we didn't do our jobs for 6 months (with pay) we would either be fired or offered a job in administration. The clock is ticking Cambio. How about earning some of those millions your sucking from our poor patients. Remember, we know where to post our part of your resume!!!!!!!!!
Well,well,well. Did Cambio get caught by suprise when the state inspectors showed up? Do you suppose that they actually thought their fine work would go un-noticed? Hey, speaking of work, what have they actually done since February 6th? That fabulous productivity report is garbage and unusable. You can't compare apples to hot dogs and get away with it. Perhaps they could generate some revenue if at the next rally they give us cups and signs to beg for donations. Hey, better yet they could charge us admission to rallies or board meetings. If we didn't do our jobs for 6 months (with pay) we would either be fired or offered a job in administration. The clock is ticking Cambio. How about earning some of those millions your sucking from our poor patients. Remember, we know where to post our part of your resume!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Thank You Jesse Jackson
On August 12, 2004 the Reverend Jesse Jackson came to Highland Hospital and spoke to the promises of Measure "A" and the need for healthcare in our community.
Thank you Reverend Jackson for keeping hope alive at the medical center.
Thank you Reverend Jackson for keeping hope alive at the medical center.
Friday, August 13, 2004
Rally Fever
Our new leaders, Cambio consulting and the imported executives they flew in to put a kinder gentler face on downsizing have spent most of the week hiding from the hospital inspectors who have been ripping the hospital apart for the last four days. According to staff, the inspectors noticed the staffing shortages, the housekeeping rationing and the sloppy charting that results from lack of management and over reliance on outsourced providers. Ken Cohen, the CEO who the Board of Supervisors ran off a year ago helped the medical center sail through the last inspection with high marks. There was a coordinated effort to prepare the staff and the facility for inspection. Many of the employees Cambio ran off were hired to bring the hospital into compliance with state and federal regulations.
So did Cambio scrub the facility and fatten the staffing in preparation for the scrutiny? Well, no. In fact there had been no consultant or executive sitings for days. For 5 million dollars you don’t just get an empty suit, you get an empty desk, an empty limo and an empty suite at the Hilton. The only sign that most employees get that there is any management is the increased police presence and the weekly memos from Temporary CEO Mike, which contain mostly anti-union rhetoric and pious dribble about fiscal responsibility (as if overworked employees were flushing cash down the toilets on their breaks). It turns out that even Mike’s memos are outsourced to the $100,000 dollar a year public relations firm. So that’s two hundred words a week for a $100,000 dollars a year, that’s $2,000 dollars per memo plus the cost of Mike’s signature. And they’re talking to us about fiscal responsibility! Well, in the interest of teamwork and financial responsibility, the Dirt is officially offering to write the weekly memos for half the cost of our PR firm.
So no one expected the consultants or temporary executives to come out of hiding until the inspectors left, and they certainly did not expect them to attend the Stop the Service Cuts Rally called by the unions, the workers and the community. The fight to see that the spirit and the letter of the Measure “A” initiative is implemented has now attracted national attention. The Reverend Jesse Jackson came to Highland to speak out against the staff and service cuts and to the importance of the medical center, to our community. On August 12 at noon hundreds of healthcare workers, union members, patients, and community members rallied in front of Highland Hospital and chanted:
Hey Hey Ho Ho
Healthcare cuts have got to go!
Standing with the crowd was TCEO Burroughs, Cambio’s Chief Implementation Officer, Susan Crutchfield and Temporary Chief Operating Officer, Claude Watts Jr. Why, the union representatives even gave them sign-in cards and workers say when Jesse led the chant calling for more staff their lips were moving! At the next rally healthcare providers plan to invite them to hold hands.
So did Cambio scrub the facility and fatten the staffing in preparation for the scrutiny? Well, no. In fact there had been no consultant or executive sitings for days. For 5 million dollars you don’t just get an empty suit, you get an empty desk, an empty limo and an empty suite at the Hilton. The only sign that most employees get that there is any management is the increased police presence and the weekly memos from Temporary CEO Mike, which contain mostly anti-union rhetoric and pious dribble about fiscal responsibility (as if overworked employees were flushing cash down the toilets on their breaks). It turns out that even Mike’s memos are outsourced to the $100,000 dollar a year public relations firm. So that’s two hundred words a week for a $100,000 dollars a year, that’s $2,000 dollars per memo plus the cost of Mike’s signature. And they’re talking to us about fiscal responsibility! Well, in the interest of teamwork and financial responsibility, the Dirt is officially offering to write the weekly memos for half the cost of our PR firm.
So no one expected the consultants or temporary executives to come out of hiding until the inspectors left, and they certainly did not expect them to attend the Stop the Service Cuts Rally called by the unions, the workers and the community. The fight to see that the spirit and the letter of the Measure “A” initiative is implemented has now attracted national attention. The Reverend Jesse Jackson came to Highland to speak out against the staff and service cuts and to the importance of the medical center, to our community. On August 12 at noon hundreds of healthcare workers, union members, patients, and community members rallied in front of Highland Hospital and chanted:
Hey Hey Ho Ho
Healthcare cuts have got to go!
Standing with the crowd was TCEO Burroughs, Cambio’s Chief Implementation Officer, Susan Crutchfield and Temporary Chief Operating Officer, Claude Watts Jr. Why, the union representatives even gave them sign-in cards and workers say when Jesse led the chant calling for more staff their lips were moving! At the next rally healthcare providers plan to invite them to hold hands.
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Performance Review
Six months into rightsizing and re-organizing what do you get? The county of Alameda is millions of dollars deep into Cambio consulting. Cambio has consultants and interim executives flying into Oakland, riding to their executive suites, and living on unlimited expense accounts.
So what does the public get, besides a good show? Well we got a lay-off list filled with retirees and other ex-employees, we get lots of memos from Mike the temporary CEO, on the nice thick paper, we have four hour waits in the pharmacy, and patients stuck for days in the emergency department, and if things continue on the current path we will likely have a strike. Actually, Cambio has run-off, run over and retired close to a hundred employees, not necessarily employees the medical center could afford to lose but they are gone.
Cambio did produce a budget and the board of trustees did approve it. It contains the incredible shrinking lay-off list, which is down to 185 people; while there are 350 vacant positions, so it isn’t even clear that lay-offs are needed. Unfortunately the consultants can’t get their spread sheets lined up straight enough to determine if the employees slated for lay-off can all be moved into vacant positions. They have succeeded in revitalizing the health care labor movement in the East Bay. Hundreds perhaps thousands of healthcare workers outraged by the misuse of
Measure A funds and the wasteful consultant contracts have begun organizing. There is huge energy and momentum.
On Tuesday, August 03, 2004, workers at all of the county health care clinics walked out and went to 1221 Oak Street to meet with their County Supervisors. The County Supervisors sensing rightly that this was an unusually large crowd and that things have gotten well “out of hand,” took decisive action. They invited the labor unions and the board of trustees to a tea party. The labor unions, and the care providers are doubtful that their differences can be worked out over brunch, so it looks like a strike. The good news is service in many areas has deteriorated so badly that patients might not notice if workers left for a day.
So what does the public get, besides a good show? Well we got a lay-off list filled with retirees and other ex-employees, we get lots of memos from Mike the temporary CEO, on the nice thick paper, we have four hour waits in the pharmacy, and patients stuck for days in the emergency department, and if things continue on the current path we will likely have a strike. Actually, Cambio has run-off, run over and retired close to a hundred employees, not necessarily employees the medical center could afford to lose but they are gone.
Cambio did produce a budget and the board of trustees did approve it. It contains the incredible shrinking lay-off list, which is down to 185 people; while there are 350 vacant positions, so it isn’t even clear that lay-offs are needed. Unfortunately the consultants can’t get their spread sheets lined up straight enough to determine if the employees slated for lay-off can all be moved into vacant positions. They have succeeded in revitalizing the health care labor movement in the East Bay. Hundreds perhaps thousands of healthcare workers outraged by the misuse of
Measure A funds and the wasteful consultant contracts have begun organizing. There is huge energy and momentum.
On Tuesday, August 03, 2004, workers at all of the county health care clinics walked out and went to 1221 Oak Street to meet with their County Supervisors. The County Supervisors sensing rightly that this was an unusually large crowd and that things have gotten well “out of hand,” took decisive action. They invited the labor unions and the board of trustees to a tea party. The labor unions, and the care providers are doubtful that their differences can be worked out over brunch, so it looks like a strike. The good news is service in many areas has deteriorated so badly that patients might not notice if workers left for a day.
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