Sorry, I have been off my game. The Trustee's are on it though, they shot back at the grand jury for that bogus report on the medical center. Read all about it. Dr. Ted Rose gets the Dirt's balls and brains salute for leadership. Go team!
http://www.insidebayarea.com/searchresults/ci_2895388
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Oakland 911
“911”
“Yes, please help me, a pit bull is eating my poodle.”
“Sir, you don’t really think this is a ‘police emergency’ do you?”
“Oh my God! He’s finished my poodle and is attacking the neighbor’s Labrador.”
“Sir, maybe you should call animal control or your neighborhood watch captain.”
“Please, just do something. What’s the animal control number?”
“Sir, this is 911, not 411. Click.”
“Hello, you’ve reached the City of Oakland’s animal control. We are unable to take your call at this time; if you need immediate assistance call the Oakland Police Department’s non-emergency number or you may leave a message after the sound of the beep. Beep. The voice mailbox you are trying to access is currently full. Click.”
“You have reached the Oakland Police Department’s non-emergency number all our operators are currently busy with other calls please stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order received. The current wait time is approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes.”
“Hello, you have reached the Oakland City Council.”
“There’s a marauding pit bull headed to a pre-school.”
“You know, we get so many calls about dogs and let me assure you that the councilperson strongly supports dogs and their owners. Let me suggest that you go to our website where you can see pictures of the councilperson and dogs and you can read about all that this district has done for dogs.”
“No! I need help, someone might get hurt.”
“Oh, I’m sorry we get so many calls about crime, there’s nothing we can do at this time. We did successfully pass Measures B and S and the new funding should be available in 2020.”
“No, my neighborhood is being terrorized by a marauding pit bull.”
“Well, I can advise you to join your neighborhood watch and get organized. If you can bring lots of people to meetings where the councilperson can talk about all they have done for your community, we might be able to help you more.”
“Please I just need one police officer.”
“Sir, this is a nuisance crime, if you give me your name and address I will send you a helpful brochure about policing yourself, home safety tips and 25 reasons to elect Jerry Brown as California Attorney General.”
“Yes, please help me, a pit bull is eating my poodle.”
“Sir, you don’t really think this is a ‘police emergency’ do you?”
“Oh my God! He’s finished my poodle and is attacking the neighbor’s Labrador.”
“Sir, maybe you should call animal control or your neighborhood watch captain.”
“Please, just do something. What’s the animal control number?”
“Sir, this is 911, not 411. Click.”
“Hello, you’ve reached the City of Oakland’s animal control. We are unable to take your call at this time; if you need immediate assistance call the Oakland Police Department’s non-emergency number or you may leave a message after the sound of the beep. Beep. The voice mailbox you are trying to access is currently full. Click.”
“You have reached the Oakland Police Department’s non-emergency number all our operators are currently busy with other calls please stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order received. The current wait time is approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes.”
“Hello, you have reached the Oakland City Council.”
“There’s a marauding pit bull headed to a pre-school.”
“You know, we get so many calls about dogs and let me assure you that the councilperson strongly supports dogs and their owners. Let me suggest that you go to our website where you can see pictures of the councilperson and dogs and you can read about all that this district has done for dogs.”
“No! I need help, someone might get hurt.”
“Oh, I’m sorry we get so many calls about crime, there’s nothing we can do at this time. We did successfully pass Measures B and S and the new funding should be available in 2020.”
“No, my neighborhood is being terrorized by a marauding pit bull.”
“Well, I can advise you to join your neighborhood watch and get organized. If you can bring lots of people to meetings where the councilperson can talk about all they have done for your community, we might be able to help you more.”
“Please I just need one police officer.”
“Sir, this is a nuisance crime, if you give me your name and address I will send you a helpful brochure about policing yourself, home safety tips and 25 reasons to elect Jerry Brown as California Attorney General.”
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Memo To Cambio Healthcare Solutions
Happy Holidays Homeless Shelter
Joe, “Hey Bob, you got mail from Highland.”
Bob, “Really, I didn’t think they sent mail to homeless shelters must be a bill. Open it for me.”
Joe, “Dude, it’s a bill for $190,000 dollars.”
Bob, “Wow, I hit the jackpot nobody’s ever thought I was worth that much.”
Joe, “You’re going to have to collect a lot of cans to pay that.”
Most healthcare consultants have problems with the fundamental premise of county hospitals, see the medical center’s mission statement says it will provide healthcare to the indigent and the uninsured. So let me introduce an important concept here, listen carefully and take notes fellas. Many of the medical center’s client’s are poor, by that I mean they have no money. Got it? Poor, no money. At the point that you’re sending out itemized bills to prisons, homeless shelters and freeway underpasses you got a problem.
Now that we have introduced the concept of poor, sick and homeless people being unlikely to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospital bills, lets apply these concepts to hospital management. See the medical center has services that assist clients in getting functional enough to work or in getting disability benefits, they’re called rehabilitation services. I know it’s tiresome listening to hospital employees who keep saying you need to help the patients more. Still, the medical center has to get patients well enough to work or get them the disability benefits, it’s the only way to get paid.
The medical center has a whole rehabilitation center so people can get intensive therapy to return to their lives and assistance in getting disability benefits if they are permanently disabled. This keeps people out of the emergency room, gets them back at work or at least gets them some income and medical coverage so the medical center can get paid for the services they provide.
So, when you consultant dudes wrote this year’s budget you looked at rehabilitation services and chop, chop, chop! You looked at the data and correctly concluded that the uninsured get therapy. Then you cut the funding for about a third of the therapists because they mostly serve the poor. The problem is if you want medical center clients to get unpoor enough to pay these huge consultant generated bills you have to get them well enough to work. Denying cheap appropriate care just frustrates patients and drives them back to the emergency room.
I know this is lots of new information and you consultant types probably never met any poor people, but most poor people want to get well. They work hard, expect little and want to be healthy. Cutting the services that patients need to return to work and manage their illnesses and injuries is unlikely to improve the medical center’s overall fiscal health, but I’m sure it looked good in your report!
Joe, “Hey Bob, you got mail from Highland.”
Bob, “Really, I didn’t think they sent mail to homeless shelters must be a bill. Open it for me.”
Joe, “Dude, it’s a bill for $190,000 dollars.”
Bob, “Wow, I hit the jackpot nobody’s ever thought I was worth that much.”
Joe, “You’re going to have to collect a lot of cans to pay that.”
Most healthcare consultants have problems with the fundamental premise of county hospitals, see the medical center’s mission statement says it will provide healthcare to the indigent and the uninsured. So let me introduce an important concept here, listen carefully and take notes fellas. Many of the medical center’s client’s are poor, by that I mean they have no money. Got it? Poor, no money. At the point that you’re sending out itemized bills to prisons, homeless shelters and freeway underpasses you got a problem.
Now that we have introduced the concept of poor, sick and homeless people being unlikely to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospital bills, lets apply these concepts to hospital management. See the medical center has services that assist clients in getting functional enough to work or in getting disability benefits, they’re called rehabilitation services. I know it’s tiresome listening to hospital employees who keep saying you need to help the patients more. Still, the medical center has to get patients well enough to work or get them the disability benefits, it’s the only way to get paid.
The medical center has a whole rehabilitation center so people can get intensive therapy to return to their lives and assistance in getting disability benefits if they are permanently disabled. This keeps people out of the emergency room, gets them back at work or at least gets them some income and medical coverage so the medical center can get paid for the services they provide.
So, when you consultant dudes wrote this year’s budget you looked at rehabilitation services and chop, chop, chop! You looked at the data and correctly concluded that the uninsured get therapy. Then you cut the funding for about a third of the therapists because they mostly serve the poor. The problem is if you want medical center clients to get unpoor enough to pay these huge consultant generated bills you have to get them well enough to work. Denying cheap appropriate care just frustrates patients and drives them back to the emergency room.
I know this is lots of new information and you consultant types probably never met any poor people, but most poor people want to get well. They work hard, expect little and want to be healthy. Cutting the services that patients need to return to work and manage their illnesses and injuries is unlikely to improve the medical center’s overall fiscal health, but I’m sure it looked good in your report!
Monday, June 27, 2005
Money Money Money…
It’s big money and bad idea time again. County and medical center budget time. The good news is the medical center is in decent financial shape; the bad news is Cambio Healthcare Solutions wrote the budget. They froze the hiring of caregivers again, so we’ll be using overtime and travelers in the many short-staffed departments. They need to keep cash available so they can hire more friends into fat executive positions and for legal fees.
Cambio got the medical center into what looks like a very long, very expensive legal battle with the psychiatrists and their union. The private contractor who wants the contract, the shrinks, and many of our temporary executives will all be deposing each other, meeting and conferring and generally building up more bad feelings and legal fees. Meanwhile, back at John George Psychiatric Pavilion, patients continue to back up in the psychiatric emergency area to dangerous levels and we don’t have enough permanent or temporary staff to care for them. Way to go Cambio!
So, this budget undoubtedly hides more than it reveals and the more eyes on it and our trusty trustees the better.
So the big budget meeting’s Tuesday, June 28th in Classroom A, Highland Hospital. They won’t tell us the time yet, but I’m sure the Sheriff knows. Just give the Sheriff a call or show up around 5:30 and wait with the rest of us.
Cambio got the medical center into what looks like a very long, very expensive legal battle with the psychiatrists and their union. The private contractor who wants the contract, the shrinks, and many of our temporary executives will all be deposing each other, meeting and conferring and generally building up more bad feelings and legal fees. Meanwhile, back at John George Psychiatric Pavilion, patients continue to back up in the psychiatric emergency area to dangerous levels and we don’t have enough permanent or temporary staff to care for them. Way to go Cambio!
So, this budget undoubtedly hides more than it reveals and the more eyes on it and our trusty trustees the better.
So the big budget meeting’s Tuesday, June 28th in Classroom A, Highland Hospital. They won’t tell us the time yet, but I’m sure the Sheriff knows. Just give the Sheriff a call or show up around 5:30 and wait with the rest of us.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
The Jolly Jury and The Sweet Smell of Snark
Here we go again. The Grand Jury is putting out its final report on the medical center this week. Will they correct all the factual errors? Will they tone down the anti-union rhetoric? And will they give Sheriff Plummer the credit he deserves for doing most of the thinking for the jury?
No, I doubt it, you see most people don’t get to be grand jurors; these are rich people, political players. These are insiders in the Alameda County Democratic machine. They hire lots of non-union workers to take care of their kids, their kitchens and their cats, and then they complain about the poor quality of hired help. They support civil rights, workers rights and a service or two for the poor, but in tough economic times their inner Republican comes out. They want to close the hospitals, beef up the prisons and grease the right palms. So, expect more of the same, sloppy thinking, right wing ideological rant, and pointless prose.
No, I doubt it, you see most people don’t get to be grand jurors; these are rich people, political players. These are insiders in the Alameda County Democratic machine. They hire lots of non-union workers to take care of their kids, their kitchens and their cats, and then they complain about the poor quality of hired help. They support civil rights, workers rights and a service or two for the poor, but in tough economic times their inner Republican comes out. They want to close the hospitals, beef up the prisons and grease the right palms. So, expect more of the same, sloppy thinking, right wing ideological rant, and pointless prose.
Imperial Cheese
This is the most embarrassing use of public funds that I’ll ever seen. Did they get Carmela Soprano to design this website? Be sure you have the sound on your computer turned on, you need the music to get the full effect.
Click here to see you tax dollars at work:
Imperial Cheese
Click here to see you tax dollars at work:
Imperial Cheese
Thursday, June 16, 2005
The Dirt Stands Corrected
County Supervisor Nate Miley’s charming staff pointed out that their violence prevention program will not be overseen by the Sheriff and that it is a sincere attempt to consolidate and coordinate these services in order to make them more accessible to county residents. The Sheriff just gave his enthusiastic and heartfelt support, he won’t be gaining turf or influence through this proposal. In fairness, Supervisor Miley has strongly supported the medical center since he came into office. He championed Measure “A”, he appointed Dr. Floyd Huen to the Authority Board (Dr. Huen and Dr. Rose are often the lone voices of reason) and he visits the medical center and talks to patients and staff.
Historically Supervisor Carson has been the main supporter of coordinated and compassionate healthcare on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Carson’s leadership helped get the new clinic and critical care building funded and built. Supervisor Haggerty, the only Republican on the Board, has also supported sane and sensible healthcare policy in Alameda County. He remains one of the most reasonable, honest and balanced voices on the Board.
The super chicks, Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele have been the worst. Gail Steele because of her tireless passion for punishment. Gail promotes herself as a child advocate, she just, sniff sniff, wants to do something for our kids. That’s why she’s fought tirelessly and ferociously for a bigger better juvenile prison. It’s her legacy, a huge kiddy-jail, way to go Gail! I know my children are excited about it. The Supes are so invested in prisons they even have a web cam so you can check the prison construction progress at any time day or night:
http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/gsa/juvenile/.
If we could only get the Supes as excited about libraries, schools or hospitals. As for Alice well, who knows, does she care about anything? Is she an empty power suit, nylons and pumps? And when Alice and Gail get together to discuss healthcare what do they talk about, pedicures?
Historically Supervisor Carson has been the main supporter of coordinated and compassionate healthcare on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Carson’s leadership helped get the new clinic and critical care building funded and built. Supervisor Haggerty, the only Republican on the Board, has also supported sane and sensible healthcare policy in Alameda County. He remains one of the most reasonable, honest and balanced voices on the Board.
The super chicks, Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele have been the worst. Gail Steele because of her tireless passion for punishment. Gail promotes herself as a child advocate, she just, sniff sniff, wants to do something for our kids. That’s why she’s fought tirelessly and ferociously for a bigger better juvenile prison. It’s her legacy, a huge kiddy-jail, way to go Gail! I know my children are excited about it. The Supes are so invested in prisons they even have a web cam so you can check the prison construction progress at any time day or night:
http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/gsa/juvenile/.
If we could only get the Supes as excited about libraries, schools or hospitals. As for Alice well, who knows, does she care about anything? Is she an empty power suit, nylons and pumps? And when Alice and Gail get together to discuss healthcare what do they talk about, pedicures?
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Mr. Scambio: A Poem
Mister Cambio? He’s a Scambio!
He came here 18 months ago,
But little did we know,
That Mr. Cambio was a Scambio!
He came to help us ‘turn around’,
But put us deeper in the ground!
That Mister Cambio, what a Scambio!
They said he was a real smart dude,
But it just seems we’re getting screwed
By that Scambio, Mr. Cambio!
Like a used car salesman he smiles,
Racking up the frequent-flyer miles!
That traveling Scambio, Mr. Cambio!
He stole our money and he lied,
Now he’s going to run and hide!
What a Scambio, Mr. Cambio!
He’s runnin’ back to Tennessee,
Fooled nobody but the B-O-T!
That sneaky Scambio, Mr. Cambio!
If our Sheriff’s worth the tax we pay,
He’d arrest Mr. Cambio and lock him away!
No bail for Scambios, Mr. Cambio!
And after all is said and done,
We’ll be right back where we started from!
So where’s the ‘Cambio’, Mr. Scambio?
An SEIU UHW member.
He came here 18 months ago,
But little did we know,
That Mr. Cambio was a Scambio!
He came to help us ‘turn around’,
But put us deeper in the ground!
That Mister Cambio, what a Scambio!
They said he was a real smart dude,
But it just seems we’re getting screwed
By that Scambio, Mr. Cambio!
Like a used car salesman he smiles,
Racking up the frequent-flyer miles!
That traveling Scambio, Mr. Cambio!
He stole our money and he lied,
Now he’s going to run and hide!
What a Scambio, Mr. Cambio!
He’s runnin’ back to Tennessee,
Fooled nobody but the B-O-T!
That sneaky Scambio, Mr. Cambio!
If our Sheriff’s worth the tax we pay,
He’d arrest Mr. Cambio and lock him away!
No bail for Scambios, Mr. Cambio!
And after all is said and done,
We’ll be right back where we started from!
So where’s the ‘Cambio’, Mr. Scambio?
An SEIU UHW member.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Follow the Money
I’m talking here about the County money, not the Measure A money. It’s Alameda County budget time; get ready for some fancy footwork, excuses, hand wringing, charts, huge stacks of unreadable reports and self-important bureaucrats acting officious.
So get involved, its gonna be fun, you got to keep your eye on these guys or they’ll close all the schools, hospitals and libraries and build huge multi-use prisons. They don’t call it prisons, courts and cops; they call it “public safety” it’s great spin. Investing heavily in crime and punishment does not make us safer.
Shoot, Supervisor Miley’s pushing to put the Sheriff in charge of violence prevention. Yeah, why pay experts who work for lean focused non-profits, when you can pay prison guards. If current trends continue all county services will be offered out of Santa Rita Prison. Prisons have the infrastructure, the money and the political support.
Don’t give up, politicians are wimps, weenies and whiners, they’ll do the right thing if you make them.
So here’s the link to a site with a budget overview, and stay tuned, low-budget lobbying is my specialty.
http://eastbayliving.org/mediaroom/newsline.asp?ID=278
So get involved, its gonna be fun, you got to keep your eye on these guys or they’ll close all the schools, hospitals and libraries and build huge multi-use prisons. They don’t call it prisons, courts and cops; they call it “public safety” it’s great spin. Investing heavily in crime and punishment does not make us safer.
Shoot, Supervisor Miley’s pushing to put the Sheriff in charge of violence prevention. Yeah, why pay experts who work for lean focused non-profits, when you can pay prison guards. If current trends continue all county services will be offered out of Santa Rita Prison. Prisons have the infrastructure, the money and the political support.
Don’t give up, politicians are wimps, weenies and whiners, they’ll do the right thing if you make them.
So here’s the link to a site with a budget overview, and stay tuned, low-budget lobbying is my specialty.
http://eastbayliving.org/mediaroom/newsline.asp?ID=278
Everybody’s a Winner
Who is Alameda County’s number one public health enemy, do you think you know? Have a good idea? Now’s your chance, the Dirt is currently accepting nominations for the Alameda County Enemies of Public Health Competition. All companies, boards, juries, persons, and politicians working in Alameda County are eligible, locals only. State and federal officials are being omitted, the Dirt recognizes that the Governor’s a public health menace and that State Senator Perata is probably dirtier than Delay, but this contest will focus locally on Alameda County and highlight the good, the bad and the ugly. Get your nominations in now!
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Help Wanted – (Part II of Our Continuing Report on the Grand Jury, the DA, the Sheriff and other Snark)
“The medical center is not an employment agency for SEIU (healthcare unions).”
-Sheriff Charles Chainsaw Plummer
The Sheriff did most of the thinking for the Grand Jury report that slams the medical center. Chainsaw Charlie and Deputy DA Stark, use union bashing as sort of a literary theme to hold the report together. The report concludes that the medical center should fire hundreds of lazy union workers, give millions back to the county and thus “save healthcare.”
Chainsaw Charlie and DA Tom Orloff want that Measure " A" money; they feel they’ve earned it. Chainsaw endorsed Measure “A” and Orloff was the Treasurer. That much cash doesn’t come to the county without Tom and Chuck taking a piece. They’ve already cut a deal with the Supes; any cash they squeeze out of other county agencies goes right to them, for “public safety.” This has made libraries; schools and hospitals feel decidedly “unsafe.”
Besides, union bashing, the Grand Jury’s report is remarkable for its uncritical praise for Cambio Healthcare Solutions; in fact the Grand Jury and the Sheriff are the only people in Alameda County who haven’t declared the Cambio consulting deal a complete and expensive failure.
Suppose the hospital implemented the huge service cuts recommended by the Grand Jury, who stands to benefit from the cuts and closures at the medical center: Cambio Healthcare Solutions, the Sheriff and the District Attorney. What’s the common denominator here, clout: they all have so much political clout; they don’t have to worry about facts or public opinion.
The Sheriff has 1,500 employees most of them armed; an ex-sheriff is the Chief of Police for Oakland and the Foreman of the Grand Jury. Retired Deputy Boyer, Grand Jury Foreman is a friend of Deputy DA Stark’s daddy congressman “Pete” Stark.
What about the consultants, well, Cambio’s the ERON of Tennessee. Cambio’s Susan Crutchfield CEO for a second of the medical center sure looks like she’s related to Tennessee’s Senator Crutchfield (he’s getting a lot of attention from the FBI lately).
District Attorney Orloff’s real job is preserving his job; he’s a professional career preservationist. The DA hired Congressman Stark’s son and daughter-in-law, Attorney General Lockyer’s daughter, Congressman Leon Panetta’s kin and many of the sons and daughters of judges in his courts. He’s got so much political capital he’ll be dead and buried and still holding that office.
This is politics after all, its not what you know; its who you know or more precisely, who you hire. The Sheriff is right if the medical center continues to hire people based on their qualifications rather than their “relations” they’re sunk. That’s why the medical center has to begin an aggressive recruitment effort to hire close friends and relatives of important politicians. They need a Senator’s kid or better. If the medical center can bag a Rockefeller or a Kennedy, money might actually flow out of the prisons and into healthcare.
-Sheriff Charles Chainsaw Plummer
The Sheriff did most of the thinking for the Grand Jury report that slams the medical center. Chainsaw Charlie and Deputy DA Stark, use union bashing as sort of a literary theme to hold the report together. The report concludes that the medical center should fire hundreds of lazy union workers, give millions back to the county and thus “save healthcare.”
Chainsaw Charlie and DA Tom Orloff want that Measure " A" money; they feel they’ve earned it. Chainsaw endorsed Measure “A” and Orloff was the Treasurer. That much cash doesn’t come to the county without Tom and Chuck taking a piece. They’ve already cut a deal with the Supes; any cash they squeeze out of other county agencies goes right to them, for “public safety.” This has made libraries; schools and hospitals feel decidedly “unsafe.”
Besides, union bashing, the Grand Jury’s report is remarkable for its uncritical praise for Cambio Healthcare Solutions; in fact the Grand Jury and the Sheriff are the only people in Alameda County who haven’t declared the Cambio consulting deal a complete and expensive failure.
Suppose the hospital implemented the huge service cuts recommended by the Grand Jury, who stands to benefit from the cuts and closures at the medical center: Cambio Healthcare Solutions, the Sheriff and the District Attorney. What’s the common denominator here, clout: they all have so much political clout; they don’t have to worry about facts or public opinion.
The Sheriff has 1,500 employees most of them armed; an ex-sheriff is the Chief of Police for Oakland and the Foreman of the Grand Jury. Retired Deputy Boyer, Grand Jury Foreman is a friend of Deputy DA Stark’s daddy congressman “Pete” Stark.
What about the consultants, well, Cambio’s the ERON of Tennessee. Cambio’s Susan Crutchfield CEO for a second of the medical center sure looks like she’s related to Tennessee’s Senator Crutchfield (he’s getting a lot of attention from the FBI lately).
District Attorney Orloff’s real job is preserving his job; he’s a professional career preservationist. The DA hired Congressman Stark’s son and daughter-in-law, Attorney General Lockyer’s daughter, Congressman Leon Panetta’s kin and many of the sons and daughters of judges in his courts. He’s got so much political capital he’ll be dead and buried and still holding that office.
This is politics after all, its not what you know; its who you know or more precisely, who you hire. The Sheriff is right if the medical center continues to hire people based on their qualifications rather than their “relations” they’re sunk. That’s why the medical center has to begin an aggressive recruitment effort to hire close friends and relatives of important politicians. They need a Senator’s kid or better. If the medical center can bag a Rockefeller or a Kennedy, money might actually flow out of the prisons and into healthcare.
Monday, May 30, 2005
A Friend Remembered- Memorial Day
Working at the county hospital you don’t expect to meet veterans. Born and raised in Berkeley, I’m against war and afraid of guns. My father served briefly between wars but mostly uniforms, tanks, guns and soldiers frighten me. This county put my father in a camp during the World War II and I still haven’t forgiven us.
I never knew soldiers and I certainly didn’t expect to meet so many. I met John teaching swimming to disabled students in Berkeley. John, a former Marine had a huge brain tumor, the bad kind. He worked in construction when he started to have headaches and mood swings. His first doc thought, young healthy former Marine must be post-traumatic stress, PTSD. He got some mood meds. His balance got really bad and he looked drunk when he walked, he lost his job. He started living in his car and trying to get more pain meds, the headaches got unbearable. The police arrested John; they thought he was drunk but when he didn’t dry up the sent him to psychiatric hospital. The psych hospital sent him to the county hospital.
I never met a Marine before. John knew he wasn’t going to live and probably wouldn’t walk again. That’s why he wanted to smoke, laugh and be outside. He didn’t have any family and not many regrets; he was one of the strongest and kindest people I’ve ever met.
People don’t think of Highland Hospital as serving veterans but it does. I have worked with veterans from, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War I and I’m sure we’ll be seeing veterans from Iraq soon. They are some of the medical center’s most gracious and likable clients.
I never knew soldiers and I certainly didn’t expect to meet so many. I met John teaching swimming to disabled students in Berkeley. John, a former Marine had a huge brain tumor, the bad kind. He worked in construction when he started to have headaches and mood swings. His first doc thought, young healthy former Marine must be post-traumatic stress, PTSD. He got some mood meds. His balance got really bad and he looked drunk when he walked, he lost his job. He started living in his car and trying to get more pain meds, the headaches got unbearable. The police arrested John; they thought he was drunk but when he didn’t dry up the sent him to psychiatric hospital. The psych hospital sent him to the county hospital.
I never met a Marine before. John knew he wasn’t going to live and probably wouldn’t walk again. That’s why he wanted to smoke, laugh and be outside. He didn’t have any family and not many regrets; he was one of the strongest and kindest people I’ve ever met.
People don’t think of Highland Hospital as serving veterans but it does. I have worked with veterans from, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War I and I’m sure we’ll be seeing veterans from Iraq soon. They are some of the medical center’s most gracious and likable clients.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
County Supes Union Busting for Fun and Profit
The county supes are starting to sound just like Arnold, they’re blaming all healthcare problems and shortages on the “special interests:” nurses, housekeepers, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, radiology technicians and their unions. They all parrot the sheriff’s mantra “ the problem with the medical center is that the unions have too much power.” What does that mean? If the unions and the employees had any clout or power they would fix the medical center’s billing department. Many supervisors refuse to meet with union representatives and hospital employees, the Grand Jury and consultants’ slander them, they have little or no access to the hospital authority board and the sheriffs outnumber and intimidate them at all public meetings.
So, why do county supervisors keep blaming everything from world hunger to the rising cost of pharmaceuticals on the healthcare unions? Well, it’s a bad budget year and they’re looking for easy money. You break a few unions, contract out a few services, and dump people off those county pensions, you cash in. Then the supes reap the added benefit of giving fat contracts to big campaign donors. Union busting for fun and profit, it’s not very original.
So the hospital authority is leading the charge, impervious to reason, due process and bad press. They forged ahead and contracted out the entire psychiatry staff. They were so eager to attack a union that they didn’t bother with the necessary negotiating steps or even the price tag. The authority board’s contract actually increases the cost of services, but the private contractor has lots of political suction, she makes regular thousand-dollar donations to county supervisors and initiative campaigns. The private contractor gets a huge return on investment, the supervisors get to bust a union and the medical center gets a bigger bill for the same services, and a costly lawsuit. It’s just the kind of lose lose deal the hospital authority board has become famous for.
So, why do county supervisors keep blaming everything from world hunger to the rising cost of pharmaceuticals on the healthcare unions? Well, it’s a bad budget year and they’re looking for easy money. You break a few unions, contract out a few services, and dump people off those county pensions, you cash in. Then the supes reap the added benefit of giving fat contracts to big campaign donors. Union busting for fun and profit, it’s not very original.
So the hospital authority is leading the charge, impervious to reason, due process and bad press. They forged ahead and contracted out the entire psychiatry staff. They were so eager to attack a union that they didn’t bother with the necessary negotiating steps or even the price tag. The authority board’s contract actually increases the cost of services, but the private contractor has lots of political suction, she makes regular thousand-dollar donations to county supervisors and initiative campaigns. The private contractor gets a huge return on investment, the supervisors get to bust a union and the medical center gets a bigger bill for the same services, and a costly lawsuit. It’s just the kind of lose lose deal the hospital authority board has become famous for.
Jim Price Talking Sense
Comments from the Hospital Authority Board Meeting Monday, May 23rd
Ladies and gentlemen my name is Jim Price and I represent members of
EastBayLiving. We're a local advocacy group whose members all have one thing in common. We want to see the communities in our county thrive. My father worked at the medical center for over 30 years, which really meant that this hospital was part of my family for over 30 years. I grew up concerned about our patients, their care and our hospital.
I'm here tonight to suggest that with the addition of our new board members, that this is as good a time as any to begin to create a new environment of trust and open honest communication between the board, the administration, the employees and unions leaders. I've been talking and mostly listening to all of you for a while now and the one thing that concerns me the most is the lack of trust that exists. The internal bickering, lack of focus and a unified vision results in bad press and misrepresentation of the exceptional work that is done here every day.
Lack of trust and communication prevents caregivers, administrators, trustees and unions from focusing on the real work of building operational infrastructure. This Board should ask the consultants, the managers, the doctors, all the employees and their unions representatives to work with them to make this hospital better.
If the trustees lead the hospital on a comprehensive campaign to fix the billing department and took the time to educate and involve everyone, they could improve revenue and morale. Hospital workers and their unions want to help, doctors want to help, community members want to help. The trustees as leaders must provide the leadership and vision we all need to work together.
Knowing the medical center is under such tremendous financial pressure. We must all focus on improving revenue, which will create job security, good press and good relationships with the Board of Supervisors and other county agencies. We want to work on positive change, like making county debt repayment based on a percentage of net revenue. This will create an incentive for success. The county will profit from our success, instead of from service cuts.
This Board must work to create a culture of trust and cooperation. It must develop policies, which encourage cooperation and mutual respect between the County Hospital and other county agencies. In this way the medical center can lead the county, toward more cost effective and caring service for all residents who need county care.
Doctors, nurses, caregivers, staff, their union leaders, administrators, patients, community members and the voters of Alameda County all want the medical center to thrive. We want to help you to make this hospital better, please give us the opportunity.
Ladies and gentlemen my name is Jim Price and I represent members of
EastBayLiving. We're a local advocacy group whose members all have one thing in common. We want to see the communities in our county thrive. My father worked at the medical center for over 30 years, which really meant that this hospital was part of my family for over 30 years. I grew up concerned about our patients, their care and our hospital.
I'm here tonight to suggest that with the addition of our new board members, that this is as good a time as any to begin to create a new environment of trust and open honest communication between the board, the administration, the employees and unions leaders. I've been talking and mostly listening to all of you for a while now and the one thing that concerns me the most is the lack of trust that exists. The internal bickering, lack of focus and a unified vision results in bad press and misrepresentation of the exceptional work that is done here every day.
Lack of trust and communication prevents caregivers, administrators, trustees and unions from focusing on the real work of building operational infrastructure. This Board should ask the consultants, the managers, the doctors, all the employees and their unions representatives to work with them to make this hospital better.
If the trustees lead the hospital on a comprehensive campaign to fix the billing department and took the time to educate and involve everyone, they could improve revenue and morale. Hospital workers and their unions want to help, doctors want to help, community members want to help. The trustees as leaders must provide the leadership and vision we all need to work together.
Knowing the medical center is under such tremendous financial pressure. We must all focus on improving revenue, which will create job security, good press and good relationships with the Board of Supervisors and other county agencies. We want to work on positive change, like making county debt repayment based on a percentage of net revenue. This will create an incentive for success. The county will profit from our success, instead of from service cuts.
This Board must work to create a culture of trust and cooperation. It must develop policies, which encourage cooperation and mutual respect between the County Hospital and other county agencies. In this way the medical center can lead the county, toward more cost effective and caring service for all residents who need county care.
Doctors, nurses, caregivers, staff, their union leaders, administrators, patients, community members and the voters of Alameda County all want the medical center to thrive. We want to help you to make this hospital better, please give us the opportunity.
Banana Board
The Dirt’s report on the “new and improved” Alameda County
Medical Center Board of Trustees.
The small narrow room filled quickly, the air thick with tension; staff set up fans and the door and the windows were opened, but it kept getting hotter and hotter. The air just stopped moving. Hoards of sober dark suits milled around trying to stay cool. Most of the guests had more enemies than friends in the room and armed sheriff’s stood guard and flanked El Generalissimo. As usual the meeting was delayed. No one wanted to come to this meeting. Union busting, lawsuits, lay-offs, all bad news that would result in more bad feelings and bad press.
Afghanistan? Columbia? Guatemala during the seventies? Nope, the left coast, the liberal heartland, the democratic machine, the Alameda County public hospital. The County Supervisor’s own little banana republic complete with El Generalissimo Plummer and puppet appointees who take orders from the county supervisors who feign ignorance and indifference.
El Generalissimo and his command captains take copious notes on luxurious sheriff’s letterhead and send copies to all the politicians, grand juries and commanders so they know what to think. The supes insist Generalissimo Plummer is really “a great guy” and “he’s just trying to be helpful.” El Generalissimo Plummer wants attendees to kiss his ring.
Medical Center Board of Trustees.
The small narrow room filled quickly, the air thick with tension; staff set up fans and the door and the windows were opened, but it kept getting hotter and hotter. The air just stopped moving. Hoards of sober dark suits milled around trying to stay cool. Most of the guests had more enemies than friends in the room and armed sheriff’s stood guard and flanked El Generalissimo. As usual the meeting was delayed. No one wanted to come to this meeting. Union busting, lawsuits, lay-offs, all bad news that would result in more bad feelings and bad press.
Afghanistan? Columbia? Guatemala during the seventies? Nope, the left coast, the liberal heartland, the democratic machine, the Alameda County public hospital. The County Supervisor’s own little banana republic complete with El Generalissimo Plummer and puppet appointees who take orders from the county supervisors who feign ignorance and indifference.
El Generalissimo and his command captains take copious notes on luxurious sheriff’s letterhead and send copies to all the politicians, grand juries and commanders so they know what to think. The supes insist Generalissimo Plummer is really “a great guy” and “he’s just trying to be helpful.” El Generalissimo Plummer wants attendees to kiss his ring.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Wake Up and Smell The Snark (Part I)
Yes, I’m slipping into bloglish. So you say what’s snark? Well, it’s that smell emanating from the President’s kill Social Security campaign, or Swartzenegger’s border bashing plan or the Grand Jury’s interim report on the medical center. In fact the smell of that report was so bad the Dirt convened a task force. If the odor doesn’t let up we’ll have to create committees and focus groups. There are so many factual errors, offensive statements, and poorly reasoned conclusions; we’ve had to divide up the work. We’ll be doing a series on the Grand Jury’s interim snark report.
So, who wrote the snark report? The Grand Jury is overseen by political wannabe, Jeff Stark, congressman “Pete” Stark’s son. I thought these guys we’re democrats, but what do I know. Jeff’s helper was the Foreman of the Grand Jury, Keith Boyer. Mr. Boyer was a Captain in the Sheriff’s department for 27 years and he’s a perennial appointee to county commissions. He’s friends with Gail Steele, “Chainsaw” Charlie Plummer and “Pete.” It really helps to have friends on the Grand Jury. The 2003-2004 Grand Jury Report on the Sheriff’s Department reads like a budget request.
“ The Grand Jury urges future grand juries to closely monitor the sheriff’s on-going planning process, paying close attention to the ability to provide a funding source for this sorely needed project [replacement of Eden Township Substation]. “
The conclusion was: “All three facilities, Eden Township Substation, the coroner’s bureau, and the communications center-are all in need of replacement as soon as possible.“
The Grand Jury walked through Highland and didn’t even offer to get us more toilet paper. No, they focused on attacking the unions, the trustees and glorifying consultants. Measure “A” monies must have looked like that “funding source” the Sheriff sorely needed.
Stay tuned for Part II: The Jolly Jury and the Sweet Smell of Snark
So, who wrote the snark report? The Grand Jury is overseen by political wannabe, Jeff Stark, congressman “Pete” Stark’s son. I thought these guys we’re democrats, but what do I know. Jeff’s helper was the Foreman of the Grand Jury, Keith Boyer. Mr. Boyer was a Captain in the Sheriff’s department for 27 years and he’s a perennial appointee to county commissions. He’s friends with Gail Steele, “Chainsaw” Charlie Plummer and “Pete.” It really helps to have friends on the Grand Jury. The 2003-2004 Grand Jury Report on the Sheriff’s Department reads like a budget request.
“ The Grand Jury urges future grand juries to closely monitor the sheriff’s on-going planning process, paying close attention to the ability to provide a funding source for this sorely needed project [replacement of Eden Township Substation]. “
The conclusion was: “All three facilities, Eden Township Substation, the coroner’s bureau, and the communications center-are all in need of replacement as soon as possible.“
The Grand Jury walked through Highland and didn’t even offer to get us more toilet paper. No, they focused on attacking the unions, the trustees and glorifying consultants. Measure “A” monies must have looked like that “funding source” the Sheriff sorely needed.
Stay tuned for Part II: The Jolly Jury and the Sweet Smell of Snark
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Community Support Growing- Thanks Jim!
The medical center has always enjoyed a huge amount of community support and trust. Jim Price a member of East Bay Living and a community leader has taken a welcome and personal interest in the medical center.
Many people have misconceptions and prejudices about public hospitals; Jim Price is part of the medical center’s family, his father worked at Highland for more than 30 years; he grew up worrying about our patients, their care and our hospital.
Check out East Bay Living’s report on the medical center:
http://eastbayliving.blogspot.com/
Many people have misconceptions and prejudices about public hospitals; Jim Price is part of the medical center’s family, his father worked at Highland for more than 30 years; he grew up worrying about our patients, their care and our hospital.
Check out East Bay Living’s report on the medical center:
http://eastbayliving.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Hasta La Vista Chainsaw
The good people of Alameda County sent Chainsaw Charlie Plummer packing. They told the Board of Supervisors in no uncertain terms that they do not want the Sheriff in charge of the hospitals. After hundreds of instructive phone calls, letters, and faxes the Board of Supervisors realized his appointment to the Hospital Authority Board was unwise, unethical and probably illegal. In fact all of the Supervisors deny nominating him for the Board, they don’t know how it happened.
Ever concerned about the proper functioning of the County government, they went right to work concocting a plan that would allow Sheriff Plummer to “save face.” They replaced him with another nominee and attempted move the meeting along as quickly as possible. Old Chainsaw Charlie, never one to pass up an audience, even gave a concession speech.
Ever concerned about the proper functioning of the County government, they went right to work concocting a plan that would allow Sheriff Plummer to “save face.” They replaced him with another nominee and attempted move the meeting along as quickly as possible. Old Chainsaw Charlie, never one to pass up an audience, even gave a concession speech.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Stop Chainsaw Charlie
It’s time for everyone to have a heart-to-heart discussion with the Alameda County Supervisors. Putting the Sheriff on the Hospital Authority Board to cut services, to close hospitals and to break unions is a mean and ugly idea. He has a huge conflict of interest and hundreds of community members, patients, physicians, nurses and caregivers have already called, faxed and written to express their shock and outrage at the proposal.
The Medical Center and local elected officials should be building bridges; not blowing them up. The hospital has nearly balanced the budget, there is no financial crisis; there is a crisis of leadership. We need hospital trustees who want to work with the community, the unions, the physicians, and the patients to make the hospital better.
Please call right now:
President of the Board Supervisor
Keith Carson (510) 272-6695
Tell him:
I oppose the appointment of Sheriff Plummer to the Hospital Authority Board because of his conflict of interest.”
Please Come to the
Board of Supervisors Meeting:
Tuesday May 17th 10:00 am
1221 Oak Street, 5th Floor
Oakland, CA
The Medical Center and local elected officials should be building bridges; not blowing them up. The hospital has nearly balanced the budget, there is no financial crisis; there is a crisis of leadership. We need hospital trustees who want to work with the community, the unions, the physicians, and the patients to make the hospital better.
Please call right now:
President of the Board Supervisor
Keith Carson (510) 272-6695
Tell him:
I oppose the appointment of Sheriff Plummer to the Hospital Authority Board because of his conflict of interest.”
Please Come to the
Board of Supervisors Meeting:
Tuesday May 17th 10:00 am
1221 Oak Street, 5th Floor
Oakland, CA
Chainsaw Charlie Plummer
The Tribune’s been covering Sheriff Charlie Plummer’s coup of the Medical Center with uncritical awe and adoration. Awhile ago it looked like they were interested in doing some real reporting, now it looks like they’re back to doing PR work for the prison industrial complex. I think they’re letting the Sheriff write the articles himself to save on labor costs.
According to the Tribune the unions “said” there is a conflict of interest in putting the Sheriff on the Alameda County Hospital Authority Board. I guess nobody had time to read the bylaws of the Hospital Authority Board, which specifically prohibit contractors from sitting on the Hospital Authority Board. You see the Medical Center contracts with the Sheriff for security and the Sheriff contracts with the Medical Center for healthcare for prisoners. The Sheriff and the Medical Center also compete for county funding from the County General Fund. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in Alameda County with more conflict of interest than the Sheriff.
The Medical Center has nearly balanced the budget; if the Sheriff stopped billing so much overtime for security and started paying the bills for health services provided to prisoners, the Medical Center might be at break even. That’s not really the point though is it, Supervisor Carson wants lay-offs, the Sheriff wants money and all the Supes want land. They brought in Chainsaw Charlie to close Fairmont Hospital and disperse the patients and caregivers in an orderly fashion. Throwing out all those patients will save millions, that money will go back to the County and the Sheriff will get it, the land will go to the Supes.
Fairmont’s a choice piece of real estate, why the Supes will make a mint with lots of developer friends chopping up that land. It’s a politician’s wet dream, make rich friends and do them big favors. What do you think they’ll put at Fairmont, Keith Carson’s Casino and Western Grill?
According to the Tribune the unions “said” there is a conflict of interest in putting the Sheriff on the Alameda County Hospital Authority Board. I guess nobody had time to read the bylaws of the Hospital Authority Board, which specifically prohibit contractors from sitting on the Hospital Authority Board. You see the Medical Center contracts with the Sheriff for security and the Sheriff contracts with the Medical Center for healthcare for prisoners. The Sheriff and the Medical Center also compete for county funding from the County General Fund. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in Alameda County with more conflict of interest than the Sheriff.
The Medical Center has nearly balanced the budget; if the Sheriff stopped billing so much overtime for security and started paying the bills for health services provided to prisoners, the Medical Center might be at break even. That’s not really the point though is it, Supervisor Carson wants lay-offs, the Sheriff wants money and all the Supes want land. They brought in Chainsaw Charlie to close Fairmont Hospital and disperse the patients and caregivers in an orderly fashion. Throwing out all those patients will save millions, that money will go back to the County and the Sheriff will get it, the land will go to the Supes.
Fairmont’s a choice piece of real estate, why the Supes will make a mint with lots of developer friends chopping up that land. It’s a politician’s wet dream, make rich friends and do them big favors. What do you think they’ll put at Fairmont, Keith Carson’s Casino and Western Grill?
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