Friday, July 17, 2009

Welcome to Prince William First

For those of you that have missed the recent online forums or other events, Save PWHS has evolved into Prince William First, a non-profit group dedicated to maintaining the jobs, salaries, benefits and culture of the Prince William Health System, recently bought out by an out of state entity.

We believe that by organizing we can protect ourselves. We believe everything that you can go back and read in our previous Save PWHS posts are opinions that are true and accurate.

We believe the fact that our PWHS "leadership" executives have received a bonus worth 6 months of their salaries upon merger completion and will receive one year's salary plus benefits as severance should they lose their job means that they have been bought and paid for and they are NOT looking out for us or our community.

The out-of-state corporation that has bought PWHS wants to change our local health system. They'll use euphemisms like 'integration', just as they've used euphemisms all along, like 'merger' and 'partnership', but you can not trust them to look out for you.

THEY WANT TO CHANGE OUR HOSPITAL TO WHAT WORKS IN NORTH CAROLINA.

THEY WANT TO CHANGE YOUR SALARY TO WHAT PASSES AS COMPETITIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

THEY WANT TO CHANGE YOUR BENEFITS -- VIRGINIA BENEFITS... VIRGINIA HEALTH INSURANCE AND VIRGINIA DENTAL INSURANCE -- TO WHAT THEY HAVE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

YOU MAY LOSE THE ACCESS TO SEE THE DOCTOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE ALWAYS SEEN WHEN YOUR INSURANCE CHANGES.

WE CAN STOP THIS.

By standing together and speaking as one, WE CAN STOP THIS.

We have received an amazing turnout of employees willing to sign up and pledge their allegiance to our Non-Profit concern and their fellow co-workers. We want this to continue, so when the time comes to draw a line in the sand to protect ourselves, the message will be clear and unmistakable.

As it spells out on each card, your signature and pledge to support Prince William First guarantees that we will remain a non-profit organization, free of charge to you, in perpetuity (forever!), that will accept nothing less than the current state of affairs, the pre-merger status quo in regard to structures, clinical ladders, employee salaries, benefits and cultural conditions.

For a copy of your card, write to prince.william.first@gmail.com

REMEMBER THAT IT IS ILLEGAL for your employers to attempt to persecute you for doing all you can to look out for yourself and your co-workers or signing up to support our group, so spread the word, but still do your best to smile to their faces.... do not give them reason to single you out or make an example out of you.

If you're asked about your support of our blog or our cause, or if you're directed by your supervisors or manager not to sign a card or questioned as to whether or not you have, document the circumstances and let us know.


Prince William First. Protect the career you've built for yourself, as well as the wages and coverage your family depends on. Sign up today.


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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Official Merger Announcement on July 1st.... Get Your Signed Cards in, ASAP

The merger announcement and festivities thrown by "leadership" executives who will be receiving a lump sum bonus worth six months of their salaries in the immediate future while your job hangs by an uncertain thread will occur on Wednesday, July 1st.

But we're still not done making a difference.

Keep checking your email for invitations to our next online chat and future meetings.

Please sign your cards and mail them to the PO box printed on the back, as soon as you can.

Our jobs, our culture, our wages, our benefits, our rights, our local control will still be protected, or if need be, be returned to us, if we all stand together.

Smile to their faces. Do not give them reason to persecute you. But don't forget what we've reported from day one. This is just the beginning.


Monday, June 15, 2009

You're Welcome... Why the Execs are Smiling... pre-sale secrecy... the Time is NOW to Stand UP...

Sure, it's only 3%, but we DESERVE it...

PWHS employees, you are very welcome, but you never need to thank us.


Hundreds have written in the past week informing us how the PWHS "leadership" has held a series of employee forums AND reinstated annual employee pay raises... just like we called upon them to do nearly a month ago. Our posts receive more than a thousand hits in the very first few days after publication. We have more than 500 subscribers and more than 400 PWHS employees have written with their support and actively participating in our weekly online chats.


This solidarity, this will to protect ourselves and OUR jobs is where our power lies. It is not coincidence or happenstance that the issues we address on this blog are then addressed by the powers that be at PWHS. We hold a light of truth up against their darkness and the shadow that is their lack of transparency. We MAKE them be accountable. We believe that if we had not held their feet to the fire, the reinstating of the annual merit increases would have been delayed until the merger (sale!) completion, so "leadership" could make employees believe that it was due to our new "partner" coming in to save the day.


This recent incident is just another example of the power that we employees and members of the PWHS community have. We've known this from the beginning, when it was ONLY an email, a mere single email that only a few dozen employees initially received that began being circulated among concerned hard working people titled 'Save PWHS' that lead to employee forums and the first ever release of financial data to employees.


That was back in March, now we are bigger, stronger and more organized than ever... and a 3% raise means a lot to those of us who aren't getting a bonus worth 6 months of our salaries like SOME people around PWHS...

Why the execs are smiling...

As we've been posting about from the very beginning, these are the facts: PWHS "leadership" execs will receive a bonus equal to SIX MONTHS worth of their salaries for remaining with PWHS upon successful completion of the Novant merger. They will receive a FULL year of their salary PLUS benefits as severance if the merger changes their role or makes their position redundant between now and the close of 2011.


Do not think for a moment that this is not accurate. If it were untrue, they would publicly decry and deny this information. This fact alone is proof that there is indeed a "bounty" as the CEO once claimed that there wasn't, and that PWHS leadership has a LOT of money and personal gain riding on the merger... a merger that at this point is seemingly inevitable and clearing regulatory approvals in secret and silence...

Operating in Secret: the new Board charter, the Regulatory process...

Without informing the PWHS employee population or the community that the Board allegedly serves, changes are being made to the bylaws and charter regulations that the PWHS Board operate under to allow for the merger and out-of-state control. This is being done in secret, unpublicized and without oversight.

The details of the regulatory approval process are also being done in secret. Any employee or citizen with a concern to voice would not know WHERE to being or WHO to address their issues to... which means that now, more than ever, is the time to

Stand up, ask questions, protect yourself and your co-workers...

AND YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO THIS ANONYMOUSLY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO FEAR REPRISALS FOR BEING PERCEIVED AS BEING ANTI-MERGER OR A "BOAT ROCKER" RIGHT NOW...

Now is the time to ask:

IS IT REALLY A MERGER AND PARTNERSHIP OR A SALE?

WHAT WILL THE MERGER MEAN FOR ME AND MY JOB?


WHAT WILL THE MERGER MEAN FOR MY DEPARTMENT?


WHAT WILL THE MERGER MEAN FOR MY SALARY?


WHAT WILL THE MERGER MEAN FOR MY BENEFITS?


WHAT WILL THE MERGER MEAN FOR MY P.D.O. BANK, MY RETIREMENT, MY INSURANCE?


WHY DO WE NEED A PARTNER WHILE OUR NEARBY NON-PROFIT NEIGHBORS CAN MAKE IT ON THEIR OWN?


Register your email address with us now for updates. The merger may seem inevitable but WE still have the power to protect ourselves and give our "leaders" NO CHOICE BUT TO LOOK OUT FOR US, the PWHS employee, and not just THEMSELVES and their lucrative employment agreements, containing their Stay Bonuses and the Severance Agreements that the REAL PWHS employees are not entitled to.


These employment agreements are WRITTEN-IN to the conditions of the sale/meger to Novant. "Leadership" is guaranteed these protections, these golden parachcutes. There is NO REASON why similar proections can not be guaranteed to the regular, hard working PWHS employee.


The time is NOW to stand up, ask questions and ACT, BEFORE our "leaders" cash out and leave, BEFORE PWHS is being run from North Carolina, just another branch of a company with only a powerless, puppet Board in place to look out for us. Northern Virginia is NOT North Carolina. It's up to us to MAKE them aknowledge that and realize that we will NOT allow PWHS to become just another powerless piece of an out-of-state corporate franchise. We challenge PWHS "leadership" to reveal the new Board charter and its new bylaws, and show us that there will be GENUINE local control, post-"partnership". At this juncture, we do not believe there will be. We can change this, though.


Sign up now and join us in making a difference.


the.real.save.pwhs@gmail.com

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

We're Back......

We'd like to thank the four hundred-plus PWHS employees and citizens who have emailed and patiently waited for a new article and update to this blog.

Where we went.........

A month ago today, we found ourselves very much outraged at the continued lack of transparency with pre-merger PWHS and the reported denial of access to employees who wanted to attend the meet-and-greet when the Novant CEO visited on April 20th. We knew none of the questions we were posing were being addressed and we were being largely ignored by the powers that be, who finally realized that they had been our greatest means of spreading our message by putting our name out there in their poorly written, inaccurate letters to employees that falsely accused Save PWHS of being a union in sheep's clothing. So we decided to take a collective deep breath and take a step back from actively writing to decide our best next step in furtherance of our goals: standing up for the employees of PWHS and the community.

We also took this hiatus due to a large volume of emailed reports coming in that informed us of a virtual 'witch-hunt' had begun at the hospital as the organization's 'leaders' scrutinized and made assumptions about the identities of Save PWHS posters, registered blog followers and those emailng them questions that would go unanswered. Such a thing is un-American and just goes to show just how much PWHS fears people speaking their minds and asking questions.

If you are a PWHS employee and have been penalized for anything you've emailed, blogged, subscribed to, commented on or posted while OFF THE CLOCK and from the privacy of your own home, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING AND CALL A LAWYER.

We also took this past month off in order to do our own thorough investigation of what Novant buying Prince William means and the current happenings at PWHS.

Things are different, now.


Changes within Save PWHS....we practice what we preach when it comes to transparency.....

After a great deal of introspection and research, some of our founding members believe that -- despite their anger and disappointment with the limited abilities of the current leadership and the decade long tenure of the current CEO that has left no other viable options but to sell to a larger organization -- Novant will be a blessing to PWHS if it purges the current leadership and allows the organization to have a rebirth, a fresh start.

We all still agree that there should be accountability to why PWHS could not make it on its own like ALL of our non-profit neighbors and the other issues we've beaten to death throughout the history of this blog.

We all still believe that there needs to be more transparency and a GREAT deal of attention needs to be paid to the terms of the merger and the details of the language and conditions set forth, especially in regard to local control and the Board of Directors, who currently operate in secret.

We all still believe that there needs to be more transparency with PWHS' financial information and that it is a travesty and a crime during a year when PWHS employees are NOT RECEIVING THEIR ANNUAL RAISES for the "leadership" executives to be paid six months of their salary as a bonus upon completion of the merger and a YEAR of their salary plus benefits as severance if they are replaced (and they will be) within a year of the merger.

We all still believe that a policy regarding severance for ALL employees that MIGHT lose their job due to a merger needs to be put in place.

We all still believe that PWHS, given the high costs of pre-merger legalities, public relations and lavish annual awards ceremonies that are being readily paid for without complaint, that the organization CAN pay its employees their meager annual cost of living / performance raises.

What we do not all still believe is that our work is done.

Some of us think we've said our piece and the blog can stand on its own and continue to inform those who read it. Some of us think that we're putting employees at risk and under an unfair spotlight if the hospital is truly actively persecuting or investigating what people might write or say on their own time... but conversely some of us think that this means now more than ever is the time to stand up and not buckle while there are still so many issues on the table.

Some of us think that continuing to report is the only way to enforce any degree of accountability and encourage dialogue in such a very non-transparent non-profit organization.

On many such issues, we respectfully disagree. Some of us will not be staying onboard to actively contribute. We'll continue to respect the anonymity of those who are leaving and the fact that for our own jobs and very safety, our methods and tactics of anonymous dissent were the necessary ones.

For the original image used in our Blogger profile (that we have since replaced), one of our departing founding members' very talented kids created a sketch based on an iconic masked avenger, a character who valued the truth above all else and did not believe in compromise, who could be best be summed up in the following quote:

"We do not do this thing because it is permitted. We do it because we have to. We do it because we are compelled."

In other words....

We're not going anywhere.

You can't buy us.

You can't scare us off.

You can't impress us or talk us into changing our minds.

We believe that the only thing that greed and the mistreatment of the working person need to flourish is for good people to remain silent and on the sidelines. Save PWHS is sticking around to keep encouraging people to get off the bench and into the game, to speak up and ask questions... to tell their bosses that IT IS SIMPLY NOT RIGHT OR JUST for the highest paid individuals in an organization to get bonuses worth 6 months of their salaries while the working people who actually RUN the hospital and allow it to function are not even getting their miniscule (less than 5%) annual increases.

This would have been a good issue to bring up at the recent public forum on the merger, it's a shame any employee who would have shown up with a dissenting opinion could be jobless by now....

The forum and regulatory approval...

According to recent public forum, a function at which virtually no employees attended or asked questions at for fear of reprisals, the regulatory approval process is already underway.

As with the INOVA merger, this approval is being done in secret and behind closed doors. The conditions and terms of this process are not being shared with the community or hospital employees. What regulatory agencies are involved? Will PWHS truly be an acquisition and be SOLD to Novant, as it would have been to INOVA, and is merger and "partnership" truly a euphemism as we've always claimed? Will there really still be genuine local control?

PWHS employees need to know who the Board are, who they'll be after the merger, what kind of power they'll truly have, if any, to really look out for the community when the controlling corporate office will be in North Carolina.

The biographical info on the PWHS website reveals NOTHING meaningful about the Board.

Readers have emailed the hospital's CFO and PR departments the following questions and received no answers:

How are Board members elected?

Are any Board members compensated?

Do any Board members work for the hospital in a consulting capacity?

What is the structure of the Board, what are its committees and subcommittees?

Do any of its members own businesses with contract relationships with the hospital? (WE know the answer to this one...)

Is the Board's charter and bylaws a matter of public record? Can the public access it?

Will the existing charter and bylaws be altered because of the merger? If so, how?

Prepare for more deafening silence in regard to these questions....


PWHS in the news:

More articles and links to come.

Tell your friends we're back and have a renewed focus.

Our focus is on PWHS owning up to what we've reported about their executive employment agreements and how it's only right for the average hardworking employee to receive their annual raises.

Our focus is on greater transparency about the Board and the truth about the terms and conditions of the merger agreement.

Our focus is on the creation of policies regarding severance for ALL employees.

Still anti-union. Still anti-corporate greed. Still pro-employee, pro-community and pro-transparency.

Still not for sale.

Probably a good time for some more employee forums, PWHS "leadership". With a number equal to 1/3 of your employee population subscribing to this blog and emailing us you can bet most everyone you work with will be reading it well before your Public Relations department informs you of it.


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Monday, April 20, 2009

Open Letter to Novant CEO Paul Wiles for his visit to PWHS, Monday 4/20/09

Dear Mr. Wiles,

Welcome back to Manassas.    We have some questions for you. 

Are you aware that PWHS employees are not receiving their annual cost of living / performance raises in 2009?   

Will the severance packages and stay bonuses going to executives come directly out of the 200 million Novant has pledged?

Novant is in the news for challenging / appealing the expansion of other health systems in North Carolina.   Do you think this will occur here in Northern Virginia?

Does Novant have policies on severance that will take effect at PWHS when we're part of the network?  What is the organization's philosophy on severance?   If a PWHS employee is no longer needed after a transition is made, what will the process be?  

------------

10 AM update:  local media spotted on the fourth floor - keep an eye out for articles.

12 PM update:  emails about how no reminder emails or overhead pages were made about the event this morning have come in.   

2 PM update:  multiple messages coming in about employees being denied by their supervisors to attend meet and greet with Mr Wiles.  

Friday, April 17, 2009

Preview for Monday... Open letter to media and community leaders... news links

On Monday, Novant CEO Paul Wiles will be at Prince William hospital to meet and greet employees.   We will have a special report Monday morning with questions we'd like to present to Mr. Wiles.   

In the meantine, here is an open letter -- one version of many as all members and supporters are encouraged to write  -- that has been sent to local media and our government representatives: 

------------------

Please find within the following potential topics of discussion for the meet and greet with Novant CEO Paul Wiles this Monday, April 20, on the fourth floor of the hospital at 10 AM.

In a recent memo, PWHS CEO Michael Schwartz questioned our motives and indicated that perhaps we are trying to advocate or representing a union in some capacity, but this is not true. We are local, non-profit (our blog has received nearly 5000 'hits' but it does not generate any money), non-union (and we're pretty much all old school GOP people and VERY anti-union in our personal politics), we are grassroots and most importantly we are too scared to go public with our IDs because we know it would cost us our jobs. One only has to search the Post's archives for articles about PWHS to see what Schwartz is capable of and the fact that during his tenure there has been a huge rate of executive turnover.  There is already an email / blog witch-hunt in effect at hospital, wasting time and money.

He's also claimed we've written a lot of incorrect information, but won't say exactly what of the items we've presented to the public are not accurate.

Our platform remains:

PWHS does not need to be sold, it is only being sold and in the state that its in both financially and morale-wise is because Schwartz had no plan B when the INOVA merger failed. On the blog you'll find a link to an article in Reuters stating that PWHS management claims our poor financial shape is due to the failed merger.

According to reports from corporate insiders that have not been denied, execs like Schwartz are getting a year of severance if they go due to the sale. They'll also receive a bonus of six months of their salary if they stick around to help the transition, pre-severance. No one is receiving cost of living or performance raises at PWHS in 2009 due to the economy. We think these severance packages and stay bonuses are wrong and need to be exposed and owned up to.  EVERYONE, since anyone lose their job due to a merger should have some kind of similar plan in place, whether their job loss will occur right off the bat post-sale or after the transition is complete.

We believe Novant would not be doing this if they were not SURE there was money to be made. Money PWHS should be able to find a way to make on its own, as have ALL of our non-profit neighbors, Potomac, Mary Washington and ESPECIALLY Fauquier...

We believe this is also mainly about Novant expanding our freestanding ER and building a new hospital in Haymarket, in order to compete with Fauquier.  Ironic since one only needs to do a Google news search on Novant and find that they're constantly in the news for challenging other NC health systems'
expansions.

The details, conditions and terms of this 'partnership' (SALE!) are going on behind closed doors, as happened with INOVA. "Partnership" and "Merger" are euphemisms that PWHS is feeding the public. This will be a SALE, an acquisition.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: We believe Virginia citizens, Prince William patients and local employees should not be under the thumb of an out of state healthcare giant (5th largest in the country, not counting the 27% ownership of the 7 for-profit HMA hospitals they have a piece of in the Carolinas) to the tune of $200 million dollars.

The fact that the hospital will keep its name and a local board is pure window dressing, throwing the community and lesser-informed employees a bone. The board serves at the CEO's leisure. There is no true accountability or oversight at PWHS, there will be even less when it's an out of state corporate CEO that the puppet board will be answering to.

We hope you can help the public know about what's really going on and perhaps be able to publicly ask some of the hard questions that we can't, as we still depend on our hard work at our independent community hospital to feed our families.

Thanks for your time and looking out for the community.

---------------------

PWHS in the news, reader comment references Save PWHS

http://www.fauquier.com/news/2009/apr/14/looming-crisis-skilled-nursing-shortage/


Novant in the news, as mentioned in the letter above:

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/apr/15/novant-appeals-ok-cmc-northeast-patient-tower-conc/

be sure to check the "Hospital Building Booms" blurb to the left of main article to see the health systems Novant is challenging:

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1489026.html


Don't forget to check back in Monday morning!!


Friday, April 10, 2009

Weekly Update: Another look at Novant... a Challenge to CEO Mike Schwartz... frontline reporting...


TIME TO STAND UP AND ASK QUESTIONS: NOVANT IN THE NEWS


Now more than ever, the citizens of Prince William county and PWHS employees need to take an active interest and look at the big picture of what it means to allow this outside company from North Carolina to "partner with" (BUY), "invest in" (BUY) or "merge with" (BUY AND TAKE OVER) our community hospital and health system.

PWHS' intended "partner" Novant is in the news for being named the 5th largest medical group in the United States:

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2009/04/06/daily26.html

Novant, a "non-profit", owns 27% of 7 for-profit Healthcare Management Associates (HMA) hospitals:

http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/hma-sells-seven-hospital-stake-to-novant/2008-04-02


http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Health_Management_Associates_(HMA)

Based on all of this we believe the following to be true:

Novant is a healthcare juggernaut! It is becoming increasingly clear that the picture being painted for PWHS employees of a humble non-profit from the south coming to help us out is NOT what is really going on. This is more than that. This is more than old Duke University alumni CEO cronies forming an alliance to make themselves richer. This is corporate healthcare trying desperately to expand into Northern Virginia to compete with INOVA, Medicorp, Potomac and - ESPECIALLY - Fauquier to our west.

This is REALLY all about expanding PWHS' Heathcote Health Center and building a new hospital in Haymarket. They would NOT be doing this if there was not money to be made... Money PWHS could make on its own with the right leadership.


Keep in mind:

Novant will expect a return on their 200 million dollar investment and would NOT be risking this amount of money if they weren't sure they'll be able to recuperate it. All of PWHS, meaning local patients and local employees will be beholden to this out of state corporation for each cent of that two hundred million.

The fact that a local 'Board' will still be in place to provide local governance is meaningless when Novant will hold all the purse strings. Like the current Board, it will merely be a formality, a purely ceremonial position and role that does NOT provide true oversight or guidance.

Most importantly, all of our genuinely non-profit neighbors are getting by on their own, and even though Schwartz FAILED at his goal of "merging" with INOVA, the FTC found PWHS should be able to stand on its own. We believe during this process many truths were concealed, ESPECIALLY the fact that Schwartz had no plan for PWHS other than to sell it. The records of the failed, aborted INOVA / PWHS "merger" can be found in the links below.

http://www.ftc.gov/os/adjpro/d9326/080509admincomplaint.pdf

http://www.ftc.gov/os/adjpro/d9326/index.shtm

Pay attention to language such as "and integrate PWHS into..." and "acquisition"... keep this in mind as Novant "partnership" draws nearer. As we've believed and reported from the beginning, "merger" and "partnership" are euphemisms when it comes to PWHS. PWHS will be bought, PWHS will be an acquisition.

Do not forget that this is not CEO Mike Schwartz's first attempt at handing over the reins and selling PWHS.... speaking of which...

A CHALLENGE TO PWHS CEO MIKE SCHWARTZ: EXPLAIN
WHY...

Why can our local non-profit neighbors do it on their own and PWHS can't?

Why can Fauquier specifically thrive and do it on their own? Potomac? Medicorp?

Why not respond to the those who believe you've done NOTHING for PWHS other than look to sell for nearly a decade and have had NO vision or alternative strategies?

Why do questions go unanswered when our readers and your employees e-mail the specific address that you have ASKED them to address their queries to?

Some more questions, while we're at it, all inspired by readers' emails and comments:

When quotes like "management attributes the overall financial deterioration of PWHS to the failed merger attempt with INOVA Health System" (http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS217449+25-Nov-2008+BW20081125 ) are out there in the press and your employees ask questions regarding its accuracy, why is there no response?

What is the pre-merger price tag? How much was spent during the past decade on the failed sales to Universal and INOVA?

What was the cost of the consultancy firm whose reports and reccomendations you've used as justification to sell, or "merge" and "partner" as you like to call it? Has this firm EVER told a community hospital NOT to sell?

How do you feel when you think about the 1400+ employees WITHOUT severance packages guaranteed to them?

How do you feel when you think about the fact that you'll receive a 'stay bonus' to help facilitate the "merger" while those who may be "merged" out of a job when the transition is complete will receive nothing, and possibly not even fair warning?


-------------------

We'll enjoy your deafening silence on these matters for now...or if you do decide to respond, we sincerely hope you pay for the lawyers and outside PR firm who will likely be co-writing your retort out of your own pocket...


REPORTS FROM THE FRONTLINES....

A Save PWHS reader
working in the Patient Access Service department writes:

"I emailed my bosses questions about the merger but was told to wait till our next quarterly meeting. To me that just means that they did'nt have an answer for me, or maybe just not one that they could tell me without causing panics. Me and others have also wrote to the pwhnews address but no one ever writes back. If they think we can sit around and wait for some quarterly newsletter or meeting for answers then theyr'e really wrong, not when they think merger could happen as quick as fall."

This is just one of many great emails from very hardworking, very scared people.

Another employee wrote to tell us that their supervisor claims that anything they read online is really from a union that is just trying to scare people into unionizing. We're waiting for and seeking additional confirmation for this happening in other departments. Make no mistake, we are anti-union and do not think PWHS needs one. PWHS needs leadership that WANTS to LEAD and not just sell out before cutting and running. Being scapegoated as union sympathizers WILL ONLY STRENGTHEN OUR RESOLVE AND FIRE US UP, EVEN MORE.

COMING SOON: A SPECIAL HISTORICAL LOOK AT PWHS AND A REPORT ABOUT KEN SWENSON and ROBERT REGAN, SCHWARTZ'S PREDECESSORS. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT BOTH THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE TRANSFER OF POWER AT PWHS AS WELL AS THE PAST NINE YEARS AND A TIMELINE OF MAJOR EVENTS UNDER SCHWARTZ'S DIRECTION...

For now, we leave you with a quote from Mr. Schwartz himself, from the November 22, 1999 Prince William Section of the Washington Post in an article titled "Health System Gets New Chief; Hospital's Spirit Drew Candidate" by staff writer Amy Joyce:

"Staying independent is not an easy task, but it's not insurmountable."

Friday, April 3, 2009

One Week Later... More on Severance... Don't become a pre-merger statistic...the email of the week: Fear, Loathing & Paranoia at PWH...Great Comment

Just one week after the Novant partnership revelation, SAVE PWHS and our opinion is going stong.... Some more of our opinion and point of view for you:

THANK YOU!! We've had more than 3,000 hits since going live on Wednesday, March 25th. We've had a lot of great emails, comments and pledges of support. Please see John's comment posted on our last article for some terrific ideas about contacting local government representatives and letting them know how you feel about PWHS being capable of remaining independent with the right leadership and not needing an out-of-state entity taking over. A North Carolina company expecting a return on their 200 million dollar investment is not what PWHS needs.

Some contact info for local representation:

delegatebobmarshall@hotmail.com

MayorCouncil@ci.manassas.va.us

We believe one local job being lost is too many. We believe that it is deplorable to allow PWHS leadership executives who have had NO OTHER PLAN FOR THE ORGANIZATION BUT TO SELL FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS to make a profit out of selling and handing the hospital and the power over more than 1,400 local jobs to outsiders. We believe these execs are the only thing holding PWHS back from enjoying the same success as our neighbors at Fauquier, Medicorp, Potomac and INOVA.

Speaking of execs making a profit and making off with money that PWHS supposedly does not have...

More on Severance... NOT the last word and complete expose that we will soon be presenting, but a relevant point to keep in mind in the coming weeks...

Beware corporate restructuring. A change in the person a "leadership" (yes, we know that term is laughable, at this point) level executive reports to is a loophole that will allow them to leave with a full year of their salary plus benefits. This means that should an exec want to jump ship, all that he or she would need to make this happen would be to have their superior change the chain of command, on paper. This could be done in secret without accountability or oversight, like so much else... just a little disgusting, disturbing PWHS food for thought for you.

One thing that will void an exec's severance package or possibility of a 'Stay Bonus' (and please stay tuned for more on those if you really want to feel ill) is being fired 'for cause', due to misconduct, incompetence, etc. Keeping that in mind, these execs have a great deal to lose. Do not allow yourself to become a patsy, fall guy or scapegoat...

DO NOT BECOME A PRE-MERGER STATISTIC...

As we mentioned previously, dissenters and those that leadership perceive as anti-merger may be targeted. Keep not only this in mind, but also that for everything that might be wrong or dysfunctional at PWHS there may be the need for someone to take the blame for it, especially if an executive focused on their severance has so much to lose if they were to have to take the responsibilty that may be rightfully theirs. Document everything. Verbally address everything you're concerned about, in front of witnesses, and then document that as well. Do not allow yourself to carry someone else's weight at the expense of your livelihood.

Some people believe this type of sabotage has already begun...

E-Mail of the Week:

On Friday, 4/3/09 at 10:36 AM, 10 Point Buck Hunter writes:
"A friend of mine got into some serious trouble for a very trivial matter. Basically he was made responsible for a comment that someone decided was somehow directed at and offensive to management. That is how bad things are. He knows he's being set up to take a larger fall. We all know. When the skeletons start dancing out of closets they'll be able to point at him and there will be something on his record to say he's trouble. Our bosses don't want to get exposed or fired for being the incompetents they are, so naturally they're going to find people to set up to take the hits for all their mistakes so they look OK to Novant and the FTC and whoever else. The result of this atmosphere is that we're all looking for new opportunities and can't believe what is happening. Thanks for trying to get the word out, but our feeling is that it is already far too late."
What kind of "I-Care" values are being exhibited in this situation???? Keep sending us reports from the front-lines!

Comment of the Week, posted on our previous 3/28 article:


Anonymous said...

" The Winston-Salem view can be found here: http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/mar/28/novant-enters-virginia-market-through-merger/business/

A line I find of interest: "Our leaders were familiar with their leaders, so when they started looking for a partner, we came up quickly as a possibility," he said. "Most health-care systems want that kind of commitment in a merger."

What kind of commitment is that exactly? A couple of good ol' boys rubbing elbows, making deals behind closed doors? This line clearly implies that this agreement has an underlying personal motive. A few friends helping each other out with consequences for our entire county! Oh, to have friends in high places!


And what about this? "Certainly Novant can offer system infrastructure and billing and collection resources, along with professional resources to improve efficiency and quality of operations."

Ummm... hello!!! PWH already has billing and collections resources. Once upon a time they had their own Patient Billing Office - before Schwartz sold them off. They have an entire department dedicated to capturing appropriate charges and tracking their revenue. What is going to happen to those employees when Novant introduces their "infrastructure"??? Another outsourcing? Are we going to see our friends, families and neighbors have their jobs sold to people in North Caroline?


This whole scheme just doesn't sit right. Maybe Schwartz is just trying to salvage what's left of his retirement money, surely his 401(k) is suffering like everyone else's. But do we really need to ruin the integrity of a community institution so one man can try to save face? I don't think so."


Great comment. Send this one to your local reps, too. Keep reading and posting, everyone.

In closing, just in case there is anyone out there with any doubt whatsoever that PWHS leadership NEVER had an alternative plan other than to sell and put all of its proverbial eggs into the merger basket, please check out the following press release, linked below. Pay close attention to second paragraph, in which you'll find: "management attributes the overall financial deterioration of PWHS to the failed merger attempt with INOVA Health System". Click here for the entire article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS217449+25-Nov-2008+BW20081125


More to come....

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Partner Announcement Weekend Update: Learn and Protect Yourself... Stand Up, but be Smart... This is just the Beginning... media links...

What’s next for PWHS employees and the community after yesterday’s announcement?

Thanks to all of the concerned citizens and employees who have given us so much attention and expressed their willingness to help and spread the word over the past 24 hours. If you haven’t already, please read the other two articles on this blog as well as the comments that have been made.

Special thanks to those who have provided the links and info about PWHS’s “merger” partner Novant and VERY special thanks to our family, friends, current associates and founding members who helped us break this story just 20 minutes after they were informed and the Friday morning directors and managers meeting concluded.


Learn about Novant:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5314/is_200006/ai_n21455889

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/feb/11/novant-reports-174-million-loss-2008-drop-investme/


Learn about their employment picture:

http://www.novanthealth.org/job_information/

Does a job similar to yours exist there? Do you meet the qualifications for it, based on their standards? We’ll go more in-depth on these issues soon, but in the meantime, protect yourself and do some research.

Do you work at PWHS through a third party contractor in the HIM or billing departments? Novant handles that in-house, sorry. Hopefully you’ll still keep your job with your parent company and have new assignment waiting for you that’s not too far away if you're a local.

A lot more on Novant jobs, soon. In the meantime...

Protect yourself, your coworkers and those with the courage to stand up…take a lot of notes…

If you ask any merger related questions, try to do so in front of others and document the time and place and nature of your inquiries and who you spoke to. If you have a coworker asking questions, make a note of this, also recording the time and place, content and people involved.

Do NOT allow the powers-that-be to begin to fire the dissenters or people they assume are not on their side. If the jobs of people who have asked questions or have spoken their mind begin to disappear based on trumped-up charges, sudden ‘budget cuts’ or allegedly low censuses, tell these people to contact us, the state Employment Commission, the FTC, the state’s Attorney General, their local government representatives and their own attorney or legal-aid lawyer. 

NO ONE should be afraid to have an opinion, ask questions or speak their mind in the appropriate manner and setting. Continue to do your jobs well in the same fashion that has allowed PWHS to stay afloat and win awards DESPITE being under such weak leadership, but when the times are right for conversation, do not be afraid and document EVERYTHING.


This is just the beginning... but time will pass quickly and the time to act is now....

Stay tuned and subscribe for updates on where to go and who are good people to voice your opinion to, we'll need all of Manassas to get involved if we're going to keep TRUE local control and evict the absentee landlords and weak leadership who are selling us out and have lead us into this situation.

The special report on Executive Employment Agreements, Severance Packages and Stay Bonuses is coming soon, but for now if you pass by a PWHS exec be sure to ask what YOU will get if your position will not be a permanent fixture after a merger and transition is complete. Ask how much of Novant's proposed $200 million investment will go toward taking care of YOU and your family and benefits, since millions of it will be already set aside and going to the executive golden parachutes that are already in place and will be part of the agreement to merge. 


the announcement in the news – please read and make comments!


http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/prince_william_health_systems_to_affiliate_with_novant/32685/

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/mar/28/novant-enters-virginia-market-through-merger/


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032702937.html


Knowledge is power... pass this on to your friends, coworkers or anyone with a stake in Prince William...

More to come. Subscribe to the blog and email us. Save PWHS.