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:
What kind of "I-Care" values are being exhibited in this situation???? Keep sending us reports from the front-lines!"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."
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....
I am writing my managers directly to ask what the merger means to my job. My department has all gone online to the Novant career center to see what their requirements are and they are different from ours. I could not apply for my own job at Novant and I know many of my coworkers are in the same boat. I'm going to tell them about this blog and let them know that many of us are reading it.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should call or write PWH corporate and ask WHY things are like this and why they can't do it on their own like all our neighbors. Look at the facts. The reason why and only difference is the leadership and mainly the CEO.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how anyone can say it's not a "sale" even though there is a $200 million price tag. That's how sales work - you give a predetermined amount of money and you get a product or service in return. First graders understand this concept.
ReplyDeleteKen Swenson would turn in his grave. God bless him.
ReplyDelete