Responsible, Professional Journalism
What ever happened to professional and responsible journalism? There have been a number of newspaper articles about the hospital and patient's complaints that have not been entirely factual. What happened to checking your sources and ensuring that you are reporting things responsibly? The recent article about the newspaper staff member that spoke to an ER nurse and was told the hospital does not have any antivenom. Who did she talk to? What is the nurses name? Was this a nurse that she spoke to or was it a staff memeber that is not medical but wears scrubs because that is the uniform for the hospital? That staff member obviously needs training or was misquoted or misunderstood. I commend them for making the correction about the antivenom, but the damage has already been done. We now have people questioning the ability of the ER staff to provide adequate care. The all or nothing reporting is very detrimental and unfair.
The reporting of the person that died from a snake bite was inaccurate. Check the facts; the likelyhood of someone dying that quickly from a snake bite is highly unlikely. Snake bites are very painful and take days to kill someone, unless someone is allergic or gets bitten in the neck. I personally would have been very upset to read about my family member dying of something that was not factual. This is how rumors and mass hysteria start.
We all know that when we are upset, we have a tendancy to forget things or sensationalize the events of a traumatic or tragic event. Feeding into the frenzy is half truths and previous rantings that are published in the paper. People then call in with their rantings to the newpaper and without checking of the facts, misinformation is published. This is a viscious cycle that needs to be broken. People need to be able trust that the information that is published in the paper is factual not rumor based. There seems to be an obvious bias against the hospital. There is no other hospital that people can patronize and this town would be in a world of hurt if it shut down. Imagine having to travel to Uvalde or Eagle Pass dying of a heart attack or being stabbed and bleeding to death.
It is very hard to overcome bad publicity of any sort. The people that work at the hospital are in that profession because they genuinely care about people. No medical person would every intentionally do anything to cause harm. Imagine, at your place of employment, people coming in and having attitude right away. Imagine if they came in cussing at you or telling you how poor your service is before you even provided any kind of service. How would you feel? Would you want to provide them service with a smile and be very pleasant? The hospital staff have to deal with this kind of attitude daily due to the negative articles that have been published in the paper. Where are the articles about the people that received excellent service at the hospital or the articles about the people that were saved at the hospital? Why do we not see those reported in the paper? Is it not good journalism to report positive outcomes? These people give up their time, their patience while not compromising their integrity to service a community that does not appreciate it, according to the public opinion of the paper.
The emergency room is a very busy place and services a large number of people. Look at the average wait time in an emergency room and you will find that our usual wait time is well under the national average. The hospital staff do the best they can with the limited resources that are available in a rural area. By focusing on the bad and sensationalizing every bad rumor that is in the community, the professional integrity is placed in question. That is grounds for slander and libel.
I challenge the Del Rio News Herald (DRNH) to seek out those individuals that had good outcomes at the Val Verde Regional Medical Center. I also challenge the DRNH to research and verify information before printing it for DEl Rio to read. There are regulations about patient information that does not allow medical staff to discuss specific details about care provided. The standard operating procedure at the DRNH now appears to be based on word of mouth which the hospital is not allowed to comment on. The hospital could face large fines and legal action if they discuss someones private medical information (HIPPA). The newspaper could request that people who want to complain about the hospital provide written documentation of the visit. The person complaining could request their own record and provide it to the newspaper allowing the newspaper staff to review and ensure that the information printed is fact based.
The hospital and its staff cannot defend themselves because of HIPPA. The nurses especially get the majority of the blame but have no representation. The newspaper writes against them, the higher administration berates them because of patient complaints and the patients curse and belittle them. Who speaks for them?
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I have a question for any
I have a question for any Hospital Staff member(s)out there because I heard something disturbing today. While in line at WallyWorld I struck up a conversation with an employee of VVRMC. [And no, names were not exchanged]. In the midst of all the other things we talked about the subject of employment atmosphere came up and this person told me that the Hospital deducted a half hour from their pay for Lunch/Dinner breaks but they were not given any relief and so for years this person along with others has been forced to work through that break.
If this is true I believe that it's quite illegal. In the state of Texas and employer is not required to give a lunch break, however if a lunch break is given and an employee is not paid for it, they can not be required to work. Or rather you cannot make or require an employee to work without pay. I hope this isn't true because the fines alone would cripple the Hospital. But if it is true I should hope that an employee of VVRMC that this is affecting would call the State of Texas workforce commission and complain.
If you work through your
If you work through your break you let your unit manager know and the money is not deducted from your paycheck. There are times when the nurses are too busy to take a full 30 minute break. They are supposed to let their manager know if that is the case.
There's nothing wrong at the
There's nothing wrong at the hospital that a second international bridge wouldn't fix.
You are showing your true
You are showing your true colors, is this a joke to you? Is being a city council such a joke? Or have you gotten such a big head about it that you think you can mock everyone and everything?
I'm truly disappointed; too bad no one is running against you.
Niles, at the bottom of
Niles, at the bottom of these posts is a choice to "Flag as offensive." I think it means nothing, but the temptation was strong when I read this comment. A few things to keep in mind:
-- Mike is, indeed, running unopposed. That means one or more of several things. Overall, people feel he's doing a good job, or they're just too lazy and apathetic to do something about it other than slam someone they don't really know on the Internet.
-- He has stood up and asked questions that other councilpersons either could not forumlate or were somehow "in bed" with a proposal that they didn't want questioned. When he was elected, I called to congratulate him and said his term(s) will be measured in how well he asks "the hard questions." He's done very well in that regard, as anyone who attends city council meetings would know.
-- Mike has a fine, if dry sense of humor, and the politicians I worry about the most are the ones who don't. If you see it reflected here, I guarantee it's not because he views an important topic flippantly.
-- In addition, he is a very busy and successful entrepreneur and businessman who also makes civic contributions to the community, but he takes the time to chat here with his constituents. Have you seen that from any other council members, county commissioners, or government agency representatives?
-- "Internet posts are no more excuse for sloppy communications than are bathroom walls an excuse for graffiti." This is not the place to gauge the true measure of a man or woman. I invite you to give Mike a call and have a cup of coffee. There will never be a substitute on the Internet for shaking someone's hand, sharing a cup of java, talking face-face-to-face, and exchanging some real ideas, finding some common ground instead of picking at scabs.
And the same goes for me. Feel free to give me a call. Hell, I'd even meet both of you to make introductions. How novel is that? I think that, among other things, you'd learn that Mike doesn't have a big head. He could use more hair, but his head is fine. And no one who is as diligent about council issues can be fairly accused of taking their position as a joke. I certainly don't agree with everyone on council, but I do think they take their jobs seriously with whatever "resources" they have available.
Now, again the question: Why did no one run against Mike Wrob? You and everone else in Del Rio of age with a proof of citizenship had that chance to step up to the plate if they're so damned dissatisfied.
Thanks for the support Bill,
Thanks for the support Bill, it's not the first time somebody hasn't appreciated my sense of humor. Lisa (my girlfriend) has a hard time with it too.
I get frustrated with the general comments, "All of the responsibilities of a city are being neglected." Granted, we have areas that are in need of improvement, but sweeping statements like this are ludicrous and hard to comment on.
I also get frustrated with opinions being presented as facts, "Here in Del Rio, you put up a slide and you call that a park?". You saw yourself that last year (with much installation help from Rotary) that $75,000 in playground equipment was installed in 3 different parks. We also completed the hike/bike trail along the creek. "expensive water and gas", last time we did a water rate study, our water rates were below average. We are currently conducting another study and I am confident we will find the same again. In fact our low rates may hamper our ability to get grants for the all the waterline replacement that needs to be done.
I think that people who actually paying attention to what's going on at the city see that things are definitely improving. Things aren't going to change overnight (don't vote for anyone who tells you they will), but there is steady forward progress. Steady non-constructive criticism gets frustrating, so sometimes I resort to humor.
Mr. Strong, I can't change what happened with the Gateway apartments, so let's stick to current issues. Thanks.
Don't worry too much Mike,
Don't worry too much Mike, there are many of us really do realize many of the things that have been accomplished by our City in the past two years (I've been watching), in fact one you didn't mention or if you did I missed it is the Annexation plan, which I just heard is in the paper. Also isn't there a business/industrial incentive plan now? We are also aware that a lot of things that the council gets heat from now are due to past and prior councils actions or inactions. Unfortunately you and I both know that comes with the territory for those of you on the present Council.
I feel for you on your frustration on peoples "opinions being presented as facts", I find myself defending certain council members and our Mayor at least several times a week. Invariably it's someone who is either grossly misinformed, or speaking from sheer ignorance.
I also appreciate your keeping an open mind on the bridge issue. Having goals to meet, or setting a bar is eminently respectable and if we ever get started on putting those proposed roads in, [probably at least a decade] I will be back to bug you.
Mike, is your mind truly a
Mike, is your mind truly a closed one on this matter?
No, but until Texas and more
No, but until Texas and more importantly Mexico commit to building highways to support the bridge I think it would be a waste of taxpayer money. Even if we doubled the amount of maquila traffic across the bridge that wouldn't even cover a fraction of the cost of the bridge. The most important thing as they say in the real estate business is location, location, location; and right now that's what's keeping more trucks from coming through here, not lack of a second bridge.
hah!
hah!
Mr. Wrob I like the way you
Mr. Wrob I like the way you think....You have my vote next time around. And just maybe the Texas Trans Coord will bring allot of jobs to the area too. Maybe Governor Perry and Mr Zachary will push this down the border.
It sppears to me that most
It sppears to me that most of us who post really enjoy pontificating. Facts appear, to me, to be that we have a hospital which overall provides pretty good service. The service is not consistently good, not consistently bad. Doctors aren't God. Hospitals aren't under the auspices of God. We are fortunate to have doctors to care for us, and a place available for them to provide such care. I personally have experienced excellent care there during a very serious illness. I experienced not-so-good care there six weeks after that. I have never experienced inadequate care or service in the ER. For elective surgery, I would probably opt for care elsewhere, with specialist physicians. I believe it is appropriate for us to watch what goes on in our hospital, to report unprofessional incidents, and to continue to insist on quality operation in every area. Overall, it seems to be time to stop the general hospital-bashing and keep working off-camera to improve faults we experience or witness. Pontificating won't change anyone's mind, much less change the hospital.
As for the death from snakebite, the obit for the gentleman indicated he died from cardiac infarction.
Ok, I feel that I have to
Ok, I feel that I have to chime in here. This Hospital has problems. I have both seen and experienced them, although honesty compels me to admit that some of my experiences were good ones. There are good and bad parts to everything and our Hospital is no different. The problem here is that given the definition of a Hospital and what it's expected to achieve or do, there is much less room for "bad" experiences. Unfortunately "bad" is more than less in this instance. Of my number of personal experiences, the predominance have been less than nominal and some were outright inexcusable. If our Hospital was a Restaurant, I would have stopped eating there after the third bad experience. As it is I have been forced to go there more often than that. I invite you to spend a late evening in the ER and keep your eyes and ears open to what is going on and do it more than once in case they are having a really really good night. Also, rather than listen to what has been said here by myself or the original poster check out the report from the third party surveyor that looked into the Hospital just a short while back.
The bottom line is that I both admit and understand that you can't make everyone happy, but the preponderance of my experiences accompanied with other data, points in the direction of disfavor for our hospital.
To address the original post by "Frequent Flyer", I didn't read the original article in the DRNH myself, nor do I know any facts one way or the other in this case so I cannot dispute or defend any alleged mis-reporting by the DRNH. Did they state which particular Snake Venom they didn't have? Just curious.
I have to add something about the staff of the Hospital. There are many long suffering dedicated and hard working staff who are vastly under appreciated. There are also those who feel that they are marking time or waiting to get fired no matter what they do or do not do. Many businesses have to deal with this mindset day in and day out. Where a good manager comes in is to identify the tipping point. Where the " I could care less people" out number the caring people. And guess where we're at now?
Thanks for "chiming in."
Thanks for "chiming in." It's good to chat with you again. Seriously. Take a look at last Saturday's paper. The blatant, unsubstantiated blows to the hospital are in red...I think.
I would have to disagree with your bottom line. From what foundation do you build your base? Have you visited ERs around the nation? Or are you so fortunate to live in a border town where XX% of our tax dollars go to those less fortunate from our trusted ally 5 miles to the SW? Either way, you have a right to complain, but not at personnel, but national and state dollar allocation. We need to pick and win our battles.
Even if you did take a seat in various ERs around the nation, say Camden, NJ, I would hate to spoil the vigor of your repeat disapproval by informing you that, yes, healthcare is a very real challenge in our nation today. Land blasting our dedicated healthcare providers in the local newspaper with out substantiated evidence is NOT the proper course of action. That's all that we're pushing here to the chief editor.
If your going to make a claim, PROVIDE NAMES, DATES, TIMES, WITNESSES, ETC. Otherwise, don't confuse the uninformed public.
In my family's experience, the bad do not outweigh the good. The bad just happens to get more attention, and it's usually hearsay. Furthermore, the "I could care less people" have not outnumbered those that truly care.
Thanks for your time and consideration!
Hello again, yes I have in
Hello again, yes I have in fact visited ER's in more than one State/City and in fact have visited them in two other countries besides the U.S. And yes I have had/seen bad service at more than one of them. In fact there is one experience out in Maryland that I had, where to this day I still feel that one idiot Doc was trying to kill me, but that's another story.
I'm not going to ask you to trust what I say, you are being properly skeptical of the datum provided. In turn I can not give you names or specific problems/diagnoses due to (HIPPA) the Health Insurance Protection Portability Act. It's a $10,000 fine for each and every little violation. So I can only tell you that I have personally experiences problems that are inexcusable in a Health Care setting. I have not related any of the plethora of stories (both good and bad)that I come across in my due course of doing business nor will I as it's beside the point.
I would like to point out a few things though. There is an old euphemism (where there's smoke there is fire) and I would ask you to keep it in mind. In addition as a businessman I have found that 100% of the time when I start to hear rumors and they reach a certain crescendo as these have, there is always something to them. And a huge level of frustration amongst people like myself is the Hospital Administration's casual dismissal, or flat out pointed refusal to acknowledge problems placed before them. And finally I would like you to consider something; It's one thing if your mechanic screws up and has a bad day but it's a bird of an entirely different feather when a Hospital has a bad day. Or in fact has more than one on a regular basis.
Temporary, one thing you and
Temporary, one thing you and I would probably agree upon is that "the bad doesn't outweigh the good," but that leaves a wide margin for unacceptable service. What makes the "bad" worse is that hospital administrators are in a perpetual state of denial that there's ANYTHING wrong, and that "circle the wagons" approach is what's most frightening of all.
Here's another: An elderly woman, matriarch of an old, distinguished family here, went to the hospital for some surgery a few months ago. While convalescing, she came down with a sudden and horrific intestinal disorder. Barely making it to the bathroom on her own, she was instantly trapped with a mess from which she could not extricate herself.
Call button on, and 20 minutes later "some woman in a uniform" poked her head in. All she said to this woman's plea for help was, "OK, I'll call maintenance." No one ever came.
The woman struggled back to bed and called her daughter-in-law, who came, cleaned everything up, and kept coming back every day for nearly a week because no one from the hospital ever came in to offer her a bath or a change of linens. I know, I know, this sounds preposterous, but I'm a friend of the family and I visited her in the hospital and heard the story from her lips, then talked with her son. This happened, and no amount of warm fuzzy stuff about dedicated people is going to excuse or expunge the facts.
And, no, revealing names and details that would embarass my sources is not going to make the story more true, and it sure isn't going to embellish my likelihood of hearing them. What a complete breakdown of trust you are suggesting to simply stifle an airing of the truth! That's like this Web site saying you have no credibility if you don't stop hiding behind your own anonymity. Hmmmmm... let me think about that.
I've heard and experienced equally vexing -- though not as disgusting -- experiences with the hospital's billing department, and the inexcusable situation there is that it continues, without the CEO going down there and kicking ass and taking names to make it stop, now.
Denial and hiding behind HIPPA is a tidy, pragmatic response, but as an aide to a Louisiana governor said years ago, "Pragmatism can be a useful tool, but it can also be a little room in which you go to hide when things become difficult."
And to your query to Patrie about what other hospitals he's seen, I say this. Yes, we have some particular and tough issues here accruable to demographics and wrist-strangling laws. But none of that accounts for the instances of neglect or bad behavior I've cited, and these are just the surface of credible accounts I've heard and/or experienced.
Patrie is better suited than you will ever know to commenting on medical issues. And I have been in hospitals in many cities around the country: Denver, Houston, San Antonio, St. Paul, and El Paso are examples that come to mind. I know they must have their horror stories, too, but this one is the only place where I've experienced one.
When the hospital admits that it's got systemic problems that are not being adequately dealt with, and makes public -- very public -- a broad, understandable strategy with which to address that situation, they will not enjoy the credibility that they want and we deserve.
Read the Korbel stories on this Web site. I wrote them, and don't recall if one thing came through clearly enough. The hospital administrators and the hospital's corporate board hated that procedure, and did everything they could to make it difficult, instead of embracing the process to help ensure that the most and best information could be achieved. What does that say?
Bill Sontag
One major problem this
One major problem this hospital has is nursing staffing issues on the medical/surgical unit- again, this is a nationwide delemna, not just a local issue. Not sure if it's because administration doesn't want to pay or can't afford to pay for the extra nurses. Or maybe its simply because nurses living in this area have heard such terrible things about the hospital that to even consider the idea of working there would be completely proprosterous. And having week after week of such terrible and negative stories printed in the local paper without ever mentioning anything positive, well that pretty much muddles the name of just about everyone who works there.
I do know that there are plenty of nurses from the airforce base here in Del Rio who would rather not work at all then to work at this hospital. "I would never work there," they say, "I'm too afraid."
When there are not enough nurses working on a unit then people simply do not recieve the care that they so much need and deserve. It is inexcusable what was mentioned above about the poor lady who was left with such a mess and probably such a feeling of indignity. That is truly inhumane. A lot of the patients on the med/surg unit have such a high acuity level and need complete and total care. Many cannot do anything for themselves and there are just not enough nurses to take care of these people the way they need to be cared for. And what a conundrum it is that there are extra nurses here that will not work at the hospital because of what they have heard.
Have you asked those nurses
Have you asked those nurses in specific why they don't want to work there? Or asked the Pharmacists or their assistants? I have and honestly I can't repeat why here because they
would be forced to delete my post.
I do know that certain practices were reported to a surveyor and then brought before the Admin. This was done after much public outcry and to the best of my knowledge nothing was done.
Mr. Patriae, honestly, I do
Mr. Patriae, honestly, I do know one nurse (from the base) who worked there and then left because she didn't like the way things were run. I've talked to a couple of others who will not work there because of what they have heard about incompetencies of others working there and also about how the hospital is run. I'm not completely sure where they gathered their info. Probably word of mouth and maybe the newspaper. But can you see that when the hospital as a whole (including all of the people who work there-administrative and non administrative) is made to look so terrible, it may scare people away? By people I mean potential employees and even patients.
I agree that we can't just sweep the dirt under the rug so that the hospital has a squeaky-clean image and all of the community members have a false feeling of reassurance about the hospital. But constant negative "media" is damaging and unfair to parts of the hospital that are positive and "good." And I've heard by word of mouth and by reading blogs that several people have had some positive experiences there.
I will say that the crux of
I will say that the crux of the problem is more along the way that "things are run" as you put it. Do ask your friend for specifics though. Or rather ask what exactly was improper about the way they were doing things that was bugging her. I could be wrong but I feel that you might find out some interesting things. You may just have to promise to not repeat them. A lot of people that have any sort of dealings with the Hospital will not go into specifics unless it's around friends. I do agree with your sentiment that simply hammering the Hospital with all the bad news will indeed make it harder for us to recruit new blood.
The problem is that those of us who are frustrated feel that we have no other option than to bleat and to bleat loudly. We have tried all other options at this point. We hope that our bleating will be loud enough and become painful enough that the Administration will be forced to do something. Or failing that, in turn when it comes time to renew their contract the Hospital board will look for other options. What would you have us do? Should we as a community stop being the squeaky wheel hoping for some grease? Or should we just accept the things that are happening as, well, just being acceptable in terms of what we should be expecting.
I don't believe that we are asking for too much here from the Hospital. The admin has lost sight of the fact that they are not just here to keep us in the Black but that an organization maybe moreso for a Hospital is a living and breathing entity. You have to nurture it and feed it. Not simply choke it off and whack it around when it starts to have breathing problems. The admin has passed up on almost all of the opportunities presented to it to make our community happy. The manner in which they have passed those by and in fact the manner in which they dealt with the one shoved down their throats did not and does not engender trust or empathy in any way shape fashion or form.
I do not need to ask
I do not need to ask specifics about what was "bugging" my friend because I know first hand. I just happen to take a different stance on the issue. I will not go into details because it could come back to bite me in the butt. Ouch!!....
If bleating is how you feel you will get your best results then, by all means, bleat away. But when unsubstantiated stories are printed in the paper and their purpose is to deface the employees who give their blood, sweat and tears in that hospital and to the community of Del Rio, then expect to hear some wrath coming that way. Defacing the employees may not be the sole purpose of these stories, maybe the purpose is to bring down the administration, but employees are certainly caught in the wake.
I don't consider this to be a hospital love fest. Healthcare workers just happen to take it personally when they constantly hear what a terrible job they're doing and how inept, insensible and heartless they are. Given the nature of their profession those blows hit very hard!!
I guess I should have
I guess I should have pointed out that I am in no way defending the DRNH. I have no idea if their info is correct. In fact I have been at odds with their editorial policies for a number of years. Nor do I think that the DRNH is as concerned with "getting all the facts of the matter" as they should be. Sensationalism seems to be their main bent in some cases and I don't respect that. I will be honest though and say that most of my problems with the DRNH lie in the Political arena though.
I used the term "bleat" because I know how all this complaining sounds to others, but please remember that I did say that many of us or "we" have tried everything else first and all to absolutely no avail.
I'm glad that you do recognize that the employee's are not the ones being attacked here, although they are surely in the back blast area. And what really sucks for the employee's of the Hospital is that when they do complain in order to try to fix things, the Hospital Admin has show a propensity for taking it out on them. People in charge that can't take criticism should be questioned. I learned many years ago that just about the time you think you know everything you have reached the age of 8years old and it's all down hill from there.
Befuddled, you are 100
Befuddled, you are 100 percent correct. All anyone reads or hears about from the hospital is negative. And that has me befuddled, too. I've told administrators I cannot recall how many times that I know they have good news to report from this institution, but - for some reason - they're not sharing it. New technologies, new employees, plans for the future, improved business procedures are a few things that come to mind as likely possibilities.
When I wrote for the Del Rio News-Herald, I did dozens of such articles, in large part because they had a marketing and public relations chief, Dava Cloudt, who would give me a call to see if I was interested, and I nearly always was.
Now, there's a rare puff piece that gets sent to the News-Herald only - not to LIVE! because they didn't like the other stuff I wrote - and even those seem to have dried up, so they can contend that all that's ever written about them is negative. HELLO! Give the media some good news! Oh, maybe there isn't any.
It's not all puff. Not sure
It's not all puff. Not sure if anyone has noticed but the tube system that allows specimens to be sent immediately to the lab has helped shorten er wait times. That tube system can shave off up to an hour. How wonderful!! Also cardiac enzymes levels are now being run in the ER. If allows for a quicker diagnosis of whether or not a person is having a heart attack. It is important for people to know that some improvements have been made.
I also heard that they have
I also heard that they have a type of computerized reporting system that has sped things up considerably. I understand that it met with resistance and I'm curious as to whether is has been determined if it is a success or not? I would also like to hear the staff's opinion versus admin's. Saved time and money do not always equate to success. Conversely new things and process change is hard and is almost always met with resistance no matter how necessary it is.
Some of the staff may have
Some of the staff may have initially resisted, probably because most people really don't like to change from something they are already comfortable with. Personally, I liked it. Everything was computerized at the hospital that I worked at before living here. Even the doctors put their orders in the computers so that their wouldn't be any confusion with messy handwriting.
I haven't heard any complaints from other employees now that everyone is comfortable with the new system. And I definately think its a good thing for the hospital. It kind-of gets gets us on the same page as most of the other hospitals in this country. In the emergency room it helps with organization. It allows the nurses to keep better track of who's been waiting the longest and priority levels. I definately think this computer system was a step in the right direction.
Thanks devoted2dr, I really
Thanks devoted2dr, I really appreciate your feedback. I had noticed that the [originally vociferous] complaints about the system had mostly dissipated over time. But I was left wondering if it was due to acceptance via "well we're stuck with it" or acceptance via "hot dang it actually works and it's a good thing." So again thanks for your feedback.
I have a question I hope that you will answer, and that is; Do you believe that there is a line between striving for efficiency and striving for competent service in a hospital setting? Yes I do believe that "in most circumstances" they would go hand in hand, but considering the current public perception of the Hospital I'm wondering if you feel that the Hospital Administration has taken what some might term a cold robotic slavery to efficiency or the bottom line a bit too far. Oh and no I'm not really talking about the computerized tracking system as I happen to think that was a pretty good idea, I'm talking about the overall atmosphere of forgetting that "an organization is only as good as the people it's made up of."
I believe it is important to
I believe it is important to strive for efficiency and competent service in a hospital. To be honest, I've only lived here for a couple of years, so I do not know everything that has happened with the hospital in the past. I do know that patient satisfaction is a huge issue in the hospital right now. Hospital employees are constantly being reminded of that. I have definately seen some steps in the right direction over the past couple of years. I guess its the type of thing where only time will tell.
Unfortunately, we still hear an occasional horror story. It's hard to know what is completely true and what has been embellished. I do believe its important to get rid of the bad seeds though.
Not sure if this answers your question, hope it helps.
What about letters from
What about letters from individuals who have something positive to share about their experience with the hospital? Why don't we see them in the paper? I'm almost postive that some have been sent your way.
Befuddled, you may be more
Befuddled, you may be more confused than you know. This is not "the newspaper."
The Del Rio News-Herald is a separate corporation, and I must say that I know they have, indeed, published positive letters from those who were satisfied with their hospital experience here. But they've been sparse; you have to read it assiduously every day to catch them. To my knowledge, so such letters have come to LIVE! except those who have posted directly, as in this thread.
Bill
OOPS!! What I meant was the
OOPS!! What I meant was the letters aren't published that are sent the newspaper's way, not your way!! So sorry. Must have been a Freudian slip. You seem to be affiliated with the newspaper with how quick you are to jump to the DRNH's defense and all.
I have seen at least one letter published regarding the professionalism and competency of ER staff during one the major traumas that the hospital handled over the past couple of years. Maybe the positive just doesn't get the same amount of attention as the negative. Who knows?
I do love Live! though because it allows us to all voice our opinions/experiences without having to go through the biased filter at the DRNH.
This little hospital
This little hospital love-fest needs some serious perspective. This is not to defend the Del Rio News-Herald in any way, but my hunch is they've reported yet more smoke where there's some genuine fire, and are doing so with little regard for possible loss of advertizing revenues from Community Health Corporation, the contracted managers of Val Verde Regional Medical Center.
Certainly, the hospital has a great staff of capable, dedicated folks. But there are institutional problems that are manifest in episodes that are rarely reported, and almost never chronicled to view an inescapable trend. As a former reporter for this Web site, I've heard a busload of those stories, and several of them have the ring of truth in reliability that is - in my view - unquestionable. And, to restore some of the aforementioned perspective, I'm happy to share some of those.
For example, on the subject of having babies: At a recent get-together of class sponsors of student pilots and their families from Laughlin Air Force Base, one young man and his wife came with a beautiful five-month-old baby. I sat with them, just to chit-chat, and asked where the baby was born, not knowing if the birth came before their arrival for the pilot's training.
The wife's response was, "Oh, we had it at your local hospital, but I don't believe we'll be doing that again!" I asked why not. She said when her contractions came close together and strong, she called the hospital to say she was coming in, and the reply was, "Well, don't come now; we don't have any beds available." Now, this young woman and her husband, living in a city they had just landed in, were not quite sure what to do.
She told the person on the phone, "I have to come in; I'm having a baby!" And the reply was, "What part of what I said did you not understand? Don't come here, Sweetie!" She said that derisive term was used again and again. Then, she said she had no choice, and heard, "Well, I suppose you can give birth in the hall on a gurney or something." Panicked, she called her OB/GYN here who said, "Just go on in, and I'll meet you there, and we'll try to take care of it."
He did, and the baby was born successfully, but the young woman was afraid to be in an institution that replied to her cry for understanding and support so callously, and now recalls with disgust that the person who brought her child to her the first time had soiled clothing and obviously dirty hands.
Now, here's a key point. Whether anyone quibbles with this account or not, there is one woman in this town who believes firmly in every word she's telling me. And you can count on the fact that I'm not the only one who's heard the story. And that, my friends, is what this hospital is up against. And it's triply exacerbated by the reluctance of people to report their situations, in her case because her husband is trying to win his wings and not bruise relationships between Laughlin and the city in the process.
There are many more such reports, and pretending that the naked emperor is fully and attractively clothed is not a formula for dealing with the problems. I've heard many second and third hand accounts, and would never report those, but the first-hand narratives in which I have very good reason to believe I've paid close attention to, and will continue to do so.
Comments in this thread are correct: Val Verde Regional Medical Center is our community hospital, but it is not in the hands of the elected representatives of the community. We have an invaluable institution, but systemic problems there have ripple effect ramifications that spread like the fingers of a malignancy throughout the community.
Your account is exactly why
Your account is exactly why the hospital has the problems that it has. How is anyone supposed to know everything that goes on in such a large institution. Did that person find out the name of the person that she was talking to and did she tell the staff with soiled hands to wash them. These instances need to be reported immediately so that corrective action can be implemented. The patient that received that information on the phone and experienced uncleanliness in a hospital needed to take responsibility and notify the proper people. Then the staff involved could be retrained or dealt with appropriately.
Too many times patients don't take responsibility for their own health care. I know first hand that all nurses are not entirely competent or conscientious. I do know that the majority are and do not like to be associated with the bad apples. Staff cannot do anything about the bad apples unless the patients voice their concerns or complaints. Those should not be brought to the media but the hospital administration. People are really quick to criticise but not so quick to do something to improve the things they are complaining about.
I'm gonna have to say that I
I'm gonna have to say that I agree with you Frequent Flyer. The individuals need to be dealt with in those situations. What Mr. Sontag wants to do is bring down everyone who works in that hospital, even the good ones. He's going for the jugular!! Going for blood! Because according to him all of his many other approaches have failed. So he wants to publically denote every person working at that hospital, good or evil.
It may be extremely inconvient for the victims that he mentioned to take names and complain, but I assure you that if it were me or my family who was treated like that, I would take names and insist on speaking the nursing unit manager or his/her boss or his/her boss until my complaint was heard by the appropriate person. And as far as surveys go were they even being filled out?? I don't think so! What is up with that? How do people expect to have anything done if they can't even fill out a survey for crying out loud??? I guess it's easier to b@#*h and moan to your friends and local media rather than pick up a pencil and fill out a questionnaire.
Yours truly,
Devoted
I am one of the parties that
I am one of the parties that Mr. Sontag referred to and I also expressed my concerns for the hospital and those professionals who are doing a great job and are taking the wrath earned by those who don't care. My family and I did fill out comment and evaluation cards, we did talk to nursing supervisors,doctors and Mr. Houghton. As I stated in an earlier post, I want to be a fixer and have done what I feel needed to be done to represent my family. I agree that complaining without action does no one any good. However, my concern now is for those nurses and professionals who want to do their jobs, and are taking the heat for those who really don't care or are incapable of doing their jobs well and the care given to patients that are unfortunate to be on the receiving end of those individuals.
Respectfully,
Meme
devoted2dr, I may have
devoted2dr, I may have missed something on a past post but where did Bill say that everyone at the Hospital was bad? I do recall a lot of other stuff but I didn't even catch an insinuation. That being said what led you to assume that they are all [both good and bad] lumped together? Why are you trying to divert attention from the bad ones by lumping the good ones in with the so called "denigration"?
And "again" let me point out that the Hospital does not respond to direct complaints or filled out questionnaires or anything else "Been there done that personally". And "again" I would point out that neither do they respond to public hearings or certain Board requirements. Saying that we need to do so to get something accomplished sounds exactly like one of the Administrators trying to put everyone back to square one in order to divert attention or give them just a little more time away from any direct scrutiny.
Yes the surveys were filled out Please read up on the following it may take a bit but it's educational and sorry, no it's not in chronological order. Just copy and paste.
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/3425
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/4921
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5229
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5221
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5533
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5131
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/4917
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5528
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5802
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5007
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5087
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/4867
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5577
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5299
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5340
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5825
http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5712
There's more but I gave up for now. If you make it through all of this it should give you a little more insight on the level of frustration.
AP
Mr. Sontag wrote in a blog
Mr. Sontag wrote in a blog below that "you're supposed to take time to demand a name-rank-serial number and take notes so you can report the incident? Give me a break!" If you don't get this info then their is NO WAY the individuals can be held accountable unless they become stricken with guilt and deside to report themselves to administration. I definately think that the individuals need to be held accountable. Personally, I believe that if the stories mentioned by Mr. Sontag are entirely true, then the healthcare workers that he referred to don't really have any business working in a healthcare setting.
Maybe I'm being defensive. I'm just part of the staff (non-administrative)but after reading some of the blogs I feel like I, too, am under attack. I DO NOT think that I am lumping or diverting anything. If anything, I'm just trying to let it be known that "hey, we're not ALL bad."
I can appreciate that there are many horror stories and many people have been wronged at VVRMC. But how is everyone so sure that nothing is being done to improve it? How many of you sit in and listen at staff meetings or board meetings?
I do understand your
I do understand your frustration. It not only sucks being or feeling like your being lumped in with bad people it's entirely disheartening and can really drag you down. Since you are on the inside looking out I failed to take into consideration "perception" so I apologize. Specifically I apologize for thinking for even a moment that you were defending the Hospital for the wrong reasons. Perceptions are reality and my quoting or looking for specific verbiage won't work for my proving or disproving anything. So again I do understand and I will now look at things a little differently, especially as opposed to your responses.
All that being said, please do look at the links I posted. If you look at it as dispassionately as possible "I hope" that you will see the following; The Board trying to do something, the staff being tread upon, the staff trying to do something some even seem to have have thrown themselves upon the spikes of martyrdom and were fired for it, and the Administration going through the motions of fixing things while actually providing road blocks.
Yes there are some bad employee's everywhere, and they do suck down those around them who are breaking both their hearts and backs to do not only the right thing but to improve themselves. You may rest assured that the preponderance of people [I would say all but of course I can not speak for everyone] do not lump all VVRMC's employee's together. Knowing your relationship with the Hosp I can see where you feel that any general statement about "employee's of the Hospital" would make you feel that all were lumped together. But I assure you that in my mind as well as others there are the good and the bad and we do not mix the two in our minds. Good or bad employee's and the board aside, the Admin seems to be the only one operating entirely behind smoke and mirrors.
As a potential patient and a local citizen, I want to ask that you as an employee of VVRMC not give up on our communal inability to fix the Administration. We are trying. Hard. Please continue to care about your job and the people you serve. No one can ask more of you than that.
Thanks, AP.
I can understand ill
I can understand ill feelings towards the hospital if you have a bad or several bad experiences in the hospital. You can file complaints with the Board of Nurse Examiners about nurses if you do not get the answers or feel the problems are being handled appropriatlely. This administration has had a failure to act in many aspects and has fallen short of their expectations/duties. I ask that the patients that frequent the hospital not come in with attitudes.
I have to wonder how 1 person has had so many experiences at the hospital and so many bad experience at that.
Between my family and I,
Between my family and I, we've had close interactions be it personal or business with the Hospital for over 20 years. You can amass quite a bit of experience in that time but the past 5 or so years have provided plenty of fodder for my personal angst. Well that and having a 90+ year old grandmother who is healthier than she is willing to admit. She absolutely hates it when someone tells her that she is doing really good for a 93 year old, but having her around does involve a number of trips to the ER each and every year. Sometimes more than "a number".
That being said, I do feel that I must give kudos where it's due. I had a friend and her mother in the ER a few days ago. It was literally in the middle of the night and they received excellent care. And considering the amount of tests that were run the 3 hours they were there was remarkably short. Unfortunately as usual with the bad, the good happenstance here has no names to attach to it due to their both being worried and exhausted. I do have the patients date of entry, time and name and I do wish I could give it to you so that a pat on the back could be passed on but I would get into trouble for giving that out. I have recommended to them that they go back and pass on the good word to a beleaguered staff.
About the attitudes of some of the patients; I have seen a few in the waiting room of the ER. Some are worried parents and relatives for whom no answer can come quickly enough and some are for example an elderly patient that came out of Diapers at about age 3 and was just told that they were going to go back into them, but some are just GRR. I couldn't' do what you guys do since the first illogical person that I ran across would get whacked on the head in an attempt to straighten them out. All out there should trust me when I say that to be a nurse of any type requires that person to have the patience of a Saint.
Oh and for those that feel that the hacking on the Hospital is an indictment on all who are employed there, I would like to point out that many service members will gladly tell you how screwed up the military is, but very very very rarely is it an accusation against the individual people that make up the massive machine that is the military.
Edit; Oh my, my first double
Edit; Oh my, my first double post.
Let me ask you something.
Let me ask you something. You're in labor, contractions coming hard and fast, you have the time to alert the hospital you're coming in and need help right away, and someone tells you not to, ridicules you by calling you "Sweetie," and you're supposed to take time to demand a name-rank-serial number and take notes so you can report the incident? Give me a break! The care provider bears all the burden of providing compassionate care, period.
So, you're an 80-year-old patient who's just had an explosive intestinal incident at "0 dark thirty in the morning," and need help, and an unidentified person sticks their head in and simply says, "I'll call maintenance," vanishes, and never returns, and the stranded patient has the responsibility to ascertain who the callous employee is so she can make notes later? Give me another break, "Flyer." Who the hell do you think you are trying to make the clearly aggrieved "customers" look like the slackers here?
That's precisely the problem here; as long as you and hospital adminstrators try to redirect the location of guilt and culpability, this hospital can never recover public confidence! And only when that happens can this hospital and the contractors that are making money off of it expect any relief from public indignation and well-place trepidations.
Bill, how is the hospital
Bill, how is the hospital admin going to know if the folks don't complain? Obviously the woman in labor and the older person can do nothing right then--but you know darned good and well that someone else could do it, they could ask someone to do it for them, even a day or two after the fact. SOMEHOW the admin has to hear about specific incidents. Otherwise, they would have to use some sort of "big brother" system to watch all areas, all patient rooms, and provide a monitor to look at them 24/7. I don't think it's so much a question of guilt, here; rather, it's one of communication.
Frequent Flyer and
Frequent Flyer and Whilrwind, this town does have an overall problem of bitchin and moaning and not really doing anything about it. Ohhh for example I hear this one a lot "I don't want to cause/or be any trouble" Grr. And then they go away and complain but nothing is ever done and basically they leave it for the next person to get hurt or be disappointed.
Anyway, I have to tell you guy's that that is simply not the case here. I personally have levied a number of complaints over the past five years. In all cases they were written, when that didn't work I followed up by hand carrying my written letters all the way to the top accompanied by actual one on one discussions with portions of the Administration. I even helped someone else walk a complaint up the chain and presto, nothing happened then and nothing has happened since. Those of you who have followed my writing on this forum probably have a pretty good idea of how I ensured that I outlined the problem for them with names dates places and even suggested courses of action, yet the admin was incapable of finding anything remiss enough to require any action on their part. But I sure did get the soft soap, the ole trust me and side long glances at one another anytime I showed up. So upon realizing [even through my thick skull] that I was being actively thwarted I stopped and looked for another course.
Now here's a little treatise on why no one posts specifics like names, dates, times and specific problems. I guess I could make this a short one and simply say "Law Suit" but hey I have a few minutes. Everything below is based upon provable statements. Unprovable ones are a whole other ball of wax.
1. Making a declarative statement about anyone that can be proven to directly involve loss of income can and may result in litigation.
a. [In the Hospital or it's employee's case] Tying any type of declarative statement that involves potential loss of income and is further tied to harming ones reputation [resulting in further loss of future income] can and may result in litigation. For an example if we here were to complain about a Nurse in specific and the Hospital investigates, finds the Nurse at fault and fires him or her. The person making the original statement can be sued. And it doesn't matter whether the statement was true or not. Loss of income would be litigated not right or wrong.
b. [In the patients case as well as the Hospital and it's employee's] Violations of HIPPA [the Health Insurance Protection and Portability act] from certain types of declarative statements can and may result in $10,000 fines for each and every assumed violation of a patients rights. The main one here pertinent to this is the right to privacy in all things. No one but the patient or an authorized representative may give up any of the following; treatment(s)[type, date of, or frequency], diagnoses, medications, age, name, date of birth, insurance plan or type of plan, previous diagnoses, suspected diagnoses I guess I could go on for a few more but I'm sure you all get the point. The only thing that relieves the holder of any of this type of information is a request from another HIPPA compliant entity, a law enforcement entity, court order or the death of the patient. Sooo if a Hospital employee were to state publicly that; X Patient was in the Hospital Yesterday at X time and looked like he was having a Stroke that employee [not the Hospital] but that employee would be liable for up to $30,000 in fines for that one instance.
2. The Administration for this Hospital has show a propensity for taking any slights [whether real or imagined] out on it's employee's. I used to pooh pooh this one until the Admin had the unmitigated gall to send the human resources manager as an observer to a Hospital Board mandated Q&A with the employees and a public survey group. At that point that pretty much stifled any unfettered feed back to the Board. Oh yes the Admin knew what they were doing. This enabled them to sit back and say "Well all the complaints are only from either an uninformed public or disgruntled/vindictive ex employee's." Oh and this was shortly after having fired a long time nurse manager who publicly spoke out against the Admin and certain of it's practices. If I remember correctly she was escorted out of the building. The reasons for which I defended at the time, but now I wouldn't.
3. A pseudonym here on these boards provides no protection to the person making a statement when it comes to a court ordered finding.
All of the above being said, yes you can make statements about people and situations and usually do so without fear of reprisal. There is a line though and asking anyone to put certain info on here is asking that person to step over it, so please try to understand that their reluctance to do so is not for any type of nefarious "gonna pull or put the Hospital down" type of plan.
Also please remember that many many community members feel that we have tried everything possible. Including hiring new board members. We as a community are currently stuck with a contract that limits what the board can actually accomplish in regards to how the Hospital is run. So the elections are only accomplishing so much. In turn how much time do the board members have to spend on the minutiae? Employees are afraid to talk to them as well for fear of reprisals and the patients are more than tired of complaining to an non-listening and uncaring audience.
Now we're talking! "Patrie"
Now we're talking! "Patrie" and "Whirlwind," you are both on target with summaries of the "feedback" breakdown. The hospital does have an after-service questionnaire for patients or families to fill out, but many of the worst-case scenarios I've heard from reliable sources are not reported there. So, without really asking why that might be so, the hospital administration can simply, smugly shrug, and say, "Well, there you go! What else can we do?" Wouldn't a focus group of citzens on "what else they can do" be interesting? Don't hold your breath to wait for this administration to take such a step.
The Hospital District Board has set up a mechanism to be heard publicly (i.e., in open session of their meetings), and I know a few board members who are more than willing to talk to folks in private, too.
But the all too common reply I've heard from thoroughly pissed-off patients and families who are reluctant to talk is, "This is a small town, and, after I've gone public with personal details, I still have to live here." Whether you believe the argument has merit or not, it's a fact, nonetheless, that people think about all the time. So, in this tennis match where no one wants to lob the truth across the net, and with HIPPA as a legal screen, "Advantage Hospital."
It's true, patients and families should be more courageous about reporting, and the fact that they fear bruising their businesses' reputation, or their personal standing in town, or their care the next time they have to go to the hospital seems absurd to many, but is very real -- justified or not -- among many folks.
Again, who has the burden of responsibility for correcting these misperceptions? It's not the patients and their families. These issues have been allowed to ferment for years, and the hospital has done almost nothing to turn them around. The District Board contracted for the Korbel study, and in a grand sacrifice of public image opportunity, the administration and the corporate board members did nothing to support it, adamantly and deliberately refused to participate, and would like very much for it to just go away.
I beg to differ with you, Patrie, about the Hospital District Board's indifference or span of concentration on this. I know for a fact that these issues are being discussed, though regrettably in closed sessions. The existing board members are keenly aware of the problems, and a few of them are actually working to address them.
And there are a couple of folks running for a vacant seat on May 10 that are both knowledgeable and courageous enough to join the trio that's working now. Choose carefully when you go into the voting booth.
Again, if you don't vote and you don't make an informed choice, your credibility as a legitimate complainant is diminished.
AAAAAARGH!!! First, let's
AAAAAARGH!!! First, let's kill all the lawyers. I say again, no guts no glory.
BUT, then I remember 1995, when my mother died here. I complained long and at length to Dave Cloudt at that time, specifically about a certain physician's cold and impersonal care, plus the fact that he avoided talking to the family after he told us she was terminal, and his failure to diagnose correctly in the first place. Probably the most horrible, tragic experience of my life. I recall Dava's words to me: "Remember, you have to live here." She agreed 100 percent with me privately, but again, she cautioned me against pursuing the matter. And I buckled. It's truly sad when a society is afraid to make waves about much of anything. I include myself, in this instance.
Hopefully, the Board will act responsibly and decisively to improve things overall. One can only hope.
I hope I haven't
I hope I haven't misunderstood you. If I complain to the admin about poor treatment by a hospital employee, and the admin investigates and discovers that employee gave poor service and had to be dismissed, that employee can sue me? If the legal system in our country has gone that far down the tubes, then all I can say is, give it their best shot. You can't get blood from a turnip.
I have little respect for the legal system, having been married to an attorney (no more) and working for a number of years as a legal secretary.
Seems we always get down to the bottom line--no guts, no glory. Somehow, if we expect our society to do the "right thing" by the citizens, then the citizens simply have to demand the right thing.
Oh you can complain to them
Oh you can complain to them directly with names dates places etc; but you should stay away from using names of "other's" or "others actions" in public.
If you personally experience it, you may safely speak to them about it and to a certain extent do so in public. But in this instance HIPPA does somewhat counteract the ability of someone with personal experiences to relate them in public.
Sure that employee can sue you for loss of income, their being stupid enough to get fired only lessens the chance of their winning but not the chance of them trying to sue. Also unless you can prove it in the context that it was perceived in [by their former employer] they can get you for slander leading to loss of income.
Here’s an example for you; remember David Earl suing for slander over basically [nothing]? The fact that he wouldn't have won did not stop him from laying out a suit. Nor did his dropping of the suit mitigate the costs incurred by those he sued. This is one of the reasons you can’t get anyone in Del Rio who has these problems to go public with them. Or you get the guy on the street that approaches them and threatens them for getting their cousin fired. Anyway, in their sheep mentality they have to receive assurances of anonymity, which was done and then the Hospital Admin then seems to have used the anonymity to discount everything.
Now if you complain directly to their employer rather than in some public way, your chances of being sued are almost infinitesimally small due to the fact that they usually either don’t know who complained about them or go after the X employer, that’s why most of us have unemployment insurance, either that or hopefully no lawyer worth their weight in magical pixie dust will take the case since they’ll never ever get paid. If you were to however do so in a public manner, ohh say like the forum here you can be sued because that employee's private matter with his or her former employer has become public due to "you" and now that person can no longer obtain or maintain a job in his or her trained profession.
Here's an example; I have been told for years by the various law firms that I employ for my businesses, to refrain entirely from giving job references for former employee's, but failing that avoid anything other than a glowing job reference. And that when someone calls to check up on a former employee all I should ever say is that yes that individual was employed by me and confirm the employment date. That's all no more and no less. Even if they ask if the former employee is eligible for re-hire I am only to state this "I'm afraid that it's against our policy to comment on that". Basically I have been told that all too many employers in the State of Texas have been successfully sued for [in some form or fashion] preventing a former employee from getting a new job.
Keep in mind "as my lawyer keeps reminding me", that any one can sue anybody for anything providing a lawyer will accept it, but "a big but" that doesn't mean that individual will be successful in their suit. You will just have to shell out for defense win or loose though.
You know, wouldn't it be great if defense attorneys worked the same way these ambulance chasers do? The ambulance chasers work on contingency, while your defense "win or loose" will get your money.
Bill, I do know that several Board Members are working towards fixing this stuff. In fact I have been pulled aside by one I believe that you know about and I have pinned down several others. When I talk about getting into the minutiae of things I’m referring to the day to day management of the Hospital and the layering of issues/loyalties/fears that in effect make it real hard for a board member to peel through said layers to see the real ugly underbelly of what is really going on. Trust me, two months ago I found out that if someone is actively trying to thwart you no matter how closely you look they can hide things right up to the point where the danged wheels fall off.
Since I keep using the term “smoke and mirrors” I feel that I should define it as it pertains to my usage of it; Where one takes the facts presented and alters them to fit a desired outcome. This alteration may take place in either manipulation of the content or context of the original facts received, resulting in an altered perception of the situation by an unknowing or unaware audience.
The “smoke and mirror” defense does not work for complete redirection. It will only work as misdirection. Basically it will not stop the train, it will only divert it. Stopping the train will raise suspicions whereas diverting it will only raise questions and I submit that when using the “smoke and mirrors” ploy there is a huge difference between suspicions and questions.
Or put more simply and in an old soldier’s language; “admit nothing, deny everything and make counter accusations.”
Mr. Sontag, I would like to
Mr. Sontag,
I would like to begin by commending your commitment to being an all-American watchdog for the citizens of Del Rio. Seriously, the service your paper provides in this capacity is invaluable.
However, whether writing an 8th grade research paper or a masters thesis, documentation is critical, not only for your reader but also for your credibility. That's what you are missing. You can talk all day about what "a person" or "an employee" said, but until you provide me their name, I can't take you seriously. Why, because, if they don't agree to providing their name for the paper, their story isn't credible.
As such, I can't help but stand strongly on the side of the hospital in this case...until you provide names, points of contact, etc. Additionally, I wouldn't publish Ms. Hill's statements and accounts if she doesn't provide the individual's name she spoke with. Clearly the fallacy is of undefendable allegations.
Please reconsider.
Respectfully,
A Proud Del Rio Citizen
Dear TR, Mr. Sontag's
Dear TR,
Mr. Sontag's credibility need not be questioned, I am the daughter in-law he is referring to. His story is accurate and true, if anything, there are a few disgusting details that have been omitted. Yes, there are many fine and honorable nurses at our hospital. They are under staffed and at times over worked. I have walked the halls of the hospital taking care of patients and when people continually call in sick or the scheduled has been short staffed, your job becomes very difficult. Having said that, no one deserves the lack of care my mother in-law was given. Several times when I came in to the hospital, I was greeted by one in particular nurse, "Oh, glad you are here to take care of your mother." My heart goes out to those professionals who want to do their jobs; do it very well. I do believe in the old saying, "Don't judge that indian till you have walked a mile in his moccasins". I have walked in those moccasins and I feel that our good nurses and doctors need more support and help. I don't have any of the answers. I do know that once big brother "government" gets involved in anything, quality goes down along with morale and things are not able to be run efficiently or effectively. It is an unfortunate fact that a few bad attitudes and lack of professionalism displayed at this hospital has caused such negative responsiveness from our community. Again, I am not pointing fingers at all of the nurses and professional care givers at VVRMC, for there are many wonderful people giving of themselves. I do wish I had the solution to return VVRMC to the hospital it once was. Recently, I was in the ER with very high blood pressure and chest pains. I was taken into an examining room withing 5 minutes of arriving and attended to by very fine nurses. However, the doctor (contract) attending to my case, finally come into the exam room after 2 hours, talked about how beautiful the women in El Paso are and how he takes the diet drug "ALLI" because it makes him -hit and he has trouble with being constipated from his pain medication and told my husband he might want to give it a try. We also learned that he carries extra underware with him because he said he never knows when he might "mess" in his pants. My husband and I left quickly after that, wished the nurses well, came home and called my cadiologist in San Antonio. I guess I have digressed from my original thought of Mr. Sontag's credibility. I have known him for years, lived in Del Rio all my life and have never had a reason to question him. I thank him for not mentioning our names in his article and respecting my mother in-law's privacy.
Thank you,
Meme
Ms. Meme, you did exactly as
Ms. Meme, you did exactly as you should. You followed up with a specialist - your cardiologist. Your visit to the E.R., I'm sure, provided you with the information that you were most likely not having an acute episode at that very moment but that you still needed to follow up with your primary care provider. There simply are not enough resources here in Del Rio to do much more than that. The E.R. physician, though he may have given waaaaaay more personal info than most professionals would have felt comfortable with giving, was competent enough to give you the pertenent info that you really needed; no m.i. right now. (Im speculating about that being the reason for the visit based on the info you provided above.)
I believe TR was referring to Ms. Hills allegations in the DRNH that a nurse misinformed her about rattlesnake antivenom. Credibility was questioned because adequate info was not provided. You are right though, patient privacy does need to be respected.
Hi Befuddled, Thank you for
Hi Befuddled,
Thank you for your response. However, I knew I wasn't having any problems related to my heart and due to another medical condition, I felt in was prudent to seek medical assistance. The reason I called my cardiologist was to report a drug(cardio in nature) that this doctor gave me. I took it against my better judgement and prior knowledge of the drug. I was stupid, but also was having a very bad headache and in severe pain. I took the drug in hopes it would control the head pain, but it didn't. Again, the nurses were wonderful; they too, questioned the doctor's good judgement. I am lucky to have fairly good health and have not needed the services of our hospital personally(or any hospital for long term care). Several of my family members and friends have received good care here and I appreciate all the positive attitudes we have experienced. I could also tell some horrifing experiences about San Antonio at the Methodist hospital. I know no one place is immune to negative talk. Believe me, my husband and I know that first hand. I would just like to have the solution to our problems. I tend to want to be a "fixer", but rarely have the right answers. When my father was given someone else's medication or a catheter was being placed in my friend by a nurse that didn't know where to "put it",(at VVRMC) I didn't know what to do to "fix" the problem. Good does outweigh the bad at VVRMC, it is just that as small as we are, the bad weighs fairly heavy and unfortunately receives much attention. After visiting with many nurses and doctors, they feel that their concerns are not being listened to. I have also visited with nurses that feel like the problems are being exaggerated and are caused by a few. Whatever the case,
our small hospital