Watcher's DMH-BS Ad of the Week 1-29-06

True to form, DMH administration launched an ad campaign to counter St. Mary's newest advertisement. Unable to beat St. Mary's on quality of care, they pounded the readers of the "financially supported" H&R with numbers. How many doctors, how many PAs...how many nurses and support staff. Well golly bob. The title of the ad is "All roads lead to DMH ER." Wishful thinking, Mr. Smithmier.

At a recent meeting with St. Mary's employees, Michael Rindler announced that the revitalization program is doing well, and even ahead of schedule. Census in all departments is up, and up big, including a dramatic increase in ER visits. And by the way, Mr. Smithmier, they don't have TVs and telephones and other cost-increasing gadgets. They provide quality care in an enviroment that patients appreciate: an MD to see them, their own doctor to admit them, and a private room. Oh, and it usually doesn't take them eight hours to finish up with their patients in the ER, either.

I thought it was funny that on page A4 of the Sunday 1/29/06 DMH H&R, just above the BS ad, there was also an story outlining how MRI brain scans are being used as lie detectors. Care to step in Mr. Smithmier or Mr. Stone?

One other sidelight of the Rindler meeting: Evidently, even during an FBI investigation of DMH for self-referral/Stark Law violations, there are still some phsyicians telling patients that "St. Mary's CT scanner doesn't work" or "St. Mary's CT isn't open on Saturdays" or "The people at St. Mary's are mean, you don't want to go there." These and other statements were made by Decatur physicians to the parents of St. Mary's Hospital Employees.

If this keeps up, the feds may need to open a few more jail cells, and Decatur will have to recruit a few more doctors.

The Dog And Pony Show Goes On The Road!

Not only have there been attempts to justify bad administrative decisions in party propaganda mailings and "financially supported" newspaper stories, now it seems DMH administration is taking it on the road.

In a recent Kiwanis Golden K meeting, Ken Smithmier laid out a long line of bull somehow attempting to justify DMH's decision to kick out their family doctors and install would-be "hospitalists" to supposedly provide "better care."

Hopefully the good gentlemen of the Golden K were able to see through the propaganda and see Smithmier's message for what it is: a lame attempt to justify a bad administrative decision and to perhaps persuade people to buy-in to a way of practicing medicine that is obviously NOT for Decatur.

Anyone who has been in Decatur for very long probably has had the same family physician for many years. Most of the gentlemen at the Golden K probably are on a first-name basis with their physician. Anyone want to take a guess as to how many of them would want to see a stranger in the hospital instead of "[Dr.]Bill, the guy who has taken care of me and my wife for almost 20 years?"

I still don't get it. Why would DMH push hospitalists when the math clearly indicates the hospital will lose big money by duplicating physician costs?

With DMH, Common Sense Goes Out The Window...

As a patient who has been hospitalized three times in this town, I know what I as a patient would want during my stay. I want MY DOCTOR to see me, I want to be seen by a DOCTOR in the Emergency Room if I am seriously ill, and I want to be in a hospital that PROMOTES AND ENCOURAGES DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES TO BE AVAILABLE TO ME IF NEEDED.

Unfortunately, that is NOT the case with the administration of Decatur Memorial Hospital.

DMH administration has removed it's employed family physicians from seeing patients in the hospital. The biggest majority of patients seen in their ER are seen by Physician Assistants, EVEN PATIENTS WHO ARE CRITICALLY ILL!!! PA's and nurse practioners have their place in medicine, and I agree they have played a vital role in Decatur (my Grandmother's life was literally saved by a nurse practioner.) I'm not sure how many PA's/NP's have considerable ER experience, but even so, does two years of post-college school make one equivalent to a doctor taking care of critically ill patients in the ER? (Anyone seen the new St. Mary's ads yet? I hear they hit on just these issues!)

AND NOW....with the ongoing FBI investigation of their hospital, DOCTORS IN DECATUR ARE LEAVING!!!

Not too long ago, doctors left Decatur because of medical malpractice costs driving them out of business. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS SINCE THE FBI INVESTIGATION STARTED, DECATUR HAS LOST A NEUROSURGEON, A NEUROLOGIST, AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, AND NOW ANOTHER NEUROLOGIST WILL BE LEAVING IN A FEW MONTHS! Since the medical malpractice law was passed, I would hope that the rates would stay the same, or even go down (I must admit, I don't know much about this issue, other than what I've read.) Even with the law in place, doctors are still LEAVING!! Even when there's hope that their insurance rates might go down, DOCTORS IN DECATUR ARE LEAVING!!

Why is that? Decatur's economy IS GROWING!! Yet, with patients reportedly being conned into thinking they had to go to DMH, St. Mary's suffered financial setbacks. Now with DMH's FBI investigation coming to the forefront, DMH IS NOW FEELING THE PINCH, TOO.

Thanks a lot, Ken and Tim. You've successfully torpedoed healthcare in Decatur. I hope it can somehow stay afloat.