What Does Decatur Think Of DMH?
In the last post on this site, one local patient who chose St. Mary's voiced an opinion about DMH's decision to pull neurosurgery coverage from St. Mary's.
I don't know if this has any bearing on this topic but here it is.......I am curently being treated for Spinal Cord Damage my insurance is with St. Marys Hospital well now that DMH will not allow Dr Krause to go their I am forced to either drive to Champaign area or the Springfield area. The part that the hardest is I have been seing two doctors here that are now not allowed to go to St, Mary's now I have to carry the the extra burden of cost and start over with new doctors and probably retake expensive tests. I don't think I will ever go back to DMH they are playing games with my health for money and it a non-profit place, hope Smithmier goes to jail.
I am the person with the Spinal cord injury I just wanted to add to my comment that the other Doctor that I am seing is Doctor Collins and I don'nt think he is barred from St. Mary's after talking with my wife she thinks that it is only Doctor Krause and the other Neuro. Surgeon. I also wanted to add that these 2 Doctors are very very good doctors and I am currently continuing to see them even though I pay a higher percentage of my insurance because they are not on my PPO but thats a different story. In no way do I want anyone to think that its the Doctors doings by not going to St. mary's Hospital because it is not Dr. Krause would still be going their if it was not for DMH Administration. I just did'nt want anyone to have bad impressions of these Doctors because they are both caring and very compitent. I want Krause at St. Mary's and I want the DMH Administrators to quit practicing medicine, and leave it to the Doctors.
One patient thinks DMH administration practicing medicine is COSTING HIM MONEY!
Anyone else out there have a story to share? Ken really wants to hear your thoughts.
I don't know if this has any bearing on this topic but here it is.......I am curently being treated for Spinal Cord Damage my insurance is with St. Marys Hospital well now that DMH will not allow Dr Krause to go their I am forced to either drive to Champaign area or the Springfield area. The part that the hardest is I have been seing two doctors here that are now not allowed to go to St, Mary's now I have to carry the the extra burden of cost and start over with new doctors and probably retake expensive tests. I don't think I will ever go back to DMH they are playing games with my health for money and it a non-profit place, hope Smithmier goes to jail.
I am the person with the Spinal cord injury I just wanted to add to my comment that the other Doctor that I am seing is Doctor Collins and I don'nt think he is barred from St. Mary's after talking with my wife she thinks that it is only Doctor Krause and the other Neuro. Surgeon. I also wanted to add that these 2 Doctors are very very good doctors and I am currently continuing to see them even though I pay a higher percentage of my insurance because they are not on my PPO but thats a different story. In no way do I want anyone to think that its the Doctors doings by not going to St. mary's Hospital because it is not Dr. Krause would still be going their if it was not for DMH Administration. I just did'nt want anyone to have bad impressions of these Doctors because they are both caring and very compitent. I want Krause at St. Mary's and I want the DMH Administrators to quit practicing medicine, and leave it to the Doctors.
One patient thinks DMH administration practicing medicine is COSTING HIM MONEY!
Anyone else out there have a story to share? Ken really wants to hear your thoughts.
posted by Watcher2300 at 6/22/2006 07:54:00 PM
6 Comments:
Doctor's used to take an oath of Hippocrates, right? How come hospital administrators don't take such an oath? Anyone who does what DMH administation has done to the people of Decatur have no interest in the health of a community.
They only are intested in the almighty dollar!
When it comes to Ken Smithmier and his financial geniuses, they would rather make money than provide good health care. This is especially true if you ask any of their employees and current patients, let alone any of Decatur's citizens. Frankly, DMH administration just doesn't care.
They like those bonuses in their salaries more than they want to provide essential medical care for the Decatur area.
I have to remain anonymous. I work for DMH and for various reasons, can't leave and work somewhere else right now.
My brother in law died at DMH 2 years ago as a direct result of poor staffing and negligence on the part of DMH. He was only 52 and his death was totally preventable. His death occurred despite questions, comments, protests from myself and other family members. We were all dismissed as being too emotionally involved.
Experienced nurses are leaving in droves. Most of those that are still at DMH are actively seeking employment elsewhere.
Who do you want to take care of you or your mother or spouse? An experienced RN or a new graduate who cannot function without a mentor/preceptor for 6 months or longer?
I'll take the experienced RN any day of the week.
I would never be a patient at DMH. I know what goes on there on a day to day basis and know that the nurses and ancillary staff are stretched too thin to provide quality care. I leave work most days thankful that I did not harm any of my patients - not satisfied that I gave them the best possible care.
IMC (a critical care level of care) patients on a huge medical floor? That is exactly what DMH is doing now. Critically ill patients who require close, constant monitoring are now placed on a huge 74 bed medical floor. RN's are expected to give these patients the highest level of critical care and monitoring while caring for 9 or more other patients. This is a recipe for disaster. Nurses can only be in one place at a time, despite what Smithmier and other administrators think.
I would bet the farm (perhaps the one Smithmier stole from the DMH Foundation) that Smithmier or any other of the higher ups would never allow themselves or a family member to be placed out on a huge floor as an IMC patient.
DMH is so proud of it's Silver Award. From what I understand, if you pay the money to "earn" this award, you get it.
DMH is now pursuing status as a "Magnet Hospital" - one that attracts the best nurses.
News flash for DMH administrators - your best, brightest, and most experienced nurses are leaving in droves.
I recently was a patient at another hospital in central Illinois. The difference between the care I received there and the care patients receive at DMH was the difference between night and day. The nurses at the other hospital I was a patient in actually had the time to sit down, hold my hand, and answer my questions and those of my family. I felt like I truly received the care I was paying for and that the staff really cared about our concerns.
I used to be proud that I worked at DMH. Now I don't tell people where I work and change the subject if they pursue the matter.
If you want high quality care do not go to DMH
Dmh may be "Mastering Modern Medicine", but medicine is both an art and a science. Too much emphasis is placed on the science and latest technology at DMH (not to mention the landscaping) and not enough emphasis is placed on the art of medicine - compassion, getting to know your patients and their individual needs, etc.
Interesting about the salaries of DMH administrators and the TRUE profits DMH has made over the past few years.
I was at one of the meetings Smithmier held for all employees in November 2006. The figures old Ken gave as profits over the years were millions less than the ones you posted. His arrogance was astounding.When one of the employees had the nerve to ask about bonuses for the employees, Smithmier's answer was short and curt - "Not with those numbers". That's all he said and immediately went on to another topic.
He was so proud that DMH is recruiting new doctors. When asked why the old ones where leaving, he said "I don't care why they are leaving. I can always replace them."
All employees were left with the unspoken message that if you don't like it, leave because I can replace you, too.
An employee asked about the health insurance rate hikes and whether or not it would be cheaper for for DMH to go from self insured to getting insurance from another company such as blue cross so employees could pay more affordable premiums. Smithmier gave some double speak about administrative costs for insurance plans. His employees are not as stupid as he thinks we are. We know that DMH gets those administrative costs. More money for DMH.
Morale has never been lower at DMH. It IS affecting patient care. Fewer staff are being asked to take care of more and sicker patients.
No bonuses for hard working employees. Any information out their on the bonuses administrators received?
St. Mary's should be more aggressive in bidding for those PPO contracts from companies in the area. Let DMH lose just a couple of those contracts, and things would change dramatically in Decatur. Caterpillar is a prime example. DMH has that PPO contract. There are lots of CAT employees and retirees in the area. Cat pays billions in health care costs. Maybe it's time for them to see if they can get a better deal from St. Mary's.
I would leave the DMH owned physician I have seen for over 20 years (who is not allowed to admit his patients to St, Mary's) and go to another MD who can admit to St. Mary's.
I understand from talking to MD's at DMH that the new administrator at St. Mary's is almost as aggressive as Smithmier. Get going, St. Mary's! Make Decatur truly a 2 hospital town again.
Ken Smithmier and Tim Stone don't want to hear what the citizens of Decatur think. They are too arrogant to care.
It is their way or the highway.
They are only interested in lining their own pockets and driving St. Mary's out of business - perhaps turning it into a large nursing home.
I hope the Feds come down hard on them. They are guilty of Medicare fraud, double billing insurance companies, self referring, etc.
Only question is whether Smithmier will weasel his way out of a conviction and some lower administrator will be forced to take the fall.
After all, Smithmier did manage to get out of the charges that he illegally got land donated to the DMH foundation to build his mansion. At least, according to him it has been determined that he did nothing wrong.
Wonder if you or I could get a sweet deal on land donated to the hospital? Why do I think that would not be possible.
Smithmier and Tim Stone are the worst things that ever happened to DMH
Ken Smithmier and Tim Stone don't care what citizens of Decatur and surrounding area think. They are interested only in lining their own pockets.
Smithmier illegally got land donated to the DMH foundation but managed to weasel his way out of those charges (accoding to him).
Wonder if you or I could get a sweet deal on Foundation land like Smithmier did. Yeah, right.
Come on Feds, get these crooks. They are guilty as sin.
Only question in my mind is whether Smithmier will worm his way out of the charges and some poor lower administrator will be forced to take the fall.
Like I said earlier, Smithmier and Stone don't care what we think. They are superman and invincible (and have a team of high priced lawyers to protect them.
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