DMH Employees Are NOT HAPPY with Ken Smithmier!
Here's a comment received today on an earlier post. The mismanagement of DMH is hitting home.
"I am a long term DMH employee. I would leave if I were not close to retirement age and have too much invested in the pension plan - although I am starting to worry about whether or not that money will be there when I need it. DMH has changed local investment companies at least 3 times in the last 4 years. Could this be because DMH is extorting a portion of the management fees these firms charge?
The mission statement of DMH is "To improve the health of the people of central Illinois" - quote taken directly from the back of my DMH employee badge.
Alas, DMH does not seem to have the same concern for their own employees. Insurance costs were raised once again for the year that began Jan 1 2007, forcing many employees to drop coverage. I personally know at least 1 RN at DMH who had to enroll her kids in the state's "AllKids" program because she could not afford the DMH insurance premiums. Shame on DMH and Smithmier for not providing affordable healthcare insurance for its employees. Shame on Smithmier & DMH for forcing its own employees to turn to state programs to provide healthcare insurance for their kids.
It is the employees - the nurses, radiology techs, lab techs, cleaning ladies, etc., that the patients see most and provide direct patient care. It is these bottom of the feeding chain employees that bathe, turn, change dressings, give meds, etc., to our loved ones. I guarantee you that Smithmier and his cronies are not out there being exposed to infectious diseases, cleaning your grandmother's dirty bottom, feeding her or washing her dentures, scrubbing floors, and doing all of the other back breaking dirty work that patients and their families have a right to expect.
DMH is definitely not the same organization I hired in to almost 20 years ago. It has been a steady downward spiral in the quality of healthcare provided to patients that accelerated when Smithmier & his buddies arrived from St. Louis.
Would I allow myself or a member of my family to be treated at DMH? Absolutely not! We will go to Springfield, Champaign, Peoria, or St. Louis to get quality care. "
...OR St. Mary's! I've heard that St. Mary's accepts all insurances that DMH accepts, and, unlike DMH, will work with patients to set up a reasonable payment schedule. I would ask them about the level of coverage that the DMH insurance would have at St. Mary's
FRAUD ALERT: A friend recovering from a heart attack initially had cardiac therapy set up at DMH, but later had it swtiched to St. Mary's. He said his therapy at DMH and THE EXACT SAME THERAPY provided at St. Mary's was almost 20% higher at DMH! I didn't know DMH could bill Medicare MORE than St. Mary's could!! I hope the FBI is looking into this "discrepancy."
"I am a long term DMH employee. I would leave if I were not close to retirement age and have too much invested in the pension plan - although I am starting to worry about whether or not that money will be there when I need it. DMH has changed local investment companies at least 3 times in the last 4 years. Could this be because DMH is extorting a portion of the management fees these firms charge?
The mission statement of DMH is "To improve the health of the people of central Illinois" - quote taken directly from the back of my DMH employee badge.
Alas, DMH does not seem to have the same concern for their own employees. Insurance costs were raised once again for the year that began Jan 1 2007, forcing many employees to drop coverage. I personally know at least 1 RN at DMH who had to enroll her kids in the state's "AllKids" program because she could not afford the DMH insurance premiums. Shame on DMH and Smithmier for not providing affordable healthcare insurance for its employees. Shame on Smithmier & DMH for forcing its own employees to turn to state programs to provide healthcare insurance for their kids.
It is the employees - the nurses, radiology techs, lab techs, cleaning ladies, etc., that the patients see most and provide direct patient care. It is these bottom of the feeding chain employees that bathe, turn, change dressings, give meds, etc., to our loved ones. I guarantee you that Smithmier and his cronies are not out there being exposed to infectious diseases, cleaning your grandmother's dirty bottom, feeding her or washing her dentures, scrubbing floors, and doing all of the other back breaking dirty work that patients and their families have a right to expect.
DMH is definitely not the same organization I hired in to almost 20 years ago. It has been a steady downward spiral in the quality of healthcare provided to patients that accelerated when Smithmier & his buddies arrived from St. Louis.
Would I allow myself or a member of my family to be treated at DMH? Absolutely not! We will go to Springfield, Champaign, Peoria, or St. Louis to get quality care. "
...OR St. Mary's! I've heard that St. Mary's accepts all insurances that DMH accepts, and, unlike DMH, will work with patients to set up a reasonable payment schedule. I would ask them about the level of coverage that the DMH insurance would have at St. Mary's
FRAUD ALERT: A friend recovering from a heart attack initially had cardiac therapy set up at DMH, but later had it swtiched to St. Mary's. He said his therapy at DMH and THE EXACT SAME THERAPY provided at St. Mary's was almost 20% higher at DMH! I didn't know DMH could bill Medicare MORE than St. Mary's could!! I hope the FBI is looking into this "discrepancy."
posted by Watcher2300 at 1/02/2007 09:19:00 PM
36 comments
