Letter from Prairie Cardiovascular to their patients

A friend of mine let me scan in his copy of the letter he got from his heart doctor at Prairie Cardiovascular. My friend says that even though he lives 2 blocks from DMH, he will not go anywhere but St. Mary's to see the cardiologist that saved his life back in 2004. I told him he was one of many who will be abandoning the obvious greed of DMH administration and going to St. Mary's for their heart care. See letter below:

And just when Ken thought it couldn't get any worse...

Not only has the financial rating giant Moody's given DMH a NEGATIVE outlook, now it appears that DMH's financial woes are only just beginning. In the Springfield Journal Register earlier this week (8-17-2011), it was reported that DMH is one of only three hospitals in the entire state to lose their tax-exempt status!

For years, Ken has been paying his doctors, his fellow administrators, and himself exorbitant salaries (did someone say, cooking the books?) and pushing DMH toward financial ruin. Then when Moody's catches him at it he decides to try to stem the flow of cardiology money from Prairie to his own doctors by kicking Prairie Cardiovascular off DMH's campus. Of course, Ken didn't plan on 85% of Decatur patients *PREFERRING* the nationally recognized experts of Prairie Cardiovascular (and therefore St. Mary's/St. John's/Memorial Medical Center) over his group and all their 'issues.' Now, all the potential hospitalization dollars, lab dollars, outpatient dollars, radiology dollars that Prairie was bringing in to DMH--are now ALL going to other hospitals, thus meaning even further lost revenue. And now for the icing on the cake: the state of Illinois has revoked DMH's tax-exempt status, meaning Ken's expenses just went up another $1.5 million per year.

Meanwhile, how much money has been wasted in all those new buildings that Ken has been building all over the city? How much more has he put DMH on the string, increasing overall expenses while attempting to portray DMH as the 'Mayo of the Midwest.' It's no wonder why more patients are leaving DMH's PAthetic care for St. Mary's: even more money lost (huge expenses in building and/or renting more property + fewer paying visits (Illinois public aid doesn't pay all that much, Ken, especially to those who have lost their tax-exempt status!)

Funny, isn't it, that Ken's salary was about the same last tax cycle as what the new tax bill is going to be? I think the DMH board has a clear course to take: FIRE KEN SMITHMIER BEFORE THE HOSPITAL IS FORCED TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!!!!