Last post I wrote about my contact with Beverley Speroff and her response to my request for information. This week I received a reply from the office of Kathleen Sebelius, in response to the same letter that was sent to Ms. Speroff . The response was pretty much the same, I was referred back to the local DHHS office. My next step was to write to Aldona Vos the Secretary of the NCDHHS, requesting the same information. As of yet I have not received a reply from Secretary Vos.
The reason for the letters is, the report of the investigation conducted by the NCDHSR. I have a copy of the documents from their investigation that are full of inaccurate information. I am only asking them to produce some sort of documentation concerning facts that are crucial to their investigation. I would assume that if they actually had done an investigation, there would be documentation of the facts. When you read the report, it appears that the things in question were simply the opinion of the investigator. That investigator, Todd Davis, is now the Western Regional Director of the NCDHSR nursing home licensure division. I guess like most government positions, incompetence is rewarded with a promotion!
I will continue to check the mail for a letter from Secretary Vos's office, but I am not holding my breath. It is obvious that the money the nursing home owners throw around is a huge obstacle. For the record, a copy of the letter sent to Secretary Vos was also sent to Governor Pat McCrory. If the media is correct, there seems to be a cozy relationship between Governor McCrory , Secretary Vos and her husband as well. My thinking is that the North Carolina group is seriously connected to a larger group in Washington. All of them simply looking for the biggest campaign contributions and special perks.
My brother found some pretty interesting facts, concerning referrals in the healthcare business. I know there are laws against physician self referral, yet CMS publishes a list of providers and referrals. The list indicates that DR. Larry Joe Russell averaged 2756 referrals a week for three years, and referred out 2243 a week, most of them to his office. Is that not what would be considered self referrals? I guess that the CMS is too busy doing whatever else they do to read their own reports!
Below is the link to DR. Russells referrals, take a look at the list of people sharing the same address.
http://w.npidashboard.com/relationship/1891772513
http://w.npidashboard.com/npi/1891772513
Self referrals ? Not Dr. Larry Joe.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
Who is Beverly Speroff and the Nursing Home Licensure and Certification Division of NCDHHS protecting ?
I have been attempting to get a representative from the NCDHHS to explain their investigation results from the inspection of Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, resulting from my complaint. I started by calling the Western Regional office of NCDHSR in Black Mountain. This is the office that did the "administrative review " of the complaint findings. I spoke to the director Todd Davis, and asked if someone would explain the findings to me. Mr. Davis immediately took an offensive position, and denied my request simply because the survey was done in 2012.
The next step was to contact the State level director of NCDHSR , Ms. Beverly Speroff. I requested the same meeting from Ms. Speroff, explaining that it might help them in future investigations. Of course I was denied again because there have been investigations since my complaint. Ms. Speroff informed me they can not go back and cite a facility if there have been subsequent investigations. I wrote Ms. Speroff again, explaining that I did not expect them to write any citations. The reason for my request was simply to understand their findings from my complaint. After two weeks I received a response to my request. " We informed you in a letter dated February 6, 2014 that this request will not be honored because the investigation was completed in the spring of 2012. This matter is closed."
Does this mean the amount of time passed changes the fact that they failed to do a thorough job? Is the NCDHSR doing a perfect job with their investigations ? Am I not entitled to an explanation of the conflicting information in their report ?
If I have information that could improve the effectiveness of future investigations, why don't they want to know? Could it be that the same Todd Davis, was the lead investigator of my complaint ? I can understand why someone would not want their incompetency's exposed. The fact that those incompetency's affect the licensing of nursing homes, should be more important than ones pride. I am being nice in calling them incompetency's. I believe that the findings of the NCDHSR investigations are just plain false. There are no other explanations for their findings, not even plain old stupidity.
Is the NCDHSR incompetent, or are they another example of what money can buy in our political system? From everything I have seen and heard, my bet is good old fashioned corruption. The following paragraph is from Wikepedias definition of corruption.
Some forms of corruption – now called “institutional corruption” – are distinguished from bribery and other kinds of obvious personal gain. Campaign contributions are a prime example. Even when they are legal, and do not constitute a quid pro quo, they have a tendency to bias the process in favor of special interests and undermine public confidence in the political institution. They corrupt the institution without individual members being corrupt themselves. A similar problem of corruption arises in any institution that depends on financial support from people who have interests that may conflict with the primary purpose of the institution.
When you look at the ownership of many nursing homes, you will find plenty of politicians. They go from County officials, all the way to Congressmen and Senators. There are also plenty of owners who belong to the same country clubs as the politicians. There is plenty of opportunity for corruption at any level. The fact that not one government agencey will follow through on a complaint against these people is a good indication of what is written above. Nursing home owners are major contributors to politicians, all the way up to the President. The nursing home PAC's have plenty of money to throw around, to obtain favors in the political arena.
The next step was to contact the State level director of NCDHSR , Ms. Beverly Speroff. I requested the same meeting from Ms. Speroff, explaining that it might help them in future investigations. Of course I was denied again because there have been investigations since my complaint. Ms. Speroff informed me they can not go back and cite a facility if there have been subsequent investigations. I wrote Ms. Speroff again, explaining that I did not expect them to write any citations. The reason for my request was simply to understand their findings from my complaint. After two weeks I received a response to my request. " We informed you in a letter dated February 6, 2014 that this request will not be honored because the investigation was completed in the spring of 2012. This matter is closed."
Does this mean the amount of time passed changes the fact that they failed to do a thorough job? Is the NCDHSR doing a perfect job with their investigations ? Am I not entitled to an explanation of the conflicting information in their report ?
If I have information that could improve the effectiveness of future investigations, why don't they want to know? Could it be that the same Todd Davis, was the lead investigator of my complaint ? I can understand why someone would not want their incompetency's exposed. The fact that those incompetency's affect the licensing of nursing homes, should be more important than ones pride. I am being nice in calling them incompetency's. I believe that the findings of the NCDHSR investigations are just plain false. There are no other explanations for their findings, not even plain old stupidity.
Is the NCDHSR incompetent, or are they another example of what money can buy in our political system? From everything I have seen and heard, my bet is good old fashioned corruption. The following paragraph is from Wikepedias definition of corruption.
Some forms of corruption – now called “institutional corruption” – are distinguished from bribery and other kinds of obvious personal gain. Campaign contributions are a prime example. Even when they are legal, and do not constitute a quid pro quo, they have a tendency to bias the process in favor of special interests and undermine public confidence in the political institution. They corrupt the institution without individual members being corrupt themselves. A similar problem of corruption arises in any institution that depends on financial support from people who have interests that may conflict with the primary purpose of the institution.
When you look at the ownership of many nursing homes, you will find plenty of politicians. They go from County officials, all the way to Congressmen and Senators. There are also plenty of owners who belong to the same country clubs as the politicians. There is plenty of opportunity for corruption at any level. The fact that not one government agencey will follow through on a complaint against these people is a good indication of what is written above. Nursing home owners are major contributors to politicians, all the way up to the President. The nursing home PAC's have plenty of money to throw around, to obtain favors in the political arena.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
SanStone, twenty minutes to answer the call lights. Little shop of horrors !
Needless to say this has been an eye opening week for me. Some of what I've seen just proves to me that the care at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation is as bad as I always thought it was.
I've seen the call lights on down the hallway, and not a nurse in sight. I witnessed a patient in a wheel chair, with one arm bandaged up and useless, drag a walker the entire length of the hall.This was done with two nurses standing there watching as they talked. I've seen them move patients with and without the help of the lift, depending whether they can get someone to assist with the lift.
Yesterday I had to go down one of the other halls to get to the "big rehab room", the smell of urine and feces was so strong I held my breath. When I arrived, there were five or six patients and maybe four therapists. One gentleman was complaining that someone had just wheeled him there and left. He told one of the employees he had been in there for an hour and a half. I would assume that if you move all the residents to rehab or the dining room, they are easier to watch and less staff is needed.
I began this journey with one goal, and that was to spend time with a fellow church member who is dying. I was able to look past a lot of what I had seen, until it directly affected my friend.
I have seen him go a whole week without a shower. One day he was not given a shower because the heat was out in the shower room. The other day I finally reached my limit. As my friend was wheeled in after therapy, they left him in his wheelchair. While we were talking, his bladder released and his clothes got wet. He asked me to push the call button for a nurse to clean him and help him to bed. I pushed the button, and after five minutes I went outside the room to see if the light was on and if anyone was around. The light was on so I walked to the nurses station and there was one nurse there. I told her what had happened and she told me to push the call button. I told her that I had already done that and she just told me that the nurse would help when she came by. I went back into the room and waited with him. Finally after 20 minutes of sitting in urine soaked pants, two nurses showed up, they changed him and assisted him to bed. This was the first time I had ever seen them use the lift on him. It usually sits at the end of the hall against the wall.
I cant even imagine what happens to ones pride and self worth when treated this way. The nurses are so busy that they seem to resent you asking for anything. I have met a few nurses and cna's that seemed to have some compassion left, but they are few and far between. All of my visits were in the daytime hours between two and three, I cant even imagine how much worse it must be at night.
My experience with nursing homes reminds me of the way they portray mental institutions in old black and white movies.
I went there with the hope that things were not as bad as I remembered during Mom's stay. Unfortunatley I was dissappointed to see they were as bad or worse than I remembered from 2011. The problem is obvious, they do not have enough staff to provide the services needed by the residents. The staff that is there is overworked, and it shows in their attitude towards the patients.
SanStone, our passion makes us different, thats what they advertise. The truth is that their passion is the same as almost all the other nursing home groups, lots of money!!
I wonder how Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Christopher Sprenger and Michael Deloach would feel if they had to sit in their own urine for twenty minutes. I wonder how long they would go without a shower because they had no heat in their bathrooms?
I've seen the call lights on down the hallway, and not a nurse in sight. I witnessed a patient in a wheel chair, with one arm bandaged up and useless, drag a walker the entire length of the hall.This was done with two nurses standing there watching as they talked. I've seen them move patients with and without the help of the lift, depending whether they can get someone to assist with the lift.
Yesterday I had to go down one of the other halls to get to the "big rehab room", the smell of urine and feces was so strong I held my breath. When I arrived, there were five or six patients and maybe four therapists. One gentleman was complaining that someone had just wheeled him there and left. He told one of the employees he had been in there for an hour and a half. I would assume that if you move all the residents to rehab or the dining room, they are easier to watch and less staff is needed.
I began this journey with one goal, and that was to spend time with a fellow church member who is dying. I was able to look past a lot of what I had seen, until it directly affected my friend.
I have seen him go a whole week without a shower. One day he was not given a shower because the heat was out in the shower room. The other day I finally reached my limit. As my friend was wheeled in after therapy, they left him in his wheelchair. While we were talking, his bladder released and his clothes got wet. He asked me to push the call button for a nurse to clean him and help him to bed. I pushed the button, and after five minutes I went outside the room to see if the light was on and if anyone was around. The light was on so I walked to the nurses station and there was one nurse there. I told her what had happened and she told me to push the call button. I told her that I had already done that and she just told me that the nurse would help when she came by. I went back into the room and waited with him. Finally after 20 minutes of sitting in urine soaked pants, two nurses showed up, they changed him and assisted him to bed. This was the first time I had ever seen them use the lift on him. It usually sits at the end of the hall against the wall.
I cant even imagine what happens to ones pride and self worth when treated this way. The nurses are so busy that they seem to resent you asking for anything. I have met a few nurses and cna's that seemed to have some compassion left, but they are few and far between. All of my visits were in the daytime hours between two and three, I cant even imagine how much worse it must be at night.
My experience with nursing homes reminds me of the way they portray mental institutions in old black and white movies.
I went there with the hope that things were not as bad as I remembered during Mom's stay. Unfortunatley I was dissappointed to see they were as bad or worse than I remembered from 2011. The problem is obvious, they do not have enough staff to provide the services needed by the residents. The staff that is there is overworked, and it shows in their attitude towards the patients.
SanStone, our passion makes us different, thats what they advertise. The truth is that their passion is the same as almost all the other nursing home groups, lots of money!!
I wonder how Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Christopher Sprenger and Michael Deloach would feel if they had to sit in their own urine for twenty minutes. I wonder how long they would go without a shower because they had no heat in their bathrooms?
Friday, March 28, 2014
Would you do it if you knew someone was watching???
I have recently found myself visiting a fellow church member in Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. I have not been inside the building since Mom died.
It turns out that the person I have been visiting, is in the same room and same bed that my Mother died in. Walking down that hallway again was the most difficult thing I've done in a while. Not much has changed in the last two and a half years. Everything looks the same as it did in 2011. As I entered the room for the first time since then, I was shocked at how small it was. There are two beds, two chairs, and two small night stands. If you are sitting in one of the chairs, you are no more than a foot away from the other chair. There is the same little 13 inch tv at the foot of the bed.
I have been visiting my friend for three weeks now, and it is apparent that there are many decent people working there. The problem is the same as when Mom was there, they just don't have enough help to take care of the residents. On two separate occasions, I've heard them tell patients that they were not going to get their shower till the next day. The reason given is that they ran out of time.
For the most part the staff seems friendly, and compassionate There are times when the nurses just don't have time to do much of anything. There is one CNA, that seems to never stop running. I visited on the weekend, and there were hardly any staff on the hallway. If an emergency would happen on the weekend, it would be catastrophic.
The problem in nursing and rehabilitation centers, is the owners taking all the money out at the cost of quality of care. They own airplanes, yachts and belong to the local country clubs. They want for nothing, while the residents of their homes simply want a shower, a haircut or a decent meal served hot. The owners are living in expensive lake houses , and in gated communities while the people paying the bills are living in tiny rooms with particle board furniture.
It is obvious that these places make lots of money for the owners. At the sacrifice of a small percentage of the profits , they could easily provide better care for the residents. That seems to be the least of their concerns. They are to busy spending any extra money on purchasing more properties. If they are not making money, why are they so eager to buy more nursing homes?
On one of my recent visits, the NCDHSR was doing a complaint investigation. There was a sign on the front door announcing the investigation dates. This means that each employee knows that they are being inspected when they walk in the door. Does the NCDHSR think that telling them they are being inspected , will not affect their performance that day? Would you violate the regulations if you were being watched? That would be like running a stop sign with a police car on each corner of the street!
I did notice some things were different on the day of the inspection. I saw the nurses use a lift to get a patient out of bed. During Mom's stay I never even saw a lift. I also noticed that the dining room had been full of residents every day I had been there, on the day of the inspection it was empty. I'm guessing that they would leave the residents in the dining room till they had cleaned the rooms.
Make no mistake about it, the nursing home business is big money. The owners are very wealthy and could care less about the quality of care their homes provide. There is a shortage of beds, Medicare.gov ratings are inaccurate, and it is almost impossible to determine the care you can expect from any particular home. The system is not working and needs to be fixed. All it takes is people willing to stand up for those who cant. If you are willing to join the cause, please contact me at jaemark7@bellsouth.net
It turns out that the person I have been visiting, is in the same room and same bed that my Mother died in. Walking down that hallway again was the most difficult thing I've done in a while. Not much has changed in the last two and a half years. Everything looks the same as it did in 2011. As I entered the room for the first time since then, I was shocked at how small it was. There are two beds, two chairs, and two small night stands. If you are sitting in one of the chairs, you are no more than a foot away from the other chair. There is the same little 13 inch tv at the foot of the bed.
I have been visiting my friend for three weeks now, and it is apparent that there are many decent people working there. The problem is the same as when Mom was there, they just don't have enough help to take care of the residents. On two separate occasions, I've heard them tell patients that they were not going to get their shower till the next day. The reason given is that they ran out of time.
For the most part the staff seems friendly, and compassionate There are times when the nurses just don't have time to do much of anything. There is one CNA, that seems to never stop running. I visited on the weekend, and there were hardly any staff on the hallway. If an emergency would happen on the weekend, it would be catastrophic.
The problem in nursing and rehabilitation centers, is the owners taking all the money out at the cost of quality of care. They own airplanes, yachts and belong to the local country clubs. They want for nothing, while the residents of their homes simply want a shower, a haircut or a decent meal served hot. The owners are living in expensive lake houses , and in gated communities while the people paying the bills are living in tiny rooms with particle board furniture.
It is obvious that these places make lots of money for the owners. At the sacrifice of a small percentage of the profits , they could easily provide better care for the residents. That seems to be the least of their concerns. They are to busy spending any extra money on purchasing more properties. If they are not making money, why are they so eager to buy more nursing homes?
On one of my recent visits, the NCDHSR was doing a complaint investigation. There was a sign on the front door announcing the investigation dates. This means that each employee knows that they are being inspected when they walk in the door. Does the NCDHSR think that telling them they are being inspected , will not affect their performance that day? Would you violate the regulations if you were being watched? That would be like running a stop sign with a police car on each corner of the street!
I did notice some things were different on the day of the inspection. I saw the nurses use a lift to get a patient out of bed. During Mom's stay I never even saw a lift. I also noticed that the dining room had been full of residents every day I had been there, on the day of the inspection it was empty. I'm guessing that they would leave the residents in the dining room till they had cleaned the rooms.
Make no mistake about it, the nursing home business is big money. The owners are very wealthy and could care less about the quality of care their homes provide. There is a shortage of beds, Medicare.gov ratings are inaccurate, and it is almost impossible to determine the care you can expect from any particular home. The system is not working and needs to be fixed. All it takes is people willing to stand up for those who cant. If you are willing to join the cause, please contact me at jaemark7@bellsouth.net
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Fraud or just good old fashioned corruption?
When I started writing this blog, it was about corruption in the NCDHHS . Sadly corruption is so prevalent in our society today that we just tolerate it. Politicians are taking money from large corporations to get elected. If anyone believes these people aren't influenced by those campaign contributions, wake up!
In our political system, it would be hard to find anyone who is not influenced by corporate money. Politicians don't even try to act like they care about what the people want.
I have written several politicians and requested specific actions. The responses I've received were simply form letters that are generated by a computer. The letters always applaud concerned citizens who get involved. Then they go on to tell you all the great things the politicians have done, and all the committees they are on. Then they go on to say if you have any more concerns please feel free to contact them. All of this without ever addressing the reason that you wrote them in the first place.
I have been lucky enough to receive some assistance from two Congressmen. The problem is that there are so many agencies and government contractors involved, none of them seem to know who does what. There is a company called NCI Advancemed, they are the " zone program integrity contractor " for Medicare in this region. I received a letter from them last year stating that they had reviewed my complaint and taken appropriate action. Not knowing who they were at the time, I called them and asked what actions had been taken. I spoke to a Shannon Stinedurf, in Ohio, who told me they had not taken any action against anyone mentioned in my complaint!
If that isn't bad enough, my brother and I both filed through the freedom of information act for the results of their investigation. We both received a response stating that there are no records matching what we asked for. That means that they didn't actually do an investigation! That also means that our taxes are going to pay NCI Advancemed to investigate. All they apparently do is to write letters saying they have done so, and collect a paycheck. The new face of welfare recipients seems to be government contractors.
We have gotten the same runaround from the CMS, nobody seems to be able to say what they did in response to our complaints. They also seem to have a problem locating any records from any investigations they supposedly conducted.
Then you have the NCDHHS, the worst of all. They will take your complaint willingly enough, but don't count on them actually finding anything. The common reply from them is " no discrepancies found " . They seem to find plenty of issues when they do their recertification, but never when it's a complaint. I have a copy of their investigation of my complaint, and it is a joke. There are important statements made by the investigators, with no supporting documents. I have written Beverley Speroff, the survey section chief for the State, asking for a meeting to discuss the facts, and was denied.
They are willing to let Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation get away with anything. They have no intention of actually doing an investigation.
Is there corruption here, or just a lack of concern for how our elderly are treated. Either way, these people have to be stopped. I could use any help I can get, whether from employees, patients or family members. Lots of people have told me stories, I need them to tell their stories to others. If it takes me the rest of my life, I will not stop trying to help. Both of my parents are gone, but others are still suffering at the hands of these thieves.
In our political system, it would be hard to find anyone who is not influenced by corporate money. Politicians don't even try to act like they care about what the people want.
I have written several politicians and requested specific actions. The responses I've received were simply form letters that are generated by a computer. The letters always applaud concerned citizens who get involved. Then they go on to tell you all the great things the politicians have done, and all the committees they are on. Then they go on to say if you have any more concerns please feel free to contact them. All of this without ever addressing the reason that you wrote them in the first place.
I have been lucky enough to receive some assistance from two Congressmen. The problem is that there are so many agencies and government contractors involved, none of them seem to know who does what. There is a company called NCI Advancemed, they are the " zone program integrity contractor " for Medicare in this region. I received a letter from them last year stating that they had reviewed my complaint and taken appropriate action. Not knowing who they were at the time, I called them and asked what actions had been taken. I spoke to a Shannon Stinedurf, in Ohio, who told me they had not taken any action against anyone mentioned in my complaint!
If that isn't bad enough, my brother and I both filed through the freedom of information act for the results of their investigation. We both received a response stating that there are no records matching what we asked for. That means that they didn't actually do an investigation! That also means that our taxes are going to pay NCI Advancemed to investigate. All they apparently do is to write letters saying they have done so, and collect a paycheck. The new face of welfare recipients seems to be government contractors.
We have gotten the same runaround from the CMS, nobody seems to be able to say what they did in response to our complaints. They also seem to have a problem locating any records from any investigations they supposedly conducted.
Then you have the NCDHHS, the worst of all. They will take your complaint willingly enough, but don't count on them actually finding anything. The common reply from them is " no discrepancies found " . They seem to find plenty of issues when they do their recertification, but never when it's a complaint. I have a copy of their investigation of my complaint, and it is a joke. There are important statements made by the investigators, with no supporting documents. I have written Beverley Speroff, the survey section chief for the State, asking for a meeting to discuss the facts, and was denied.
They are willing to let Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation get away with anything. They have no intention of actually doing an investigation.
Is there corruption here, or just a lack of concern for how our elderly are treated. Either way, these people have to be stopped. I could use any help I can get, whether from employees, patients or family members. Lots of people have told me stories, I need them to tell their stories to others. If it takes me the rest of my life, I will not stop trying to help. Both of my parents are gone, but others are still suffering at the hands of these thieves.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Local doctors to buy care center!!! Somebodys pants are on fire!
Dr. Larry Joe Russell, in a newspaper article from the Hendersonville Times News " What we've got is a group of doc's who basically have a local interest in Henderson County. "
The article ran in the Hendersonville Times News on November 30, 2007. Written by Scott Parrott, it was titled " Doctors bid $8.45 million for center. "
According to the article, Hendersonville Physicians and Associates LLC had the highest of fourteen bids. The article names, Dr. Larry Loe Russell, Dr. Amal Das, Dr. David Mackel, Dr. Stuart Glassman, Dr. Stephen Lackey, Linda Brooks FNP, Ed Baber a physicans assistant and his father Larry Baber, owner of Whitly Drugs. All owners of Hendersonville physicians and Associates.
Then it goes on, "The local connection gives the group a better understanding of the needs of the employees, clients, and families at the care center he said. " Another section states something about having an ownership that literally shops at Wal-Mart and Ingles, right alongside employees and families that have loved ones at the facility. "We're more accessible, we're right here, and I think that gives us a better feel for the concerns of the community. " Sounds great for those of us that shop at Ingles and Wal-Mart, now we get to shop along side this group. Makes it sound wonderful for Henderson County, a local connection!
The second part of the story gets interesting, they plan on leasing the building to Ardent Health and Rehabilitation. Chris Sprenger and Mike DeLoach of Ardent , would operate the facility. Turns out they are also owners of Hendersonville Physicians and Associates. The article keeps on going back to the "local connection", and keeping it in the community.
Ardent also operates Beystone Health and Rehabilitation in Fletcher, and Sanford Health and Rehabilitation southwest of Raleigh. Upon further research, it appears they are also owners of Beystone. Chris Sprenger and Mike DeLoach are also managing partners of Beystone, Sanford, and Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. These guys arent happy getting just one piece of the pie, they want the whole thing.
Then the real truth starts coming out further down the page. " Not being bound to a hospital, we're able to run ( the center ) like all the other facilities are run in the nation, " Russell said. Wait a minute Dr. Russell, I thought the whole thing was the " local " connection. Why do you want to run the place like all the other facilities in the Country. In the ads for Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, they say their passion makes the difference. Is that the passion, that all the other facilities in the nation have, or is that the "local" passion?
The board of directors at Pardee, and the Henderson County Board of Commissioners had to sign off on the deal. What a grand show they were all putting on. Obviously the residents of Henderson County were not being told the whole truth. The well being of the residents, and the quality of care were the least important factors in determining the buyer. Money as usual was the root of the evil in this case.
I spoke personally to one of the other bidders, they said that being owned by a hospital would require a definate number of nurses and cna's. Being a private entity would not require any certain number of staff. The hospital would have to put the money back into providing quality care. A private owner just takes the money, and puts it in their pocket. The other bidder I spoke to stated that he felt that Pardee Hospital had already decided who would get the bid before the bids were placed. I'm pretty sure that the County Commissioners and the Hospital Board benefitted in some way.
The point is that Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation is run by a company that intends to take as much profit as possible. The care of the residents is secondary to the profits. The patient will always get the short end of the stick. Shame on Pardee Hospital and the Henderson County Commissioners!
Here is a link to the company that actually took this place over from Pardee. If I was able to get this information, I'm sure the Pardee Hospital Board and the County Commissioners could have found it. The problem is all they saw was the money, the residents of Henderson County got hustled by the Commissioners and Pardee Hospital Board.
http://www.sprengerhealthcare.com/communities/map/
Notice they dont list any properties in North Carolina, but there was an article in the Lorraine County News that says that Sprenger Healthcare was proud to announce the aquisition of two new properties, Hendersonville Health and rehabilitation, and Stonecreek Health and Rehabilitation in Asheville. So much for the local connection, do they have Ingles in Ohio?
The article ran in the Hendersonville Times News on November 30, 2007. Written by Scott Parrott, it was titled " Doctors bid $8.45 million for center. "
According to the article, Hendersonville Physicians and Associates LLC had the highest of fourteen bids. The article names, Dr. Larry Loe Russell, Dr. Amal Das, Dr. David Mackel, Dr. Stuart Glassman, Dr. Stephen Lackey, Linda Brooks FNP, Ed Baber a physicans assistant and his father Larry Baber, owner of Whitly Drugs. All owners of Hendersonville physicians and Associates.
Then it goes on, "The local connection gives the group a better understanding of the needs of the employees, clients, and families at the care center he said. " Another section states something about having an ownership that literally shops at Wal-Mart and Ingles, right alongside employees and families that have loved ones at the facility. "We're more accessible, we're right here, and I think that gives us a better feel for the concerns of the community. " Sounds great for those of us that shop at Ingles and Wal-Mart, now we get to shop along side this group. Makes it sound wonderful for Henderson County, a local connection!
The second part of the story gets interesting, they plan on leasing the building to Ardent Health and Rehabilitation. Chris Sprenger and Mike DeLoach of Ardent , would operate the facility. Turns out they are also owners of Hendersonville Physicians and Associates. The article keeps on going back to the "local connection", and keeping it in the community.
Ardent also operates Beystone Health and Rehabilitation in Fletcher, and Sanford Health and Rehabilitation southwest of Raleigh. Upon further research, it appears they are also owners of Beystone. Chris Sprenger and Mike DeLoach are also managing partners of Beystone, Sanford, and Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation. These guys arent happy getting just one piece of the pie, they want the whole thing.
Then the real truth starts coming out further down the page. " Not being bound to a hospital, we're able to run ( the center ) like all the other facilities are run in the nation, " Russell said. Wait a minute Dr. Russell, I thought the whole thing was the " local " connection. Why do you want to run the place like all the other facilities in the Country. In the ads for Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, they say their passion makes the difference. Is that the passion, that all the other facilities in the nation have, or is that the "local" passion?
The board of directors at Pardee, and the Henderson County Board of Commissioners had to sign off on the deal. What a grand show they were all putting on. Obviously the residents of Henderson County were not being told the whole truth. The well being of the residents, and the quality of care were the least important factors in determining the buyer. Money as usual was the root of the evil in this case.
I spoke personally to one of the other bidders, they said that being owned by a hospital would require a definate number of nurses and cna's. Being a private entity would not require any certain number of staff. The hospital would have to put the money back into providing quality care. A private owner just takes the money, and puts it in their pocket. The other bidder I spoke to stated that he felt that Pardee Hospital had already decided who would get the bid before the bids were placed. I'm pretty sure that the County Commissioners and the Hospital Board benefitted in some way.
The point is that Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation is run by a company that intends to take as much profit as possible. The care of the residents is secondary to the profits. The patient will always get the short end of the stick. Shame on Pardee Hospital and the Henderson County Commissioners!
Here is a link to the company that actually took this place over from Pardee. If I was able to get this information, I'm sure the Pardee Hospital Board and the County Commissioners could have found it. The problem is all they saw was the money, the residents of Henderson County got hustled by the Commissioners and Pardee Hospital Board.
http://www.sprengerhealthcare.com/communities/map/
Notice they dont list any properties in North Carolina, but there was an article in the Lorraine County News that says that Sprenger Healthcare was proud to announce the aquisition of two new properties, Hendersonville Health and rehabilitation, and Stonecreek Health and Rehabilitation in Asheville. So much for the local connection, do they have Ingles in Ohio?
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Who's watching Dr. Larry Joe Russell and SanStone ?
According to the NC Secretary of State, SanStone Management LLC, was created on February 24, 2014. Does that mean that SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, is now managed by SanStone Management? How many ways can you take money from a business ? Christopher Sprenger and Mike Deloach seem to be experts, both are managing employees at all the SanStone properties. Now they are being managed by themselves, and I'm sure they are getting paid a management fee. I wonder if that will affect their pay as managing employees? Does SanStone need both managing employees, being managed by themselves?
It looks like they have been to the Larry Joe Russell school of taking all the money you can from your business without actually having to do anything for it. Dr. Russell is a master at getting paid for doing nothing. He bills patients for visits that he doesn't make. He diagnoses patients with illnesses, and then provides them with rental equipment to treat the fake illness. All this under the watchful eye of the ever competent NC Medical Board.
The NC Medical Board, NCDHHS, NC Board of Nursing and the CMS are supposed to be "regulating" the medical community. I know that I have been focused on nursing homes, that's where it all started for me. It is obviously a problem across the medical community. Nurses are the ones that really know what's going on in the hospitals and doctors offices. They are not necessarily bad people, they just know if they tell what actually happens, they don't work.
If you have to go to the doctor, you better pray that the nurse keeps the doctor from killing you. I've seen jokes on Facebook about this, people think it's funny. Next time you have to go to the doctor, are you going to know if you are getting the right treatment for your illness? Do you trust the doctor, just because he has a piece of paper on the wall and a white coat? Is there anything in the office that shows the doctors integrity? Does the doctor own the pharmacy, that you will get that $35.00 prescription from? Unless you have time to research who owns what, you will never know.
I was in the hospital two times last year, both times, I had to call the doctors attention to something, that could have been harmful. One of the times, I was on a medication, that should have been discontinued two weeks before. The list of current medications was in the file, the doctor just didn't take the time to look. The person calling from the hospital the day before the procedure, noticed what the doctor should have. The second time I was going for a test, the test involved injection of iodine into my spine. The doctor was on the ball, he saw the allergy and prescribed a preventive drug, good job! The morning of the test, I showed up at Mission Hospital, and as the nurse went over my chart, she discovered that I was on a medication, that should have been held for at least two days. They sent me home and rescheduled the test for another day. They were nice enough to give me a $20.00 gas card for my trouble.
This is an issue that should scare almost everyone who goes to the doctor. It is important to point out that none of these involved my regular doctor, actually an FNP. I have never had a problem with the care I receive form my provider. What happens when you go to a specialist, does your doctor go with you to make sure they don't make a mistake?
The system is so flawed, that you are literally at the mercy of the doctors. If they make a mistake, no one is going to come forward and admit it. How many people are taking medications they should not be taking, simply because the doctor is playing golf with the pharmacy rep? How many unnecessary procedures are being done, just so the doctor can pay for that little cabin he bought in Gatlinburg?
Anyone who is reading this, I would guess, has had similar experiences. We are among the lucky ones, their mistakes didn't kill us. What about the ones who weren't so lucky, did anyone ask why they died? Did the Medical Board ask the doctor what happened? This is a reality, that we have to face in todays society. Good luck!
It looks like they have been to the Larry Joe Russell school of taking all the money you can from your business without actually having to do anything for it. Dr. Russell is a master at getting paid for doing nothing. He bills patients for visits that he doesn't make. He diagnoses patients with illnesses, and then provides them with rental equipment to treat the fake illness. All this under the watchful eye of the ever competent NC Medical Board.
The NC Medical Board, NCDHHS, NC Board of Nursing and the CMS are supposed to be "regulating" the medical community. I know that I have been focused on nursing homes, that's where it all started for me. It is obviously a problem across the medical community. Nurses are the ones that really know what's going on in the hospitals and doctors offices. They are not necessarily bad people, they just know if they tell what actually happens, they don't work.
If you have to go to the doctor, you better pray that the nurse keeps the doctor from killing you. I've seen jokes on Facebook about this, people think it's funny. Next time you have to go to the doctor, are you going to know if you are getting the right treatment for your illness? Do you trust the doctor, just because he has a piece of paper on the wall and a white coat? Is there anything in the office that shows the doctors integrity? Does the doctor own the pharmacy, that you will get that $35.00 prescription from? Unless you have time to research who owns what, you will never know.
I was in the hospital two times last year, both times, I had to call the doctors attention to something, that could have been harmful. One of the times, I was on a medication, that should have been discontinued two weeks before. The list of current medications was in the file, the doctor just didn't take the time to look. The person calling from the hospital the day before the procedure, noticed what the doctor should have. The second time I was going for a test, the test involved injection of iodine into my spine. The doctor was on the ball, he saw the allergy and prescribed a preventive drug, good job! The morning of the test, I showed up at Mission Hospital, and as the nurse went over my chart, she discovered that I was on a medication, that should have been held for at least two days. They sent me home and rescheduled the test for another day. They were nice enough to give me a $20.00 gas card for my trouble.
This is an issue that should scare almost everyone who goes to the doctor. It is important to point out that none of these involved my regular doctor, actually an FNP. I have never had a problem with the care I receive form my provider. What happens when you go to a specialist, does your doctor go with you to make sure they don't make a mistake?
The system is so flawed, that you are literally at the mercy of the doctors. If they make a mistake, no one is going to come forward and admit it. How many people are taking medications they should not be taking, simply because the doctor is playing golf with the pharmacy rep? How many unnecessary procedures are being done, just so the doctor can pay for that little cabin he bought in Gatlinburg?
Anyone who is reading this, I would guess, has had similar experiences. We are among the lucky ones, their mistakes didn't kill us. What about the ones who weren't so lucky, did anyone ask why they died? Did the Medical Board ask the doctor what happened? This is a reality, that we have to face in todays society. Good luck!
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