Taos Take-Back Time: the mouse that roared!

Last night, July 2, at the board room of Taos Health Systems (THS), the 501 © 3 non-profit operator of Holy Cross Hospital, a citizen’s forum, chaired by County Commissioner Tom Blankenhorn, met to discuss health and financial issues affecting Taos residents. The Committee (Taos Community Health care and Hospital Study Committee) was initiated at the request of concerned citizens by former Town of Taos Mayor, Darren Cordova. Citizens volunteered to serve on the committee, conceived of as a liaison between town and county government and the THS board.

Hospital employees, staff, and most citizens in the community see THS, a non-transparent self-selecting board, as a rubber stamp for Quorum Management. For all intents and purposes THS serves more as a social circle for the aspiring classes than a serious oversight group. At last night’s meeting former HCH CEO Peter Hofstetter commented on the original by-laws, which were designed to prevent the influence of the county commissioners on the direction of the hospital. Apparently, the board and HCH management want public funds but not public input. Beware la gente!

Meanwhile the Committee has been meeting since December, ferreting out financial and management information from the hospital staff. Union employees and HCH staff have continued to lobby both the Town and County for help in convincing THS to become more transparent and local in terms of the culture. Dr. Ashley Pond, Jr., who recently retired, has criticized current management practices and predicts the hospital will close if the management culture continues to resist change. Here’s his signed statement, converted from a pdf.doc to a word.doc:

Dr. Pond’s Statement,

In my professional and personal opinion if the hospital management continues along the decision­ making course they are presently taking, the hospital will be forced to close. Part of the change that needs to occur is a change in the culture of the hospital. The administration does not respect their staff and uses intimidation and fear to exercise control over the doctors and nurse support staff who work here. I also have grave concern about the dismantling of the hospitalist program. With the loss of our excellent long term practitioners , we are losing an invaluable community resource that cannot be measured in dollar and cents. These doctors have an intimate knowledge of our patient population and provide outstanding care to our community. The loss of these doctors is another example of the loss  this hospital has suffered due to culture fostered by thi s administration . I was planning to retire at this general time, but also feel that I can no longer work under the conditions created by the present administration. The culture needs to change at Holy Cross Hospital , even if a new senior administrative team is needed. The Board needs to change and become more transparent.

Respectfully,

(Initialed by Dr. Ashley Pond)

According to THS/HCH reports last night, the hospital has a 22-day cash supply, thanks to compliant vendors, who have been “pushed” back from 30-day to 60-day to 90-day collection cycles. Since the THS board announced a new contract for medical services with an out-of-state entity, called “Apogee,” a number of doctors have announced their intention to leave HCH. Last night two doctors appeared, announced their names, and also said they were leaving the hospital. HCH should have 135 days of cash reserves, according to staff. A union representative said HCH is ripe for take-over by the state, since its financial situation is so precarious.

The hospital finance department also presented graphs and reports that showed in-patient numbers steadily declining and revenues falling during the last four years. HCH has, apparently, spent its reserves to try and stop the bleeding. Now the Committee, the THS board, and HCH want county taxpayers to prop up the failing institution.

While, employees have been laid off and some operations have been outsourced; while docs are fleeing and the current Quorum Management CEO Hofstetter has taken a job with a hospital in Oregon, and while the self-selecting THS board continues to stonewall employees and the public, only the Committee and the District 1199 NM National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees appear to take the crisis seriously.

Last night Union 1199 presented the forum with an eight-page analysis, including suggestions for reform, plus pages of back-up information in a slick wire-bound pamphlet. 1199 is encouraging the board of

“THS to work with the Commissioners, the Taos Town Mayor and Councilors, and the Taos Community Health care and Hospital Study Committee in setting up a series of public forums to facilitate….that they place a hold on a search for a permanent CEO, until there is an inclusive discussion of what greater Taos would like to see developed as a master plan for its acute care hospital…and a plan developed with THS to accomplish the goals reached from the community discussion.”

The union wants Taos County to review and determine whether the lease of the hospital building should be terminated and a more favorable management provider sought such as University of New Mexico Hospital and Science Center in place of Quorum Management. Apparently, due to its public ownership of the building, the County could terminate the lease with THS/HCH upon a 180-day notice.

The once and former CEO Peter Hofstetter noted that the community should avoid getting down in the “weeds” and criticizing Holy Cross Hospital practices because the real health concerns in the community were   “mental health” problems as indicated by drugs, drink, crime, etc. in the ER.  Town Councilor Fritz Hahn said he was part of a social worker network that included doctors and patients from HCH, who had drug abuse problems and suffered from hostile conditions at the hospital. Hahn mentioned that employees said rules regarding “confidentiality” at the hospital had been regularly violated.

You might say itinerant professionals and board members who hide from financial and cultural reality also have “mental health” problems. One member of the Committee, Suzanne, pleaded with the community to notify her of examples re: retaliation, incompetence, scandalous behavior, etc. She promised to maintain “confidentiality” and can be emailed if you can find her email address.

The meeting on Wednesday, July 2, ended in the SRO only board room at HCH when, I kid you not ladies and gentlemen, a mouse appeared. Apparently HCH housekeeping is incapable of providing a “mousetrap” or finding a cat to catch the varmint. At HCH they can’t control the rodent problem. The rats are leaving the ship and the mice are taking over. It’s sort of like Kit Carson being renamed Red Willow. Go figure.