It has been three weeks since the 9/28 Board meeting held to review physicains (and staff’s) concerns with current Mission Administrators (Damore, Aston et al). For a brief period security was posted in Administration because of perceived threats from the physicains. This, of course, is a handy tool used to paint current leadership as “victims” of a physician “mob”.
I ask you, would a group of intelligent, professionals stoop to that level of sordid behavior when they have already taken much of their valuable time to present their concerns appropriately and concisely through participation in one-on-one meetings, by spending days developing a presentation of their issues to the Board? I think not. It is especially amusing when in fact there is very strong evidence that Damore and Aston are forcing medical professionals to support them in promoting the profit margins, yet setting up a plethora of hurdles for any type of equipment or patient care item purchase. Y
Yes, let’s improve the facade by renovating the lobby and the administrative offices (all new furniture for the executives and renovations costing over one million dollars) – yet we could not afford another trauma surgeon who by the way would not only save lives, but who would also generate revenue – something a waterfall in a lobby cannot do…unless we start tossing coins into it wishing Joe would go away (that’s an idea, everyone who wants Joe, Brian et al to leave, toss a coin in the waterfall in the lobby).
In medieval times, priests, and monks would start a crusaide, traveling from town to town enlightening villagers about fraud and corruption. While we are being asked “not to air our dirty laundry” (which by the way is prime dysfunctional behaviore), I say let us air this foul stench, not just on Ashevegas, but I invited everyone concerned to send out emails from their computers at home imploring people everywhere across the nation to read the Ashevegas blog. Wouldn’t it be especially grand if we received emails back from some physicians and staff at Sparrow Hospital and St. Francis about their history with Damore and Aston?
Which brings us back friends and neighbors to the question of due diligence and that process in regards to Damore. All one had to do was scratch the surface to find out we were much pitied for hiring Damore. This then begs the question, “why would the board hire Joe Damore over our former COO? Our former COO had the support of the physicians, staff, community and EVERY CEO (via signed letters of support) in the region.
Board members need to be held accountable for this debacle. Perhaps 60 minutes or Good Morning America, or Rolling Stone, or Healthleaders would like to do some good investigative reporting and get to the bottom of some really dirty linen involving some questionable land deals. We may also want to look at how Damore’s insurance program would line some pockets.
I am wondering, too, where our “voice” is. So I say, let us find OUR voice and take Misison Hospital back from the hands of these reprobates who do not care about the people of western North Carolina; they are interested in only two things, money and power. My last plea is to continue to fight the current administration and board. Mission’s reputation, history, staff and clinicians are invaluable, at this point we may be able to repair the damage.
Please, someone, please help us get out hospital back.
Unhappy employee, I also have 15 + years at Mission and have become completely disillusioned with the system. We have given Dr Paulus sufficient time to win our trust. Instead, staff satisfaction continues to decline. The recession has been used to effectively erase all gains in work environment and compensation earned over the past decade. Endless amounts of money are spent in areas unrelated to health care~valet parking, planetarium skies, water features, and million dollar physician lounges. Meanwhile, patient ratios have increased to unsafe levels and staff morale is plummeting. Our healthcare system is a house of cards.
I would encourage all Mission Nursing Employees to look at the National Nurses United website. Compare our work conditions and compensation packages. Our people and our community deserve more. Mission Health System, whether they admit it or not, has a monopoly in WNC. If an environment ever needed a Union Voice, this is it.
Hey "hating life at Mission" would you be willing to join a class action law suit?
Now that someone in the lower levels of management "went postal" I feel it is time to do something real instead of just posting our issues on here. No offense Jason but you are going to be employed by ACT again…..maybe that is why there have been no new posts to any of the Mission Hospital issues….hmmmm surely you would not do that. You should realize by now that these posts are coming from everywhere and there is truth in them all!
Please don’t eliminate our only current outlet.
Anyway, lets take action folks! Post back if you are willing to step up and speak out for all of those who have lost their jobs and now the one leader who lost their life!
I want to quit Mission so bad I can’t stand it. I pray every day that I can make it through my shift without going postal ! It is a shame,,,,a true shame! As soon as I can obtain a position at McDonalds I will resign immediately!
I was wondering how Rhonda Miller (VP at Mission) can hold a VP position w/o having a college degree? And how she can run her division by NEVER being there to see HOW things work but barks down orders not caring about her employee’s problems with her grand ideas of how things "should" work. I think Rhonda Miller wants to take over the world. She doesn’t have a clue and doesn’t care about her employee’s well being. What she thinks/says goes. It doesn’t matter what problems it causes her employee’s or patients.
"Yet another doctor" is telling the honest truth! I have been a patient at MMH dozens of times and in the last 5-7 years the care has gone totally down the tubes! It is dangerous to be in that hospital without a family member with you and my family doesn’t do that anymore. Had I not had a family member with me at all times the last few yeras, there were times when I would have died and no one would have ever known.
It is scary in this town the horrible medical care. Mission is a total joke and I am wondering what we are supposed to do for decent medical care in this town anyway. Its bad enough that I would love to move out of the area, but can’t afford to. I hope someone listens and they straighten this mess up.
I have been proud to practice medicine at Mission Hospital for over 20 years, but I can’t say that any longer.
Until recently, I would have encouraged any family member to be a patient at Mission. The change over the last 5 years has been astounding. Nurses no longer have the time to take care of patients. Family members must stay with patients 24/7 because there’s no telling when someone at Mission might be able to take care of their loved one.
There are so many stories from different friends that the evidence has become overwhelming: nurses cursing at patients, nurses being called for unresponsive patients and not coming for 6 hours, no one responding when a patient has fallen and a family member calls the nursing station.
Then there are the hospital-employed neurologists who have been just plain rude. As a fellow medical professional, the stories I’ve heard are humiliating. They’ve stopped short of swearing at patients, but just barely.
This is not the Mission Hospital I have known and loved. The priorities of the present administration clearly do not include patient care. They can talk the talk, but the results of their actions are speaking more loudly.
Mission board members: would you stay at today’s Mission if you were ill? I wouldn’t.
I don’t know what’s going to happen at the board meeting tonight.
I do know that unless Mission makes a major change, I will be sending my family to Chapel Hill, Charlotte or Durham for their health care.
Monday is the day that we are all waiting for. If this board does not believe the allegations in this report, then making that report public (through the freedom of information act perhaps) should bring lots of unwanted attention to this region. If they think it is embarrasing now then just wait and see how it turns out.
I do believe that they will do the right thing. I think that they are trying to be thorough and careful here to avoid legal problems from Damore and others if let go. The other issue is that if Damore is let go, he should not be given a golden parachute. If this report is as damging to Damore and others as is portrayed by those who have read it so far, then Damore has no leg to stand on to receive additional compensation to leave. No contract stipulates pay requrements when this type of misbehavior and abuse occurs.
We have already had so much damage done to this hospital and staff that it is unreal. This community has always been so proud of it’s hospital. Let’s pray that the board has the courage to do the right thing for all of us.
Thank you MercyMission – and the others, you have put it on the line (not between the spin lines as JD likes to do). My heart goes out to Mission’s long-term employees (and the newer employees who unknowingly walked into the debacle and who are still struggling to maintain the hospital’s dignity and qualtiy patient care, because they love Mission hospital and the excellence it once represented. I HATE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO OUR BELOVED HOSPITAL, STAFf, AND PHYSICIANS!!! Damore, Aston, Ford, Roloff, Sink, and Cecil, I hope there is a special place in hell reserved for immoral, grasping scum like you. Mercy Mission, thank you again for addressing many truths.
On a respectful, grieved note, Dr. William Shillinglaw, much admired and equally respected and loved trauma surgeon has turned in his resignation. I have no more words to say how much it hurts losing talented, caring individuals. I only ask, will it ever stop? I guess that depends on the integrity and honesty of the Board and their ability to admit they made a mistake 6 years ago.
Monday October 26 is the day of reckoning for Mission Hospital. If no board member stands tall and calls for Damore and Aston to be fired, no matter what the cost, then Mission will be lost….after 125 years of proudly serving this region, this weak and lackluster board will preside over the demise of a fine hospital. The disappointment we have in this board is overwhelming. These people are SUPPOSED to be LEADERS and watch out for the public’s best interests, not try to cover up the abysmal performance of Damore, Aston, Roloff, Sink, Ford and others. For the sake of Asheville please STAND UP AND BE COUNTED at the meeting on Monday.
Why is it taking Mountain Express so long to get around to covering this story in depth?
I bet the board has loved the silence over the last few weeks. They probably believe this will blow over and they will not have to remove Damore. The problem is he won’t change. If he stays, there will continue to be problems. Allhis career he had the reputation as an arrogant, micro managing, insecure administrator. This even goes back to his days in Greenville SC. You want to laugh:go find some of the people that worked with him in Greenville. Nobody liked him there either! If the Mission board believes they can reform him they are all nuts.
I have worked at Mission Hospital for 20+ years. The morale is the lowest it has been. I totally agree with this writer. They have spent millions renovating that did not need doing and have left some floors, Spine Center, for one badly needing a "Major" facelift. The patients have to share a bathroom. UGH!! Since Joe Damores arrival, the quality of patient care has gone considerately down. I see many lawsuits waiting to happen. It’s very hard to leave your shift when you are so tired from trying to give good quality care and knowing you were not able to give that because your patient load is way too heavy. Walking through the plush lobby makes it even harder knowing that appearances are more important than people, Joe made all departments cut their budget last January, this was done in some departments by cutting jobs. We were denied a raise in January but was given a "token" raise in September after all this information was made public about the doctors being blackmailed and Dr. Buechlers (one of the best Trauma Docs around) leaving. We, the employees, do not need fancy decor, waterfalls, and talking elevators, we need a very much earned riase. Wake up Board of Directors, get rid of Joe before he ruins Mission Hospital. If you won’t do that, how do we get rid of you? I used to be proud to say I worked at Mission, I am not anymore. The only time Joe comes around on the floors is Christmas, I have news for you Joe, you are not Santa Clause, more like The Grinch. Joe does not care about employees only "MONEY". He has ruined Mission but we can turn this around if the Board moves fast and removes him as CEO. Please help the employees and the reputation of Mission before it is too late. The information about Mission denying Workman’s Comp that was in the paper and on the news is totally correct. I can give many names of past employees who were wrongly denied. Where is "The Union" when you need it?
Disillusioned Employee
Jason, thank you for keeping this dialog alive. It is so very important that our voices be heard. So many of us are on pins and needles awaiting the outcome of the Boards decision of our fate, on October 24th. Let us hope and pray that their choices are based on compassion and not the machinations of our fair city’s’ most ambitious scion. Let us hope and pray that Missions darkest days are behind us, and not on the horizon. During medical studies both doctors and nurses received compassion training. They have exercises to illustrate what it feels like to be a patient. Perhaps the BOD could make an educated decision if they had some compassion training, as to what the environment has become. Perhaps they would base their choice on a better tomorrow for our beloved hospital, if they knew what it felt like to walk in another persons shoes.. Imagine what it is to be a patient, in a system in complete chaos, instead of getting treatment elsewhere. Perhaps, they would base their decision not on a profit and loss statement, if they knew what it was like to be a single parent who’s job had been threatened by a superior. Imagine being that superior and your superior is demanding impossible metrics, to feed the beast that has become our insanely top heavy management. Walk in the shoes of a middle manager, who gets screamed at daily by Brian Aston or Frank Ford. Feel the humiliation of having your job and responsibilities stripped from you by Maria Roloff. Imagine what it is like to be a secretary and not have had a raise for a decade, but watch as they build a fancy new office for countless new VPS. Imagine being a director, trying to get a resource for your service line, and navigating a maze of VPs, who have no authority or any answer to tell you but no, as to protect their own worthless title and bonus. Perhaps as business people you could actually feel what it would feel like to have your business, that you built with your sweat equity, hostilely taken over from a giant, you have no ability to compete with. Imagine what it is like to be a nurse doing the job of 5. Pretend you are a janitor who has to clean more rooms than is humanly possible in a day. Watch your group, go through the classic divide and conquer tactics of Joe and Brian, and your friendships and partnerships walk out the door, as backdoor deals are brokered. Feel what it feels like to be one of 200 nurses applying for ONE job opening at the VA, because you can not stand one more day in such a toxic place. Watch as your mentors, teachers, friends and advocates whom built this hospital into an award winning establishment get shown the door, hat in hand. Perhaps if you had some sensitivity training, or God forbid some actual medical training you would see what we see, you could feel what we feel. We are stretched so thin, we are so demoralized, we are so disgusted, but you turn the other cheek, and pretend we are successful… Success is not always measured by profits, and it is not always measured by having your name on everything in town either. True success, is measured by healthy relationships, and EVERYONE can all agree this administration is an abject failure in developing , nurturing and maintaining positive, healthy, mature, collaborative relationships. If you do not know that to be true, maybe you should reread the special sub- committees report ,just in case you have been eating too much of the spin sandwich.. You have asked us to watch your actions. WE ARE WATCHING. We are watching and we are waiting, and we are hoping that the choices you make now will eradicate the failures YOU mandated, for what has become a tragic era in Missions proud history. .
I wa waiting to hear what the Board had decided. My conclusion, is,that the lack of a positive reaction, is in of itself , a decision. I am completely disappointed. I only wish I knew how to fire this Board of Directors. Can anyone tell me why we need more than TWENTY Vice Presidents? This is insanity. Please do not get rid of Damore and keep Brian Ashton, he is at least as bad.