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Sunday, July 28, 2013
Another PRMC Comment Worthy Of A Post
I got it on good authority that layoffs in imaging )X-ray, CT, MRI, Nuc Med, and Ultrasound start at or near Labor Day. To add insult to injury, the Radiology Mr. Lou was joking that PRMC will save money since they don't have to pay out those extra vacation days. If you work in Radiology, QUIT WORKING....the list of who is being fired is already been determined, and let's just say the people with 10 yrs or more of service are going to be hitting the unemployment line VERY SOON. So if Mr. Lou has stopped talking to you recently, put your resume in elsewhere. Oh, and don't complain to the Radiologist, they helped make up the list, that's your reward for covering up their multiple affairs from their spouses.
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65 comments:
Time for some SICK Outs.
LOOK...this is no laughing matter. I am scheduled to put my life on the line with radiology b/c of cancer and I hear this sh^&. SOMEONE had better due some damage control and soon before everyone from the shore takes their business somewhere else. AND if none of this is truth than you can be certain of a clear damage lawsuit because I'm about to bolt and will give this as my reasoning.
I love the last dig... prmc has been known as a cheat fest for over 10 years. Docs getting it in...
If they are over staffed, they need to lay them off. If they are lazy, they should be fired. Same goes for the Dr's. Get new ones who want to work well and efficiently and give excellent service. Just that simple. This should be a "patient driven" business anyway.
I already go across the Bay Bridge for my health care needs. I have a PCP here that I go to once a year for my daily allergy medicine and my blood pressure medicine. That's it! All else is done across the bridge. PRMC is s joke and the docs on the western shore agree. You would be surprised at how many mistakes or corrections that others docs have to correct due to PRMC. Obviously their sex drives are getting precedence over quality health care.
What is your "good authority"? You don't even have the right name... Mr Lou is a female and her last name is not Lou.
420-Why on God's green earth would you choose to go to PRMC in the first place?
KARMA is hard at work! You know the saying what goes around comes around!
If you are planning on having imaging tests conducted by PRMC or Peninsula Imaging you should be aware that several of their doctors have well known reputations for inappropriate activities with PRMC nurses while on the job. Anonymous 5:16 is absolutely spot on! This cannot be a good thing for the quality of their work. Everyone is aware of what goes on up to and including Naleppa herself but as long as the $ rolls in the PRMC sex club is condoned and nothing is ever done. You might want to consider other options because I have also heard from many patients that the work done here in imaging is often very poor and needs to be redone elsewhere. You really want a doctor who has his mind on the job not one who is planning his next sexual activity. It is too important to compromise with your health care!
I think the person that wrote the comment is trying not to slander anyone and protect Joe and themselves. Yes the woman who runs it is named Mary Lou, and if you ever saw her, calling her MISTER Lou ain't much of a stretch....Just sayin
Well let's break down the departments this person mentioned. CT....busy from the ER
Ultrasound...understaffed, probably no cuts there
MRI....tons of units put in around Salisbury, probably over staffed
Nuc Med, same as MRI, but they've all been trained recently to do CT, could they be taking over their (CT) jobs? Nucs is much younger and cheaper
Xray, way over staffed and a ton of long termers who specialize in sitting on their ass
What will happen is the Director will get rid of the workers and keep the ass kissers
420- I think you're confusing Radiology with Radiation Oncology, two different things. But if you have any fears, please call your doctor and explain your angst.
Then if its "not true" you're going to sue? Sue who? Joe? and for what, "I heard it from an anonymous posting, on a website" Save your money because you'll need it to pay medical bills.
But in all seriousness, good luck with your treatment
Ok several things... First of all, there are a lot of good imaging techs at PRMC. To say the work is poorly done or needs to be redone elsewhere is complete crap. PRMC gets patients transferred from other facilities all the time and the images from those facilities have to be repeated due to the fact that the doctors want to cover their butts on the liability end. It has nothing to do with image quality. Also, CT may be busy from the ER but a lot of ER patients are non-pay. The ER cannot turn anyone away even with no insurance and many people use the ER as their regular doctor. They simply sign a paper saying they will pay, but they never do. That means the hospital is not being reimbursed for those exams. Also, Nuc Med techs are the highest paid. And as for diagnostic X-ray being "way over staffed" they are currently stretched very thin, especially on evening shifts and are forced to call in additional help frequently. If they really want to save money how about cutting back all these executives who don't have a clue what these people really do and who never interact with patients
Prmc has the best imaging techs in this tri state area. I would let any of them treat me or my family. They save lives....you write blog...hmm
All I will say is there were great people working at Arthur Anderson and Liehman Brothers, probably the top in their field, and they got sacked. When layoffs occur, some great people lose their jobs, its the name of the game
Note to self:
Since Joe broke this story early, if Mary Lou is over nice to me on Monday morning; I'm screwed
To quote @ Anonymous 6:34
"Xray, way over staffed and a ton of long termers who specialize in sitting on their ass"
AMEN!!! But unfortunately, this part is also probably true:
"What will happen is the Director will get rid of the workers and keep the ass kissers"
6:34 - same thing happened at Perdue a couple of years ago...although some of the weren't @$$- ki$$ers and have since left on their own anyway.
725 You do realize that imaging techs don't treat a thing except the Nuc Med Tech who treat Thyroid Cancer with Iodine. That's why you post to blog
Anonymous 7:01
You may have a very high opinion of the quality of PRMC imaging staff but trust me that opinion is not the opinion of everyone in the industry. Recently I heard a Hopkins doc say he thought that sometimes he thought the PRMC imaging staff must "have their heads up their ass". Very complimentary! Also you are wrong about hospital reimbursement. Even if a patient doesn't pay for services in the ER the hospital gets reimbursed by the state when they set the rates for different procedures each year. The hospital never looses out and they certainly are not doing procedures for free. This is a big misconception and a falsehood that the hospital wants people to believe.
Anonymous 4:20 If you want to consider an alternative provider of radiation oncology you could talk to 21st Century Oncology. They are very good and right now the only Salisbury alternative to PRMC. Unfortunately the word is that PRMC is pushing very hard to put them out of business. See how PRMC responds if you ask for a second opinion!
I think there is enough cancer on the Eastern Shore to keep both PRMC and 21st Century Oncology in business.
Had an xray, radiologist found something, ordered a CT, yep, there
is something there and it has gotten
larger. My sheet said lung disease.
I called University of Maryland and made an appt. The doc there asked me why I was there and I told him what had happened and showed him the print out that I had received from docs here. All he could say was I am glad
you came, so I could give you the good news that there is nothing there. I could have kissed the ground. Oh by the way I just received my bill and it was for a
total of 34.84 and my insurance hadn't been billed yet. WOW what a good day. You are right PRMC a big JOKE.
Anonymous 931
I find it strange that 2 different tests both showed something and univ of md says it nothing???? I would follow up regularly to be sure. Also the bill you got is probably from the radiologist for reading the X-ray. There is a separate charge from the hospital. As for PRMC being a big joke aren't you at least glad they were erring on the side of caution instead of seeing something and brushing it off??? Better safe than sorry I always say. I'd rather have a brief scare and I be nothing than to think everything was fine if it truly wasn't.
I have seen some terrible films be passed through the x-ray department. That being said, I take a lot of pride in the films that I put through. When my initials are on an x-ray image, you can be damn sure that I got the best films I possibly could, given the patient's condition
9:31 PM Look at your "bill" again and see if it instead says "do not pay, this is not a bill". You will receive a bill after your insurance pays.
1:39 as a patient all I can say sincerely is thank you. because what you do is the difference between life and death sometimes.
You guys are all idiots! How do you really think PRMC is going to lay more than a few people off and still be able to handle it's imaging needs? These are skilled techs with degrees that are in somewhat of a shortage, not replaceable low skilled workers.
9:30 I've seen dirty toilet paper that's worth more than a "degree".
Doesn't mean crap.
Spoken like a true hillbilly....degree ain't worth crap...maybe not
but you won't make 6 figures + and sit in an office without one!
9:30 None of those fields are in short supply, in fact most are over staffed. Go on Monster and other sites, you might get 3 pages NATIONWIDE. Locally, Wor-Wic keeps pumping out xray techs despite their being no jobs. Plus, NO ONE in those departments, except supervisors, are making 6 figures, just ain't happening
Ridiculous. I am sure that most if not all of you PRMC bashers are ill-informed and uneducated about which you speak. I would like to see what this city would do if PRMC and its physicians did not exist. What would you all do then? It is also laughable that you think that simply because a doctor works at Hopkins that he/she is smarter than our local physicians. All you have to do to work at Hopkins is apply for staff privileges. Any doc at PRMC can get on staff at Hopkins tomorrow if they wanted. Then what? They suddenly become all-knowing? You funny deluded people.
108-There's a reason doctors "end up" at lowbrow place like PRMC, they can't cut it elsewhere. If they were a cut above, they would work at a better facility. I don't understand how the idea is foreign to you. Doctor's don't choose a place like PRMC. It's that simple.
Anonymous 108 You are truly and completely uninformed, ignorant and do not have the slightest grasp of knowledge when it comes to the hospital and why doctors choose to be on staff or live in a certain area.
Doctors choose to live here on the shore and enjoy the lifestyle while working at a very good hospital. In fact, most if not all of us could work basically anywhere in the country--there is no "test" you have to take to be on staff at any hospital--
"cut it anywhere" Hope you enjoy the ride clutching your heart from chest pain, or bleeding, or severe pain from kidney stone while you are stuck on the bay bridge on your way to Hopkins--
Make sure you tell the local ambulance not to go to PRMC---but to Hopkins instead--see where you end up.. these comments are just too funny
1:08 ...Yeah...that is why they are ranked #1 in the country so often. Who is deluded?
2:47, what authority do you have to make that determination? Are you a physician? Do you personally know several physicians? Does your logic apply to all professions in the area or just doctors? Could it be that many physicians practice here because they like living here or they are from the area? Maybe they were recruited here, had children and decided to stay? No, these scenarios can't possibly be correct. No, your logic seems much more sound and likely. It must be that PRMC docs are here because they are obvious rejects. Thanks for setting me straight, you idiot.
4:52
I recognize that you are a doctor posting on this blog who feels the need to defend the quality of the medical staff at PRMC. I know it may be hard for you to accept but the hospital really has a terrible reputation and this reflects on all of you. So many people in this community have had bad experiences at PRMC and they are frustrated and some are scared. Saying how good you are does nothing to alleviate any of these concerns and most people won't believe it until things get better at the hospital. There are BIG BIG problems at PRMC that need to be addressed. And as far as your last comment I don't think threats will make you any friends. Yes the PRMC ER is closer than Hopkins but PRMC is not even in the same class as a hospital. I am sorry if I bruised your ego.
2:47 PM, 5:54 PM Can you prove these are rejects and name names so we the public do not go to these doctors.
well, I would ask my mom, but she's dead...bled to death following surgery and too much coumadin. nurses didn't check on her. Not once the night of surgery "because family member was there", not a medically trained person. she was supposed to have heart monitor, be in icu. she had neither. labwork showed problems that were never addressed. she was given a pca device where she had a stroke. Basically she was ignored.she died after 10 days.
Then they hire "locum tenens" to fill any voids, docs, nurses, & techs. They pay them considerably more than locals who do the same thing. If the locals don't like it hospital says to go somewhere else. That hasn't changed in many many years. The same old argument.
For those who need special and professional attention , the Cancer Center across the street is the best for radiation .
They have the latest technology and the best of help.
I was there when Doc. Edwards opened that facility , and will always recommend it.
For any other needs I always recommend Atlantic General in Berlin.
554-Actually I do know a multitude of doctors that were employed at one time or another by PRMC. I too grew up in the area. I also know a great deal of the nursing staff, some I grew up with, others were parents of close friends. The vast majority have stated to me on multiple occasions to avoid PRMC. Why else, would employees from a wide range of jobs, from techs, to nurses, to doctors all say the same thing? Because it is true. PRMC is a joke, and has been for years. I actually feel bad for those that are forced to use that facility.
I've seen it myself, I've been in many hospitals across the country, and PRMC is the worst I've ever been in. Pretty much because my family and I choose to go to quality hospitals, and not the lower rung that PRMC inhabits. If the patients say it, if the staff says it, if the nurses say it, and the doctors say it...Sorry Charlie, it's true.
Call me nosey if you want, but I want to hear more about the affairs! Thats where morals come into play, who knows name names and I might see my husband listed.
God, I'm so sick of all this negativity. My husband recently completed successful cancer treatment at PRMC, and we can't say enough about the doctors, nurses and other staff. We also had good care at Peninsula Imaging.
These comments are freaking me out.
I'm praying to stay healthy!
The outcomes at PRMC are on or above par with most large hospitals. Those people that like care so much on the Western shore so much should continue to go there (or even move there). But when you take your healthcare dollars there don't complain on a blog that is talking about layoffs in your local hospital. And don't be surprised if that hospital is not appropriately staffed when you have a stroke or heart attack.
11:19
What you call "negativity" is really the expression of frustration. People in this town are genuinely frustrated by the low standard of care, poor leadership and low integrity so prevalent at PRMC. All hospitals have good staff and bad; likewise patients have good outcomes and bad outcomes. And most hospital workers do the very best job they can every day. But what always becomes apparent in these discussions is the depth of the problems that they have at PRMC. It is also my strong opinion that PRMC is a very poor hospital. And because it is a corporate objective of PRMC to create a monopoly network of health care providers you cannot escape the fact they are front and central in almost any local health care issue. That is why they can be so dangerous and that is why they need to be forced to solve their problems. I say "forced" because the management appears to have no willingness or ability to fix anything and they are a big part of the problem.
Now I will try to provide my own positive feedback. 21st Century Oncology (Dr Dr Masi)is a practice to go to if you need radiation oncology. PRMC is the only game in town if you need chemotherapy but AGH has an oncology department and Dr. Paul provides excellent service. The ER at AGH may be thirty minutes away but the wait period is often less than ten minutes. The doctors in the ER work for the same company (Emergency Service Associates) as the doctors at PRMC. My family uses AGH if they need the ER and "Your Doc's In" as a walk in clinic. I make every effort to avoid the PRMC network at all costs.
PRMC's Mission Statement: "We are too big to fail."
124-No, the outcomes are not. If they were, they wouldn't be one of the lowest ranked hospitals by state/region. But they are.
Anon 10:36. I hope you back up your words with action, as worthless as your words are. When, not if, you have a true medical emergency please direct the EMS crew to bypass PRMC and take you the 30+ miles to the next closest hospital. You know, the other hospitals where the doctors are first class and did not just "end-up" there. Let's see how things turn out. Who knows, maybe we will luck out and rid the world of one more pessimistic, judgmental ignoramous.
What really bothers me about this is all the mud slinging . Really become an adult and face the facts PRMC is in need of help. The People even the Docs and the Nurses realize there is a problem so stop with the mud slinging and the threats and get the problems attended to.
Could we please get an insider in Radiology to tell us how things went on Monday Morning? I'm curious how this revelation will be handled
428-You can "defend" PRMC til the cows come home, fact of the matter is there isn't a doctor or nurse at PRMC who would choose to go to PRMC if their life depended on it. I'm sorry you can't see it, in fact I feel bad for you, or anyone that your decision influences. PRMC=The lowest rung on the ladder.
That's how the crappy cookie crumbles.
Actually, Anon 625, I work at PRMC and most of the physicians do go to PRMC-affiliated physicians for their care. And PRMC has physicians trained at Johns Hopkins, Mayo, etc, hardly the "lowest rung on the ladder." They have struggles with finances and upper management but this is not reflected in the care they provide. There are patients that come back from JHH, University of Maryland, etc, that are horrified by their care there, you will always find horror stories for both sides.
6:52
Who are you trying to convince? Haven't you read any of the comments on this or any of the many other posts on the subject? You may feel great about the quality of care provided by PRMC but far too many have suffered with terrible care!Try telling how great the docs are to any one who has posted their miserable experiences at PRMC.It won't make impress them much.
Here is an idea! Get one of those management or consultant "teams" that the hospital has employed and use them to solicit the input of real patients. Not PRMC employees who get treated special by other PRMC doctors and not some hand-picked cheerleaders selected by Naleppa but regular people from the community. Let them tell their real stories and communicate their actual experiences. So much on this blog has been about money and cost-saving measures. How about someone addressing the real issue of quality of patient care? After all isn't that the reason that PRMC exists?
I have had nothing but first-class experiences at PRMC. Can't say that about some other hospitals that I have been involved with, however. There may well be some administration problems, but the healthcare is top-notch.
HI,I would go to PRMC for care. I have been a patient in the hospital and had great care for all (for the cleaning to the
Drs,) It is LIFE that layoff happen, it is LIFE that people is lazy, but it is not all people with over 20 YEAR (MANY YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HARD WORK, THEY WOULD LIKE EVERY THING NOW AND NOT WORK FOR IT) THEY JUST WOULD LIKE A PAYCHECK AND FORGOT WHY WE DO THE JOB, IT IS FOR THE PATIENT AND NOT A PAYCHECK. We are over staff in some dept. of radiology, (US
Wow and the CEO made just a shade over 15,000 a week in salary. Times are tough eh?
How many times does it happen that you follow the money, the truth will come out? A few weeks ago the story about the salary disparity, then a few weeks later, the affairs from docs and staff, and now the payback to those who spoke out. This is the new normal, speak the truth, get crushed. There are so many forms of hatred, betrayal, pay back, and anger, is this the path, people we have to confront evil now!
They are ranked in accord to cancer wings and offices and specialists they have manufactured. Treating cancer is a mulch-million dollar business. Like the drug business grows bigger when more money made is off new drugs.
I was in this hospital for 3 days last Thanksgiving with blood clots in my leg. I received excellent care. I had no insurance and paid for everything out of my life savings, so you could say I've paid for the privilege of making these comments. The problems with health care delivery and pricing in this country are not caused by this hospital, and they won't be solved by posting to a blog. Have any of you who are posting criticisms done anything to help? Volunteered? Raised money for the facility? And why would I care what the doctors and nurses are doing with each other? My nurses were formidable and fully capable of dealing with anyone. If you have quantitative proof of poor performance then state it, otherwise you are just ranting.
Bruce Home - glad to hear you had a good experience, but you are in the minority. Posting to a blog is a great mechanism to "vent" - many folks have tried to express concerns/complaints, etc. to the hospital and have received no assistance. PRMC clearly has bundles of money to pay Naleppa and cronies, why would anyone want to raise MORE $ for them? As for the extracurricular activities between docs and nurses...the public doesn't care what they do on their own time, it's what is supposedly happening during WORK hours. Just being in that corrupt, horrible place would preclude even the most forgiving folks from having any desire to volunteer. Read ALL the comments in ALL the PRMC blog articles - you will learn many horror stories. You were just one of the lucky ones.
Your're right, of course, concerning "venting" to a blog. It isn't the place to look for a thoughtfully researched critique of the hospital's problems. And I realize that my 3-day experience doesn't make me an expert on the facility. I just get weary of all the negativity on blogs. Life is really short. This hospital must have a Board of Directors, as well as Federal over-site. Have these concerns been formally placed before them? And while I can sympathize with the burden of additional health insurance costs borne by the employees, I have no health insurance and paid the bill, in full, with no discounts. My point is (small comfort that it may be) things could be worse.
What amazes me is that people can post about what the doctors and nurses are doing behind closed doors. WELL - open the doors and post the names. Don't just talk about it. And for everyone that wants to bash PRMC - I get it you had a bad experience - the CNA didn't get in there to wipe the poop off right away. Or the nurse didn't give you the extra pill you requested. Or the dietary aide brought you a food tray that you did not want. SUCK IT UP. NO hospital in the country is perfect. They all have faults - even Hopkins. And you talk about how Hopkins being soooo great. Heard about some train wrecks that they have done and sent to PRMC to fix. I have seen and heard may times about how horrible PRMC is but the simple truth is the hospital has to deal with the good, the bad and the ugly. They can't turn anyone away. So at times the ER is slammed which causes longer wait times. And I'm not saying the ER is fast because we all know that is not true. There are many things that PRMC could change without laying off people. Will they make the changes - NO. And for the ones that praise AGH - I laugh at you. That place is a joke at times. They refer to PRMC all the time because they don't take certain insurances or their physicians are not accepting new patients. Really. And I have heard some stories about the surgeons there. PRMC has fixed many of those mistakes too. Many friends in Ocean City have stated this. SO, instead of arguing over which hospital is better then the other lets focus on the big issue - people possibly losing their jobs, over paid executives and under paid staff.
Did everyone forget the important parts of this article? People are losing their jobs, while care is lacking. Layoffs are life, and as a recent graduate from a healthcare profession, I am feeling the pinch of belts tightening... BUT there is a limit. The layoffs don't cut the fat, they don't let go the problem employees. They let go the recent hires. And why is no one upset that those who talk about this post get canned? Healthcare everywhere is taking a hit, but without major changes this will continue. Voice your outrage by writing letters to the PRMC Board, the editor in the newspapers, etc. Although this blog is a great sounding board, just commenting here is not taking action. Those of us who want a job can't speak out without being persecuted, so those who can should. Good luck to the employees, it is a sad state of affairs when you spend weeks and months fearing for your job through no fault of your own.
Er, kid. Whatever.
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