As a 35-year employee of omc, now retired, I will be spreading the word to vote no. I used to be proud to be part of this hospital, it always ran in the black, we were always supplied with state-of-the-art equipment. Now I see multiple people choosing to go out of town for care because what was routinely provided here is on backlog and they are beginning to lack confidence in the diagnostic conclusions. Big loss to the community but I would rather see a smaller but competent facility, a timely wake up call.
I go outside the area for care. Once I was told by staff that they are going to imessage another about my care I sprinted to the exit. My personal opinion is no facility should be using imessage to send messages about patient care. My PII personal identifiable information is sacred. Who knows what imessage folder it is stored under.
A CEO running a failing business wants the taxpayer to pay him more... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. No FIRE him, HIRE somone NEW. Your CEO has failed. You don't reward failure. Well maybe that's the new Clallam County roadmap... Darryl, you are FIRED. Security will see you to the door.
Proposition No. 1 OMC Resolution No. 556 concerning districts regular property tax levy IS ON THE CURRENT BALLOT. VOTE VOTE VOTE encourage others to vote. Don’t sit back and whine about increased taxes and decreased services do something about it and cast your vote by August 5th. There are many voters who pay no taxes & they vote on issues that taxpayers have to pay for, so vote and cancel out non tax payers who impose additional burdens upon the rest of us. The burden of those who can’t pay, a government that allows open borders, decreased jobs, homelessness, uncontrolled drugs flowing over our borders will continue to deplete all our existing services for years to come. We are being lied to, kept in the dark and misinformed and have sat back & let others have their way.
Great post, Jeff! I attended last Tuesday's BoCC meeting and couldn't believe my ears and eyes. The people that spoke in favor of having the Board's endorsement to "Lift the Lid" did not mention how the increase in revenue would be better spent. Nor did anyone talk about fiscal responsibility. All I saw was a hand outstretched asking for more. I spoke twice asking the Board for assurances that this time the money will be prudently spent. I received NO assurances. For the last 15 years I have voted NO to every tax increase, bond, and initiative/measure/proposition pleading for more tax-payer monies. This same cycle will only change once those in charge can prove that they are fiscally responsible. I would like to see OMC thrive; but no one person, or no one entity, is ever too big too fail.
I predict that someone with bucks will buy OMC. Likely candidate-Franciscan Health. They bought Virginia Mason and Harrison in Bremerton. They take no prisoners when it comes to slimming down services.
I spent 27 years at Virginia Mason as a nurse, left there in 2003. I’ve kept in touch with friends there, as well as a patient. Since Franciscan took over it takes months to get an appointment with my primary, specialty care takes time. My friends there say the culture has changed for the negative. Employee Turnover is high, morale is low. One says it’s like working for a bank now. The old VM is gone. It was a wonderful place to work.
I am confused. I used to go to Harrison Health/Franciscan on Hemlock Ave before it was bought out by VM. You say the opposite, that Franciscan bought out VM?
I have it from a person in management at VM that Fransican put up $$$$$ to bail out VM in the midst of the hospital, operating room addition which VM needed an injection of $$$ to finish. It’s call OPM. And it comes with strings. Consolidation happens in any industry.
It’s a travesty that in most counties across this country the “businesses” that rely on taxpayer money to succeed have the highest paid employees. It is unsustainable to have those of us that make less money in the private world subsidizing higher wage jobs through taxes. It has squeezed taxpayers dry. There are zero personal consequences to the people in management positions at these “businesses” when they use taxpayer money to enrich themselves rather than use the money to perform the duties expected. If they truly were businesses they would have the threat of failure directing their decisions. But, they don’t have this threat of failure because they hold whole communities hostage. What do we do without hospitals, schools, government oversight, emergency services? It will get worse until taxpayers say no and allow these entities to fail like the private businesses listed. When they fail, management must be held accountable and then the entities must be rebuilt in sustainable manners. But I expect the hostage situation will continue as taxpayers fork out money until they can no longer survive, all out of the fear of allowing failure with consequences of government funded entities. No consequences to management for corruption or incompetence. That must change.
Let me tell you what happened to me, an instance when they turned their back on a lucrative payment for my MRI. I have full BC/BS insurance via my husband's employment and Medicare. I had an order for an MRI that OMC kicked back to my GP for her to do the pre-auth for BC/BS although she has no office personnel because she is not in a doctor group. Medicare does not require a pre-auth either.
OMC is the one that gets paid for the procedure, although they claimed they do not have the resources to do the needed paperwork, BS. So, I drove to Poulsbo, to Rayus Imaging, for my MRI. they happily handled the necessary paperwork for the procedure as they should have and got the payments for it.
In talking to other doctors this is a trend of theirs and they have been sending more to Rayus as well for the imaging they want for patients. This is crazy that they then cry poor-mouth. They need to actively work for the paying patient to make the money they need, instead of sending them to others because they do not want to handle paperwork.
Well written and succinct. Thank you. I can’t wrap my head around this kind of failure while CEOs are given raises. WHAT IS WRONG with people that think tax revenues are from Fort Knox and they can suck the economic life out of a whole county.
In yesterday's PDN was an article about Patty Murray's visit to the Makah reservation. She previously "secured" $4.9 million to relocate their health center from the tsunami zone. She also previously secured $2 million for Makah Passage Road (new road or reconstruction?) and more recently another $3.7 million for that same road. Curious if she's tried securing funds for OMC, or if she only goes to bat for her own "business favorites." Is OMC eligible for grants? I know that's still taxpayer money but just sayin'...
Tribal project funding gets the rubber stamp approvals from the federal government. That's very light lifting for a politician. They need to do the tougher work for problems like OMC. Then we can pat them on the back for doing their job,
Unlike the private, for profit entities in your comparison, OMC is a publicly funded, not for profit organization.
Your claim of mismanagement is flawed and missing critical data. This is a State and Federal problem - not OMC leadership.
Over 80% of OMC’s patient base is derived from government-paid programs like Medicare or Medicaid. The Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, as imposed by FEDERAL and STATE leadership, is between 40-80% of what it costs to provide the care. By comparison, Forks and Jefferson hospitals, due to their smaller size, are reimbursed a profitable cost + 1%. In order for OMC to receive a positive reimbursement like Jefferson and Forks, they would have to REDUCE the bed count to no more than 20. Imagine the outrage that would come from our Community when the critical access to healthcare is limited to only 20 beds.
If you don’t like it, send your complaints to state and federal representatives who have the influence to adjust the rates so that OMC doesn’t have to rely so heavily on the Levy.
Why does it matter where the revenue comes from? OMC lost 28 million dollars last year! That means they are spending way more than they are making. Stop spending more than you're making. There are no consequences for that mismanagement. In the real world any business that loses that much money shuts down and the leadership gets no salary and no retirement. If spending what OMC is making means this community can only afford a 20 bed medical center then that's what we should get. But losing money and mismanaging the revenue while continually asking for more from taxpayers is criminal.
This totally explains their COVID playbook running the remdesivir and respirator killing machine. They had to listen to the AMA ET AL. We need a private hospital.
So, what is the solution? Without the levy the hospital will close its doors. Is that a good thing for our community? I have never had a bad experience there and as a family, we have used their services many times in the past 45 years.
As a 35-year employee of omc, now retired, I will be spreading the word to vote no. I used to be proud to be part of this hospital, it always ran in the black, we were always supplied with state-of-the-art equipment. Now I see multiple people choosing to go out of town for care because what was routinely provided here is on backlog and they are beginning to lack confidence in the diagnostic conclusions. Big loss to the community but I would rather see a smaller but competent facility, a timely wake up call.
I go outside the area for care. Once I was told by staff that they are going to imessage another about my care I sprinted to the exit. My personal opinion is no facility should be using imessage to send messages about patient care. My PII personal identifiable information is sacred. Who knows what imessage folder it is stored under.
A CEO running a failing business wants the taxpayer to pay him more... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. No FIRE him, HIRE somone NEW. Your CEO has failed. You don't reward failure. Well maybe that's the new Clallam County roadmap... Darryl, you are FIRED. Security will see you to the door.
Proposition No. 1 OMC Resolution No. 556 concerning districts regular property tax levy IS ON THE CURRENT BALLOT. VOTE VOTE VOTE encourage others to vote. Don’t sit back and whine about increased taxes and decreased services do something about it and cast your vote by August 5th. There are many voters who pay no taxes & they vote on issues that taxpayers have to pay for, so vote and cancel out non tax payers who impose additional burdens upon the rest of us. The burden of those who can’t pay, a government that allows open borders, decreased jobs, homelessness, uncontrolled drugs flowing over our borders will continue to deplete all our existing services for years to come. We are being lied to, kept in the dark and misinformed and have sat back & let others have their way.
Great post, Jeff! I attended last Tuesday's BoCC meeting and couldn't believe my ears and eyes. The people that spoke in favor of having the Board's endorsement to "Lift the Lid" did not mention how the increase in revenue would be better spent. Nor did anyone talk about fiscal responsibility. All I saw was a hand outstretched asking for more. I spoke twice asking the Board for assurances that this time the money will be prudently spent. I received NO assurances. For the last 15 years I have voted NO to every tax increase, bond, and initiative/measure/proposition pleading for more tax-payer monies. This same cycle will only change once those in charge can prove that they are fiscally responsible. I would like to see OMC thrive; but no one person, or no one entity, is ever too big too fail.
Thanks Denise, and thank you for giving us an update from BOCC.
I predict that someone with bucks will buy OMC. Likely candidate-Franciscan Health. They bought Virginia Mason and Harrison in Bremerton. They take no prisoners when it comes to slimming down services.
That could be a good thing, you think?
I spent 27 years at Virginia Mason as a nurse, left there in 2003. I’ve kept in touch with friends there, as well as a patient. Since Franciscan took over it takes months to get an appointment with my primary, specialty care takes time. My friends there say the culture has changed for the negative. Employee Turnover is high, morale is low. One says it’s like working for a bank now. The old VM is gone. It was a wonderful place to work.
I am confused. I used to go to Harrison Health/Franciscan on Hemlock Ave before it was bought out by VM. You say the opposite, that Franciscan bought out VM?
I have it from a person in management at VM that Fransican put up $$$$$ to bail out VM in the midst of the hospital, operating room addition which VM needed an injection of $$$ to finish. It’s call OPM. And it comes with strings. Consolidation happens in any industry.
It’s a travesty that in most counties across this country the “businesses” that rely on taxpayer money to succeed have the highest paid employees. It is unsustainable to have those of us that make less money in the private world subsidizing higher wage jobs through taxes. It has squeezed taxpayers dry. There are zero personal consequences to the people in management positions at these “businesses” when they use taxpayer money to enrich themselves rather than use the money to perform the duties expected. If they truly were businesses they would have the threat of failure directing their decisions. But, they don’t have this threat of failure because they hold whole communities hostage. What do we do without hospitals, schools, government oversight, emergency services? It will get worse until taxpayers say no and allow these entities to fail like the private businesses listed. When they fail, management must be held accountable and then the entities must be rebuilt in sustainable manners. But I expect the hostage situation will continue as taxpayers fork out money until they can no longer survive, all out of the fear of allowing failure with consequences of government funded entities. No consequences to management for corruption or incompetence. That must change.
And then farm out government to non-profits...like half a dozen of them..
NO bailout, this is simple mismanagement.
Let me tell you what happened to me, an instance when they turned their back on a lucrative payment for my MRI. I have full BC/BS insurance via my husband's employment and Medicare. I had an order for an MRI that OMC kicked back to my GP for her to do the pre-auth for BC/BS although she has no office personnel because she is not in a doctor group. Medicare does not require a pre-auth either.
OMC is the one that gets paid for the procedure, although they claimed they do not have the resources to do the needed paperwork, BS. So, I drove to Poulsbo, to Rayus Imaging, for my MRI. they happily handled the necessary paperwork for the procedure as they should have and got the payments for it.
In talking to other doctors this is a trend of theirs and they have been sending more to Rayus as well for the imaging they want for patients. This is crazy that they then cry poor-mouth. They need to actively work for the paying patient to make the money they need, instead of sending them to others because they do not want to handle paperwork.
As usual, Jeff, GREAT expose! Until you started writing, I had no idea of the local corruption and incompetence. THANK YOU for opening my eyes.
You're welcome N.O.I. I had no idea either.
Quit giving bonuses for mismanagement
Well written and succinct. Thank you. I can’t wrap my head around this kind of failure while CEOs are given raises. WHAT IS WRONG with people that think tax revenues are from Fort Knox and they can suck the economic life out of a whole county.
You're welcome, Jan. Thanks for reading and commenting.
In yesterday's PDN was an article about Patty Murray's visit to the Makah reservation. She previously "secured" $4.9 million to relocate their health center from the tsunami zone. She also previously secured $2 million for Makah Passage Road (new road or reconstruction?) and more recently another $3.7 million for that same road. Curious if she's tried securing funds for OMC, or if she only goes to bat for her own "business favorites." Is OMC eligible for grants? I know that's still taxpayer money but just sayin'...
Tribal project funding gets the rubber stamp approvals from the federal government. That's very light lifting for a politician. They need to do the tougher work for problems like OMC. Then we can pat them on the back for doing their job,
I see a JMC on the horizon.
She is so full of shit, I am surprised the Park's sanitation limit contained her.
Thank you for sharing
You're welcome, Bailey.
Unlike the private, for profit entities in your comparison, OMC is a publicly funded, not for profit organization.
Your claim of mismanagement is flawed and missing critical data. This is a State and Federal problem - not OMC leadership.
Over 80% of OMC’s patient base is derived from government-paid programs like Medicare or Medicaid. The Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, as imposed by FEDERAL and STATE leadership, is between 40-80% of what it costs to provide the care. By comparison, Forks and Jefferson hospitals, due to their smaller size, are reimbursed a profitable cost + 1%. In order for OMC to receive a positive reimbursement like Jefferson and Forks, they would have to REDUCE the bed count to no more than 20. Imagine the outrage that would come from our Community when the critical access to healthcare is limited to only 20 beds.
If you don’t like it, send your complaints to state and federal representatives who have the influence to adjust the rates so that OMC doesn’t have to rely so heavily on the Levy.
If my claim is flawed, I'd like to correct it. Just cut and paste what I got wrong and tell me what is incorrect.
Why does it matter where the revenue comes from? OMC lost 28 million dollars last year! That means they are spending way more than they are making. Stop spending more than you're making. There are no consequences for that mismanagement. In the real world any business that loses that much money shuts down and the leadership gets no salary and no retirement. If spending what OMC is making means this community can only afford a 20 bed medical center then that's what we should get. But losing money and mismanaging the revenue while continually asking for more from taxpayers is criminal.
This totally explains their COVID playbook running the remdesivir and respirator killing machine. They had to listen to the AMA ET AL. We need a private hospital.
Please describe in detail how the public hospital district is being mismanaged and by whom?
So, what is the solution? Without the levy the hospital will close its doors. Is that a good thing for our community? I have never had a bad experience there and as a family, we have used their services many times in the past 45 years.
Vote NO and don't complain when your rent get raised to adjust for the taxes.
Yeah, vote NO and then we're all screwed when we have health emergencies and 1,700 people lose their jobs. Real smart, Billy.