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7/2/09
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DECH put under new leadership Complying with standards for Medicare a top priority
AUGUSTA, Maine — Down East Community Hospital has been placed under new management, ending months of state and federal scrutiny and quelling recent uncertainty about the future of the Machias health care facility.
A Kennebec County Superior Court judge made the decision Wednesday in response to a petition filed a day earlier by the state and the hospital seeking to place DECH in receivership.
As proposed, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems was appointed as the emergency receiver and Doug Jones, former president and CEO of Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth, will be named interim CEO at DECH.
“We are very pleased that Eastern Maine Health Systems has agreed to step in and assume this responsibility,” Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Brenda Harvey said in a press release Wednesday. “We believe that they have the resources and the expertise necessary to lead the hospital through this process.”
Jones, who led Maine Coast Memorial Hospital for 10 years, retired from his position on Tuesday, a move that had been planned for some time. The announcement of his impending appointment as interim CEO at DECH came Wednesday afternoon.
Jones said Wednesday that he has not yet seen the operations information about the hospital. He said that, despite the problems, he was confident the hospital would provide quality service to the region.
He said he did not know how long his tenure would be.
“I’m there to solve some problems, not for short- or long-term service,” he said. “I’ll continue there for as long as it takes to fix the problems.”
Last week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told the Machias hospital that it would halt reimbursement payments after July 10, a move that would have a major impact on the 25-bed facility.
Harvey said placing the hospital in receivership is a big step toward correcting deficiencies that have been identified at the hospital.
“By taking this action, the receiver and the leadership team at Down East Community Hospital can focus their energy on correcting the deficiencies identified in recent licensing surveys,” she said in the release. “Implementing approved, concrete steps that have been outlined in previous plans of correction will bring the hospital back in compliance with the standards of quality established by [CMS] and will allow the hospital to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.”
Going forward, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems hopes to gain an extension from CMS on the July 10 deadline.
“We are early in discussions and do not currently have answers to the problems that need to be addressed,” said Michelle Hood, president and CEO of EMHS. “In this agreement, we will build upon our mission and draw on our wealth of expertise to help repair the problems with the health care delivery system in Down East Maine.”
Harvey also was optimistic about an extension.
“It is our hope that CMS, based on this action and the plan for implementation, will agree to extend the current funding termination date so that the hospital can continue to receive Medicare reimbursements,” she said. “We want to assure the people of Washington County that we and EMHS are doing everything possible to ensure that services continue uninterrupted at Down East Community Hospital, and to ensure that the hospital provides quality services to its patients.”
DECH spokeswoman Julie Hixson said Wednesday that the hospital has fully cooperated during the receivership process. She also noted that two subsidiaries of DECH, Sunrise Care Facility in Jonesboro and the Maine Veterans Home in Machias, will not be affected by the recent management change.
“The hospital welcomes [Jones] and pledges full cooperation with him to address the plan of correction related to the CMS survey results,” Hixson said in a statement. “The first priority will be to take actions required to bring the hospital in compliance with CMS requirements for licensing, with the goal of implementing needed measures to assure CMS that the deadline for termination of DECH’s Medicare participation should be extended.”
The Machias hospital first came under scrutiny in January 2008, when Reid Emery, a former patient, checked out of the hospital and later was found dead in a nearby snowbank. Since then, other incidents have led to state and federal investigations during the last 17 months, including one earlier this year by CMS that found serious violations in emergency room procedures.
Despite several chances to address deficiencies, DECH failed to come into full compliance, which prompted CMS to issue its decision to terminate the Medicare and Medicaid agreement.
Wednesday’s court decision effectively ends DECH’s long relationship with Quorum Health Resources, a private management company based in Tennessee.
Wayne Dodwell, who was picked by Quorum and the DECH board of trustees in 2002 to lead the hospital, was placed on administrative leave effective last Friday. He could not be reached for comment this week.
A spokesperson for Quorum, which also manages five other Maine hospitals, did not return a call for comment Wednesday. However, Quorum indicated in a statement last week that it had repeatedly made suggestions to the DECH board of trustees about making changes but the board was not receptive.
“Over the last 18 months, the DECH board has developed a clear preference in how they desire to manage the hospital, particularly in relation to regulatory compliance,” read the statement from Susan Hassell at Quorum headquarters. “In some instances, their preference differs from our company’s approach to hospital management.”
BDN reporter Rich Hewitt in Ellsworth contributed to this report.
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Recent comments
A common sense law from Augusta???
Any chance it will start an epidemic?
"Bunker shot him with a 22? What a sally!!! "
A lot of people use .22s to shoot rats.
I never said that he was not responsible for his actions Gorilla. What I did say is this....you all care MORE about the …
Here's a thought - the voters have spoken on this issue - GET THIS THING MOVING. Last time I checked, the voters did …
Hmmm...
Wrong again Ralphy!!
Disable comment section BDN! We don't need any neg comments!!!!
That's right. We don't need any negative comments. Sweep it all under the rug. Everythings oooooookaaaaay.
This has been going on for over ten yrs. Information and freedom of speech are important.
There shouldn't be any negative comments about this action. It is a step forward towards restoring quality healthcare in the region.
Sounds like things could be heading in the right direction now....it's just going to take time to unravel everything. Good luck Mr. Jones....give us our hospital back, please.
We'll see, won't we. I would love to see the hospital back that I liked so much.
We need our hospital! I hope they investigate more deeply with the board and why they didn't act upon this before hand....I hope we get our hospital to back the way it use to be.....bring back our local doctors....the ones that truly care about people of Washington County.
DECH and Washington County: You have my love and best wishes. I believe this new direction will be successful.
gee...."politicallyincorrect", ever hear of free speech? Ahhh....I see, you have included "incorrect" in you user name. Yet, you use this 'freedom of speech forum' to say "no more comments"? Come on.....play by the rules, or are you perhaps a 'Dodwell-Don't-do-well" sympathizer, and well versed and coached to make up your own rules as you go. Finally, we are rid of Dodwell, let's get our COMMUNITY hospital back and our local community doctors!!!
Hip hip hooray.....Dodwell si gone! Bring back our doctors, and restore our much needed hospital!!!
GOOD For DECH and good for Wasnington County. We are getting our Hospital back!
From an outsiders point of view it seems this is a very good thing. Better to go under new management and allow the people local to the hospital a place to go when needed than to shut down entirely.
Good luck
We don't need any more negative comments? Just cover it up is your answer. This SCANDAL has been going on over 10 years now. The Mal-Practice at DECH has been going on way to long. Ironic how it takes the FEDS threat to get something to change. Who says big government is bad? How many more dead patients do you want?
Knightcross- give it a chance for crying out loud! People like you with the negativity you project are going to make this clean up harder. They are moving in the right direction. Isnt this what everyone wanted? Or do you just feel the need to continue complaining!
Mr. Jones knows how to rebuild a hospital and rebuild trust. We welcome this with open arms. It is a very good thing for our community. I hope he stays a long long time. Everything happens for a reason. This too shall pass and we will come out on top even bigger and better than before!
Knightcross- get a spell check!
In a nutshell...
"A spokesperson for Quorum, which also manages five other Maine hospitals, did not return a call for comment Wednesday. However, Quorum indicated in a statement last week that it had repeatedly made suggestions to the DECH board of trustees about making changes but the board was not receptive.
“Over the last 18 months, the DECH board has developed a clear preference in how they desire to manage the hospital, particularly in relation to regulatory compliance,” read the statement from Susan Hassell at Quorum headquarters. “In some instances, their preference differs from our company’s approach to hospital management.”
Jon (AKA-'politicallyincorrect'), faux champion of free speech on College Hill and DECH Corporator harangues the BDN for failing to stifle free speech? WTF?
Could it be that looming in the very near future DECH dollars will no longer copiously flow into his household thus giving him great cause for concern?
Good I just hope now that when someone has a problem in there with a supervisor, manager, or etc that no one will be afraid to speak up without fearing that it will be used against them like "certain supervisors" have done in the past ~ maybe now things will hopefully change and the higher ups will be watched like a hawk and if they mess up thats it give um the boot!
'Politically incorrect'..Jon, yeah, I know who he is. Dollars flowing into his coffer is the right information.
Many of the good practitioners who were driven out are not going to return if only the CEO has been changed. Too much of the good 'ol boy network remains. Won't work. Must clean house.
I agree willbee.....i think they need to look at the board....why didn't they stop this before it got this far...who benefited from this.....they need to be investigated as well...........
I know for a fact that when you disagree and speak your peace to Dodwell or one of his other suck ups that they make things up to terminate you. This happened to someone I love very much. She was hired and then when she spoke her mind of the way things were going (or not) they accused her of stuff that was wrong just so they could terminate her. As you can see the Administrator of Nursing recently got done also and she was the worst B@%^h going. They even gave the person I know a hard time because she would not write up a nurse for not saying hello to Dodwells girlfriend Miss Popp. So the nursing administrator wrote her up because the person I know would not... How petty... The nursing supervisor DIAANE R. then all of a sudden found some trumped up lies which no one there in the whole place could prove and Diane even admitted it to me that they had no proof but Dodwell didn't like the way she would speak her piece and they terminated her position to everyones surprise. The person I know has been a nurse for Many years and has never had a blemish on her work history and still recieves letters from her past employers to come back but she now wants nothing to do woth nursing. Dodwell can rot in hell for what he has put these people thru. He got what he wanted though to stay long enough to run the place into the ground telling everyone how well the place was doing financialy when in fact it was the opposite. As for the board throw them all out and get a new board the ones there now were in Dodwells pocket hell the two Dr's were getting a mill each per year for being yes men. Why would Dodwell pay one of them 2 million for their practice out of hospital money when the hospital already owns the building.. (Got me there)??? I pray the hospital gets a fresh start and if that means time to cut some heads off so be it...
JMC -- The tragedy that you describe is typical of what happened to a LOT of people at the hands of Dodwell and/or the people he manipulated. That said, let's forget the past and embrace the new direction and the positive change that is here. Justice has been done and hopefully nobody will ever have to suffer that way as a DECH employee ever again. I believe Mr. Jones has the foresight to understand that when staff and physicians are respected and valued they will give way more than what is expected of them. As this happens, the community will regain confidence and what we have all longed for will come to pass. I'm excited about it.
Carol1 I agree I believe Mr. Jones will do a great job but he has to have a complete new board of directors. How can you expect the people you say Dodwell manipulated which meybe some of them but not all alot of them did what they wanted yes with the help and lies of people like Diane and Dodwell. But they have minds too they could have made the right decisions. I hope and pray that thing do inprove for the nursing staff who put their heart and soul into their work and get the regular doc's back instead of the ones that Dodwell paid to get here. Like one new Doctor I know of the recently started there because he was booted out of the other two hospitals he worked at here in maine Right bones,,,, Hint...... I would not let my animals in the same room with that guy..... I am just saying for example if you put some old rotten clams in with new clams chowder is not going to be as good as if you have all fresh clams. Same as with the directors start fresh and it will be better chowder (figure of speach)... Mr. Jones should not have to deal with Dodwells yes men and women or its just going to get him frustrated and leave where as if he had a fresh board with fresh ideas there you go fresh hospital.. They should really listen to the nurses too they know whats going on there you can read about it on their myspace page...
Without a doubt a brand new Board of Directors would seem not only justifiable but mandatory that Mr. Jones might do what he was hired to do unencumbered.
That said, can anyone tell me how many Vice Presidents are on the payrole at DECH, how much are they paid and do they all receive equal pay?
Mea culpa: 'Payrole' got by me, should be payroll.
(I rapped my knuckles repeatedly!)
I am not sure of the exact figure but I do know that the VP's are paid a salary plus a bonus each year just like the CEO. From the Director of Nursing (which is a VP position) on up to CEO goe yearly bonuses... everyone else got squat.....
The kitchen and housekeeping staff and CNA's were always paid the least and no doubt doing the most and hardest work. The kitchen staff worked for years without air conditioning in the summer but the offices were always nice and cool.