Western Plains Hospital and Lifeteam

[lurker]

A $40,000,000.00 city funded hospital would do more for Dodge than a $40,000,00.00 what'cha'ma'thingie.

[TexKan]

Lurker you quit!!.......... Ya'll didn't vote for a hosp!!! Gotta build the thing a ma jig first.........

[Made in the USA]

I'm with Lurker. Ya gotta have something to use that big SEC building for. Might as well make it a "horsepitol"! And Texie, from my experience, they haven't gotten a handle on the nursing situation either. There are a couple of good ones, but the rest are there for "some reason" unknown to me. And you are right about the physicians. Most of the older, reliable ones are gone or retired. The newer ones must be rejects from somewhere. This hospital has problems all over, not just nursing and Doctors. You could include maintenance, dietary, surgery, ICU, management, etc, etc. Also, what about the KDHE and Joint Commission violations?

[Detector]

Another 2 cents

The hospital is very concerned about any complaints you might have. As has already been posted if you really have a legitimate complaint it can be phoned in anonymously and guaranteed to be investigated. Complaining on a board will do nothing to fix any problems but does help one feel better about that bill.

A hospital operates under a totally different set of rules and regulations than most other businesses. Because of these rules to say "the hospital has problems all over" has some problems of it's own. All hospitals are strictly monitored and regulated by unbiased federal agencies. Not including investigating any and all complaints, a hospital undergoes periodic throughout inspections. If any violations are found they MUST be brought into compliant or face being shutdown.

So to think any hospital could continually be in violation and keep it's doors open is incorrect. Anyone in health care knows this.

Also many people don't understand the relationship between a hospital and physicians. A hospital, unlike a medical center or surgi-center, simply offer a place for physicians to perform services they can't do in their home office. There are no physicians offices at the hospital. If you go see your physician at his office and he need to perform a cat-scan or surgery his office makes arrangements with the hospital to use the facility.

While a hospital is concerned about the actions of a physician while there, any complaints about a physician should be reported to that physicians office. A common complaint I hear is setting in the waiting room for hours before getting into surgery. While you may be contacted by the schedulers from the hospital about when to come in, it is again, the physicians nurses that determine when you come in. In most cases there is a very good reason why you're asked to come in 2 hours before scheduled surgery. Personally I think the physicians nurses could do a better job of explaining this ahead of time.

If you have legitimate complaints then you really should call and report them, you would be doing the right thing, if you're just mad about your bill and need to vent, and believe me I know the feeling, then this would be the place to complain.

I'm not trying to pass the buck. I'm just trying to say, complaining on here about getting a bad pizza may make you feel better, but it won't help your chances on your next pizza being bad and you have no one to blame but yourself. Also, complaining to the delivery driver about a bad pizza will more than likely only result in the driver being in no hurry to deliver your next bad pizza.

[TexKan]

[quote=Detector]Another 2 cents

The hospital is very concerned about any complaints you might have. As has already been posted if you really have a legitimate complaint it can be phoned in anonymously and guaranteed to be investigated. Complaining on a board will do nothing to fix any problems but does help one feel better about that bill.

A hospital operates under a totally different set of rules and regulations than most other businesses. Because of these rules to say "the hospital has problems all over" has some problems of it's own. All hospitals are strictly monitored and regulated by unbiased federal agencies. Not including investigating any and all complaints, a hospital undergoes periodic throughout inspections. If any violations are found they MUST be brought into compliant or face being shutdown.

More than likely there is a plan of correction that is followed, if not achieved by reinspection (usually 3 months) then sanctions do / can occur. Losing Federal funds is the most severe. JCAHO can not shut down a hospital. It is only an accredidation organization. Membership to JCAHO is voluntary and well paid for! JCAHO accred gives you carte blanche with KDHE, OSHA,AABB, and other true regualtory agencies. JCAHO does not shut down hospitals, they removed certification which in turn can bring the feds down on you. JCAHO not a federal agenciy it's an accredidation organization. It's like having the Good Housekeeping seal...... makes sellin services easier and it really is a seal I look for. It tells me there is a pathway for Quality at the JCAHO accred hospital. It IS a big deal but not in a "shut down" way. Thier sanctions altho can be deadly - only cause then ya gotta deal with the state every year instead of JCAHO every 2 yrs..

So to think any hospital could continually be in violation and keep it's doors open is incorrect. Anyone in health care knows this.

The KDHE steps in and can remove liscensure and incure fines........ not much more It is extrememly rare this occurs - in any state

Also many people don't understand the relationship between a hospital and physicians. A hospital, unlike a medical center or surgi-center, simply offer a place for physicians to perform services they can't do in their home office. There are no physicians offices at the hospital. If you go see your physician at his office and he need to perform a cat-scan or surgery his office makes arrangements with the hospital to use the facility.

While a hospital is concerned about the actions of a physician while there, any complaints about a physician should be reported to that physicians office.

The credentialing committee is for that purpose. It looks at MD errors, standard of care, logged complaints and outcomes. Again all this is run thru the QM department. Why contact the MD's office when in dodge the office is owned by the MD or a group of MD's....... Contact your hospital where he has priviledges - even things like waiting times are a big deal. I can't tell ya how many focus groups I facilitated over waiting times in just the ER. It IS a big deal - course ya also gotta understand that % thing. For JCAHO they look at quarterly stats - not monthly and it's real easy to have a major complaint (and a legit one) simply wiped out by the numbers game. JCAHO only allows so many "hits" per quarter. Then they demand the renegade MD follow standard of care, get additional training or lose the priviledge of doing a proceedure at that hospital. It's all in the numbers and the fine balance of needing MDs, monitoring thier care given, and being bold enough to confront them. Small towns gotta be more careful with the fragile MD ego........ it's the price of rural livin!

[Detector]

My reference to being shut down is by state inspectors which respond to complaints.

I agree waiting time is a big deal but until recently when I had my surgery I didn't completely understand why. It would be my doctors office that has set how early I arrive for surgery. I was told to be there 2 hours before my surgery was scheduled.

Once I asked why I had to be there so early I was told the doctor often requests this because even though you've been instructed to not eat or drink X number of hours before surgery, which can cause problems with anesthesia, some patients forget or ignore it. Having a 2 hour wait ensures that if they had eaten or drank it still has time to somewhat digest so there is a reduced risk of complications.

I do think the doctors office should explain this so people understand they're not just being ignored by the hospital staff.

[Made in the USA]

Detector, I know you work there, and you always seem busy. I don't know exactly what you do, but have a good idea. What do you think of the "attitudes" around there? Most of the employees that I have talked to, all seem to have a bad attitude about even working there? Some of those are the employees fault, but most are from the environment and lack of morale around there. There are other factors too, but I don't want to go into them on this board. As far as discussing those with someone, I have been in that boat before, and got nowhere.

Getting back to the original topic of this post: I like the idea of having a helicopter here, and especially if it can land in the field for emergency transport. A chopper can land right at the scene of an emergency, and relay the patient directly to where they need to go. With the airplane, there is alot of transferring and time involved. However, for a long distance, the plane would definitely be alot faster.

[Zeb]

Your 100% correct. QM sole purpose - Qaulity and Risk managment.

Now with the new HIPPA federal laws, You can be jailed/fined for even accidentlly looking at or devulging any Patient Information you are not authorized to see. IE Someone goes digging around computer data and finds some patient information, they can not only lose their job but be fined and/or jailed.


Yes, Detector is correct. Contact QM if you have a problems with WPMC. This board is not exactlly the place discuss things like that. I guess my point is, If someone contacted me about a violation, I am required to contact QM. All employees are required to report violations. Most of what people have a problem with are not violations.

I will just say this. I have been in my position for almost 7 years now. If you don't know me, then you are talking about things that happened longer ago than that. With the exception of a few years ago when there were some equipment & building related problems which were corrected immediatly.


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I only got 120 posts. It's not like I live on here.

[TexKan]

All those are pretty good explinations! I don't know who you are Zeb - I didn't hang out at the hosp much - used the ER a few times for real emergencies, but since i worked for awhile with Dr. Perez - I didn't need to "find" a doctor in the evenings........ hell I was with one! I just adore him! Now wait!! I know not everyone does so don't even start! For me he's a good MD to work with - he's respectful of nurses and his patients.

Sorry bout the QM tangent............ I just did it for so long...... I can remember when SC was first getting into QM - I'd have hours of conversations with her about where ya'lls hosp was headed and where my university was. This was long before ya'll got JCAHO accrediation. It's been a while since I worked in QM....... I'm sure some regs have changed but the Med Staff functions for quality I'm sure are still revolving around, infect. control, risk mgmt, credentialling, identifying opportunities to improve, etc..... trick to all of this is....... it HAS to come from the TOP (Med director, CEO...) and then go down. It does no good when the employees are practicing QM and the head boys are just goin to meetings gettin a free lunch. Ya gotta walk the walk and talk the talk............ I think the hosp does a pretty good job - I always got good care but like I said...... I kept an eye open. That's just what I do cause of ........ what I do. Nurses are the worst to deal with I think........LOL........... I have read some real intersting info here

I as well still believe a medical ghetto bird is in order - I can see why Eagle Med just can't compete with a big city operation. Again - price of rural livin. Why do ya think your ER docs are contract??? They may I say very through any time I was there - I was always impressed with all of em.

[tex]

ive been by the airport lots, any idea where this helo is located? I cant find it here in dodge. Is it based out of Hutch or something?