The Observation Deck

Sadly,
A friend of our family had to have amputation surgery at Fairview Hospital this week. After her surgery, the nurse informed her husband that there were no beds available for her at the time. Our friend had to lie in a small curtained off area for twelve hours until a bed opened up for her. Her husband said there was barely enough room in this curtained off area for him to stand. I can only imagine how uncomfortable she felt after this type of surgery. Do you think that CCF reduced her bill because of her uncomfortable room?

Apparently, Fairview can't handle what they have now. What will the treatments and outcomes be like if they close Lakewood Hospital? I wonder if her surgery could have been done at Lakewood? I will ask her when she is feeling better.

Was closing Lakewood Hospital really a well thought out plan? I think we all know the answer to that. It appears that Mr. Summer's philosophy of friends and $$$ rewards are more important than the safety and well being of the Lakewood citizens that he has a duty to protect. Mr. Mayor, what if you were the one getting the amputation and were treated like this?

Unfortunately this happens. It happens all the time at most any hospital.

It happened to my son at CCF Main Campus before his heart surgery (curtain room and all). Basically, it is everywhere. One of the worst experiences ever in my many hospital stays/visits.

I do not blame any particular hospital when this happens, though my experience definitely soured me. They build them to hold a certain capacity, throw in a few extra variables (in my son's case there were so many sick children occupying rooms that they could not rearrange people around to make him safely have a room) and add in the fact that you cannot predict sickness or injury and you have a formula for...it happens.

Corey

Wait, I have been told over and over that our region is "over bedded". Sure doesn't seem like that's the case. Of course, I'm not buying the Clinic's marketing strategy, which is exactly what it is, marketing. Marketing based in reality, I don't think so. Marketing to affect a company's bottom line, bingo!

I'm sure this is a sign of things to come, the new norm. Ain't it grand? Fairview is sounding more and more like Cook County Hospital (Chicago) where nightmares like this have been the norm for years.

Is this the "good news" the mayor was so excited about back in January?

Cameron,
I couldn't agree with you more. Just last week, our family physician sent out letters to inform patients that due to a new position at Fairview, she would not be seeing patients anymore. Although I was not able to get any explanation at the doctor's office, a spokesperson at the hospital told me she was going to be assuming a leadership role in inpatient services. Sound to me like they already know they have problems at Fairview. Although they caught one rapist last year, there appears to be another rapist loose at Fairview. They just had another rape there this past week. Some of the victims appear to be patients. Does this sound like good leadership to you?

Lori and Corey,

I'm so sorry that your friend and oved ones were subjected to unacceptable care by such a hospital "system."

This is about placing money above the well being of quality healthcare--it is a deliberate choice.

If our City caves into the pressure of CCF, we will have succumbed to a frightening and dangerous trend in healthcare.

This doesn't just happen. It is deliberately planned and calculated with spreadsheets and financial analysis.

If we cave to this, what does it say about how Lakewood values lives?

Brian Essi wrote:Lori and Corey,

I'm so sorry that your friend and oved ones were subjected to unacceptable care by such a hospital "system."

This is about placing money above the well being of quality healthcare--it is a deliberate choice.

If our City caves into the pressure of CCF, we will have succumbed to a frightening and dangerous trend in healthcare.

This doesn't just happen. It is deliberately planned and calculated with spreadsheets and financial analysis.

If we cave to this, what does it say about how Lakewood values lives?

I understand what you are saying, but feel my situation could have happened at any hospital - even Lakewood Hospital circa 1955 or 2055.

The deliberate calculation came when they designed the CCF Main Campus to only have X amount of rooms on the Children's Floor. That particular day for my son, they overflowed the children they could into other areas but still had issues. No matter what the design, I feel, there would have been problems on that day. On that day the largest problem was the unknown variable(s) when designing, budgeting, or executing a place such as a hospital.

I agree, it is deliberately planned and calculated when making the designs for a hospital, but it is always those unknown variables that throw a wrench in the system (and in our case made for one very uncomfortable kid and two heated parents). Who is to say that when/if Lakewood Hospital is saved, one day their design turns up one room short for a waiting patient?

Corey

Corey Rossen wrote:

Brian Essi wrote:Lori and Corey,

I'm so sorry that your friend and oved ones were subjected to unacceptable care by such a hospital "system."

This is about placing money above the well being of quality healthcare--it is a deliberate choice.

If our City caves into the pressure of CCF, we will have succumbed to a frightening and dangerous trend in healthcare.

This doesn't just happen. It is deliberately planned and calculated with spreadsheets and financial analysis.

If we cave to this, what does it say about how Lakewood values lives?

I understand what you are saying, but feel my situation could have happened at any hospital - even Lakewood Hospital circa 1955 or 2055.

The deliberate calculation came when they designed the CCF Main Campus to only have X amount of rooms on the Children's Floor. That particular day for my son, they overflowed the children they could into other areas but still had issues. No matter what the design, I feel, there would have been problems on that day. On that day the largest problem was the unknown variable(s) when designing, budgeting, or executing a place such as a hospital.

I agree, it is deliberately planned and calculated when making the designs for a hospital, but it is always those unknown variables that throw a wrench in the system (and in our case made for one very uncomfortable kid and two heated parents). Who is to say that when/if Lakewood Hospital is saved, one day their design turns up one room short for a waiting patient?

Corey

Corey,

The point is that there is evidence of shortage already--while Lakewood is still (partially) available.

CCF conducted the "Community Assessment" per the ACA and it chose who it would interview for its findings. The closing of the hospital and building the "new" FHC/"ER" does not meet those skewed findings.

So there is a self-fulfilling aspect in the planning too.

I note that you agree with me it is all about money.

Brian Essi wrote:
I note that you agree with me it is all about money.

Yes, but it seems like from different sides/angles.

You see it as evil undertaking - and I can see your side.

I see it as a bottom budget line when designing a plan (hospital) and there always has to be that final cut off line.

Money never resolves medical issues.

Corey

Corey Rossen wrote:

Brian Essi wrote:
I note that you agree with me it is all about money.

Yes, but it seems like from different sides/angles.

You see it as evil undertaking - and I can see your side.

I see it as a bottom budget line when designing a plan (hospital) and there always has to be that final cut off line.

Money never resolves medical issues.

Corey

You can call it "evil" if you wish, but I say it is highly "unprofessional". “Professionalism” is about putting the patients’ interests ahead of the doctors’ interest or that of his or her employer. The Cleveland Clinic (CCF) has turned the notion of professionalism on its head. It has created a "system" for profiting on patients by directly interfering with the doctor-patient relationship.
A recent example of this is that CCF mandated that CCF doctors must now be called “caregivers” and not “physicians” or “doctors.” This is not just a change in the labeling of professionals. It is one more step in a calculated systematic effort both internally and within the minds of the public to dumb down doctors and blur the differences between licensed doctors and other healthcare workers involved in the practice of medicine. In fact, this is granular now---nametags of the "caregivers" don't say "Dr." "RN" or "Janitor"---s "system" of marketing

CCF Chief of Staff, Dr. Brian Donley told Lakewood City Council on April 30, 2015, that perhaps the care one gets at CVS or an app on a cell phone should be the first level of care people get. This should be frightening to anyone truly knowledgeable about quality healthcare delivery.

I have first hand management experience in medical practice---I could manage in a way to make a practice a lot more money but quality of patient care suffers. The "final cut off" is what separates true "professionals" from the others--its a deliberate choice. CCF doctors do everything in their power to put patients first, but the "system" interferes. So its not in the planning of the hospital--its the operation and management of entire system.

Interestingly, there are "for profit" hospital operators that out perform CCF in quality because their business models keep practicing doctors more in control of management.

Brian Essi wrote: Interestingly, there are "for profit" hospital operators that out perform CCF in quality because their business models keep practicing doctors more in control of management.

Quality should always trump quantity ... in any of life's endeavors.

Brian Essi wrote: CCF doctors do everything in their power to put patients first, but the "system" interferes. So its not in the planning of the hospital--its the operation and management of entire system.

CCF doctors, nurses and staff are great. But a "system" does have budgets, max caps and bottom lines. It would be great to have a system without any of those limits, but in reality they exist. One hopes to not come eye to eye with those limits but it happens. The system only allowed for 40 beds (or whatever the actual number is) on the Children's Floor and we were bed #41. My guess is that the system thought 40 beds was enough for any given day at the hospital. We went eye to eye with the limit the system put in place, it happens. It would be great if there were no budgets, no max caps and no bottom line, but that doesn't even work when you are spending someone else's money. There is a human side to the management in the medical field and that involves setting the "cut off" number, or blame it on the algorithm of the financial model within.

Corey

Corey Rossen wrote:

Brian Essi wrote: CCF doctors do everything in their power to put patients first, but the "system" interferes. So its not in the planning of the hospital--its the operation and management of entire system.

CCF doctors, nurses and staff are great. But a "system" does have budgets, max caps and bottom lines.

Corey

Corey

As I have pointed out numerous times over the last 11 months. Administration, and the doctors and nurses are complete different business arms of any hospital.

I have sat in many meetings with every hospital group in the county, doctors, nurses, community outreach desperately want to know how to serve you better. Administration wants to know how to give a majority what they need, as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

The doctor we came to know during Ozzie and Harriet still exists, but those hospitals have long since disappeared.

.

Corey Rossen wrote:

Brian Essi wrote: CCF doctors do everything in their power to put patients first, but the "system" interferes. So its not in the planning of the hospital--its the operation and management of entire system.

CCF doctors, nurses and staff are great. But a "system" does have budgets, max caps and bottom lines. It would be great to have a system without any of those limits, but in reality they exist. One hopes to not come eye to eye with those limits but it happens. The system only allowed for 40 beds (or whatever the actual number is) on the Children's Floor and we were bed #41. My guess is that the system thought 40 beds was enough for any given day at the hospital. We went eye to eye with the limit the system put in place, it happens. It would be great if there were no budgets, no max caps and no bottom line, but that doesn't even work when you are spending someone else's money. There is a human side to the management in the medical field and that involves setting the "cut off" number, or blame it on the algorithm of the financial model within.

Corey

What do they call it in psychology when someone does everything they can to avoid facing the facts?

Brian Essi wrote:

Corey Rossen wrote:

Brian Essi wrote: CCF doctors do everything in their power to put patients first, but the "system" interferes. So its not in the planning of the hospital--its the operation and management of entire system.

CCF doctors, nurses and staff are great. But a "system" does have budgets, max caps and bottom lines. It would be great to have a system without any of those limits, but in reality they exist. One hopes to not come eye to eye with those limits but it happens. The system only allowed for 40 beds (or whatever the actual number is) on the Children's Floor and we were bed #41. My guess is that the system thought 40 beds was enough for any given day at the hospital. We went eye to eye with the limit the system put in place, it happens. It would be great if there were no budgets, no max caps and no bottom line, but that doesn't even work when you are spending someone else's money. There is a human side to the management in the medical field and that involves setting the "cut off" number, or blame it on the algorithm of the financial model within.

Corey

What do they call it in psychology when someone does everything they can to avoid facing the facts?

Are you denying the fact of budgets, bottom lines and max caps? The new psyc term would be the "Essi Denial Theory" in that case.

Corey

Corey Rossen wrote:

Brian Essi wrote:

Corey Rossen wrote:

Brian Essi wrote: CCF doctors do everything in their power to put patients first, but the "system" interferes. So its not in the planning of the hospital--its the operation and management of entire system.

CCF doctors, nurses and staff are great. But a "system" does have budgets, max caps and bottom lines. It would be great to have a system without any of those limits, but in reality they exist. One hopes to not come eye to eye with those limits but it happens. The system only allowed for 40 beds (or whatever the actual number is) on the Children's Floor and we were bed #41. My guess is that the system thought 40 beds was enough for any given day at the hospital. We went eye to eye with the limit the system put in place, it happens. It would be great if there were no budgets, no max caps and no bottom line, but that doesn't even work when you are spending someone else's money. There is a human side to the management in the medical field and that involves setting the "cut off" number, or blame it on the algorithm of the financial model within.

Corey

What do they call it in psychology when someone does everything they can to avoid facing the facts?

Are you denying the fact of budgets, bottom lines and max caps? The new psyc term would be the "Essi Denial Theory" in that case.

Corey

Are you denying that there are "human beings" behind the planning with a systematic philosophy that does not put patients first?

I ask a simple question and you get defensive and go back to personal attacks. The question was about you, not me. Why do your posts consistently avoid the basic facts in the posts you are responding to? What would your educational background tell you that means?

There is no need to be so defensive and angry. I'm not.