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New hospital CEO holds question and answer session with staff
Published Friday, June 6, 2008
NATCHEZ — After months of rumor, unrest and doubts about the future, employees at Natchez Regional Medical Center got an opportunity to have their voices heard this week.
On Thursday and Friday the hospital’s new CEO, Scott Phillips, hosted several meetings with staff members to bring them up to speed on the hospital’s restructuring plans and answer any of their questions.
Both Phillips and staff members described the meetings as something that brought a calming sense to the hospital.
“They have a right to know what’s going on,” Phillips said.
Over two days Phillips estimated he had an opportunity to meet with three-fourths of the hospital’s staff.
Phillips said the meetings were essentially called to give the staff an accurate view of precisely what is happening during the hospital’s restructuring period.
Phillips said he wanted the staff to have an accurate picture of why certain things were happening at the hospital and what staff could expect in the future.
Some who attended the meeting said it was more revealing than they expected it to be.
Patricia Marks, a nurse, attended one of the meetings and said she found it to be extremely informative.
While Phillips did meet with the staff when he first took his new position, Marks said this was the first time staff had an opportunity for a question and answer session.
“I think we all learned a lot,” she said.
Rosalie Smith, a pharmacist, said the meeting helped her to gain a new understanding as to why the hospital needed to be sold and how change was integral to the hospital’s long-term success.
And while staff had an opportunity to question Phillips they also had a message.
Tammy Lee, a nurse, said she wanted people to know that the reduction in staff at the hospital in no way impacts the hospital’s ability to treat patients.
“The care we give has not changed,” she said.
Phillips said he wanted to wait until all of the layoffs were completed before having the meetings.
Comments
Posted by Mucasplug (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 4:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just want to let the citizens of Natchez know that the E.R. has an excellent staff now in spite of layoffs. My father had a heart attack last week and they saved his life. I was impressed with the Doctor and Nursing staffs professional handling of my Dads crisis. They got him stabilized and were on the phone with his doctors in Jackson, then transferred him to Jackson. His cardiologist at St. Dominick's said the meds. he got in Natchez probably saved his life. They could not have performed better! Thank you Natchez Regional E.R..
Posted by lroberts1 (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I would like to know WHY ALL the DR's in Natchez wont go to Reginal? Seems like it should be open for ALL patients regardless of who their primary DR is. MINE only goes to Community hospital. Does any one know of any DR's that will take on new Midicare patients? The Reginal DR's clinic said they didn't any more. I would love to use NRH. Community is just to expensive for me now.
Posted by priya (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know some agency nurses that fill in where there is shortages. I have heard that sometimes during strikes and shortages sometimes the care is better and faster because of the pride and pay to the medical field that fill in on the shortages. Im not saying the Hospital is in shortage but if they are laying off than the ones that are there must be the best they have and care for the patients. So maybe in reality the hospital is getting rid of the employees that dont want to work. I say thank you to all the medical field that is there now.
Posted by lsumom (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The care given by the staff is good. Sometimes it takes longer to do something for the pt because of the short staffing but the staff on the units really do care about their pts. As for the meetings, todays comments are only from middle management people. There are no comments from the general employee population. How interesting is that. Also, the meetings did not help the staff who are close to retiring because basically they will have to move out of town to get another job with a pers facility.
Posted by karithompson83 (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
lroberts1, it is true that some physicians do not use Natchez Regional. This is because they are under contract with natchez Community. Community offered a contract for a specified amount of money and a specified amount of time to get those physicians to come to Natchez. That is the one of the reasons some physicians in natchez only use one hospital and not the other. Hope this clears up some of the confusion for ya. :)
Posted by sunnie (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
priya, it would be better if you were a little more informed before you dish out your thoughts. The hospital is not "getting rid" of the employees that do not want to work, the layoff was based on senority. I personally loved my job, patients, my coworkers and am now with out a job, because i haven't worked there quite as long as some of the other people in our department so that put me closer to the layoff. i worked my butt off there and have given care and respect to every single one of my patients!!! NRMC has an excellent staff who cares about the patients, and is very capable of handling serious emergencies. Personally I had pride in my work for very LITTLE pay, unlike your "agency nurses." No one understands that when they go to the er and have to wait hours, all that is going on. We're not keeping you there for the fun of it, I promise we would get you out asap, we're waiting on labs, xrays, calls from your personal doctor, etc. so please next time you visit please keep this in mind. and they weren't GETTING RID of PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO WORK, I personally want to work!!
Posted by priya (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i dont want to argue with you sunnie. I made a statement as a whole for all medical facilities. I hope NRMC hire back regular staff than to resort to agency staff. because agency nurses do make more than regular staff.
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Is still say NRMC needs alot of cleaning up when you have a loved one in the hospital for almost a week and the sheets aren't changed and the nurses are in the halls talking about betty bop and her boyfriend instead of getting what the patients wants and needs maybe now with the layoffs more will take there job seriously...
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Fire, I have seen that very thing happen at hospitals right here in Jackson and it makes you feel worthless and like a number. It is the attitude that has infiltrated our society. we are all just numbers in our society.....
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So true redusmfan...If they would have had layoffs by how a nurse performes instead of senority....Alot of them that have been there awhile needed to go.....They are "comfortable" in there job...but...if they would have done it that way i am sure aot would have thought that was unfair.....
Posted by nursegal (anonymous) on June 7, 2008 at 11:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Philips said everything that the nurses knew all along about how great this hospital can be! Just because the hospital is in financial crisis nursing care is not compromised. Everyone does an awesome job at what they do everyday.
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