Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 1:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I guess I'll comment before they disable the comments.

I believe this article hits right at home. I'm not taking sides in the whole NRMC vs. NCH fight, but I will say that for family reasons, I have gone to NCH for my daughter's care. I received good care when I went, but I can't give an objective account of my visit seeing that my spouse worked there. I could have been getting the family treatment or that could be the way it always is, but I couldn't tell you either way.

I do want to say that if it is true that NCH had no evidence and put this letter out there as a covert smear tactic, they should be ashamed. I would rather hope that they made an innocent, poor decision in judgment. That's a catch-22 though. If that's the case, then what does that say about their judgment in the ER or running a hospital.

Either they are mud slinging or they made a poor judgment call which erodes their credibility at making life and death decisions. It's not good either way.

Posted by topper (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 4:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If your spouse truly works at nch then he has access to the infamous letter, tell him to read it.

Posted by johnny1nut (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 4:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

NCH is looking for any reason to strike at NRMC because it is the competition. Come on, do you really think NRMC would not have an ER doctor. NCH just made themselves look like a bunch of idiots. That is the biggest crock of BS that I have ever heard. It is all about the money people . I imagine who ever wrote the letter probably didn't graduate the sixth grade.

Posted by snowwhite (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 5:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The democrat has blown the "infamous" letter out of proportion. The best thing to do is to publish the letter, which the democrat has a copy of, and let the public see exactly what was said. The letter is not accusatory in any manner. It is very well written and was written with good intentions only. So go ahead Democrat.....publish the letter so everyone can read it for themselves instead of only listening to what you have to say about the letter.

Posted by mshometown (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It seems the only ones yelling fire are the NRMC leaders. Looks like this was a doctor problem that was handled between the doctors at both hospitals. Reading between the lines, NRMC is yelling a little too loud for there to be no truth to the letter. And I agree with snowwhite, if the letter is the root of it all - then lets see it. I bet the Democrat won't publish it now that they have made such a big deal out of something that should never have been shared with them to begin with.
The doctors involved are both wonderful and professional people. I cannot believe that their motives would be any other than to protect the very public who has slandered them.
No one wants to discuss the fact that NRMC's ER has been without a doctor OR their staff has told patients that they would have to go elsewhere for care. For a hospital who claims it has not known what was going on in the past, they sure sound like they are still in denial.
What happens if someone pulls up and is really sick, how long would it take to get to the other ER? With all the construction? How many lives could be lost by the public not being aware of this issue? Don't be blind. Ask the right questions. Show us the letter, Show us the proof that there has always been a doctor in the ER, Ask the ambulances, How often do they send patients away?
Its not about slinging mud, its about our communities healthcare. The democrat needs to quit being bias and show its readers the facts. I don't see many facts in either yesterday's article or the "opinion" printed today.

Posted by johnny1nut (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 7:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It is just stupid to think that NRMC does not have a ER doctor. I guess people think the nurse's are treating patients. I have heard all kinds of rumors since this whole thing started. Any of the EMT's will tell you there is always a doctor in the ER. People love to stir up controversy and that is just all there is to it. Even with all the cutbacks NRMC still has a better nurse to patient ratio. NCH will cut every corner to make the most profit they can even if it means slandering the competition. HMA is big corporation do you think they care about the nurse to patient ratio. If you think so guess again. When they send you your bill just make sure you get a tube of KY with it.

Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 7:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Johnny1nut if NRMC has a good nurse to patient ratio why is it you can never get a nurse to do what they are suppose to do? I would not personally take a family memeber there they do not even clean the rooms until you leave.....It is hard to believe there nurse to patient ratio is so good....But, everyone has a choice of where to go...

Posted by topper (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

YELLING FIRE, allowing blogs one these articles is the same to me because healthcare at both hospitals is being put down. The above post for instance, johnny i bet has no idea about the nurse patient ratio. For the negative blogs on both hospitals if you dont have anything good to say then keep it to your self. I challenge you to make only positive post

Posted by natchezphoenix (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Seems to me the "pot is calling the kettle black". Just how well does the Democrat check their stories out? This is a serious issue and if there is a problems the two hospitals should get together and resolve it.

Posted by johnny1nut (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This coming from you topper I see you have made several negative post about NRMC. I guess it would be fair to call you a hippocrit. Fire39212 I am not even going to go there with you. You have made over 1000 negative post on this board about all kinds of material. It is obvious that you are a very disgruntled person.

Posted by triscuit (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Although I agree that the letter, as described by the Natchez Democrat articles, was tantamount to yelling "fire," it seems the Democrat has held a microphone to the voice yelling "fire."

If these two physicians did indeed sign the letter which cited, as far as I know from what was reported, a single alleged incident of a NRMC employee telling a patient there was no physician in the emergency room, they should be ashamed. It's hearsay and it doesn't allow for error in communication between a person who is ill and a person who is just trying to do their job in a stressful environment. But all I know about the letter is what was reported. I certainly hope there is more to it, or my waning faith in physicians is even further diminished.

Posted by reader (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The letter was crazy. I saw the letter. The writer's (I assure the Administrator at NCH) mock concern for healthcare in the Miss-Lou was clearly evident in the condescending tone of the letter. He/She should be very embarrassed that something that he/she meant to embarrass the competition has so badly backfired.

Posted by scarlettohara (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 11:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

On the original story (where the comments are now disabled) didn't it say that Dr. Wheelis admitted to Dr. Stubbs that the letter was written by Mr. Trottier and that he and Dr. Weary were asked/told to sign it? I'd like to know more about that particular aspect.

Also, I think that the Democrat should ABSOLUTELY publish the letter. As Triscuit said, the Democrat did "hold the microphone". If this has been made into news, I think we all have a right to see the letter.

Posted by humorme (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Who cares who actually penned the letter? The two doctors and the administrator take responsibility so what difference does it make? Any one who knows these three would suspect Dr.Wheelis because the other two don't seem that confrontational!

Posted by scarlettohara (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It matters to me because if that allegation is true, it smacks of duplicity. It's just another element to the story at hand.

Posted by BHillyer (Ben Hillyer) on August 20, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Links to the letter written to Natchez Regional Medical Center and the response letter from CEO Scott Phillips have been added to the story above.

Ben Hillyer
Web editor
The Natchez Democrat

Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

well looks like the hospital will be sold anyway so community buy NRMC
also does the public know that the supervisors put up our homestead exempt money to help the hospital get out of debt and that is why they are in such a hurry to sell it and get their money back before we loose our homestead exempt

Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 1:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

natchez500, all of this is learned if you take government accounting 101!! This is standard procedure in government rob peter pay paul raise taxes !!

Posted by NoWireHangers (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

NRMC gives excellent patient care. The staff are dedicated to providing each patient with compassionate and quality medical services. I hate to see NRMC criticized because I know how good the care is there. NRMC, you're the best!

Posted by SayItRight (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 2:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Who was "the nurse" that supposedly informed the patient about the doctorless emergency room? Let's hear from her/him.

Posted by purplehaze (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Depending on the unit of each hospital, you get good care at both. I have also had terrible care at both. I'm sure that the investigation into there being a physician on duty at the time of said incident did find someone there. The question is; did they see the patient within a reasonable amount of time? I've had that question for both. Four hours at NRMC before the nurse even came in the room (after I asked for the paperwork done so I could go somewhere else and was told that I couldn't have it. I wanted it so they couldn't charge me for "nothing".) I had been standing in the hallway listening to the Dr and nurse discuss their opinions about a nationally televised murder trial for over 2 hours. When I asked why they weren't concerned that my son had been there for hours, I was told that if it had been that important then I would have brought him in the night before when the accident happened. After they refused to give me the sign in papers I called my attorney and somehow the nurse and the Dr. were ready to see us. I also notified the Board of Supervisors and was very satisfied with the outcome.
On the other hand Natchez Community has done similar, On the night of the Super Bowl, everyone was standing in the hallway of the ER arms folded watching the game, while my elderly GrandMother needed taking care of. Approximately 3 to 4 hours later, and a shift change, she got the stitches she needed.

Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 2:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I hate to say it, but after reading both letters, I believe that NCH handled this situation horribly. If they were so concerned about the welfare of the community's health coverage, why didn't they ask NRMC directly first? NRMC could have told them that there was physician coverage and that would have been the end of it.

For them to distribute these letters to other parties before receiving a reply from NRMC, and their willingness to accept hearsay from a potentially disgruntled patient who could possibly lie without substantiating the allegation, shows a willful, malicious attempt on the part of NCH to undermine the community's faith in NRMC. I have always been objective in the NRMC vs. NCH battle because I don't really care which one "wins" the battle of the hospitals. Because of this, I can say to NCH: shame, shame, shame!!!

Posted by dreamer93 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I agree with reader. The NCH letter is very mocking in nature and quite apparently an attempt to discredit NRMC. If their intentions were, in fact, to make a potentially harmful situation known to the appropriate staff with intentions of rectifying the situation, why was the letter composed and sent several days after the alleged incident? More importantly, why would they go the extra mile to send the letter to entities who would not be directly involved in a resolution? What in the world could Metro or AMR do about it if NRMC is operating their ER against regulations?

Neither hospital is perfect...I don't know one that is. It's just ashamed that NCH has to stoop to this level and with no merit whatsoever. If I were CEO of NRMC, I'd send a letter of my own...stating what day and time I'd see them in court for slander.

Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 5 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I can remember when I was a kid the family doctor took my tonsils out in his office, no big deal, yeah it hurt, I had some ice cream at home, a sore throat for a week, I got well. My parents never said a word about the bill, so I'm sure it was reasonable, probably a few hundred dollars. NOT TEN THOUSAND!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 5:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have had reason to visit the emergency facility at Natchez Regional, and I had to pitch a fit to receive any attention and come close to kicking the door in

But once I got some attention, the care was good. The problem was that there were a lot of people there trying to get free treatment, and their problems were NOT emergency issues.

And I have used Natchez Community also, and I was shocked at the absurdity of the bill, my daughter had her tonsils taken out, this was about six years back, and the bill was $10,000. I did call and raised hell about it and negotiated the billing dept down to a more acceptable figure, but that goes to show that if there is room for negotiation then the initial amount was over the top.

In my opinion both hospitals have room for improvement- affordable quality care, timely response, and the authority to delegate priorities to treatment, and to deny treatment to those whose treatments are not emergencies, that is what we need. Those that cannot pay, which is a sad situation, I do not have an answer for, other than they had better figure a way to get healthy and go to work, like the rest of us.

Posted by jhawley (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Letters are written back and forth between companies everyday. No one would have ever known about this particular letter, or the response to it- if the Democrat had not published the story. It seems a little outlandish to equate this letter with an act of terrorism, particularly when it was not addressed to the public. It only reached the public eye through this paper... so the editor who chose to run this story is as much to blame for fueling the fire that someone else started. That's just how I see it.

Posted by vangogh (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 8:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Bingo JHawley, you hit the nail on the head. And besides NRMC will probably sell to a for profit and be the same as NCH. If they had made a profit in the begining they wouldn't be where they are now.

Posted by Morpheus (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 8:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This letter was also sent to local ambulance services. This action could be interpreted as an attempt to deprive Natchez Regional of business. This is called "libel" and may be grounds for a civil suit against those who wrote and signed the letter. I am usually opposed to feeding lawyers, but since NRMC has one at the table full time, it may be worth pursuing.

The only real suprise to me was that Dr. Weary signed the letter. I hate to see a good physician caught up in such childish nonsense.

Posted by dedicatednurse (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 9:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I agree with Morpheus. Don't blame Dr. Weary. She is a great person and a great doctor. My children love her.

Posted by sunshine816 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 10:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I work at NRMC and was shocked when I read this letter. I believe it was very unneccessary and unprofessional and false. I also believe it was used to scare people away from our hospital and make them believe we are not capable of providing good healthcare. Otherwise, why wouldn't a simple phone call or something have solved this problem? It was sent to the recipients of it so it would make it to the Democrat. That's just what I believe.

Everyone will have their opinion about this, plain and simple. That's fine - its called freedom of speech!

I just wanted to say that our hospital has gone through some tough times and tried to stay strong and provide good healthcare nonetheless. I obviously can't speak for everyone who works here, although I hope they have, but I know I have. I know everyone has horror stories about going to the ER, doctor, etc., but what I am trying to say is there's no excuse for it, and I'm sorry if anyone did not receive very good care here at NRMC. I just hate it that one person who works here can ruin someone's whole opinion of the hospital, but I understand it. I would be the same way. I know now and the future are uncertain times for NRMC, but please everyone just realize that some of us are still trying to give the best patient care and do the best job we can for ourselves, the hospital and community.

Posted by jhawley (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Not that I am defending NCH( whoever wrote the letter), but the letter does clearly say that he had received REPORTS from a doctor based on information from a patient. He never mentioned having first hand knowledge of the problem.

Obviously carbon copying it to all of the organizations was unprofessional, counterproductive, and possibly an overkill. I do not think it constitutes libel.

I am not a lawyer, but I think there might be a reason the staff of the Natchez Democrat disabled the discussion under the "News" article, and posted this article and enabled comments under the "Opinion" section.LIBEL. It is impossible to know for certain what the true motive for writing the letter was.

I do agree that the whole ordeal is childish nonsense, and that

"Inciting panic unnecessarily is awfully close to a form of terrorism, at least in so far as it infiltrates and undermines the peace."
I just blame a different culprit for perpetuating this garbage.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on August 21, 2008 at 12:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I was in T-15 at NR for 4 or 5 days on my last visit there.
After a serious infection,and a high fever i woke with a needle that accidentally had gotten bent backwards in my hand. My bed had been pushed away from the buzzer to summon the nurse. My room was within 25 feet of the main desk. I kept shouting for a nurse for about 30 minutes and received no answer and no nurse. A nurse passing down the hall just happened to hear me and came in and asked what was wrong. I said my bed has been moved so far i couldn,t reach the buzzer to summon anyone. That had happened several times,she attended to my needs,replaced the bent needle in my arm and upon leaving she said the reason i couldn,t get anyone that no nurses were at the desk. The nurse also picked up a syringe and a bloody cloth that had been left on the foot of the bed,and disposed of it in the box on the wall for biohazard materials. I always thought someone had to monitor the patients and man the desk in telemetry which is just one step down from ICU.
Oh well. Patients in telemetry are not supposed to be left unattended unless i am wrong.

Posted by justoneopinion (anonymous) on August 21, 2008 at 9:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This letter was the typical, low down character of NCH, their CEO and some of the ED staff. The letter talks of their concern of "continued recurrence of unstaffed physician shifts in the ED at NRMC"...but yet they give one example of complete untruth and a rumor that was completely unfounded and probably started by some of their own staff. Tacky...Tacky...Tacky. The only thing NCH cares about is the dollar $$$$.

Posted by nursegal (anonymous) on August 23, 2008 at 1:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

texasranger..you are wrong. The monitor tech is there 24/7. She doesn't sit at the main desk..she is there between icu and telemetry. She doesn't leave the monitors. Your nurse was pbl. in another room or getting something you needed...it is never unattended. Busy happens sometime and with the bloody syringe and cloth it sounds like she was working on your IV that accidentally got bend back. The nurses at NR are senior nurses...pbl. trained/worked with the nurses at NCH. The nurses/drs. at NR are there..working very hard these days. The ER has never been without an ER doc in the hospital. The ambulances come in many times a day, there are 2 or 3 bays, there are codes, trauma, helicopter picks pt.s up..get real. I would have to say that the nurses give great health care and work tirelessly! Kudos to Mr. Philips for his professionalism.

Posted by livelaughlove (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

These hospitals are fantastic. All of the doctors do their very best, God willing. Dr. Wheeler is by far the best doctor around, although he does not know what pink eye is. The nurses are wonderful too. But I believe the administraters are ignorant of healthcare. Some of them actually have affairs with the nurses, probably due to their attire (usually suits each day).

The buildings themselves need improvement. One administrator actually FELL through the wall after leaning on it (fell into the ICU).

God will heal all.

Posted by johnny1nut (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 12:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Livelaughlove come back when you get your two brain cells firing simultaneously then post something that makes sense.