Comments on: Documentary slams Washington Hospital

By: shim

shim — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:52:06 +0000

I want to clarify my previous comment. The ER and ICU nurses were very professional and hard working. I was very unhappy however with the way my primary M.D. disappeared and was unavailable when I was transferred from ICU to a general medicine ward. There I sat for eight+ hours, on two occasions, trying to learn what he planned next. His subsequent invoices were never hard to find.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:09:21 +0000

I am amazed that most of the focus is on money. What about patient care?

You are all so willing to condemn Washington Hospital, that you don’t realize that if this hospital was not available, The next closes Hospital would be in either Hayward or San Jose.

Not to mention the accreditations the hospital has as a Cardiac Center and a Stroke Center. Do you realize that the ambulances in Pleasanton/Livermore take the stroke patients they pick-up and bring them to WHHS because their chances of recovery are greater than if they went to the closest hospital.

It has been brought to the light that the Emergency Room sees close to 4500 patients a month? And while the wait may be 2-3 hours for those with minor injuries, that like other tragic cases you are made aware of, no one has died in thier waitting room. Go to Highland Hospital and see how long you have to wait. It is a fact that people living in other communities take BART to get seen at WHHS because they don’t want to wait at the hospital closest to them.

I am not saying that the system is flaw less, but, don’t throughout the baby with the bath water.

By: Paul Goehner

Paul Goehner — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:08:29 +0000

It has been pointed out that I am an Anesthesiologist at WHHS which is true and is why I posted with my full real name. Its also true that “Damon Harris” is Dr Rao posting under a false name. I believe all of this is fabrications on the part of a few physicians who are unhappy with a system that is holding them accountable. The medical staff resents being represented in this way and we have nothing to hide. The truth will be clear for all to see when you take a look at it. I hope Dr Rao develops the integrity to post using his real name.
Paul Goehner

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:23:53 +0000

Jenton-
The information you have request is available to the public from the Medical Board of California. You can go to this link, do a search by typing in her last name “Li”, first name “Evelyn”. This will bring up a 16 page document that provides details of her incompetence.

http://publicdocs.medbd.ca.gov/pdl/mbc.aspx

Hope this helps.

By: Jenton

Jenton — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:34:41 +0000

This is in response to Bonnie Johnson’s first comment.

Do you have any concrete examples in how Dr. Eveyln Li was shown to have been “proven to be incompetent on more than one occasion”?

From what I gathered after watching the movie, Dr. Li had an excellent service record as a Doctor, with an above average survival rate in her patients.

I am open to hearing if you actually have any hard evidence about “the results of her incompetence”.

This is not meant to be an inflammatory post, but I just wanted to give Bonnie a chance to legitimize her claims. I hope she’s not just posting slander for slander’s sake.

-Jenton

By: Rosela

Rosela — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:29:06 +0000

I am with SuperDuper.

Yesterday my RN friend works in WHHS received a call from management, asked her not to join the hospital rally that supports Dr. Rao and Dr. Sandhu, who testified in the film. The hospital is currently dealing with them.
This is the usual way WHHS deals with employees and doctors: retaliation, and keep people quiet.

Orthopedic surgeries bring money for the hospital. There’s nothing wrong. After all, we need to cover the uninsured in ER and other units. However, the administration should realize that they need to change their management system. They can’t just keep people quiet by threatening or retaliation.

WHHS has the best staff nurses but the worst management. Yes,RN in WHHS receives good pay, but many unhappy. They work harder than their peers in other hospitals. They Union rep are bribed by administration. RN pays union dues but can’t get real help once in need. You’ll never see WHHS nurses on strike like other hospitals, not because they are satisfied, but because the union doesn’t really represent them.

The WHHS administration needs to learn lessons from this movie. Inconsonant voice will eventually be heard no matter how hard you try to cover.

By: Y.M.J

Y.M.J — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:24:42 +0000

The truth is…a lot of people are denial.Once a public servant does not gain something for her /his own personal gain..they find fault everywhere.heath care system is not perfect and will never be perfect.Nurses,MD’s,Ceo’s,management,administrators..name it all ,can only do so much and we all work under regulations of the state of california.

Who cares about ceo’s high salary,who cares about 3 orthopedic surgeon on the payroll…what matters most we serve our patients to the best that we can. Yes at times we fail but it is not intentional…Who among the health care provider wants his license to be revoked?..i guess nobody.when a hospital faces such dillemas..it ‘s because there is something to improved in there system.And besides..washington hospital did not hide anything to the public..we had acknowledge our mistakes ..the salary of most of the individuals were posted in the argus.. in that sense..We are sincere in serving the community. To everyone out there..there’s already too much going on in our world..Why add more… Why not think of something to help out to solve the problems instead of slashing the reputation of the hospital.

Life for sale is not true at all.Because I believe each individual values there own life..it is a matter of choice that we make in life ..that we suffer the consequences.

By: .Bill

.Bill — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:14:07 +0000

How about for a change in policy that every time the department health services fines the hospital a dollar amount for administrative lapse ,The fine is deducted from CEO salary . Future CEO salary also comes down by that amount . Any bright ideas?

By: Darren

Darren — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:17:03 +0000

Paul Goehner is a Contracted Anesthesiologist with hospital . Did you and your group leave El Camino hospital after public spat with The CEO? Did you and your group raise issues about El Camino CEO pay?

Washington Hospital with 3 medical directors in its payroll in Orthopedic surgery has failed to provide coverage to emergency room patients . This resulted in department of health investigation last month

By: Paul Goehner

Paul Goehner — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:15:52 +0000

I have only been at WHHS for four years but during that time I can safely say a few things are very clear
1) The hospital and it’s CEO are 100% patient focused.
2) While “charges” may be high you need to look at collections. The hospital does considerable community outreach and has a large burden of underinsured patients.
3) Physicians who claim hospital bias have not been clear to state the fact that peer review is a medical staff function. If any doctor is being looked it is by their fellow physicians.
4) No margin, no mission. The hospital must stay solvent to stay open. I am always interested in the occasional angry nurse blog who fails to mention that WHHS pays top dollar in the bay area to retain well trained nurses.

Is the US health system in the best shape? Of course not. Is WHHS perfect? No one is. They are focused on the patient and are clear in their mission of providing care to the community.
Paul