Hospital worker responds to news of closing

This is a shame for the whole community. I was born here and so were my children. It's too sad.

What is ashame is the way Board Members Jim Fitzpatrick and Gary Hewitt went around the side of the hospital to give their news interviews, they didn't even have the nerve and respect to tell it to the crowd of employees and citizens that were on hand to hear the speeches.

What is worse, Board members Mose Khuri, Lloyd Adkins, Gary Johnson and Jimmy Gladwell didn't show their faces at this news media. Are there any other board members that I forgot to mention?

These board members are trying to rally the money now when they have to close, booting 106 employees to the curb along with 25 nursing home patients and hospital patients. And this all could have been avoided had those board members took the advise they were given along with the millions of dollars 3 years ago, to fix up the old Dr. Louis Groves building into a clinic, had that been done, now after 3 years, a new hospital could be sitting where this broken down one is closing!

The time for action was 3 years ago when they were told what was coming today, all those board members need to be held accountable and responsible for allowing our hospital to close! Their decisions were wrong, their keeping this problem a secret for the past 3 years was equally wrong. Jim Fitzpatrick spouts this is a Community Hospital, now he wants the community involved to save it, the community should have been told the truth all along for the past 3 years, not kept in the dark by the ones that spent the money, wisely? That is for each and every one of us to decide.

It just blows my mind, the same people that are involved in politics have had their hand in every pot from the City of Richwood, to the Richwood Hospital and there is nothing, just dust left. Those people are destroying Richwood, we need them out of office, off the boards and let others take over, they can only go up, those old relics have run Richwood too far in the ground already, time for a change while changes can stil be made!

I was also born there and worked there in the early 90's. We need some type of urgent care in this town. RACH has saved alot of lives and they do have alot of dedicated employees.

This town is ran by certain people that look out for themselves and thats it. They think that there better than everyone else just becouse they have a little more money. Fitzpatrick, Hewitt, Johnson, and how ever fall into this group is nothing more than dumbass. Good job with the hospital dumbass...

I want to thank everyone for all the support they showed us over the years. I feel that every patient is like family and thats what hurts the most. However, to the people of this town that never came to the clinic or to the ER but are now so concerned with the closing, shame on you. We needed your support BEFORE not after.
Its hard leaving this place. So many people have become like family. There have been rumors that SMH will be opening an urgent care facitly to start on June the 28th in th armory building. Supposidly this will consist of a clinic, and ER, and a 2 -3 bed observation unit.
They keep saying there will be health care in Richwood, but they also told us for the past year that "everything will be alright". YEah, its fine alright. ONe hundred people are out of a job and a community has lost one of its biggest assets.
May God bless this small town and all its wonderful people. And thank you for your concern and support. We love you all.

Saddened employee wrote:

I want to thank everyone for all the support they showed us over the years. I feel that every patient is like family and thats what hurts the most. However, to the people of this town that never came to the clinic or to the ER but are now so concerned with the closing, shame on you. We needed your support BEFORE not after.
Its hard leaving this place. So many people have become like family. There have been rumors that SMH will be opening an urgent care facitly to start on June the 28th in th armory building. Supposidly this will consist of a clinic, and ER, and a 2 -3 bed observation unit.
They keep saying there will be health care in Richwood, but they also told us for the past year that "everything will be alright". YEah, its fine alright. ONe hundred people are out of a job and a community has lost one of its biggest assets.
May God bless this small town and all its wonderful people. And thank you for your concern and support. We love you all.

You should have known better when Cheryl Clutter, Trish Potter, Ruby Lloyd and a few others jumped ship!

The board of directors let this closing happen and I don't care how much smoke Jim Fitzpatrick blows now to save the hospital or get something else in Richwood, he should have blabbed his mouth 3 years ago when it would have helped and made a difference!

It,s sad to see such a wonderful hospital go down the drain. The people of Richwood and surrounding area need this hospital. Even though my sister works at Richwood hospital, it,s a shame the board of directors, have let the employes down, as well as the public they serve. It,s time to replace the board with people that know and understand the needs of the public.

Let me tell you something about Richwood Hospital! Not so long ago I had to take my son to the ER in Summersville for a broken arm,I was told his Ped. was on call to bring him right over, after arriving there I was told he went home and would not be called in unless it was life or Death emergency. Well, anything that happens to my son is an emergengcy. I arrived at 6 pm and was taking in finally at 11pm to talk with a nurse that told me my son's wrist was only sprained not broken, and to quick panicing, and then they told me to return to the waiting room. Remind you my son is a toddler. So you could only imagen the wait!
After all the well known druggies was taking in to get their quick fix. I was finally seen at 11:30 pm for X-rays, around 12:30 I finally seen a PA that was on call, he said my son only had a buckle brake nothing major, that I need to cal my Ped. in the morning and he would refer me! WEll, My Ped. Said there was nothing that could be done with a buckle break. Just to keep his splint on a few weeks and he would be fine, and if i need it redone to call his office. Well in a few days I did, and His nurses staff told me I had to go back through the Summersville ER to have this done.( Refused to go over and spend another minute in there ER) I immediately called Richwood to see if they could do it! Well, after speaking with Dr. Morales who was great with my son, Had to redo the whole splint because there was no support for his wrist, and thankfully I took along my x-rays, because She found that my son's bone was broken into. The immediately got me into Dr. Carson where we finally got what we needed. Thanks to RICHWOOD HOSPITAL. I had no 7 1/2 waiting time, I was in and out within an hour, and my son was well cared for! So, I am going to miss RACH! YOU GUYS DO/DID an Awesome Job, I am just sorry to hear the board couldn't do any better! They Have Let EVERYONE DOWN IN RICHWOOD,and INCLUDING THE SURROUNDING AREAS!

After becoming a Nurse Practitioner I opened my own clinic in Craigsville. This is something I have asked the BOARD to do for years to help bring in business for the hospital. I to am saddened by the closing of the hospital and will do ANYTHING POSSIBLE to keep it going. My staff came here willingly. I never approached any of them to leave the hospital. I really take offense to the comment "JUMP SHIP".

Cheryl wrote:

<quoted text>
You should have known better when Cheryl Clutter, Trish Potter, Ruby Lloyd and a few others jumped ship!
The board of directors let this closing happen and I don't care how much smoke Jim Fitzpatrick blows now to save the hospital or get something else in Richwood, he should have blabbed his mouth 3 years ago when it would have helped and made a difference!

The Board Members have never taken interest in this hospital, some do not even attend the meetings. They need to work with our administrative department not against it. Its easy for them to make the decision to close the hospital as they themselves do not utilize our services. This hospital can be downsized to an urgent care and saved, but again, the Board of Directors would rather "wash their hands of us".

Mr. Fitzpatrick announced at the council meeting that people were stealing from the hospital, he neglected to mention that he and his wife have been seen removing items from the hospital as well!

How can the members of the hospital board sleep at night? There are about 100 employees that are going to be out of work because of their lack of interest in the hospital and outright negligence by not doing something sooner. It is a tragedy that we will be without a hospital because of them! Many lives will be lost without emergency care and many other lives affected by not having proper healthcare close to home. How many people in this town will go without doctor visits and medication because of a lack of transportation to SMH? I myself am completely saddened by the loss and hope the devastation for all the employees, patients and nursing home residents lays on the minds of each and every board member at night when they lay their head down to sleep!

OKay, lets give credit where credit is due. If you want to play the blame game then lets place the blame where it really belongs. I can think of several however, I will start with the two that were in control of the day to day operations of the facility for the past 2 years. First lets blame Michelle Robinson who thinks money grows on freakin trees. She tried to run RACH like Thomas Memorial hospital. You dont need 4-5 RN's in the hospital sitting at the desk filing their fingernails or goofing off when there were only 2-3 hospital inpatients. When she was there, could she not have done something besides sit in her office and do NOTHING all day and send some RN's home? Then there is Mike Robinson who wrote grants ect. I dont recall one grant being wrote for "specific hospital needs". I know that his grants sent some deserving people on to nursing school but money was needed for our hospital. These two Robinsons did not look out specifically for RACH. They looked out for ways to avoid work. If and when a disaster stricks in Richwood Mike will be ready. Well, guess what! The community is in a disaster and by golly all the equipment and education he obtained for "disaster prepardness" is NOT helpful for this type disaseter. His time would have been better spent focusing on the hospital than for those that "could happen". Next, lets not leave out Annette Keenan who is as lazy as the next. She is the one who put the two "Robinsons" in charge. She should not have allowed these two to run the hospital. But, then she wasn't either. Fianlly, blame the board for not being more involved if you must, however, they paid others to look after the interest of the facility. Too bad they were lazy dumbo's who were only looking out for their own interests. Last but not least, the physicians do not go without some blame here. The billing cant go out without the providers doing their part and completing their charts. Too bad their paychecks were not dependent on how they worked. Otherwise the facility would not be in the mess it is currently in.

DR. Jackson was one of the very best doctors that i have ever seen she done miracles on my clients diebetes and she also saved my grandmas life she found a heart problem that was really serious that no one else had found i know that i will never find another doctor that has helped me more than she has she will truely be missed. so you all need to grow up and find a way to fix this instead of rumors . rumors is not going to keep them here we are.

OutRaged and Furious wrote:

OKay, lets give credit where credit is due. If you want to play the blame game then lets place the blame where it really belongs. I can think of several however, I will start with the two that were in control of the day to day operations of the facility for the past 2 years. First lets blame Michelle Robinson who thinks money grows on freakin trees. She tried to run RACH like Thomas Memorial hospital. You dont need 4-5 RN's in the hospital sitting at the desk filing their fingernails or goofing off when there were only 2-3 hospital inpatients. When she was there, could she not have done something besides sit in her office and do NOTHING all day and send some RN's home? Then there is Mike Robinson who wrote grants ect. I dont recall one grant being wrote for "specific hospital needs". I know that his grants sent some deserving people on to nursing school but money was needed for our hospital. These two Robinsons did not look out specifically for RACH. They looked out for ways to avoid work. If and when a disaster stricks in Richwood Mike will be ready. Well, guess what! The community is in a disaster and by golly all the equipment and education he obtained for "disaster prepardness" is NOT helpful for this type disaseter. His time would have been better spent focusing on the hospital than for those that "could happen". Next, lets not leave out Annette Keenan who is as lazy as the next. She is the one who put the two "Robinsons" in charge. She should not have allowed these two to run the hospital. But, then she wasn't either. Fianlly, blame the board for not being more involved if you must, however, they paid others to look after the interest of the facility. Too bad they were lazy dumbo's who were only looking out for their own interests. Last but not least, the physicians do not go without some blame here. The billing cant go out without the providers doing their part and completing their charts. Too bad their paychecks were not dependent on how they worked. Otherwise the facility would not be in the mess it is currently in.

In response to this, I would like to aknowledge that the hospital has been in financial dire straits for years before Michele Robinson, Mike Robinson, Annette Keenan and certain physicians came to RACH. The fact of the matter is that these are not the people to blame. Richwood has become a lifeless little town that needs CPR itself. The good people of Richwood have been ran out of town by Medicaid, Welfare, and most of all DRUGS!!! Anyone that knows Mike Robinson, Michele Robinson, Dr. Diaz, Dr. Morales (and the numerous other people that you are wanting to lay the blame on) that they have done EVERYTHING that there powers have enabled them to help this hospital remain intact for Richwood. How many times I saw fundraisers being raised for ill employees or family members in need. The employees of RACH were for the most part a family, and when push come to shove they all stuck together, I feel this is what a community should be about. So for all the people that want to point fingers at The Robinsons, physicians, board members, etc..., try to focus on the problem at hand. Instead of pointing fingers at recent employees, try focusing all your ill feelings toward the state and try to make a difference by rallying around all these gracious employees who have lost their jobs and lets try to make a difference for Richwood and put a positive reinforcement into play for our hospital and community's future. Lastly, grow up with the name calling! This is the negativity that shows just how shallow, ignorant and childish some people can be.

No one can blame the employees for the hospital's closing, it was the Board's fault. According to Jim Fitzpatrick, that Board knew that closing was a very likely possibility when they refused to take the advise of the experts, putting a critical care clinic at the old Groves building, instead, they put the money into the hospital knowing it was already in debt, knowing they had already filed bankruptcy a few times in the past and knowing there would be no future money coming to them to pump into the hospital.

The fault lies within the board of directors, they made the wrong decision, they know it, that's why they wouldn't face the community at the announcement of the closing.

The employees are to be commended for their hard work and dedication at the hospital, not ridiculed or blamed, they did their jobs, the Board didn't!

OutRaged and Furious wrote:

OKay, lets give credit where credit is due. If you want to play the blame game then lets place the blame where it really belongs. I can think of several however, I will start with the two that were in control of the day to day operations of the facility for the past 2 years. First lets blame Michelle Robinson who thinks money grows on freakin trees. She tried to run RACH like Thomas Memorial hospital. You dont need 4-5 RN's in the hospital sitting at the desk filing their fingernails or goofing off when there were only 2-3 hospital inpatients. When she was there, could she not have done something besides sit in her office and do NOTHING all day and send some RN's home? Then there is Mike Robinson who wrote grants ect. I dont recall one grant being wrote for "specific hospital needs". I know that his grants sent some deserving people on to nursing school but money was needed for our hospital. These two Robinsons did not look out specifically for RACH. They looked out for ways to avoid work. If and when a disaster stricks in Richwood Mike will be ready. Well, guess what! The community is in a disaster and by golly all the equipment and education he obtained for "disaster prepardness" is NOT helpful for this type disaseter. His time would have been better spent focusing on the hospital than for those that "could happen". Next, lets not leave out Annette Keenan who is as lazy as the next. She is the one who put the two "Robinsons" in charge. She should not have allowed these two to run the hospital. But, then she wasn't either. Fianlly, blame the board for not being more involved if you must, however, they paid others to look after the interest of the facility. Too bad they were lazy dumbo's who were only looking out for their own interests. Last but not least, the physicians do not go without some blame here. The billing cant go out without the providers doing their part and completing their charts. Too bad their paychecks were not dependent on how they worked. Otherwise the facility would not be in the mess it is currently in.

over-hiring of nurses and physicians did not help our financial situation!!!

some of the employees should be commended without a doubt. However, those who took home a paycheck who did not earn it should be ashamed.clocking in and not being in the facility is wrong when your suppose to be there. "You know who you are". Before anyone person is blamed, take a deeper look into the mirror. See if the person looking back at you needs to shoulder some of the blame as well. Remember when you point your finger at someone else there are three of your own fingers pointing back at yourself.

Rather than attacking people, lets attack the problem. If something is not done immediately, the hospital will close. It is being rumored that Summersville Hospital will be renting the first floor of the hospital to reestablish healthcare. Seems SMH is the only folks attacking the problem not people. If you want healthcare reestablished for your community, then get some willing folks together who is willing to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and do the same thing Summersville Hospital is Proposing to do. For goodness sakes at least your board members signed their names on the dotted line and took responsibility for the 1) payroll taxes, healthcare taxes and so forforth. All your accomplishing here in this forum is blame blame blame. Well blame yourself unless your willing to do the same thing the board memebers did and SIGN YOUR NAME ON THE DOTTED LINE.

The closing of RACH is indeed a very sad occasion. While it may be a forgone conclusion that the hospital will close I dont feel that a clinic to replace it is the answer. The community needs 24 hour emergency access. While the 12 hour a day 6 day a week clinic will be a nice addition to decrease travel time to see a doctor it will not help the patient that is having a heart attack at 2 in the morning. Those patients do not have the luxury of waiting for the clinic to open for treatment, and the extra time spent travelling to SMH may well be the difference between a life and death outcome. SMH should be commended for their willingness to establish the clinic but I think more can be done. If the state or federal government will help I believe SMH can establish a 24 hour er/clinic. This will only be possible with assistance however as SMH has recently invested large amounts in improving their facility.
I realize even this solution is not perfect as it will still result in the loss of a large number of jobs and I am sorry for those employees. Through my years of involvement with EMS I have gotten to know many of the doctors, nurses and supporting staff at RACH. You will never find a more caring group of individuals no matter where you look. The personal attention they provided to each and every patient is unrivaled and they will be sorely missed in the community.
I have contacted several state and federal officials to voice this opinion to them. So far only Senator Randy White has seen fit to respond. I urge you all to contact everyone you can at every level of goverment to voice your concerns to them.