Mercy announces cuts

Dear Hockeyfan-
Has already been clarified.
Thanks.

Just want to clarify an earlier comment. Mercy Hospice has not been closed. Haven House is the hospice residence that is closing. Mercy Hospice will continue to provide hospice services in Rock and Walworth counties.

ihavealife-
The car accident victims that were diverted to other area hospitals were stable. Their lives were NOT in jeopardy. Patients that came through the door were still seen. Would you rather be diverted to another hospital, or risk the patient to staff ratio being extremely unsafe? Many hospitals will divert patients if they are stable and the hospital ER is at capacity. Mercy Hospital has continued to look out for the best interests of the patients by providing safe quality care. A few years ago My family and I were in a car accident near Whitewater. Because of an emergency at Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital, we were diverted to Mercy Hospital. I was not upset at FAMHS. My family was stable and I was worried about the other patients that were NOT stable. The staff at Mercy ensured my children and my unborn son were safe and comfortable. They went out of their way to make sure my kids had snacks and let them stay with me until my tests were complete. Another time my daughter had chest pains because of her heart/lung disease. We came by ambulance and Mercy completed tests and talked to her cardiologist in Milwaukee and she went for a corrective open heart surgery soon after. This same daughter had to come in by ambulance because of an unknown latex allergy to a balloon at Chuck e cheese's. Staff was excellent at all times. The nurses were wonderful and Dr. Durkes ensured my daughter was a priority.
Thank you Mercy ER for the services you provide to our community! I AM PROUD TO BE JOINING THE MERCY TEAM AS AN RN. Thank you!

ihavealife..I'm not sure what you were talking about with the accident vicitms..We have sent in the past to other facilities...but were not the only hospital to do that..I can't speak for the clinics etc...I do agree that it is time that the administration starts waking up.

keeper...You said everything the ER has been through in the last year ?? Could you be talking about the car accident victims that were sent to other hospitals because Mercy had no ER doctors at the time ?? I will say this really has nothing to do with the doctors,nurses, billing even the ones that empty the bed pans..This has more to do with the people at the top.When the boss has no respect for his/her worker that's when the true trouble begins for any business.My biggest complaint about the Mercy system is I find it unbelieveable that it takes 3-5 months to get a appointment with a doctor.I can't get a doctor to take me as my primary doctor,I hear the same thing over and over" THE DOCTOR ISN'T TAKING NEW PATIENTS".I even told one lady ,hey I'm not new I'm old and I'm falling apart(joke),Sorry there's nothing I can do for you.Maybe the boss man could get some more doctors and make people happy with the NEW and IMPROVED MH.Well I'm off to sleep my arm just fell off ! JK !

I happen to be a MERCY ER RN and can say that the care we provide is good quality care considering what we have been through in the last year....The nursing staff is the best I've seen in years. I think if the ANTI MERCY could sit through a shift and see what we go through on a daily basis then they would not be so ANTI. People need to realize that the Emergency room is for EMERGENCIES and not for something minor that you've had for 6 months and suddenly today is the day you decide to have it looked at. Think how you would feel as a caregiver working a trauma patient and having to tell that family they didn't make it. Then in the same hour going into another room for lets say a toothache and only hearing how bad the wait has been and how terrible the care is. People wake up if it isn't an emergency it won't be treated as such. If it was your family we were trying to save you would want us to do everything we could. Do we have areas we could improve on OH YES..I think we need to stop remodeling and keep the money where we need it in PATIENT CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!

toasty2k - re: your comment "George Bush rocks." You are so right! I recently spent some time in both Germany and Norway, and conditions there were just appalling! I mean, the Euro is doing so..umm...badly...against the dollar. Those unfortunate left-wing socialists! How dare anyone ever challenge unregulated American corporate capitalism? I'm sure glad our economy is working so well in the US, with people getting 2 weeks vacation per year and taking extra jobs to make ends meet. I say, no more debate! Socialism is not an option. Just look at the Great Depress...wait, umm, yeah...

unless you are one that was just told you are no longer going to be doing the SPECIAL SERVICE that you LOVED to do---you have NO idea --these were not "JUST POSITONS"--these were services PERFORMED FROM THE HEART,the type of CARE employees looked forward to going in to do everyday,that is rare, and it is going to be hard to find anything to compare for a replacement position, and to find ,services comparable for the clients and families who needed them to improve/maintain their quality of life.
Heartbreaking

http://gazetteextra.com/mercy_pay041707....
Thanks to whomever mentioned Googling this article. How very enlightening!

When asking a member of the Human Resources Dept. at MHS very recently if they "have to" find jobs for all, her reply was "Legally we're not obligated to, MORALLY we are."
Pretty upstanding lady in my book.

The problem with treating employees better is one that can never be solved, problem being is people always want more. I worked for a company where as a bonus someone got an expense paid trip to Ireland as appreciation of what they do. You would think that the person would be happy about that but no, they asked that the travel dates be changed around their spouses biological cycle so it would be more fun..... Point being when is enough enough you will always want more. I cant think of a person in the world who would turn down more money or more time off if offered it rather than turning it down and saying "no thanks you do enough for me". The working conditions are not bad, coworkers are ok (never gonna love everyone no matter where ya go) and the pay is comparable to other area hospitals. Im sure its not ideal for everyone but no employer will ever make every employee happy. And regardless of what people say there are jobs out there, if people are THAT unhappy with Mercy i see "now hiring signs all the time at home depot and other places, take one of those until you find another job if its SO bad....

If you want to compare how local hospitals compare in quality, check the Joint Commission site. Mercy meets or exceeds Joint Commission standards as do most other hospitals in the area. Joint Commission is a not-for-profit organization that accredits more than 90% of the hospitals in America. http://www.qualitycheck.org/Consumer/Sea...

Jenna249, it’s one thing to not like your job but it’s another thing to dog your department and company on the web. I don’t always like my job either but I feel it’s all in “your” attitude that makes or breaks a job or anything in life. Only you can make you happy. If you are carrying this attitude with you to your job interviews maybe that’s why you’re not being hired elsewhere. Could your attitude also be the reason people are perceiving the service to be poor???? If I called and was “lucky” enough to get you and your attitude on the phone I might be upset too. I hope if I ever do have to call that I get someone like luvmydog that takes pride in what they do and will actually want to help.

As far as how Mercy treats their employees…. How many employees in the area wish their companies would find employment for them within the company when “needed” cuts have to be made. Oh how GM/Lear/Stoughton Trailers employees wish they would be re-tooled and retrained so they could stay with their companies. Again, Thank You Mercy for not having layoffs during this down economical time and being proactive and protecting the jobs of the people you now employ. Jena, good luck finding what you’re looking for.

some of you argue that mediocre to poor quality care exists in every hospital all over the country. Denial is not a river in Egypt. My family and many people I have spoken with are hoping and praying for options other than Mercy. Besides Madison and Milwaukee are not that far thank God.

i am also an employee of mercy. i cannot stand it there, but like MANY MANY others i'm having a very difficult time finding another job because of the economy. so, i'm stuck where i'm at for now. i work in billing, and there are many problems within the whole department.. as i'm sure there are throughout the entire company. they do not treat their employees as good as they tell people they do.

to those of you telling the mercy employees who dont like their job to leave and find another one, would you like to help us find one? because i've been searching for months and havent come across anything worth taking yet. so back off.

I am an employee of Mercy Health System and proud of it. There is no perfect health system, but we strive everyday to improve patient care first, our attitudes (sounds like a few could work on that some) but to simply be the best we can be. Are there flaws? Of course there are, but I think everyone has to admit that to actually be awarded the Malcolm Baldridge Award we are pretty damn good.Don't tell me it's because of money exchanging hands either; like I said earlier, I do work there, I work hard to be the best I can be in my job and I've also been a patient and had to do my share of waiting. All I can really say to that is if it comes between someone being there for a headache, flu, rash or heart problem, I would certainly hope the heart patient would get treated first. Anyone who feels as bad about where they work as some of these people writing should really find another job and let appeciative and caring people have the jobs.

I do think it's sad that they are discontinuing services that are so desperately needed. It sounds like management is top heavy at the sacrifice of people who desperately need these services.

miltonalum you point was well taken. However I was not referring to stubbed toes. And if an organization this large can't even have competent people doing the billing what does that say? I never said a baby died. But research the cases of necrotizing faciitis that occurred in a very short period of time, one being a very, very young child.

outsidelookingin: I've also visited someone recently and found surprisingly unclean conditions. And perhaps Mercy should scrutinize their doctors. I sat through a heartbreaking wrongful death case a few years ago that proved in the end this young man should not have died. However, it was the doctor that was sued and also Mercy. I believe outsidelookingin was trying to make a point that having options in a community our size is a good thing.

Also id like to add that Mercys billing system is lackikng in my opinion they are overly dependant on software and I myself have had some issues with the billing department so i will agree with you on that, it does not, however, affect the care i received. Additionally the fact that Mercy has pending lawsuits means nothing in todays society. I could stub my toe, go to the ER then file a lawsuit that they mistreated me. It doesnt mean they did, it just means i filed a lawsuit so it will show up on ccap. In todays get-rich-quick society too many people are trigger happy on suing anyone or any corporation who gives them so much as a dirty look. Im a few are legit and people deserve settlements, but, again compare it to hospitals everywhere....

Outsidelookinin: you truly are on the outside lookin in, Mercy's OB section is brand new off a 3 million dollar renovation completed 2 years ago, perhaps your one case was an exception but in general mercys OB is top notch. Mercy has Never lost a baby to malpractice or employee/doctor mistake and thats a fact. Also yes, lets look at the wrongful death suits that Mercy has "LOST" id like to see some facts behind your statements, and if in deed there is some backing behind what you say how does that compare to the nationwide average because id wager that every major hospital in this country deal with lawsuits probably weekly.

I had that same thing happen in the ER too. 2 hours in the little room and they say ooops we forgot you. Hire some help and hire some that are on the ball, not ones that just say ooops we forget!

Wake up Janesville! A second hospital will offer you options so that you can make an educated choice. I used to live in the area and I've seen the quality of service go rapidly downhill. Look at the number of wrongful death suits Mercy has LOST! Why? Because of wrongful deaths! I went to visit a young lady who had her baby at Mercy about a year ago. The rooms were filthy! The garbage cans were spilling over onto the floor. Too many people have received less than quality care. So stop calling the ones who are simply asking for choices "whiners". They are intelligent people expressing concern for the wellbeing of themselves and loved ones.

George Bush rocks! I would vote for him again just to stop you left wing socialist from selling out our country ans endangering our freedom.

I find it very funny the Dizz is looking into my personal life. Let's get back to the real story here. I hae been turned into collect 4 times from Mercy 1st time for a $35 copay that I myself paid on my flex card. 2nd time for my husbands back for $1100 for a surgean to take 4 ex-rays....?Still fighting this one 2 years later. 3rd for not paying off my balance in a timley manner BALANCE OF THE BILL WAS 76 CENTS!!! 4th time was for my step daughter who is not on my insurance but they are charging me for the bill because she was staying at my house for the weekend....?

nurse- i wasnt complaining at all!!! I thought i was well taken care of with the meds adverse reaction.

TMACIAS...I agree with the billing department...I got a bill that I didn't not owe once ,they called for payment and I said call BCBS and they will tell you the same thing.She laughed at me and said OK we will see about that.She called back and said that I was right......BUT COULD YOU JUST PAY THIS BILL BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO BACK IT OUT OF THE COMPUTER !!! I sure had a GOOD laugh on that one ! So for the next 18 months I got that bill and called every month and was "told we are doing the best that we can to remove it".I have ALWAYS gone over the bills to make sure they are right and not being charged for a service that we didn't use/have .

Classic "mountain out of a molehill" thing here. The article says 20 jobs. Mercy employs thousands. They have been smart enough to diversify out of Janesville so that the cuts needed here are able to be absorbed by other clinics and hospitals. They are planning to find work for the cut positions in other Mercy facilities.

The elimination of some of the services as mentioned in previous comments is unfortunate, but an economic necessity. Mercy had just signed a huge new contract with GM to provide health care for workers - now with GM going, so is that contract.

This is probably also a reaction to anticipated changes coming in our health care system. With Obama poised to be our next President, the writing is on the wall: National Health Care System. Hospitals like Mercy will not fare well under most of the plans put forward so far. They will be overwhelmed and underpaid. This looks to me like a repositioning in anticipation of that move.

Sign in an Emergency Room waiting area:
Fast service
Quality Care
Cheap Rates
CHOOSE TWO

mymaro--just visited your suggested yahoo article--the article itself was useless, I've never seen this action in any local hospital--however, I did read alot of the comments to the article--OMG--the problem of ER services abuse is SO widespread!! I can't help but think that the fine people of Janesville read our comments about misuse of the ER for non-emergent, non-life threatening, NON-SENSE complaints take a look at themselves and say "not at Mercy, we don't misuse the ER." Wake up people--YES YOU DO!! Keep in mind people, if you go to the ER for non-emergency care and say "I dont have any insurance"--you WILL be evaluated and treated, THEN you will be BILLED!!!

If Mercy isn't struggling, why did they suddenly stop sponsoring community events like charity golf outings? A Mercy employee told me they are no longer allowed to sponsor or golf in them.

Blaze: I don't follow you on your comment regarding Beloit. What does it have to do with Beloit having jobs? TheJoker is correct by the way: Beloit has job openings!

Thank you dean and mercy for providing great care to me and my family!

Dizz and you are?

LMAO..how true.

"Eliminate the one's working in the billing department" says the person who hasn't paid a penny on their Mercy balance or water & light bill in over a year. We want to save jobs in the area.

Miltongirl, I admire your advocation for the patients of Mercy Hospital.

How often are these programs used on a daily basis? I need statistics so I can make an educated opinion..

Wow all this negativity about a company that’s being proactive and keeping its employees employed and not laying anyone off. This is a tough crowd.

Javon & Mercy are doing the right thing. They are being pro-active for what is happening in Janesville/Rock County (it’s more then just GM) and what is happening now and in the near future. Unlike the major car company in town, Mercy is protecting the people that now work for Mercy rather then keeping employment levels that will only have to be cut job in a year or so when the new hospital is in town and the GM/Lear/Gilman/Stoughton Trailer jobs are gone.

Miltongirl, maybe you should take a step back and look at the big picture and not with your hand in front of your face so you can see the whole thing. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is not what a smart person does. However, looking for ways to change a process and get better results is. Look at the big picture and not just your little corner.

I'm not a VP or even a manager where I work but I do know that being proactive and having a game plan is better then being reactive without a plan when it's too late. (What people don’t want big trucks any longer?? We’ll have to close in 2 years, oops maybe 2009, oops this year) Which way is better for Janesville/Rock County???

Thank you Mercy for not having layoffs during this down economical time and being proactive and protecting the jobs of the people you now employ.

They might as well eliminate the one's working in the billing department. They have no clue what in the world they are doing anyways!!

and I really dont understand why people are having a problem with my points in what I am saying.....I am all for the best in patient care. I am for keeping all the programs that benefit you the patients...I am trying to be a voice to help you and to get people to open up their eyes and see where there money that they pay to Mercy is going......right to the VP's pockets.....Why in the world would you cut out the Mercy in Motion program....by the way they already did this week....Do you know how many elderly people depended on that service to get to their Dr appts...and how many handicap people used that service and if you know of anyone who has a loved one who is terminally ill than you would wonder why did they get rid of the Mercy Hospice Resident program....and also this week Javon decided to close the doors on the Adult Day Care program so if you or anyone you know struggles with care for elderly parents that needed this type of treatment you will totally understand what I have been trying to say to you all...open your eyes people...it is so wrong....what next.....lets get rid of the dialysis center or how about the cancer center.....Why does Javon decide for all the people what he eliminates and what he doesnt. He doesnt care about Jane Doe down the street who is in a wheelchair and needs the Mercy in Motion van to pick her up and take her to her Neurology appt.....he doesnt care that Sally Smith up the street is dying of cancer and is surrounded by her children and can no longer use the Mercy Hospice residence program. Javon deosnt care about John Black who is suffering from alzheimers and his famliy depended on the Day Care treatment program where he could go during the day, a place where he was safe and cared for while his family has to work their jobs

mymaro.....um nevermind you wouldnt get it...

miltongirl, if you dont like it then go to the hospital in Milton. oops, my fault, THERE ISNT ONE in that pretentious little town.

smerk Well said...like I said in an earlier post that it must be the VP's posting on here.....or like you said "people working for Javon" because some of them were getting quite defensive for just being gazette readers.....and you hit the nail on the head...like I have been saying all along....Javon and the VPs DO NOT care about Patient Care!!!!!

It seems after reading here that people have the misconception that MERCY HOSPICE Home Nursing is going to be discontinued. It is NOT. MERCY HOSPICE Home Health & ALL Mercy Home Hlth. will continue growing as it always has been with excellent, caring and well-educated nursing staff/caregivers.
However, it is sad to say that Mercy Hospice RESIDENCE aka HAVEN HOUSE a place for the terminally ill to live out their days is being terminated.
A large loss for the community.

For those of you that think that going to the Dean Hospital is going to be your health care savior, I am sorry to say that you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Wait times in the ER are everywhere; they are not just a Mercy problem. I have had poor experiences at Mercy, but nothing tops the horrible experience I had at a Madison emergency room. I think overall Mercy is a great health system. Mercy is like every other business; it has strong and weak points.
For those of you that honestly believe using CCAP to identify doctors that have committed malpractice, you are just demonstrating ignorance. Most malpractice cases never make it to court. They are settled quickly outside of a courtroom. Your personal doctor could have committed malpractice and paid out dozens of malpractice claims, and you would never know about it. That information is secured from the public in a national data bank.
Mr. Bea’s total compensation is based on how well the health system does. Most businesses and organizations pay their CEO on how well the company performs. This is nothing new. As for the number of VPs at Mercy, who really cares as long as the organization is stable? And from what I understand Mercy is still financially sound, they are trying to be proactive and keep it that way. Would you rather they wait until they are operating in the red and have to shut the doors or cut half the positions?

for all you that are whining about wait times at Mercy you should go to the yahoo.com homepage. one of the top headlines is "Why ER waits are so long".

It was only a matter of time.....wonder if any of these MERCY workers that are losing their jobs were GM HATERS?? Sure hope not, or there will be a HUGE DOSE OF HUMBLING coming through.

Nurse4u - just wait a little while till they suddenly tell you that they aren't going to pay you what they promised and hope you'll stick around anyway. I work at Mercy and have seen it done before. If Mercy is so great to work at then why are they unable to hire MDs and staff where they are desparately needed (ER, OR and Primary Care). Many people are leaving as soon as they can. Not what one would expect from a "Baldridge Award" winner. Mercy has put money and expansion as their only priority and forgotten what is the only thing that should matter - patient care. Everything should be focused on that and that only; it hasn't been like that since Javon showed up. People who work for Javon are told to monitor and respond to these blogs, so take some of them for what they are - the Party Line according to Javon.

Joker, im sorry you are wrong about mercys financial status, I do work in the mercy system and i have 1st hand access to alot...

I am a new employee at Mercy Hospital and I LOVE the wage they offered me and my benefits.
In my experience, the employees at Mercy are very understanding and work as a team to get the job done.

My point is that if it's THAT bad, do something to make it better for yourself. Complaining here won't help. I don't have a problem with most services or care at Mercy, nor do I think it's my business what their executives are paid. Healthcare is a business. If you don't like the services/product at a business, take your business elsewhere.

JVLRDR-are you kidding? People are losing jobs left and right. Most people can't just "change" jobs. And why should they have to. Why can't Mercy treat their patients and employees better?

I still don't get it. If people don't like Mercy, stop going there. You do have a choice--if your employer only carries MercyCare, work somewhere else. That seems extreme, but if you feel that strongly that Mercy's care is bad and your life is in jeopardy with their services, take action. I can't see a better reason than that.
And if you work there and have nothing good to say about Administration, policies and services, find a different job. If Mr. Bea makes too much $$ for your liking, work for a smaller organization. No one is keeping you there except yourself.
If you aren't willing to do that, stop complaining!

Hannah: If there was enough demand for urgent care to be open at 7:00am I’m sure it would be. If it can’t wait until they open at 10:00, then it probably does need an ER visit. If someone is having a major allergic reaction they should go to the ER, because people can die from that. Can people die from the flu? Sure, but not the mostly normally healthy teenage-50+ year olds I’ve seen in the ER. Very young children, people with existing conditions, and elderly are more prone to severe systems and possibly death from the flu. You don’t have to be a doctor or god to know that, it can be read on a regular basis in multiple weekly and monthly magazines. I assumed people would understand my point, but I forgot the rule not to assume anything. I guess my comment about the chest pain ending up being heartburn could be misconstrued as saying people shouldn’t go to the ER with chest pain, which isn’t true. If you have abnormal chest pains, then obviously a trip to the ER is unavoidable. However, my point is that the ER is backed up with situations that don’t end up being emergencies. The staff on hand will know how much of a priority to make each case. As a result, some people have to wait, because their situations aren’t as serious as they may think they are. Does that make Mercy’s care bad? I don’t think it does. People can’t expect the hospital to pay millions of extra dollars to get people with non emergency situations in and out the door in an hour without appointments. I still stand by my point that people are doctor and pill happy. That is not to say there aren’t great and helpful drugs available or that certain cases don’t require them (I want to make that clear so I don’t get bashed by people who actually need a drug). However, it is widely read, most doctor related visits can’t be eliminated and many potential risks can be avoided by weight loss (if I recall correctly the number is around 85%). That, doesn’t mean I’m skinny, because I’m not. However, after finding out I had type 2 diabetes I lost fifty pounds and began to exercise daily, rather than take the drugs. My blood sugar levels are now normal. However, that doesn’t mean I’m normal. People get touchy when you talk about their ER visits or drugs, yikes. Maybe some Prozac is in order here (just kidding).

Mercy Hospital is in the process of developing a Level 2 Trauma Center as well as expanding other areas of speciality.

I am proud to be a new employee there!

Mercy Er has had a medical director since last fall. But they continue to depend heavily on "rented" doctors. Also, Rockford has 2 Level 1 and 1 Level 2 trauma centers.

JN0503...if you read my comments you would see what I was concerned about. I love my job...never did I say I didnt!! I am concerned with them cutting out programs that are needed and helpful for patients!!!! I am concerned that some people that work for Mercy are going to lose their jobs when I think the Administration is over staffed and over paid....

Hannah- I am sorry that you feel that you had a negative experience at the ER at Mercy. I am hearing that you feel frustrated with the service that you were provided.
As a nurse, we try to provide the best quality of care that we can, with skills, compassion, and respect for our patients.

momof5: Mercy has had a medical director for the past year and Meriter is a Level II trauma center. The only level I trauma centers in Wisconsin are at UW Hospital in Madison and in Milwaukee. Rockford has two level II trauma centers.

one in 1995 ish a DR gave me drugs compazine for a cold. sorry it seemed more than just a cold I know unidentified doesnt like pill poppers- dont worry I stay away from them as much as i can after this episode anyway I had family at my house for thanksgiving and my Mouth was doing weird things and hard to talk. Iwent to lay down and rest just thought i was tired then i got up and my jaw involentary was yanking to the left. Ithought it was going to break. I went to er and took the drug with me and said difficultly I think I am having a REACTION TO THIS. tHEY YANKED ME BY MY ARM, didnt care who i was or if i was insured and said RIGHT THIS WAY!!!! I was hooked up to iv of benadryl and they said youll be okay in 10 minutes. I was just HIGH! I couldnt walk haha. needed a wheel chair. so they will help you according to what is wrong. no ins then so that trip was $160 or so but a really good high.

when i went to er for a swollen hot blistered face it was 3 hours later that i left. Yes it sucks but I understand I prob wasnt going to die from it and waited patiently knowing that others need help first.

funny i didnt notice it was BUSH standing next to Bae.

unidentified- maybe if the urgent cares were OPEN at 7am people wouldnt have to go to the ER area to get urgent care!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to go on a sunday at 7 am no urgent cares open sign said go to er or wait till 10 am dont think so my face looked like a freek swelled up huge all over and tiny blistering. reaction to something.

also the FLU can be an EMERGENCY. do you think youre a DR or something? people have died from the flu.

by the way if people have chest pain SOMETIMES IT ISNT heartburn. I wouldnt risk it and why do you think you need to be GOD or the er police and say they shouldnt go. do you know how many have died because they DIDNT go cause they thought "oh I am to young for this maybe it is just gas".

if it is urgent sometimes you cannot get into to see your own doctor immediatly so you have to do urgent care.

and no I dont frequent the urgent care unless there is a true need.

gillmoregal- i have mercy care too. we do have a choice to not go to mercy doctor BUT who can afford that and what a wate to pay your premiiums and not go to mercy. I like my doctors at mercy. not complaints yet.

First of all, Mercy probably shouldn't be a 60+ facility organization. This is not enitrely Javon Bea's fault, but let's regroup and look at what brought "you" here in the first place. IMO, "he" was blinded by the shine of the prize and in the interim forgot what the prize even was.
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Meriter may have 9 on their board, but that is apples to oranges. Meriter has a level 1 trauma; Mercy hires temp docs to keep their ER staffed (and hasn't had an ER director since atleast last summer). Meriter has both a PICU and a NICU; Mercy has a 6 bed peds unit--with many of the peds nurses not dedicating their shifts (or training) to only peds. Meriter is a "Magnet Hospital"; Mercy, yeah, not so much. Meriter is atleast 2x the size (both physically and services wise). Just because the big dogs have 9 on their board doesn't mean the little puppy Mercy needs just as many.

Boy it really concerns me that an employee would have such a negative attitude toward the company they work for. I know I like where I work and I am very proud of my employer. Why would someone work at a place where they are so negative, angry or dissatisfied? Life is too short for such negativity. Focus on the positive or move on!

I am thinking some of these people that are getting so defensive for Mercy are VP's!!!

There are 9 VPs, not 12. This is not an unusual number for the size of the organization. Meriter has 9 on their executive team. Even little Fort Atkinson has 10 people on their Administrative Team.

As for the services that are being discontinued, there are STILL services for those patients in the community. If volumes were high enough, Mercy would have been able to keep the current ones going. Making strategic moves such as these are essential to make sure that the system can keep other services (not available in the community) viable and operational.

Well put Mom....
my problem with the whole picture is that Javon Bea and his 12 VPs are making an ungodly amount of money and they are cutting out good programs that the patients need and in alot of instances the elderly and less fortunate patients need they rely on services such as Mercy in Motion to get to their Dr appts because they are unable to drive like maybe are handicapped and such. Also cutting the Adult Day Care program and Hospice.....I have a problem with that ....when they could eliminate a few VP positions. But your comment is good....the question is ...Why does Javon need 12 VP's??????????????????????

momof5, I disagree. How would one president and one or two VPs be able to run a 60+ facility organization?

one could argue that if ANY President needs more than 1 or 2 VP's then they are not very effective at their presidency and platform. And, if a president needed 12 VP's then they really must not be able to function at a high enough capacity to be considered beneficial to the group in which they lead. Anyone who needs that much reinforcement to come up with good ideas to make themselves look good isn't worth 13 million pennies let alone dollars!!

And Mercy has Javon and 12 VPs....and they are making near $200,000 a year. Why not eliminate a few of them and keep Mercy in Motion and Mercy Adult Day Care and Mercy Hospice for the patients...They dont need that many VP's

Hey, Stacymarie and Rosewood----My first message is wayyyyy down the list...but I had to respond to those two.....

ahh...you two are out for blood, hey?? My "emergency"..which, by the way, Im not going to explain to you...was NOT a life and death situation. (Nobody knew that when I arrived there) And when I said " I couldve died in that little room" I meant that sarcastically---I was not "near death"...but THEY didnt know that. I meant it as I sat in there without anyone so much as peeking in at me for nearly 2 hours. They could have, ( if they had remembered I was there) stuck their head in the room and said hey, we are swamped we will get to you as quick as we can... I dont care what you say about "real emergencies" ( how do YOU know mine was not?!) THEY FORGOT ME AND ADMITTED TO ME THAT THEY DID.I wouldve been the first one to say "I can wait" if they had told me they had other more serious issues. Obviously, though, as fast as they took ME back, that they categorized my visit as one of some importance.
The fact that they forgot me; that is just plain not professional, and nothing you can say to me will sway me from being irritated at my experience up there. I havent gone to Mercy ER in YEARS...and hopefully I wont have to again.
Back off and find someone else to "attack".

BLAZE
We can access our email from home!!!! I work second shift and I recieved the memo via email from home!!!

They already made their cuts to the ER staff back in March. Those people weren't offered any other positions in the system because of a "hiring freeze". I didn't hear anything about that in the Gazette.

All businesses need to do what they need to do to stay IN BUSINESS. Nobody likes change, whether it is the local grocery store raising prices or the hospital changing services, the only thing constant is CHANGE itself. What did people do before Mercy started driving patients around? The patients should be thankful to have the services while they did. I do feel bad for those who have come to rely on the drivers, I know of someone myself and I called her up and offered to take her to her doctor visits. Maybe those who are complaining should get off their computers and go help someone instead.
Hey beachsexton, maybe you should be first in line to help someone, by the looks of your postings, you could use some positive interactions with people.

Malpractice lawsuits and doctors are synonymous with each other unfortunately. That is the current state of the health care industry and another part of why health care is so expensive. Some cases are legitimate, but vast majorities aren’t. This holds true for doctors at any clinic or hospital from any health care organization regardless of affiliation. This is all public record material. Moreover, many of the doctors who work for Dean once worked at Mercy and vice versa. This also includes staff. If the new Dean hospital opens there will be a short love affair with them simply because they are new. Eventually the same people who complained about Mercy will be complaining about Dean. Again to error is human. Moreover, some people aren’t happy regardless of the quality of care. The question for me is do we need another hospital in a city of 60,000 people that is shrinking do to company transfers and retirees leaving to save on taxes in other states? Are the new jobs created at Dean going to come at the expense of jobs at Mercy? Is the quality of care going to be affected at both companies if neither is properly staffed due to our current economic situation? Are we going to have enough qualified staff in the area to fill the jobs that open at Dean? There are multiyear backlogs at Gateway and Blackhawk for medical related jobs and a shortage of RN’s statewide. Are enough people going to get through these programs in time to staff Dean? These are all questions that need to be answered before another hospital should open.

Milt, please wake up and smell the coffee. Let me guess, you work for Mercy. My source is solid.
Also, check CCAP. There are many doctors who have malpractice suits against them. I do not know the validity of any of them but they are out there. For example, look at their list of surgeons and then check CCAP. Please don't tell me my business. I know what I am talking about. And that is no joke.

Also, if you had a loved one die as a result of malpractice or clinical error, deborah, why havent we seen or heard about your lawsuit because if it really did happen as a result of employee/physician error Id sure be on the phone to my lawyer, IT amazes me the amount of people who come up with 1st hand experiences of loved ones being hurt or killed by MErcy malpractice, yet they havent had a malpractice lawsuit in how long...?

TheJoker: your joking right? Mercy has recorded record earnings in nearly every quarter for the last 8 years, Mercy also has not "borrowed" money from a bank in that time for any of their construction/updating projects. Aurora has no intention of buying anything mercy and there are no talks going on. There are no cash flow problems for Mercy, in fact its quite the opposite, they are needing to keep updating to reinvest the money in new clinics and updates so they dont show a profit in the "not for profit" organization.

Mercy is worried about the effect that a second hospital will have YET is going ahead for plans for an addition? *L* Makes sense to me.

I can't wait for a second hospital to be up and running. Mercy has been a monopoly for far too long now. I can tell you that I will be using the new option as soon as it is up and running. I can list many reasons for that and all have to do with services and care received through Mercy and their staff. Trying dealing with countless errors being made when you've had a loved one hospitalized there for many many months only to have that loved one die as a result.

I think they need to concentrate on services they now provide and making much needed improvements there. Just what does happen with complaints that are filed? *L* the person taking the time to file them sure doesn't seem to hear anything back about them.

Proudmercy, of course you are satisfied with Mercy and Javon Bea. Since you are health partner, you too are getting rich at the expense of hardworking people in this community.

By the end of 2009, Aurora will have bought all of Mercy's clinics and then buy the hospital property in 2010. You heard it here first. My source tells me the discussions are already taking place. Bea has overextended the network and has serious cash flow problems. Too much overhead and not enough banks willing to lend more credit. These cuts are only the beginning.

Fact of the matter is, Mercy Hospital is the second largest employer here in Janesvile, and after GM leaves, it will be #1.
I have done clinical rotations there, and was impressed with the way patients were treated. My daughter had serious complications that needed emergency care, and Mercy Hospital provided the necessary treatment. The employees took time to answer questions that I had and to go over instructions with me.
I am proud to now be a part of the Mercy Hospital team!

Also, blaming the cuts on Dean's planned hospital? Unless you're really struggling, you don't start folding up your tent when you know competition is coming. That would be like Woodman's cutting products and services when they found out the Wal-Mart Supercenter was coming.

Big Mike: Love him or hate him, no one can deny that Javon Bea took a struggling hospital and made it into a health care empire. But...14 million dollars??? He deserves to be compensated but that's an obscene amount to take out of a non-profit. Think of the jobs or updated equipment that could have been had for that.

what we need in Janesville is ONE good Hospital,which we do not have. I sure hope Dean is coming. Lives will be saved.
mercy is understaffed in every department as it is. hmmmmmmmmmm They dont even have the amount of Maint, they are soppose to have let alone DR. and Nurses.

Wonder if Bigmike is Javon or one of his cronies...The Baldridge award is basically a scam that enables consulting firms to milk these hospitals for big bucks. This is why nobody gets the Baldridge the first time that they apply. The entire health care system is basically a black hole that is sucking the middle class of this country dry.

For comic relief, google "Javon Bea", to read an article where he tries to justify his $14 million earnings a few years back.