Sonoma West Medical Center CEO resigns :(

Uh-oh... It's starting to unravel again....

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Sonoma West Medical Center CEO resigns

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Sonoma West Medical Center CEO Ray Hino has resigned from the Sebastopol hospital, claiming he can no longer sustain the energy and long hours required of him for the past 20 months.

In a June 26 letter to his colleagues, Hino said he’s often worked 12- to 13-hour days and 6- to 7-day weeks, including every weekend for 85 straight weeks.

“When I came to SWMC, I had hopes of spending more time with my family in Northern California,” he wrote. “In fact, I have spent less time by working nearly every weekend.”

The hospital opened in late October at the site of the former Palm Drive Hospital, which was shuttered a year and a half earlier following declines in patients and insurance reimbursements. The new medical center has struggled to collect payments for medical services and become financially sustainable.

Sonoma West’s board of directors is proposing to fill the CEO position internally. Barbara Borbeck, who has served for less than a month as both the chief operating officer and chief nursing officer, is slated to take Hino’s place. Her salary is still being negotiated.

The move comes as the medical center continues to search for a third-party health care provider to subcontract certain business and management tasks, particularly billing and accounts receivable. Borbeck said Monday she is part of a team at the medical center negotiating with two potential partners.

Hospital officials said one is Valley Emergency Physicians, a Walnut Creek doctors’ group. Officials said they could not reveal the identity of the other group, per the negotiating agreement.

“We’re looking at those partners to provide both intellectual and financial capital,” said Dan Smith, president of Sonoma West’s board of directors.

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It's almost like no one could have seen it coming.

yeah well i guess this CEO found out pretty quickly, that spending time with family, just ain't gonna happen.
what a mess.
"A third party healthcare provider"- are you kidding me! whose gonna wanna take on That insanity! can't reveal the other party?? what's with transparency, you ALREADY have a credibility problem...hellloooo
ok, so They are going to throw good $$$'s after bad- Good freakin luck!
how silly all this has become. it's like trying to do CPR on someone whose been dead for many days...maybe, years. Hey, i never said i didn't believe in miracles- it's just that.....

So, what's the count now?
Has the hospital had more CEOs than the French Garden has had chefs?
Surely somebody is keeping track.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

Uh-oh... It's starting to unravel again....

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Sonoma West Medical Center CEO resigns...

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And check this out. The medical community is starting to figure it out. Let's see if any regulatory agencies step in to do their jobs...
I'm waiting Jonathan... Where's the "shut down playbook" this time?

Well, I do believe in miracles. There's more to this story than you know, so don't be so quick with your cynicism and negativity. Wonder what you and I could do to help our situation along? Not just standing by the wayside and criticizing is one way.

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Posted in reply to the post by beshiva:

yeah well i guess this CEO found out pretty quickly, that spending time with family, just ain't gonna happen.
what a mess.
"A third party healthcare provider"- are you kidding me! whose gonna wanna take on That insanity! can't reveal the other party?? what's with transparency, you ALREADY have a credibility problem...hellloooo
ok, so They are going to throw good $$$'s after bad- Good freakin luck!
how silly all this has become. it's like trying to do CPR on someone whose been dead for many days...maybe, years. Hey, i never said i didn't believe in miracles- it's just that.....

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Believing in miracles is one thing, but insanity is trying the same thing over and over....
Oh heck. I'm just saying that a lot of us have been watching this catastrof*** for years, have seen this dog and pony show before and can probably write the ending if you'd care to read it. But there is a sector of this community that wants to believe things that their eyes could tell them are not real.

Yes, as the saying goes, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I've lived here for over 40 years and I believe I have experienced enough regarding the hospital to have a sane opinion. The prior board of directors was so lax in so many ways that the hospital's demise was, to a great degree, their doing. The sudden closing and obstacles to reopening that their actions set in place made it nearly impossible to open again. Now that we're open, there are snags, personalities, and some issues to work out, but we're open and from the people I know who have been patients there, the care has never been better. Let's get behind the hospital and help to solve problems rather than writing it off. I'm not a romantic when it comes to this issue, and I'm willing to help work to make it work.

I appreciate that you've lived here for 40 years. Sebastopolians are some of my favorite people.
That said, how many Palm Drive board meetings have you attended in the past seven years? I've been to dozens, and have seen the inner workings of the district and "SWMC." The public has been fed a big ol' ration of BS and it amazes me that anyone still buys it.

15, but who's counting?
Lost track of the FG at about 19, but that doesn't matter anymore.

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Posted in reply to the post by b.w. rose:

So, what's the count now?
Has the hospital had more CEOs than the French Garden has had chefs?
Surely somebody is keeping track.

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To all my West County friends, from Elizabeth Fuller –

I want to shout out a big public thank-you to Sonoma West Medical Center for the excellent experience I just had with my total hip replacement. From intake to discharge I was cared for with a superb blend of professionalism and personal attention. I’d kept my fingers crossed that my hospital would be there for me, and I got my wish. I’ll keep them crossed for my return in August for hip #2.

As a life-long theatre artist, I am well acquainted with the muddy swamps of shortfalls and management, but theatre folk care mightily about what we do, and we usually take our lumps, do our best to fix the problems, and keep going, because we love what we do. That’s the sense I get from SWMC, it’s more than just a job. I have a hard time reading the frequent attacks against them and those who have given so much to help them.

Large hospitals resemble large corporations. They get the job done, but you can become “the hip in 125.” I am grateful to all those who have given heart, soul, and bank account to stabilize SWMC, where I was seen, heard, and healed in fine Sebastopol style.

With thanks – Elizabeth Fuller

Does anyone know about the frequency of surgery in hospitals without Intensive Care Units. and the risk factor of surgeries in hospitals without ICU's? I've tried to find data but have been unsuccessful.

How many times do we have to support this hospital - Im paying for this loser hospital in my property
taxes. Put an end to this dying dog.... Kate

I must disagree; I had emergency surgery there in March, and the surgeon said that I barely got there in time. Here's a letter I wrote to The Press Democrat in June:

Editor: I've been reading about the folks who don't want to pay a parcel tax to support Palm Drive Hospital (now Sonoma West M.C.), and I'd like to comment, From 1975, I lived way out west of Cazadero, and Palm Drive was my hospital for everything: ruptured appendix, broken wrist, gall bladder, a long list over 36 years.
When I heard that Palm Drive was in financial straits (several years ago) I had a bake sale in downtown Cazadero. I baked for three days, sold everything, and made $85 for the hospital (always a bit naive about money).
When the parcel tax was on the ballot, I came in to Sebastopol for a couple of days to work on phoning voters; I couldn't vote for it because I wasn't in the district, but I would have. My feeling is this: the thought that my contribution might save one person's life would make me happy to do it.

And, of course, your contribution WILL save some lives.

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Posted in reply to the post by kateea:

How many times do we have to support this hospital - Im paying for this loser hospital in my property taxes. Put an end to this dying dog....

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I thoroughly agree with you! Albeit, I've been critical of this most recent incarnation (namely because I've had respectable dealings with Dan Smith, but also learned in the process never to trust him as far as I can see him), the continued existence of this hospital is imperative. I've told the story many times of having driven my mother while she proceeded to die in the passenger seat of my car. We thought we had saved her by getting her to Palm Drive from Bodega, and although she died anyway, I will always be grateful for not having to drive another 20 minutes and delivering a dead body to the emergency room doors. I think that with the Russian River people bailing out because of the new Sutter, that the parcel tax distribution AND the structure for oversight both need to be seriously re-evaluated, but for those who have never known what it is to be in the presence of an life/death emergency while based in a remote location can never fully appreciate the necessity of the hospital's continued existence- the have only their taxes to worry about.

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Posted in reply to the post by Sara S:

I must disagree; I had emergency surgery there in March, and the surgeon said that I barely got there in time. ...

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You mean like…. "I forgive $5.6 mill loan!!" before a year has even passed?!….. no re-negotiation of terms, no financial restructuring, no nothing, just…." Oh, it's been 6 mo. and you can't pay back $5.6 MILLION…. ok! I'm just that nice!."

And I got ocean-front property in Arizona to sell ya!

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Posted in reply to the post by Dick:

I appreciate that you've lived here for 40 years. Sebastopolians are some of my favorite people.
That said, how many Palm Drive board meetings have you attended in the past seven years? I've been to dozens, and have seen the inner workings of the district and "SWMC." The public has been fed a big ol' ration of BS and it amazes me that anyone still buys it.

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What! are you kidding me? SWMC had a DNR on its back for a very very long time. It's just that some folks can't read signs and instead insisted/persisted actually, and just HAD to resuscitate and bring back to life what clearly should have passed on peacefully. it was a valiant effort but the patient DID die.

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Posted in reply to the post by Dustyg:

Well, I do believe in miracles. There's more to this story than you know, so don't be so quick with your cynicism and negativity. Wonder what you and I could do to help our situation along? Not just standing by the wayside and criticizing is one way.

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Posted in reply to the post by beshiva:

What! are you kidding me? SWMC had a DNR on its back for a very very long time. It's just that some folks can't read signs and instead insisted/persisted actually, and just HAD to resuscitate and bring back to life what clearly should have passed on peacefully. it was a valiant effort but the patient DID die.

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Granted that resuscitating SWMC was a long shot, but the people who knew best, Dan Smith and Joan Marler, were willing to put up millions of dollars of their own money to give it a shot. I suspect, but don't know for sure, that the hospital district is no worse off for having gone through with the re-opening exercise, given their generous gift . And the "patient" has not "died" just yet, although I agree it seems to be declining.

Should SWMC eventually fail, I hope the re-opening exercise has positioned the facility to be purchased and re-opened by another organization, presumably a larger hospital or other health service (urgent care?).

If the district somehow ending up with all the debt being racked up is good for it, you may be right.
After all, it's only the taxpayers in the district getting screwed and what's a third bankruptcy anyway?
And remember: pulling a rabbit out of a hat is just an illusion.

What exactly qualifies Mr. and Mrs. Smith to be deemed "the people who knew best?" I thought their expertise was in software development and archeomythology. Does one of them have health care administration experience that I'm unaware of? Otherwise, it appears as though you are basing knowledge, experience, and wisdom on wealth and financial investment. I'm guessing there'd be plenty of hospital administration professionals who would challenge "who knows best" based on credentials. Please tell us how you determined that they "knew best."

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

...the people who knew best, Dan Smith and Joan Marler, were willing to put up millions of dollars of their own money to give it a shot.

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Guess what, the hospital is NOT dead. Let's stop the negativity towards Dan and Joan. What kind of world do you want to live in when it really gets down to it. You have no idea what it took to get the hospital back on line. And, everyone seems to forget that the District Board was responsible for poor management for several years. It takes a heartfelt community to truly make very challenging situations work!

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Posted in reply to the post by nancypreb:

What exactly qualifies Mr. and Mrs. Smith to be deemed "the people who knew best?" ...

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6 months in and it 's already in dire financial straights, nobody predicted the turn around time for insurance reimbursements when developing the financial plan, it already knows it can't repay a $5.6 mil loan (I'd love to know the specific terms of that loan; that the administration already knows it's incapable of ever paying it back and so the loan is completely forgiven! ), the CEO resigns, there's a lawsuit against the hospital, it's board president, and the creator of the medical record software, who happens to be the board president….. and you want us all to believe this is just a little glitch?!!!!! Gosh I do wish I had your optimism.

And although I've said that my own personal experience with Mr. Smith has taught me not to trust him (and yes, I'm fully aware that Farmer Dan will read this eventually, and he knows how I feel about him, it's no secret), my comment below is not at all negative against Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but rather Barry. I'm just asking, based on what qualifications exactly has Barry identify Mr. and Mrs. Smith as THE people "who know best." Is it their donated/invested/donated $$ or their expertise in hospitals administration. Just curious. I really would love to know. I'm happy to be educated.

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Posted in reply to the post by Dianala:

Guess what, the hospital is NOT dead. ...

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I'll ask again: How many Palm Drive or SWMC board meetings have the posters on this forum actually attended (including Barry)? How many actually know the difference?
I suspect not many. The Peedee parachutes in when there's another crisis, but they rarely go to the meetings either.
The whole thing has been a clown car from the word go.
Just wishing doesn't make it so.

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Posted in reply to the post by Dick:

I'll ask again: How many Palm Drive or SWMC board meetings have the posters on this forum actually attended (including Barry)? ...

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I've been to just one or two, however my earlier comment, about Dan Smith and Joan Marler knowing best, or at least very well informed still stands. Dan was on the board for years and has invested literally millions of dollars. I'm sure they are quite aware of the challenges and decided it was worth another try, and while I was skeptical, I am still grateful that they tried again and I still hope they pull it off.

But you're just taking that on faith if you haven't actually been watching what's been happening. What kind of journalism is that? You seem to have some journalistic bonifides. Why not put them to use?

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

I've been to just one or two, however my earlier comment, about Dan Smith and Joan Marler knowing best, or at least very well informed still stands. ...

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So you're not retracting your statement, however, you are lessening it- by saying "at the very least very well informed." Well, there are many people who are very well informed. But you said "the people who know best." ...So attending meetings and having tons of $$ to throw at a problem makes one "the person who knows best?!" And lets add to this, your solution to the problem involves a product of your own creation which you have been trying to introduce to the global market….this is what qualifies you to be the person who knows best?!!!!

Interesting.

Thanks. Now I know.

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Posted in reply to the post by Barry:

I've been to just one or two, however my earlier comment, about Dan Smith and Joan Marler knowing best, or at least very well informed still stands. Dan was on the board for years and has invested literally millions of dollars. I'm sure they are quite aware of the challenges and decided it was worth another try, and while I was skeptical, I am still grateful that they tried again and I still hope they pull it off.

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