HMNMH Doctor Vote of No Confidence; What It Means!

Readers of The West Ranch Beacon and the “Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Rant and Rave” blog are well aware of the continual controversy surrounding our community hospital. A front page article in the local newspaper headlined “Doctors voice concern in hospital vote” on February 16, 2011 expressed the hospital “hammered out, point-by-point” response to my recent guest commentary here at the West Ranch Beacon titled; “No Confidence in CEO Seaver & Board of Directors”.

As most of you know, the physician Medical Staff voted in a confidential meeting on January 11, 2011, “No Confidence” in CEO Roger Seaver and the hospital Board of Directors. This information was not public until Mr. Seaver breeched the Medical Staff confidentiality by publicly criticizing the vote at an open State of the Hospital meeting on February 9th. With this revelation, the Medical Staff requested their issues be put forth in The West Ranch Beacon (WRB), a free daily digital publication serving the Santa Clarita Valley.

I was criticized by the newspaper for the Medical Staff’s lack of response, but in an e-mail to them I wrote “there are legal details and the shroud of confidentiality that hovers over these problems” making it mandatory physicians be precise in their wording.

The Medical Staff understands the financial noose the hospital has on that newspaper, but we also see their recent nominees for "Newsmaker" of the year include: Roger Seaver, Judy Fish, James Hicken, and Elizabeth Hopp (all HMNMH Board members); and "Business of the Year" nominee Bank of Santa Clarita (where Hicken and Hopp are officers). The Medical Staff is therefore apprehensive about the newspaper being "fair and balanced" in their reporting.

Additionally, one must understand the underlying motivation by the hospital is to control the Medical Staff by subverting the Medical Executive Committee (MEC) through false accusations of being “not honorable” and cheaters. This comes from Roger Seaver who controls the Board of Directors and uses “resolutions” to remove physician participation in hospital decision-making.

Returning to that newspaper article, most of our rebuttal is already contained in past postings here on the WRB. It was clear when Mr. Seaver and Mr. Hicken gave their responses, they felt that no one reads the WRB. Having been “scooped” on this story, it was evident the newspaper does.

Questioning that “Seaver isn’t convinced that the vote is valid” brings to mind President Ronald Reagan’s famous remark, “Here we go again!” Previous WRB postings show Mr. Seaver’s attempts to persistently question and dismiss Medical Staff voting as fraudulent. People cheat, but why would all doctors systematically participate in fraud?

The hospital’s appointment of a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) was controversial, but most importantly, not legal. The State of California and the Federal government legally defines how hospitals and physicians interact inculcating governing documents with strokes of authority. Because specific guidelines are important, almost every aspect of function in this relationship is delineated.

Around the country, hospitals that have a CMO have this position defined in their governing documents. The position of CMO was not described in any HMNMH nor Medical Staff document when the position was created. I can only speak from the Medical Staff side that the By-Laws and Rules & Regulations still do not contain any reference to a position of Chief Medical Officer.

Without the duties and responsibilities of this position being defined, our hospital is at risk for sanctions from State and Federal levels that could potentially close our doors.

Mr. Seaver’s response to the alleged “conflict of interest”: “The Board’s goal is to provide high quality health care to our community, and in all instances to look for the best interests of our community rather than the individual interests of the board, administration, or committee members.” Really?

No influence on your Board members that have: millions of hospital dollars in their bank; million dollar contracts for hospital construction projects; six or seven figure contracts with Board physicians? Too bad some Board members get drunk at the trough!

There are now 14 Board members instead of 15, since a recent “Resolution” removed our Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Greg Jenkins, from the Board. The “trusted, decorated veteran and community physician” I alluded to was not Dr. Frank Yusuf as suggested. That suspended doctor, Dr. John Cocco, has been a “target” like Dr. Yusuf.

The Board “Resolution” reducing the physician application fee is an attempt to financially affect the Medical Staff access to moneys they need to fight the multiple hospital lawyers, lobbyists, and PR people. Our battle to protect ourselves and the community is predicated on our ability to retain an attorney, who the hospital attempts to belittle and deprecate.

Throughout the newspaper article, there is a persistent attempt by Seaver and Hicken to raise their banner of “best interest of the community” and “patient care” above that of the doctors. But as rapper Jay-Z wisely observes: “You can say what you say, but you are what you are”.

When the CEO and Board President of our hospital state they “don’t know exactly what a physician ‘Vote of No Confidence’ means” is exactly why we should not have confidence! Let me translate what it means: WE DON’T TRUST YOUR HEALTHCARE DECISIONS!!

Now as I raise our banner, the doctors at Henry Mayo Hospital promise to fight for an improved hospital and better healthcare for the people of our community. So when others line up at the Board trough to join them with their straws, we will be there to put a kink in them!

Gene Dorio, M.D.- Guest Commentary
Gene Dorio, M.D., is a local physician. His commentary represents his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon. You can also see more of Dr. Dorio’s commentaries on Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hosipal at http://hospitalrantandrave.blogspot.com/