Guest Commentary: On the frontline at Henry Mayo

Being a patient or visitor in a hospital is an emotionally gripping experience sometimes leaving an indelible imprint on our mind. Walking through the halls of Henry Mayo Hospital, one sees families leaping in joy for their newborn and the sadness of their grandparent dying. It is a holy place wrapped with fear of an unknown diagnosis and newly created technologic quagmire of computers and HIPAA legalese. Some only notice the antiseptic buildings and hallways, but inpatients sense greater detail of the daily ongoing life in a hospital.

As a patient, you are reliant on the caregivers around you. When this care is seamless, traversing illness as they work toward a diagnosis is made easier even when not feeling well.

On the frontline are nurses and ancillary caregivers, as well as primary care physicians known as “attendings” who act as quarterbacks interacting among staff, specialists, family, and Administrators. I have been an attending physician at Henry Mayo Hospital for 23 years and know these relationships are integral to total patient care.

In this effort, I must also work with ward clerks, dietary, physical and occupational therapy, respiratory, housekeeping, transportation, discharge planning, and the various departments of lab, radiology, and surgery. Coordinating the “team” allows inpatients to be nurtured back to health and return home, get back to work, and regain their quality of life. Doctors accept this challenge and fight a battle to bring good healthcare to our community.

There is an analogy with this challenge in a war setting. Last week, I enjoyed lunch near the hospital on The Alamo patio with two Vietnam veteran friends, Bill Reynolds and John Cocco, M.D. I never served in our military, although there are some that might want you to believe I am a veteran of The Alamo...indeed I am! But through Bill and John’s heroic efforts, I had the opportunity to complete my medical training to serve on a different front.

Relishing the peaceful mood and serenity of the day, I listened to their long-gone and far-off days of being soldiers and the highs and lows of their exploits and experiences. Specifically they explained, whether it be arms, armor, munitions, food, or back up, they never lacked supplies. They were proud to serve and happy to return home, and as they shook hands and parted, from their lips echoed “I’ve got your back”.

Their stories of military organization, though, reminded me of how critically important a hospital must run...again, seamless. Our frontline soldiers, Bill and John, both told me how responsive their military administrators were to their needs. At our hospital, this does not happen, and that is why I believe our state and national survey results suffer. Not being responsive has brought with it problems.

We have a new ICU and Emergency Room with state-of-the-art equipment where our patients get outstanding care. Once an inpatient leaves these areas though, it is a different story.

Nurses are especially effected because should tools or supplies not be provided for patient care, they risk losing their hard-earned license. Their complaints, especially of “team nursing”, have settled on deaf ears. Additionally, because of “tightening of the belt”, many services have diminished (housekeeping, dietary, respiratory, physical and occupational therapy) which directly effects the ability to bring our patients back to health.

In war, you worry about dying. At Henry Mayo, you fear loss of your job. This attitude comes from the upper levels of Administration as the licensing of intimidation filters down to lower levels of patient care. Healthcare professionals commit to “saving lives”, “helping others”, and “making a difference”, but sadly many would prefer working at other hospitals if not for the close proximity of Henry Mayo.

Administrators and Board members will quickly jump to say I’m wrong. But in those 23 years I have been at Henry Mayo Hospital, other than physician Board members, I have NEVER seen a Board member on the medical floors! Only rarely do I see Administrators. How can observations by professional frontline caregivers like me be trumped by the Board or Administration?

There is a war on the home front being fought by your physicians for better patient care. Unbeknownst to the community, donated dollars are being spent by the hospital to overwhelm physicians using multiple lobbyists, lawyers, and public relations people. Their propaganda depicts doctors as the enemy, claiming our unwillingness to negotiate, fake outrage that Administrators are the victims, and patient “length of stay” is reflective of poor physician care.

In reality, the Administration and the Board have been the aggressor suspending and marginalizing doctors through “Resolutions”, claiming election fraud, using ‘secret files’ blocking re-appointments, and false “corrective action” and Code of Conduct violations. They need to check for their image in the mirror!

The public needs to ask for a forensic accounting of spent monies at our community hospital. Let them prove to us “tightening of the belt” squeezing nursing, ancillary care, and supplies are being used wisely for patient care, and not going into the pockets of possibly conflicted Board members. Is there a private agenda behind the cloak of their mission statement?

I was told by a Board member to stop whistleblowing and not wave hospital dirty laundry in the public eye as it gives them a bad name. If the laundry were clean, there would be no need for whistleblowing.

I salute all physicians, nurses, and other ancillary caregivers for their common humanity and effort to bring healthcare to this community. Hopefully, the reason for working at our hospital will one day not simply be because of proximity. We are fighting a war for better patient care and promise Santa Clarita, “we have your back!”

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 including the Medical Executive Committee and Medical Staff of Henry Mayo Hospital, or those of the West Ranch Beacon.