Kettering Medical Center under investigation by the feds- hires Congressman Turner’s wife
Kettering Medical Center announced to their employees today that they were expecting to be exposed by the Dayton Daily News for being under investigation for Medicaid and Medicare certifications. From the time they were surveyed and notified there was a problem- they did what any hospital does- they hire the wife of a Congressman on the House Oversight committee. That’s right- there’s a reason Lori Turner came on board when she did.
Here is the notice the administration sent out to their staff:
We would like to make you aware that we anticipate media coverage on Wednesday morning that outlines deficiencies found in a recent Ohio Department of Health survey of the Behavioral Medicine Center inpatient unit on Lamme Road in Dayton. (KBMC)
We believe the steps we have taken will fully satisfy CMS concerns, and anticipate a favorable outcome prior to the January 13th deadline. Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center was surveyed by the Ohio Department of Health in mid-December, 2010. Following the survey, the Department advised the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, that certain matters in the mental health area related to suicide attempts, were not in compliance with federal requirements. Due to this finding, KBMC was placed in immediate jeopardy status.
Detail on deficiencies surrounded the classification of four suicide gestures and unfortunately, one successful suicide. Additionally, an employee, in response to a physical threat, allegedly pushed a patient forcefully. That staff member is currently on leave.
CMS will next follow-up with a return visit to KBMC to review the steps we’ve taken and others that we plan to implement. The survey was conducted under Sycamore Hospital’s identification number but was limited to the Behavioral Medicine campus on Lamme Road. However, future surveys may well include both KBMC and Sycamore, and related outpatient facilities.
Because this is a public document, the Dayton Daily News has obtained copies of the detailed CMS report and plans to run the story tomorrow. We are responding to the press accordingly. In future days, we can anticipate additional activity and we will keep you informed.
If Kettering was to fail the compliance tests- their Federal funding would be at jeopardy. Although Kettering Health Network doesn’t take near as many Medicare and Medicaid patients as Premier Health Systems- it would seriously tilt the playing field if they were no longer able to take the federal dollars.
The Dayton Daily recently also reported on the frequency of nepotism at KHN:
For example, given Fred Manchur’s status as KHN’s chief executive officer, KHN’s employment of his son, Richard Manchur, and his son-in-law, Jared Keresoma, creates a workplace scenario that would be prohibited at KHN competitor Premier Health Partners.
While the Monarchy of Montgomery County thinks the friends and family plan is the way to work- the Federal Government typically doesn’t agree with those types of polices. Considering KHN very rarely hires non- Seventh Day Adventists to top positions- it should be questionable if they are eligible for federal funding at all- since they are not an equal opportunity employer.
The hiring of Lori Turner should be looked at carefully as a conflict of interest because of these Federal investigations.
Hey, if Lori cannot fix things, she can just send Mike on over …
Also, Kettering Hospital is not all that; I’m sure they have done some good work, but my family has had only problems their especially in their ER department … Never go there on a Saturday!
As for Lamme Road–well, I worked in mental illness care for 14 years and it will eventually break you in pieces! Little head games go on all the time with staff/patient and staff/staff … It just totally burned me out and I cannot work in that field ever again!
And of course, KHN’s money will bail them out in a heartbeat, I’m sure of that! Just like the County got a particular Commissioner out of her wine and driving ordeal!
From the DDN:
Note Lori Turner was announced on Dec 20 as the new VP.- the issues were identified in Sept.
The initial ODH investigation occurred between 12/13 and 12/17. The findings were immediately shared with the administration and the information was disseminated to the rest of the leadership by email. Lori Turner’s appointment as VP of marketing/communications was announced in-house on 12/20. Coincidence? I think not. Having a friend in DC could sure help when you’re expecting big problems with CMS, couldn’t it?
What’s hilarious is that they don’t expect anyone to connect the dots.
Also hilarious: You would think that the first assignment of a new VP of marketing and communications would be to write a press release about her recent appointment. She must not be very good at what she does, because you beat her to the punch. That alone kills the theory that they hired her for her “skill”.
Anyone who’s worked in HR or Executive recruitment knows that hiring a VP is a long process and is usually in place long before an announcement is sent out to staff. If the investigation was 12/13 & 12/17 and the “announcment” of Lori Turner sent out on 12/20, Mrs. Turner had most likely already received an offer prior to Kettering getting the results of the ODH survey. The two have nothing to do with each other.
Benjamin- The suicides happened in Sept.- and the complaint was filed then. The investigation happened in December- and the outcome was what was expected. Is 3 months long enough?
The “job” was never posted btw- which is rare for this organization- esp. when hiring an outsider.
The BMC most likely will go on … with all the patients most likely having SSI / SSD / and perhaps some other big (family) funders! We need places like BMC to keep the mentally ill safe and sound, or “stable” as the term is frequently used for “them!” and in the field!
But I don’t know, the Feds sometime cut back on Medicaid entitlements; and the patients, from my experience, rarely get to use their Medicare anyway, unless they have a plan B I think it is, or A, which only covers hospital bills!
I’m afraid the KHN is too big to fail on this one! ODH usually passes all mental health facilities fairly easily if the groups homes, etc. fix the problems! But of course, suicides is a big one, ODH usually only gives violations for unlabled food in the fridge, or no lid on a trash can, or an Annual Health Assessment on a patient not updated.
And of course–Mrs. Turner got on board because she has the “name!”
Hey, don’t forget about THIS great article!
Medical staff, academics, clergy and others comprised the team; their names were not immediately available, KMC said.
“This team evaluated the practices of other faith-based organizations, consulted an ethicist from a non-faith-based system, and examined the Seventh-Day Adventist Church beliefs on assisted human reproduction,” the statement reads. KMC is affiliated with the church.
After meeting several times, the team recommended that the reproductive clinic’s policy of serving only married couples, and married women under age 50, remain in place. KMC’s executive council agreed.
It seems there are a lot of people not being well-served by this faith-based institution.
Yep, per Ohio law KHN is able to legally discriminate in offering non-emergency medical care on the basis of martial status and sexual orientation.
Ironically KHN’s patient bill of rights states: “We do not discriminate in providing treatment to our patients on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, education, national origin or source of payment.” The executive board didn’t care to comment on how THAT works. Maybe Mrs. Turner can find a way to spin it, cause it makes no sense to me.
Interesting fact not in the DDN article: I asked KHN if they would treat a legally married gay couple, and the response was: Nope – cause the “Defense of Marriage Act” doesn’t make them recognize gay marriage from other states.
So while I’ve moved onto adoption, I’ve also moved on to lobbying for legislation that would prohibit KHN from being able to foist their homophobic policies on the taxpayers who fund their existence.
I have no issue with a religiously based institution NOT offering services they find out of line with their beliefs, but I have a HUGE issue with the “not for you” discrimination for existing services based on those beliefs when these institutions take taxpayer funding at any level.
@ Benjamin: It’s not like she had to be vetted. She had done work for the network before as a contractor and she was already cozy with the execs. They didn’t conduct a national talent search (or even post the position). They didn’t need to hire an elite head-hunter to find the best person for the job. The position was created specifically for her. All they had to do was pick up the phone and make her an offer she couldn’t refuse. If it had been an legitimate opening with multiple candidates and politics weren’t involved, then the job would have gone to someone’s nephew from Loma Linda as usual, not to an outsider.
But that’s beside the point. Whether or not her offer was directly tied to the KBMC debacle and the threat to KHN’s medicare status, Lori Turner should not be there. Yes, she has a right to earn a living. But no Congressman’s wife should be running a company that takes so much federal money and is subject to federal oversight. Anything that is bad for KHN is now bad for her, which in turn is bad for her husband. It’s easy to see how he might be tempted to pull a few strings to keep the gravy train chugging.
Some people and organizations should go out of their way to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. It’s the ethical thing to do and it’s the intelligent thing to do—which is exactly why these clowns couldn’t manage to do it.
@ Karri O: The double standards are unreal. They force employees to “pray” at the start of every staff meeting, but I have never once seen them open a meeting with prayer when outside business associates are in attendance and deals are being made.
I haven’t figured out yet if this is because they respect their vendors’ beliefs more than they respect their employees’ beliefs—or maybe they’re just worried it will weaken their bargaining position to let the other side see them talk to their imaginary friend. ;-)
What a bunch of self-righteous phonies.
…..this may be taking this debate in a different direction, but what compelling interest does the government have in the suicide prevention policies of a private health agency, in light of the same state’s dismal results in that same area? The jailer may strip the incarcerated of belts, shoelaces and bedsheets, yet the determined still find ingenious methods of self-execution. Fact is, dear David, it is ironic that a government administration that champions abortion and is eager to institute death panels wets itself over the choice that some make concerning the ending of their own lives. And so what if the Seventh Day Adventists in control of KMC begin each meeting with a prayer, or dancing naked around a bonfire? The Obama administration has been waging a silent war against Catholic Hospitals that refuse to perform abortions, with the ruling Cardinals and Bishops threatening to close down hospitals rather than perform procedures that defy their faith. And this sounds like further animosity against a faith based institution that defies the administrations wishes. The hiring of a congressman’s wife as advocate is probably not mere coincidence, and the legality of same must be addressed. But this is just another example of government over-reach into the most personal and sensitive of health issues……..
@Ice- I agree, government may be overreaching in suicide prevention – but, this is in a mental health facility, where people are ostensibly in there so they can be in a level headed state-of-mind before making the final decision.
I believe Dr. Jack is a hero- and that right thinking people should be able to opt out on their own terms, in a neat- and organized fashion. My first love- Katie Jones, had to check out without being able to say goodbye with a doctors help, at age 32 after a horrible four year torture by MS.
The reality is- KMC failed, knew they failed, knew they were going to be investigated by the feds- and then hired their congressman’s wife as an insurance policy. It’s called preventive lobbying- and it’s a bigger threat to our country than patients checking out by their own hand.
Ugh @ religious bodies controlling hospitals.
Yes, there should be freedom of religion. If you and your church believe that your God disapproves of queers, then sure, no one should try to force you to have gay sex or your church to host same sex weddings. If you and your church believe that your God disapproves of abortion in all circumstances, then sure, no one should force you to have an abortion or try to prevent you from excommunicating or denying communion to people who perform or have abortions.
But really, why can’t churches stick to being churches and get the frak (and I say frak on Esrati.com because I can’t say the word I’m really thinking but knowing nonetheless that you all know what I really mean when I say frak) out of the business of running businesses?
Churches could then instead spend their money in places that fit their beliefs. They could help the poor by subsidizing medical costs (at least for deserving poor people, ones who haven’t sinned in some way). They could feed the hungry. Etc., etc., etc.
Time for a little separation of church and hospital.
Time for a little separation of church and hospital. (David Lauri)
…the Pennsylvania Hospital, America’s first hospital and co-founded by none other than Ben Franklin, was a project of the Quakers and sat on property donated by that same order. Furthermore, the first hospital in Dayton, St Elizabeth’s, was the 1876 creation of the Catholic Church and sat on the Franklin St., property that now houses Chaminade High School. Miami Valley Hospital, initially called Deaconess, was the Protestant response. Fact is, DL, it was organized religion who pioneered the hospital movement in the US, and to this day, most remain classified as non-profit organizations. So your assertion that religion and health care are incompatible doesn’t stand the test of historical scrutiny. Perhaps in their zeal to establish medical institutions (including Harvard Med, which started as a church school) they thought they were, in your words, churches sticking to being churches. Catholic based hospitals account for around 20 percent of those institutions in the US, dear DL, with a disproportionate number is inner cities serving your sainted poor. Of course, Esrati.com has no shortage of folks eager to tell others how to best spend their money, dear DL. However, just about every major religous order in the US has a mechanism for the same with some, like Catholic Social Services, tracing their roots to pre-Revolutionary times, and spend their billions more efficiently than the US government behemoth, and without creating the dependency that has set this nation on the course to insolvency and dysfunction……
“But really, why can’t churches stick to being churches and get the frak (and I say frak on Esrati.com because I can’t say the word I’m really thinking but knowing nonetheless that you all know what I really mean when I say frak) out of the business of running businesses?” – David Lauri
The better solution is for you to continue to not patronize businesses with religious affiliations. You know we have that whole freedom thing still going on here.
The issue is when religion-based hospitals accept taxpayer money hand over fist yet are still allowed to discriminate based on “belief”.
If an institution choses not to offer certain services at all, that’s one thing – not a good thing, but at least understandable. But to offer services to some and not others solely on the basis of the institution’s belief system is outright discrimination.
As for choice of service providers, again, I agree. However, you might want to take a look around and see how many choices there really are. These religiously based institutions and networks have been really successful at leveraging their non-profit status and use of taxpayer money into completely dominating the field in many markets.
The only way to get these institutions to not discriminate, curb nepotism and provide quality care to all is through legislation, and you can imagine the money they’ll spend fighting such reforms tooth and nail.
If churches want to run hospitals, they should run hospitals as hospitals, not as churches.
In their churches, they can apply whatever religious restrictions they want to.
In their hospitals, at least the ones that are getting subsidized by the taxpayers in the form of not having to pay taxes because they’re non-profits or in the form of getting money from federal and state programs, they should not apply any religious restrictions.
And as for people having the freedom not to go to a religious hospital, some communities do not have any hospitals that do not have a religious affiliation (see, for example, http://www.rodale.com/religious-hospitals). So much for freedom of religion for the poor folk in those communities who cannot afford to go elsewhere.
“And as for people having the freedom not to go to a religious hospital, some communities do not have any hospitals that do not have a religious affiliation (see, for example, http://www.rodale.com/religious-hospitals). So much for freedom of religion for the poor folk in those communities who cannot afford to go elsewhere.” – David Lauri
Most communities don’t have a Kosher grocer, but I’d hardly call that an abridgement of religious freedom.
“If churches want to run hospitals, they should run hospitals as hospitals, not as churches.” – David Lauri
See the ole Bandito “Esrati.com has no shortage of folks eager to tell others how to best spend their money” – ole Bandito
Eh, were I God Emperor of the Universe, churches would still have a choice about how to spend their money:
1) Spend it running a hospital but don’t impose religious beliefs on the hospital’s clients.
2) Don’t spend it running a hospital. Donate money to people or groups, selecting such groups on whatever religious criteria you want.
Of course I realize it’s pointless to continue this debate because I’ll never be God Emperor of the Universe and I’m not going to change your minds nor will you change mine just because I make some stupid comments on Esrati.com. Still, having seen the decisions made by religiously affiliated hospitals, I still have to go back to my original comment and say, “Ugh @ religious bodies controlling hospitals.” Frak that!
@joe_mamma Most communities don’t have a Kosher grocer, but I’d hardly call that an abridgement of religious freedom.
The point isn’t that most communities don’t have a Kosher grocer, the point is that taxpayer funded Kosher grocers shouldn’t be able refuse to sell to people outside their faith. Same goes for taxpayer funded medical facilities – they shouldn’t be allowed to pick and chose who they provide existing services to on the sole basis of marital status or sexual orientation.
On the food comparison, it is interesting to note KHN completely caved on their religious principles when it caused issues with the bottom line. Remember when the meals at KHN hospitals adhered to Adventist guidelines? Not the case anymore, and nobody had to legislate them into serving meat.
God forbid if a gay soldier would die in Kettering Hospital’s ER and that crazy Christian Group would hear about it, come and protest and picket his/or her death! Now wouldn’t that teach KHN! LOL ;-)
The issue is when religion-based hospitals accept taxpayer money hand over fist yet are still allowed to discriminate based on “belief”. (Karri O)
….and this, dear Karri O, is the situation the Old Bandito refers to as the “Pimp Paradox.” The procurer hands the potential working girl some rock, which she enthusiastically smokes, then insists that she “work off” the (fantastically inflated) cost of said crack and adhere to the edicts of the new employer. But in this case, it’s Uncle Sam sporting the gold tooth, mink coat, colors-not-found-in-nature wardrobe and platform shoes. And it is a role that Uncle Sugar gladly accepted with such big-government programs as Medicare and Medicaid. And though the government may be more than adequate at shaking down taxpayers for these medical bucks, Uncle Sam has proven to be totally incompetent as a medical provider. Hospitals prospered for over century without the heavy handed and inept hand of government, so the answer to your conundrum is simple; keep the government so broke that said medical payments are not possible, keep those dollars in the consumers’ pocket so that they may make their own medical decisions and let the medicos run their hospitals anyway the prefer. Problem solved…….
Eh, were I God Emperor of the Universe, churches would still have a choice about how to spend their money:
1) Spend it running a hospital but don’t impose religious beliefs on the hospital’s clients.
2) Don’t spend it running a hospital. Donate money to people or groups, selecting such groups on whatever religious criteria you want.
……every emergency room doctor and nurse in every urban area has shared this experience; some hombre walks funny into the ER early in the morning needing an extraction. And the yanking ain’t an impacted tooth, dear DL, but items ranging from shot-glasses to vegetables of a particular shape, lodged in a part of the anatomy that rarely experiences direct sunlight. Obligatory with the request for the extraction is a Mother Goose story about how the item happened to come to rest in this particular canal. And the requests happen frequently enough to require a medical device designed specifically for this medical specialty. Furthermore, the activities leading up to this conditon would probably not find favor with the Priests, Nuns, Bishops and Rabbis who are the titular heads of a large number of faith-based hospitals, yet the ER staff dutifully removes said objects with the minimum amount of sermonizing. Ditto for the 15 year old delivering her fourth baby with the fifth different father. Or the assorted drug inspired bloodshed and mayhem that ends up at the ER. Fact is, dear DL, this lack of sermonizing in church affiliated hospitals has evolved into a de-facto crime subsidy. Gotta’ love your blessing for Churchs to have a spending choice, as long as it was your choice, Oh God Diety of the Cosmos. Besides that, dear DL, the Catholic Church has already donated tons of money to a select group; they’re called Trial Lawyers…………
@ Karri O.
I whole heartedly support your call to eliminate federal funding for religious hospitals. In fact we should eliminate all public funding for all private hospitals. Level the field. This is a great example of the problems created by government largesse. As the ol’ Bandito so colorfully pointed out private entities accepting government dollars comes with price. Along with the red tape and market distortions (government picking winners) that price often includes your very identity and principles.
@joe_mamma
You might want to read a little more carefully, as I never have called for the elimination of funding for religious hospitals.
What I actually oppose is religious hospitals being allowed to discriminate in who they treat solely on the basis of religious “belief”.
The fix to me is even simpler: provide legislative protections against discrimination in medical care. Non-compliant institutions would be subject to loss of funding and fines.
Don’t bother applying for their many jobs posted on GreaterDaytonWorks.com – it’s a joke!
This is run by the manchur mafia. The have left a wasted landscape behind them in healthcare. But that is a Canadian for you right Freddie. Hey buy the way you still bring friends down to the hospital to rat in the morning cause you all don’t know how To make breakfast. Like you did at feather river.in Calif. Oh well
Someone should investigate the President at Kettering Miamisburg having decade long extramarital affairs… maybe they are with employees or church members but even if they are not it’s awful how he meets these women and lies about his wife to get sex. If he wants to live that lifestyle don’t be in a high paying influential position with a religious hospital praying at work and being a hypocrite..(name removed- unless you sign your full name, you don’t get to besmirch others) has a horrible reputation for adulterer but no one seems to care… even his wife… I’m sure she doesn’t want him to lose his ridiculously high pay check and annual bonuses.
@Sam- you can’t name folks- unless you sign your full name. Sorry.
There is a president at Kettering Health, an Adventist health organization, who has had years of and many extramarital affairs. God forgives and maybe even his spouse would forgive if she knew, but should he remain in a high position of influence with a faith-based organization even if he repented and changed his behaviors? It feels wrong for him to hold this position in either scenario. I’m not sure of the right direction.
They pray before meetings and act completely righteous yet discriminate treatment and hiring based on their religious beliefs… all while accepting government funding. To me, that excludes you from operating by your religious beliefs. Catholic hospitals do not discriminate or force their religious beliefs on patients or staff. You can’t be hired as an executive here without the church interview approving… that seems like way too much religious power for a corp passing out 6 and 7 figure bonuses to their execs. Also righteous and discriminatory yet after praying at a meeting, President Luis Chanaga steps out to sleep with his mistresses…. It’s all a farce. Maybe time to separate the lucrative business from the church domination.
It seems Kettering is not n trouble again and being investigated for misappropriation of money and religious discrimination and nepotism. I’ve heard the staff calling for a full executive refresh. Chanaga was dismissed for the above mentioned reasons in the comments and others have been removed or moved to other SDA.
Reading what the staff has had to experience on this site has been eye opening to their sad culture of religious discrimination unless Adventist and financial struggles while the executives pull in 6 figure annual bonuses.
Www. Fredmanchur.com
Hopefully the investigation is done by truly unbiased investigators and truth will be exposed. Praying patient care was not and is not impacted.
What happened to Mr cheating womanizing adulterous executive Luis Chanaga? Did he leave the Adventist network of healthcare? Willingly with a large 7 figure NDA?