A hospital legacy worth protecting

Last week’s News Letter Journal’s article “Manor Concerns,” by NLJ reporter Mary Stroka, raised many red flags. People have been coming to our office and sharing their experiences at Weston County Health Services and the Manor, so it was good to see family members voice their concerns at the May 21 board meeting of WCHS.

Newcomers may not realize that this community has a long, storied history of supporting a local hospital and committing their own dollars to ensure that we have one. It has been well documented within the pages of the NLJ for many decades. In past interviews and research, I learned about a new hospital on the hill built here in the 1950s, which was a deciding factor for Dr. Willis Franz and his wife, Jean, to select Newcastle as the place he wanted to practice medicine. I believe his comment was along the lines of, “who doesn’t want to work in a new hospital?”

I think it is important to retell Franz’s decision to practice here in a new setting to emphasize that a hospital is important to communities. Franz and other residents of Weston County also served on the building committee when it was time to build a new hospital again, the one we currently have. 

So, this community has built more than one new hospital in its history and voted to pay for a large addition, when we were told one was needed. When the latest addition was completed, I toured it. I overheard others on  the tour comment on how wonderful it was and how happy they were to have such a nice facility for when they or their family members needed it. It is obvious when one looks at our current facility, that having a hospital is very important to the life of this community, and we are committed to spending our own dollars to maintain and support such a nice facility.     

Each time the hospital changes administrative leadership, however, it seems to struggle and issues arise. Under the lead of Cathy Harshbarger, the previous WCHS chief executive officer, the Manor was welcoming new residents and staff morale seemed to be improving. It seemed to be on the right track. 

For quite some time we have been hearing from a number of our customers who have concerns about the financial stability of our local hospital, and rightly so. The last fiscal audit that was eventually completed and submitted was not certified by the company that completed it. And in a recent NLJ article, it was noted that the new chief financial officer, Paul Maiellano, secured a line of credit for Weston County Health Services.

For a facility that already faces financial difficulties, paying a CEO $9,000 a week and also paying her to fly home twice a month is concerning to the customers we have been hearing from, as well as some of us here at NLJ. Shouldn’t someone making that much money a week pay for their own flights home? Then, add in a CFO, living in Pennsylvania, making $220,000 a year, who couldn’t find adequate housing in our community but was paid a $5,000 moving allowance. One has to wonder, is this hospital merely a paycheck for them or are they as invested in our local hospital as we are?

A concerned reader brought to our attention that the nutritional support aides, who had long been assisting Manor residents with meals, were laid off on Friday, May 1. The reader was upset that there was no alternative plan to assist these residents with their needs at meal times over the weekend. Business office and other personnel were being asked to fill the NSA role. What sense did it make to let trained and experienced NSAs go, then ask other personnel with no training at all to help feed them? Are business office personnel statutorily trained? The CEO’s explanation did not make sense and should have been handled better than it was.

Concerns are also circulating about staff morale and retaliation. A number of positions are open at the hospital, the Manor and the WCHS clinic — there is currently only one doctor and one physician’s assistant at the Newcastle Clinic.      

Family members with loved ones at the Manor expect the very best care and are paying significantly for them to be there. If the Manor is adequately staffed, as we are being told, then why are significant wait times being documented when a resident there needs assistance? Perhaps the facility is technically adequately staffed; however, if  residents are not receiving timely care, then leadership should look at finding a way to fund additional staff. It’s not adequate when residents aren’t being helped or put to bed in a timely manner. Are we overpaying administration at the expense of caretakers?

There are many questions and concerns, and it will take strong leadership and board members to ensure that Weston County’s hospital legacy continues for our community. This county has a long and storied history of excellent medical care, dating back to the days of Dr. Franz, and our community deserves to have the care we pay for. 

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