INSPECTORS Have Now Added To The List Of The Growing Issues At SAMC

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
Date: Oct 04 2017 4:05 PM

DOTHAN:     Information is a group of inspectors have been at Southeast Alabama Medical Center in recent days. These inspectors have been all over the hospital doing inspections.

The inspections have been the result of a on going list of "public" concerns at Southeast Alabama Medical Center since Rick Sutton arrived as CEO of the hospital.

The group referred to as "CMS", Center for Medicare Services. They are on hand conducting some sort of inspection.

Sutton came in SAMC as a hire of the 13 members of the Southeast Alabama Health Authority. These 13 are appointed by the Houston County Commission.

Sutton was charged with a "optimization" process. To come in and cut costs of the hospital. The explanations given and reasons given for the optimization, cutting of costs, I can understand. That optimization also followed by employees being terminated. Again, while I did not want anyone to loose their jobs, sometimes a large and small operations has to undergo a needs assessment.

But since then, it appears Sutton has given the attitude that he "does not give a damn" about the community. He has made cuts such as forbidding the Houston County Coroner from using the morgue. ( Wish I was still Coroner - that would change!!!).

He changed the procedures on Dothan Fire Medical Director and medications.

The hospital, before Sutton and since Sutton is almost weekly on diversion. Some have said they have the bed space but not the staffing, some say they are full. Sutton is above returning calls, so what they truth about the Colorado Executive coming to Dothan, well we do not know.

According to WTOT Radio just after staffing cuts a patient in the Behavioral Medicine Unit committed suicide by hanging himself. Recently there were no vascular surgeons and medical personnel had to hold pressure on a bleed while the person was ground transported to Pensacola Florida.

Sutton has forbidden doctors from practicing at both hospitals. 

I can see the 13 members of the Houston County Health Authority with setting the 2018 election platforms for the Houston County Commission. It will be the Southeast Alabama Medical Center Board of Directors.

The medical community between Southeast Alabama Medical Center and Flowers Hospital, and all of the medical doctors, is the hub Of Dothan Alabama. It draws an average of 500,000 to 600,000 people in three states. A major economic impact on Dothan and Houston County.

We have always had a first class medical facility. There has been some negative changes in the two corporations which purchased Flowers Hospital. But the recent changes at SAMC and the growing number of phone calls I have received means SAMC needs some immediate attention.

 

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