buy sell and trade

We all knew it wasn't a matter of if but of when the hospital would be sold.  It was made official yesterday that the remaining three of the West Tennesse seven will be owned by West Tennessee Healthcare.  I believe it is a good move for our community as the 4th owner transitions in.  Our county commission voted to sell Parkview to Methodist Health Systems against the wishes of the entire community including employees and physicians.  MHS offered 10 million over market value and the good old boys said "sell!".  

My years with Methodist were a mixed bag of emotions but it was mostly a positive experience.  The company used us as feeders for the Memphis hospitals and all was well until they became a transplant center.  Then the "vision" changed and they unloaded us to CHS.   In the process they threw a lot of people under the bus including my former administrator who was over the West Tennessee market.  I was told that they wanted to keep Dyersburg but CHS wouldn't do the deal without us.  Sold!

As we transitioned from one company to the next all processes were changed including software.  In the blood bank I went from a completely paperless system to a shitload of manual stuff.  I was not amused.  As a superuser for the new system I taught classes on how to access and use the menus.  It was a clusterfuck to say the least.  I got in really bad trouble with the powers that be when I got honest with the last joint commision surveyor over the safety of our paper trail.  "Other places manage, you can too" I was told.  There was a tearful write up and action plan which I completed.  And that wasn't my first write up.

The beginning of the end was when CHS merged with HMA and took on the entire state of Florida.  Supposedly the hedge fund manager who arranged the financing cashed in and disappeared leading to a Chinese billionaire buying up the stock.  It's at four bucks, BTW.  Which is how we got to where we are now.

The real irony of the whole thing is that there was an internal medicine group that HATED Methodist and went with WTHC to compete from the back lot.  Those physicians went to work for CHS and will now come full circle.  Riverside Surgery Center is another prime example of physicians hating Methodist.  From where I sit now, those days look like a walk in the park.  

I'm just glad to not have to experience another transition in healthcare because it's pretty rough.  Any time a new company takes over there are changes.  I believe with all my heart that those changes will be positive for our West Tennessee communities.  

^j^