With yet another state mental hospital in danger of losing federal funding following a patient death, Dempsey Benton, head of the state Department of Health and Human Services, has tapped a familiar face to help fix the facility.
Patsy Christian, who was forced to resign in June as director of Central Regional Hospital in Butner after she commissioned a portrait of herself with money intended to benefit patients, was dispatched to Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro Tuesday following a critical report issued by regulators, reports Michael Biesecker.
Though an SBI investigation requested by Benton to determine whether Christian violated state purchasing laws is still unresolved, Benton said through a spokesman Wednesday that her 30 years as a nurse and hospital administrator qualified her to troubleshoot the problems at Cherry.
After she stepped down as director at Central, Benton created a new administrative position for Christian that kept her on the state payroll to “improve quality management and compliance with regulatory requirements.” Her salary is $114,056.
Comments
Re: Christian to help fix Cherry Hospital
August 21, 2008 - 5:18pm — is_anyone_listeningThis is not the first time incidents like this have happened at Cherry Hospital, most of which have gone unreported to the appropriate agencies. I wonder how liable I am for not bringing the other incidents to light, now. It's not like I didn't question administration re: the way they had handled these other incident's, I did, and have suffered for my concern/questioning. I had a discussion with a doctor recently and he said nurses are different, they advocate for the patient first, going on to say they should advocate for the hospital, too. I carry a heavy burden, knowing what I know, it plays on my mind daily. People ask me why don't I quit? I don't quit because I care about my patients, I feel I am there for a reason. And re: Christian to help fix...it's political, nobody that would use patient money to hang a picture of herself ever cared about any patient.
Re: Christian to help fix Cherry Hospital
August 21, 2008 - 12:06pm — FFC1304or, RTB CENSORSHIP...
Dempsey Benton should be FIRED before sunset!
Re: Christian to help fix Cherry Hospital
August 21, 2008 - 7:18am — ryanteaguebeckwithSeveral comments deleted for inappropriate language.
— RTB
Re: Christian to help fix Cherry Hospital
August 20, 2008 - 11:38pm — workerbee4I've begged for help at CH. This is what they sent??? It must be April Fool's Day. Someone is playing a cruel and stupid joke. I feel so badly for the patients at CH. Why doesn't someone help them?? How many have to die before something gives?? Does anyone want to think of their loved ones' last days spent the way Mr. Sabock's was???? How can P Chris actually have the nerve to walk into that facility and think anyone there has any respect for her? Who's going to listen to her?? "You know, even though the SBI is investigating you right now per the article, I think you may just be right in your suggestion that the CH staff acted negligently and immorally." Maybe her suggestion will be to create new positions for the staff who were involved.... How can the state let this occur, how can you embarrass NC like this knowing it's recieving national coverage??? I bet the attorney for the two families in the last two incidents alone is licking his chops. No trial needed.
Re: Christian to help fix Cherry Hospital
August 20, 2008 - 11:30pm — workerbee4Atnor, there are a lot of caring & competent staff at CH...Reporting the sorry ones is like wasting your breath. I have reported and reported and begged and begged, emails, emails, report some more, make comments on ward report. I mean, CH is reactive, not proactive. CH was aware of the circumstances surrounding the recent patient death in April. I've reported way before April, way since April that patients on I and O, any sort of fluid monitoring, should be on precautions, unable to monitor if not...I was ignored. Been reporting for years that vital signs not obtained...nothing done to the staff who didn't obtain them...Been reporting some staff not even showing up for report, coming in late, not listening then stating wasn't told when tragedy occurs...nothing. Been reporting staff listened to R. Kelley throughout shift, neglected duties, turned around on me. I could go on and on and on...But I guess a thief can get administration to listen. Do you work at a state psychiatric hospital, is it the same there???
Re: Christian to help fix Cherry Hospital
August 20, 2008 - 11:22pm — workerbee4That's what CH employees have been trying to say all along Isaac136. It's sooooo frustrating to us "little people" who want the best for the patients and who have tried to make a change...RNs at CH can report to administration until they're blue in the face, get a reply of "Rome wasn't built in a day", "It's all a process." Another "created" position.
Re: Christian to help fix Cherry Hospital
August 20, 2008 - 4:23pm — Isaac136Kinda weird, sending Christian to 'fix' things. But I suppose that since they gave her a job that says she is to look after quality management and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, they more or less HAVE to send her there or be asked what the heck she's doing with her time these days.
I think they're going to need an entire change of culture over there at Cherry, which means top down cleaning. It's hard to imagine that Christian can manage the credibility needed to make sweeping changes.
Re: Christian to help fix Cherry Hospital
August 20, 2008 - 3:12pm — Atnor*sigh* The state of DHSS would be laughable if it werent so sad. In my mind, Christian was just removed from her job specifically because she violated tenets "of quality management" and failed "compliance with regulatory requirements". And now those are her job duties. /boggle. And whats she gonna do, tell the inept workers at Cherry to really really do a better job now?