EAST MACHIAS, Maine — Nearly 60 people — almost all over the age of 60 — turned out Wednesday night to a listening session with the interim CEO of Down East Community Hospital.
Doug Jones called for the session to give area residents a chance to ask questions in the wake of DECH being placed in receivership in late June when it failed to correct deficiencies identified in recent licensing surveys.
In the wake of that court action, former CEO Wayne Dodwell was placed on administrative leave and Jones was hired on a temporary basis.
After the two-hour session, Jones said, “The comments may be painful to hear, but it will be more painful if we don’t listen.”
As residents filed from the Elm Street School, they commented that they were encouraged with Jones’ attitudes and answers.
He listed a variety of changes that have or will be taking place. They included: a change in the chief of staff, other personnel changes, changes in the previous management by Quorum, emergency department staffing changes and continued negotiations with doctors formerly on staff and new doctors as well as rehiring previous nursing and support staff.
During the meeting, the residents’ concerns were varied but one standout stumbling block to progress was the current board of trustees. Many said they had lost trust in the hospital because of the board.
“The board of trustees betrayed the community. They did not promote quality care,” Pat Callahan of East Machias told Jones. “They were promoting excessive billing and a ‘get ‘em in and get ‘em out’ attitude. A board of trustees needs integrity, honesty and trust. Greed and avarice overtook them.”
Frank Green of Cooper advised that Jones needed “to purge the board to get the community’s trust back.”
Annie Dickinson of the Committee to Save Our Hospital said, “I would like the board gone now,” to applause from the rest of the crowd.
Jerry George of East Machias questioned how the board of trustees could have authorized the purchase of a local medical building just hours before the hospital was placed in receivership.
“How many people here believe that transaction passes the straight-face test?” Jones asked. No hands were raised.
Jones said a legal team is investigating the sale. “I’ll report back to the community,” he said.
Jones told those gathered that replacing all or part of the board is a priority and when its members are replaced, it will be a process visible to the community and representative of the area.
“All changes are on the table,’ he said. “The Superior Court said that all issues, including the makeup of the board of trustees, must be looked at.”
Betsy Balchen of Jonesport questioned why a lot of employees who allowed misbehavior or improper care at the hospital are still employed there. “I don’t think a hospital can be fixed until the poisons are removed,” she said. “Dodwell was not able to do what he did to the community by himself.”
Jones said he will be ferreting out problem employees. “Intimidation must be eliminated. Those people who believed or behaved as Wayne [Dodwell] did are not on my team.”
Jones indicated that he was hired on a 30- to 60-day agreement and that the receivership review comes up on Sept. 30. But he said he was greatly challenged and heartened by the changes he has already been able to accomplish and would consider staying at the hospital permanently.