Mad River Community Hospital Furloughs Medical Staff in Response to Loss of Patient Volume

Mad River Community HospitalPress release from Mad River Community Hospital:

Across the nation, hospitals are experiencing a loss of everyday patient volume due to cancelled surgeries, cancelled procedures and cancelled clinic visits. Due to the significant patient volume reduction resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mad River Community Hospital (MRCH) is enacting a furlough program throughout the organization to match current patient volumes. This is consistent with the actions of the majority of hospitals throughout the country who are not currently caught in a COVID-19 patient surge scenario.

Since the inception of Humboldt County’s Shelter in Place order, MRCH has experienced between 40%-70% decreases in its emergency department, medical surgical department, imaging, laboratory, outpatient clinics, and administrative support services. Pamela Floyd, Chief Compliance Officer, MRCH says, “We want the community to know we are not laying off any employees but instituting a temporary furlough. All of our employees are still part of the Mad River Hospital family and we appreciate everybody working together in this time of crisis.”

Although the furlough period is indeterminate due to both the unpredictability of the length of the COVID-19 outbreak as well as the state mandated stay at home orderpublic’s perception that it may not be safe to use hospital services, our intention is to bring back impacted employees once prior patient volumes resume.

Mad River Community Hospital has a strong reputation of caring for its patients and its employees. Placing our employees on a full or partial furlough is not a decision we take lightly. But under the current conditions, it is an essential move to ensure our doors remain open to our community.

“Before, during and after, we’re still going to care for each other and our community”, said says Doug Shaw, CEO, MRCH.

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Mountain Man
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Mountain Man
3 years ago

Last time I went to the emergency room it took 6 hours to be treated, maybe now you can get in quickly. By the way where is their massive load of covid patients ? St. Joe’s ? The public is not getting complete information. Patient confidentiality during a pandemic is hard to swallow.

kelley
Guest
kelley
3 years ago
Reply to  Mountain Man

Thankfully the stay at home order and our low population density are keeping our numbers low.

Humboldt Original
Guest
Humboldt Original
3 years ago

Profit has always been more important than public health and safety to the corporate hospitals. This should surprise no one that’s been paying attention to the health scam industry or ever visited that cesspool they call a hospital.

Not available
Guest
Not available
3 years ago

Agreed. Though the staff is wonderful the money pockets I feel to be hiding numbers at the top are freightened they will loose all their assets. Making numbers not available to the public and having staff who have not been doing tests correctly. My experience was short. The nasal swab they used only went about half way in and stayed their for less than 3 seconds. Every physical test was rushed. I was looked at by the doctor for less than a few minutes. When I got a call back about what my test was. It was an “undetected” determination, not a positive or negative. The lady over the phone sounded like she was telling me I was going to die. Lots of stressed pauses and a suggestion that I shelter in place for at least two weeks. That was the beginning of the month. Now, I am still very sick and have been bedridden for the majority.

North west
Guest
North west
3 years ago

I’m glad you’re trying to hold on to your people Mad River. You are my favorite but you know it’s your people that make it my favorite hospital. Keep up the great and caring work. And thanks

Some Random Guy on the Internet
Guest
Some Random Guy on the Internet
3 years ago

This is one of the most remarkable news stories I have read, since 2012, when I first became aware of the the extremely strange and charming hospital known as Mad River…

I wouldn’t really get very concerned about this place, since they never have had a full staff at any time in the last decade… The folks who have worked there have experienced salary that is well below competitive, poor benefits, and extremely exploitative and abusive management… People have been hired and fired at an incredible rate, and qualified applicants are sneered at if they “don’t look right”… I wasted my time applying there and not being called, and now, if I am traveling through, I will stop in and use the restroom, but I sure wouldn’t be a patient…

There are few hospitals this badly operated, and the worst of them are located in Humboldt! Mad River: forget about it. St Joseph’s: not well thought of and certainly not a good place to work, Redwood: no way I would go there, and, Jerold Phelps: you would need to be crazy to use it, as a patient.

Humboldt County, just don’t get sick, need services, or have an emergency! If they don’t neatly kill you, you will surely expire while waiting in line!

It’s just not getting better. Get in your car and drive to Redding, Willits, Ukiah, Chico, Sacramento, or the bay area!

After a long career in healthcare, I heartily endorse leaving Humboldt for any services. Even Trinity Hospital is much better!

Mad River Hospital: You are failing us, in every way!

Not available
Guest
Not available
3 years ago

Well put and spot on. Their cafe has excellent food that they grow on site as their is a Farm right behind the hospital and a horse boarding faculty as well. All on hospital property. The place is a backwards, placing value to their money and using people like walking assets to be used and rarely maintained. I will take your suggestion as soon as I can get enough strength to leave my bed.

Alf
Guest
Alf
3 years ago

It’s my favorite, my insurance designates it as my primary hospital, I have a few friends who work there, and the services are generally better and half the price of St Joseph’s. I hope they can maintain.

squeeler
Guest
squeeler
3 years ago

They left me with half a root canal. They cancelled 24 hrs before my appointment that I waited 3 weeks for. Why is dentistry not considered an essential service, given the broad definition applied everywhere else?

Casey
Guest
Casey
3 years ago

Profits over patients/staff. What happens when the crap does hit the fan and Mad River does need staff? Are they all supposed to come running back when that phone call comes? I see St Joes has 58 open jobs today on their website. I hope these people are able to find something that helps them keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Now more than ever we need our health care workers and to be furloughed is a huge slap to say “we’ll call if we need you “

tax payer
Guest
tax payer
3 years ago

so i thought about asking but what the hell. no where in the press release did they say this was a paid furlough

Nurses are the guts of a hospital yet they are treated like maintenance persons.
Guest
Nurses are the guts of a hospital yet they are treated like maintenance persons.
3 years ago

Nationwide more than 43.000 hospital workers have laid off. How can this be? Can’t be nurses. Or patient care personnel. St Joseph’s is only partly owned by the Sisters of Orange. They are not a Catholic nonprofit like it was ten years ago. And it uses the “secret book of charges of procedures and medicines that the industry uses to gain the maximum profits. And their ER is slow because they don’t have the personnel to cover sending ER patients to beds in the mail hospital. They are short of RN staff and they overwork the RN’s with busy work. The RNs look like patients pushing an I.V. stand instead the nurses are pushing computer stands.

Billy Casomorphin
Guest
Billy Casomorphin
3 years ago

And while we fuss, Adventist Health, the most secretive organization of all, will be taking over Mendocino Coast Hospital, May 1st.

These folks, the Adventist Health organization, who never tell the truth about anything since they believe that lying for the good of the church is not actually lying, now will operate every hospital in Mendocino County.

The AG of California blocked a bid for Adventist to take over St Joseph’s in Eureka, but it is obvious that the decay in the healthcare systems of Humboldt, will not be arrested, and the dire condition of local hospitals will require new management.

I don’t have a magic cure, either.

Adventist Health: They come in, and the doctors leave, or retire. Adventist Health: Costs go up, profits for Adventist Health go up too… Adventist Health: They come in, and the jobs go to folks from out of the area.

Need a band-aid for your cut? $4587.12 please…

Adventist Health: In a town near you! Yuba City, St Helena, Napa, Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Willits, Fort Bragg, Clear Lake…

Coming to: Yreka, Eureka, Fortuna. Probably next: Arcata. Garberville.

Adventist Health: Building a monopoly near you!

Martin
Guest
3 years ago

As usual, it all boils down to the all mighty dollar. I think the administration should be furloughed, and let the doctors and nurses run the hospital. I am sick and tired of our hospitals relieving doctors and nurses because they claim that their funds are dried up and can’t afford to keep them on staff. That is a big “BULL****” for me!!

Not available
Guest
Not available
3 years ago
Reply to  Martin

If you look closely you will find that Mad River Hospital owns real estate all up and down northern Humboldt. They are a real estate front and own many storage facilities as well. They have their fingers in everything and it would be wise to investigate patient confidentiality when they make number projections. They feel they are above the law.