MediSys Pulls Out of Peninsula Hospital Deal

Peninsula Hospital Center in Far Rockaway, New York

Key Hospital Source Tells 'From The G-Man' Contract May Not Have Been Valid

A FROM THE G-MAN EXCLUSIVE

On July 27, 2011, From The G-Man reported that the management of Peninsula Hospital Center (PHC) and the MediSys Health Network Inc. have been working with the New York State Department of Health and other parties to try and find a workable solution to the deep financial crisis facing Peninsula Hospital Center.

Peninsula has been struggling financially for several years prior to its sponsorship by MediSys, the Queens and Brooklyn based network that has attempted to make Peninsula financially viable in the current difficult economic market.

A series of meetings were held recently that included discussions with St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, Local 1199, and State officials, among others, to develop approaches to meet the health care needs of the Rockaway communities. Without a long-term solution that puts Peninsula Hospital Center on the path to fiscal recovery, an organized closure may be the only option.

"Everything possible is being done in the best interest of the communities’ healthcare needs and we will continue to work with the State DOH and other parties during this process," said Ole W. Pedersen, Vice President of Public Affairs for Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is a part of the MediSys Health Network.

According to information cited on the MediSys website, a recent Consumer Reports Health (CRH) report stated that Peninsula Hospital Center is the only hospital in the entire metropolitan area to successfully prevent patients from acquiring an infection while in the hospital, particularly a bloodstream infection, which is a problem faced by many facilities across the country.

Hospital employees contacted From The G-Man to note that they were at a loss to explain why more was not being done to save the financially-distressed facility, especially in the wake of the CRH report. Moreover, on August 9, a key source inside Peninsula Hospital Center expressed grave concerns regarding the validity of the contract and/or deal between MediSys and PHC.

The source also stated that many employees, including emergency room staff, were unclear as to whether or not the hospital was still allowing patients to be admitted into the emergency room. From The G-Man spoke to an emergency room staff member about whether or not patients were still being admitted or if a mandate had been issued to shut its doors.

"As far as I know, we're still admitting them. Now, if we're supposed to be admitting them, that's a really good question," said the staff member, who chose to remain anonymous.

In effort to obtain clarity, the following email was sent to the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center's (JHMC) public relations department, which is listed as the primary contact on the MediSys website.

from Gary Toms fromthegman@gmail.com to NATIFIA GAINES date Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 11:38 AM subject Re: Jamaica Hospital the Only Facility in Queens to Offer New Asthma Treatment mailed-by gmail.com Images from this sender are always displayed. Don't display from now on.

hide details Aug 10 (4 days ago)

Got it! (Smiles) I'll post this on my news site today and send you think link to share with executives and staff.

Now, having said that, I need you to do something for me. I received a call from a trusted source inside Peninsula Hospital Center, which as you know is slated to close. The source informed me of two things:

1. Members of the hospital's staff and Board feel blindsided by the closure because none of them were privy to the contract with Medisys or the fact that the agreement was officially signed by the hospital and Medisys executives.

Therefore, many in the hospital are unclear as to who actually runs it. Can you comment on who runs the facility and whether or not everyone on the Peninsula Hospital Board was made aware of the contract stipulations?

2. Reports within the hospital claim patients are not being admitted, but one doctor is vowing to keep admitting them as long as they're coming in. Has a directive actually been issued? If so, who gave the order to stop admitting patients to the ER?

If at all possible, please provide comments by 5 pm today. If you will need more time, please email me indicating so.

Thanks!

From The G-Man was informed, by two different PHC sources -- that an emergency meeting took place between MediSys and PHC Board of Directors on Thursday, August 11. According to the sources, a PHC Board member emerged from the meeting and stated that MediSys would no longer be involved with the PHC deal.

On Friday, August 12, From The G-Man placed calls to the JHMC/MediSys public relations department and the CEO of Peninsula Hospital, Robert Levine, to confirm the MediSys deal had been terminated and to obtain an explanation for the decision. Calls were not returned by Levine, but Ole W. Pedersen, Vice President of Public Affairs for JHMC/Medisys submitted the following statement shortly before this article was published.

"The Peninsula Hospital Center Board held a special meeting on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. During that meeting they voted to rescind their original letter to the New York State Department of Health, which had informed them of the hospital's closure. As a result of this decision by the Peninsula Board, The MediSys Health Network convened on emergency meeting on Wednesday, August 10th and approved the following actions: Effective 5:00 p.m. Monday, August 22, the MediSys Health Network will withdraw as the sole corporate sponsor of Peninsula Hospital Center and its affiliated nursing home. In addition, MediSys will terminate, as of that date, the provision of all administrative and shared services. MediSys will continue to work with the New York State Department of Health and all other concerned parties throughout this process."

In March of 2011, Crain's New York and other news outlets reported that MediSys had fired its CEO, David Rosen, over bribery and corruption charges involving the late New York State Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio. State Senator Carl Kruger and Assemblyman William Boyland, Jr. were indicted in the case.

Read the story here:
http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10611:medisys-board-finally-fires-ceo-who-was-charged-with-bribery-in-2008&catid=155:nonprofit-newswire&Itemid=986

In an unrelated story, but one that has a MediSys link, several shots were fired at the vehicle of Assemblyman Boyland on the evening of August 10, the same day that From The G-Man sent its email to MediSys.

The New York Times reported the following:

"The shooting occurred about 6 p.m. while Mr. Boyland, who was returning from a barber shop, was driving near the intersection of Saratoga and Sutter Avenues in Brownsville, the authorities said. After hearing several shots ring out, Mr. Boyland pulled over and called the police, Inspector Royster said, adding that initially, Mr. Boyland, 40, did not know that the vehicle he was driving, a 2009 G.M.C., had been struck."

Read the story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/12/nyregion/boylands-suv-was-hit-by-random-shot-police-think.html?_r=1