Last fall, the hospital I work for announced that they were selling their Medicare Part A license to local nursing homes. These nursing homes than started to build new facilities to put Med A patients for care (short term).

Staff was assured that "we'll put another unit of some type-we don't know what yet-in that wing. There will be jobs for all. We want to keep the staff here together as they do a great job".

I didn't believe it. There would have to be changes in pharmacy, emergency care, remodeling, etc.

I predicted that 'they'll close the doors and we're all gone'. Was accused of being a cynic and glass half empty type of guy.

So two weeks ago, my manager called me at home to tell me about a meeting the next morning at 9 a.m. She had gone to top administration folk (the $300,000 to $400,000 types) at the main offices and said that her staff deserved to know what was going to happen.

At that meeting (where she was given permission to make the real announcement) we were told that the doors are closing and on Dec 16, 2009, we're all laid off. "But administration has said they will help us find new jobs within the system"-stay tuned for that development. Especially for those of us within months of retirement. And at the top or near the top of the pay scale.

hey, JWaller, my husband went online to make a transfer to his bank account and found out that our bank closed yesterday afternoon, without warning or any kind of notice.

Times are changing fast.

best wishes

Janet

"Change we can believe in", "Change we need"

Hate to say it but, I_ _ _ _ you so!

I know where you are coming from. Company is asking for volunters for layoffs ins. paid and unemployment. They have shut down 1 machine on all 3 shifts 5 machines on 3rd shift and the rumor is cutting 30 head or working all 6 hrs a day. To be continued in a good way I hope

You wanted change, now you got it! In fact, that's about ALL you'll have- change!

You and your family will be in my prayers. I think you're a fool for believing in Obama and his brand of garbage, but you're still a good man and I'm sorry for your predicament.

It's not over until the fat lady sings. Sometimes things work out for the best. You never know.

Will point out that this is better than last June (before election) when several hundred were laid off and many (including me) had their scheduled hours cut without any warning.

The belt really tightened when the previous occupant of the White House vetoed an increase in Medicare funding and favored an increase in premiums for the elderly.

Again, please note the initial announcement was make in Oct, 08. Before election. That's the one I didn't believe for a minute. At least now, we all have several months to look for work. Several have moved on already with management's blessing.

For most staff, the biggest kicker was the "Waller was right all along".

Stay tuned-maybe I'm right about other issues, too!!

Sorry bout your job. King Obama's doing the same to my Steel Erection business as well. Lots of well wishers but no jobs.
Waller, when can we expect to be stimulized? All those hundreds of billions and nothing for the little guy.
Bush may have laid the plans but your guy's in office. He is THE KING, so he could fix it with the swipe of his hand, ya know. Instead he yuks it up with all the common folk at a country club golf outing to "stay in tune with the common man". His words.....
He's sold our souls to China, let the two nut cases in Iran and N. Korea walk all over us, apologized to the world for America(not for himself, he wasn't around, his words)and now he's gonna ruin whats left with the carbon tax.

Where is it you were right? Guess as long as it doesn't impact you directly all is well? What about the tax burden on those grandkids of yours, doesn't that bother you........once heard a person say they'd vote for a dog if it run as a democrat. Maybe it's a liberal thing or something, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

how about another hospital in the area or a doctors office or in home care..hospitals in our area are always full yet they are cutting off help..two years a go duke hospital gave 10 million to charity..two weeks ago jess got sick..took her to the doctor,,duke owned office..no insurance..125 bucks for an office visit..they are surley going broke..if we had had insurance on her the insurance company would have been charged only a small portion of this amount..we have since put her back on insurance..i had to go entirely on medicare because blue cross and blue sheild of n.c. kept raisin my premiums..when they got to 700 bucks a month i had to drop it and go to medicare all the way..no choice..i suppose (that this too will come to pass) but what will it come to pass to//i still think the u.s. economy is going to collapse..so does cathy..stock up on ammo folks..we will have to guard our garden and livestock...

I heard Charles Osgood on NPR a few weeks ago playing sound clips from Obama's campaign speeches prior to the election. He said that under Bush, this country had lost 450,000 jobs in the previous 9 weeks and that under him that would stop. Osgood pointed out that this country has lost on average 450,000 jobs a week under Obama. A recent letter to the editor pointed out that if we began repaying the natl. debt at the rate of 1,000 dollars a second it would take 368 years and 251 days just to pay off the principle. (11.7 trillion) I can only imagine what the interest would ad to the total. That is more than 5 generations after we are gone. We have truly exceeded our ability to pay and now Obama wants to ad a health care plan at a cost of 1 trillion plus. Who will stop this madness?

You're right Jwaller, not over til the fat lady sings. Good luck. ANY of us could be in the same situation in an instant.

I was right last fall when I did not believe that we wouldn't be laid off this fall. Didn't believe that "we will still need all the staff".

If it rains this week, I'm going to look up some editorials from 1933 during FDR's First 100 Days. I believe that at that time-75 years ago-eminent destruction of the U.S. was forecast, too. And all the sensible, practical and efficient things that were going on in Europe at the same time to get the German and Italian economies moving. Why, even the trains in Italy began running on time. And the U.S. was fooling around with TVA, REA, CCC, Social Security and FDIC.

Unhappily, ALL politicians have been bought or they would not be in office. I have no doubt that the global economy is being run by the mega-corporations. The only way to get back on the "right track" is to change EVERYTHING, especially the lobby and election processes. The first thing that needs to go is the Federal Reserve. The humongous national debt is due to the interest paid to the Federal Reserve for issuing OUR worthless money that has nothing to back it. The entire world is playing a roulette game and a Ponzi scheme. Sad.

Sorry to hear about that but you were real smart to get an education in one of the health professions, which never go out of style.

John-Please explain what Mwdicare part A licence means. My youngest daughter has two part time jobs at your Hospital. Sorry to to hear you may be out on your Ear. Can you take an early retiremant?

jwaller, I think we need to read more about Germany from WW1 to WW2 time period. So many things happening now that happened in Germany during that time period. Same excuses and solutions being offered now as then.

Oops-I meant Medicare Part B. That's the funding for people who have Medicare and have a 'Skilled Nursing Need'. It might be antibiotics via IV's, wound cares, physical or occupational therapy to recover from a medical problem.

The first 20 days are paid 100%. The next 80 days are covered except about $100/day. Don't know where the current co-pay is set. That's where the Medicare Suppliment insurance somes into play.

Medicare Part B only covers as long as the patient is making progress toward their maximum functioning level. If there is no progress, Med B stops paying.

This is a one time deal. Each broken hip, stroke or whatever is covered once. Next incident has to be separate occurance.

If a person needs 'custodial care' (meaning they aren't going to get better), Medicare pays nothing. This would be most nursing home residents. Then the person's assets are used to pay for care. When the assets are gone, Medicaid takes over.

hey JWaller, if you lost your job because that dept was sold to local nursing homes, and those nursing homes built new facilities, would'nt that mean they would be hiring new staff as they take on new patients?

janet

"If it rains this week, I'm going to look up some editorials from 1933 during FDR's First 100 Days. I believe that at that time-75 years ago-eminent destruction of the U.S. was forecast, too. And all the sensible, practical and efficient things that were going on in Europe at the same time to get the German and Italian economies moving. Why, even the trains in Italy began running on time. And the U.S. was fooling around with TVA, REA, CCC, Social Security and FDIC."

So says Mr. Waller. While you're looking all that up look at the esteem Mussolini was held in, the high regard all FDR's "Brain Trust" had for Stalin and the Communists, look at FDR's manipulation of the economy- he held the Depression on for about 7nyears longer than it needed to last by forcing business to do the WRONG thing, instead of the right thing. You may look at evil fools like FDR and think he did great things. Open your eyes.

I know some folks are partial to FDR, however even a quick study of history will prove he mismanaged the country and prolonged the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Americans. The ONLY thing that saved the U.S. from the Great Deppression was Adolf Hitler!

Never was a truer thing said than "History is written by Liberals", but even that can't conceal the facts if one has an open mind and a willingness to look beyond the history books.

Janet-you're right about the local nursing homes needing more staff. We were even asked if we would want to go with the license.

That will be last option for me. I have worked in a couple nursing homes and, let me say, it takes a special kind of person to work in that setting.

I've done med-surg, rehab, oncology, home hospice and hospital palliative care. But I never felt good about nursing home jobs. Maybe it was just the two places I worked in that are different.