So What? And given the sorry state of Beaumont resulting from Foxs leadership, its an emergency rescue. Also fostering ill will is Beaumonts mandate requiring that all employees be vaccinated or be fired. In its announcement to employees, Beaumont said the merged company will maintain dual headquarters in Southfield and Grand Rapids, an economically inefficient move if true but it likely isnt. Its Beaumonts attempt to mislead southeastern Michigan residents that they arent losing a local institution. (Deadline Detroit art work ), Starkman: Why Tree Huggers Must Save This Small Town in Michigan From Ford, 'Detroit In Black And White:' Why We Got Kicked Off 910 AM, Randy Wimbley Leaving Fox 2 After a Decade on the Air. 'The Week That Was:' Will Kristina Karamo Seriously Damage Michigan's Republican Party? Starkman: Electric Vehicles and the Exploitation of Michigan Taxpayers. A trade publication quoted Freese Decker today as saying theres widespread enthusiasm in western and southeastern Michigan for the merger. Seven Failed Beaumont Directors Will Serve on Board If Spectrum Merger Gets Approval, Beaumont CEO John Foxs Final FU to Detroit: Merger with Spectrum Health, Beaumont Health Chair John Lewis -- Champion of CEO John Fox -- Stepping Down in June, Beaumont Manager Moved to Sabotage Anesthetists Concerns About Critical Drug Pump Shortage, Beaumonts John Fox Set to Unload Historic Bloomfield Hills Estate, Beaumont Nurse Anesthetists at Royal Oak, Troy and Grosse Pointe Vote Overwhelmingly to Unionize, Beaumont Forces Suspension of Leader of Nurse Anesthetist Union Drive, Starkman: Why Tree Huggers Must Save This Small Town in Michigan From Ford, 'Detroit In Black And White:' Why We Got Kicked Off 910 AM, Randy Wimbley Leaving Fox 2 After a Decade on the Air. Indiana University Health has 16 hospitals and 36,000 employees. A source told me that Barbee was highly regarded among Spectrums Black employees but was frustrated by his inability to achieve meaningful change. John Fox, the Atlanta carpetbagger who washed up on the shores of southeastern Michigan seven years ago to bolster Beaumont Healths profits and gussy up Metro Detroits biggest hospital network so that he could sell it, appears hes pulled off what he set out to do. Beaumont Dearborn also is receiving military assistance to help the hospital manage its Covid patient load. The scuttlebutt around town is that Beaumont directors believe that a merger is the only way to get rid of Fox. Nonprofit hospitals are supposed to manage their investments conservatively, opting for boring short-term duration bonds and other low risk investments. Beaumont does not have a good reputation regarding how they treat employees. Prioritys goal is to capture as much market share as possible and then use that power to reduce what it pays to doctors to cover their services. BHSHs management team is comprised entirely of Spectrum executives, except Beaumont Royal Oak president Nancy Susick, who has been named interim president of what is being called BHSH Beaumont Health. Starkman: Beaumont CFO John Kerndl and Top CEO Aide Say No! The resignations were due to working conditions and management dissatisfaction, not Covid. Reach Eric Starkman at eric@starkmanapproved.com . Fox is about 70, and given his failed performance, it was a given that he wouldn't lead the combined Spectrum Beaumont entity. Spectrum appears to have grown organically, focused on a region it knows well. Beaumont spent nearly $2 million on union busters when nurses at the Royal Oak hospital attempted to organize in 2019. Not a situation one would expect given that Freese Decker said her biggest priority was building a health system that celebrates and reinforces diversity and inclusion.. Spectrum also experienced considerable turnover of Black employees, some of whom considered filing a class action lawsuit . Spectrumreportedthat Beaumonts operations already have racked up nearly $100 million in losses. Ohios AG has won a series, Today is indeed a historic day. That amounts to a Spectrum takeover in my book. Naming Fream as chairman was done for optics, an attempt to assure Southeastern Michigan residents that their interests would be protected if Spectrum and Beaumont merge. The metric that matters most is quality of patient care. No doubt the pot of cash is the bait that got the merger talks going. Freed is seemingly unaware of how desperate Beaumont CEO John Fox is to find a merger partner and complete the sale before year-end. Beaumont was once mostly staffed by highly skilled veterans, among the best in healthcare. The FTC is headed by Lina Khan, a Democrat appointed by Biden and sworn in last June 15 to a three-year term. It isnt clear from Beaumonts stats that the hospitals Covid patients were admitted because of the disease or possibly some other serious ailments. A lifelong Michigander with an impressive background, Barbee resigned in October to join Indiana University Health as head of HR. Rather than having people speculate he was passed over, he chose to step down in advance. Its totally bizarre.. Beaumont nurses and nurse anesthetists quit in droves, joining staffing agencies that paid them more money and ensured them better working conditions. The good news is that Beaumont isnt overrun with critically ill Covid patients, which suggests that vaccines are doing what they were intended to do: Prevent people who contract the disease from becoming critically ill and dying. Fox that year was paid $5.9 million. Copyrightdocument.write(new Date().getFullYear());Deadline Detroit, Inc. - All Rights Reserved, A Zoom video conference call that was leaked this week, a month membership or a one-time donation, Sh** Show At Beaumont Endoscopy Suite In Chaos Amid Nursing Shortage, C-Section Horror at Beaumont Lawsuit Claims Surgeon Left Sponge in Patients Abdomen, Former Spectrum CFO Trashes Beaumont Merger and Warns of 'Massive Financial Loss', Beaumont Health's Merger Partner Reveals its Disingenuous, Deceptive and Disrespectful Nature, Spectrum Healths Black Employees Explore Class Action Lawsuit Alleging Systemic Racism, Beware! Beaumont employees and vendors are encouraged to reach out, with confidentiality assured. Yet the, Nessels do nothing stance on healthcare matters is in sharp contrast to her Massachusetts counterpart Maura Healey, who has moved to block the expansion of Massachusetts General Brigham on the grounds it will lead to, Former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra won a $575 million landmark settlement against Sutter Health for using the market dominance it obtained through a series of mergers to illegally drive-up prices. Meet Michael Freed, decidedly among the bravest persons in . Hes even willing to exploit the publics fear of Covid to distract from his own mismanagement. The writer, a Los Angeles freelancer, is a former Detroit News business reporter who blogs at Starkman Approved. The nurse anesthetists at Beaumont Royal Oak, Troy and Grosse Pointe hospitals, who are critical to keeping their facilities' lucrative surgery businesses humming, are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore. Spectrum, with $6.9 billion in revenues, operates 14 hospitals in the western side of the stateand has 30,000 employees. Spectrums board includes Doug DeVos, co-chair of Amway, whose family is among the most powerful in Michigan. Beaumont has signed a letter of intent to merge with Spectrum Health, a Grand Rapids-based hospital network focused on Western Michigan, the company announced internally Wednesday. Freese Decker held various strategic and operational roles before being named to the top job in 2018. Copyrightdocument.write(new Date().getFullYear());Deadline Detroit, Inc. - All Rights Reserved, Michael Freed doesn't "see any value in this merger. Carey has spent more than 20 years as a . Fox previously disclosed he talked to more than 100 hospital systems hoping to find a corporate bride for Beaumont. What, if any, role Wilson will play after the merger hasnt been disclosed. Eric Starkman of Los Angeles is a former Detroit News business reporter who blogs at Starkman Approved. Starkman: Electric Vehicles and the Exploitation of Michigan Taxpayers. I imagine Fox is luxuriating at one of his Atlanta or North Carolina manors laughing hysterically at the Michigan executive yahoo who took Beaumont off his hands and no doubt paid him millions as part of the deal. That's bad news for Metro Detroit's biggest hospital . Spectrums previous head of diversity was Ovell Barbee, an African American, who Spectrum proudly announced last April was named one of the leading diversity executives in the country. He didnt address staff as folks as hes repeatedly done in the past and he looked more relaxed and rested than in previous videos. The Chief People Officer position is listed as open, indicating that Ries isnt getting the top HR job at BHSH. Beaumont Troy also operates at a reduced capacity. Reach Eric Starkman at: eric@starkmanapproved.com. Starkman: Beaumont's Woes Prove CEO Tina Freese Decker Unfit to Run Michigan's Biggest Hospital System Tweet Share August 19, 2022, 3:14 PM The writer, a Los Angeles freelancer and former. That Fox, who along with Wilson has shown they have no commitment to southeastern Michigan, was allowed to negotiate Beaumonts fate underscores just what an irresponsible disgrace Beaumonts board is. Most of Foxs senior management team has departed, and hes expected to leave once the takeover is completed and he receives the millions of dollars likely owed to him under his golden parachute agreement. Even more disconcerting: Beaumont chairwoman Julie Fream will serve as chairwoman if the companies merge. Its a vicious cycle, one that I doubt Spectrum has figured out how to solve. Spectrum also reported that Beaumont lost $253 million on its investments. Beaumonts John Fox Is Laughing All the Way to the Bank, Beaumont Nurse Anesthetists Move to Unionize to Combat 'Unsafe' Staffing Conditions, Avoid Beaumont Like the Plague,' Warns Podiatrist Who Underwent an Endoscopy at Royal Oak Hospital, Metro Detroit Mourns Passing of 'Gentle Soul' Richard Curbelo, Medical Examiner Conducted Autopsy of Beaumont Colonoscopy Patient After Concern Raised, Remembering Richard Curbelo Who Died Undergoing Beaumont Colonoscopy, Beaumont Hospital Staffers Horrified After Patient Dies During Routine Colonoscopy, Ostriches On Beaumont Health's Board Belong at the Detroit Zoo, Henry Ford's Wright Lassiter Puts Beaumont's John Fox to Shame, Beaumont's Demise Assured as Board Ignores Calls for CEO's Firing, Prominent Beaumont Cardiologist Calls Out CEO John Fox for Deception, AG Nessel Reaffirms She's Do Nothing Dana' on Healthcare. Fox and Geary have referred to the Spectrum transaction as a merger and a partnership. Fox has disclosed that he will depart once the deal is completed, and Id be surprised if Grant and Jordan plan to stick around. Gretchen Whitmer has paid lip service that shes committed to so-called healthcare equity, meaning that Blacks receive access to the same quality of care as whites. Beaumont employees and vendors are encouraged to reach out, with confidentiality assured. September 15, 2020, 9:36 PM . Merging with Beaumont would more than double Spectrums size in some areas. Disgruntled Staff. As Deadline Detroit recently reported, Beaumonts once-bustling endoscopy suite, where a patient died undergoing a routine colonoscopy in January, has suffered a rash of nurse resignations and can barely operate at 50 percent capacity. Business Starkman: Bloodbath at Beaumont - COO Carolyn Wilson and Top Doctor Ousted; Chief Quality Officer Resigns Tweet Share July 22, 2021, 12:45 PM This columnist, a Los Angeles freelancer,. If the proposed merger goes through, seven Beaumont board members will serve on the board of the combined companies. These contracted doctors also were responsible for setting up a Covid-19 ICU unit at Beaumont Troy. Disgruntled Staff. AG Dana Nessel was personally warned by Beaumont donor and former director Mark Shaevsky two years ago that Fox and his board cronies needed to be removed, but she allowed the hospital system to deteriorate, as did Michigan Gov. To support Deadline Detroit's independent journalism, please sign up for a $3a month membership or a one-time donation. This columnist, a Los Angeles freelancer, is a former Detroit News business reporter who blogs atStarkman Approved. They are looking at diversity as a numbers game. Beaumonts leadership page only features a photo and bio of Julie Fream, who on paper at least seems credible: Fream is the president and CEO of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, an industry nonprofit, and she has a Harvard MBA. Although we are facing these current financial headwinds, we are confident we will continue to deliver effectively and successfully on our mission in the communities we serve in Michigan.. Spectrums takeover must be approved by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Federal Trade Commission. But ER nurses are angry with Melissa Foreman Lovell, Troys chief nursing officer, who they say rarely appears at the hospital. Fortunately, Freese Deckers western Michigan businesses were healthy enough to allow Spectrum to eke out an operating profit of $119.7 million despite Beaumonts losses. To support Deadline Detroit's independent. Soon after, Fox announced the Advocate Aurora deal. Share. Pamela Ries, senior vice president and head of HR at Spectrum, is listed as chief integration officer. Most of them arent qualified to serve on the board of a major hospital company and the proof is in the Beaumont pudding. Multiple sources have shared theyve been told by some Beaumont directors that Fox cant be fired, but no one gave a reason as to why. Many executives ask me privately, How many Black people do I have to have?. Several prominent Beaumont doctors warned the board they had serious concerns about the anesthesia outsourcing company before it took over, but Beaumonts board ignored the concerns. As often happens when you meld two organizations, the weaker one brings the stronger one down. Newsweek Ranks 3 Beaumont Hospitals Among Best in U.S. One Down, Three to Go. Spectrums four-person communications team also ignored a request for comment. Reach the writer ateric@starkmanapproved.com. Nessels do nothing stance on healthcare matters is in sharp contrast to her Massachusetts counterpart Maura Healey, who has moved to block the expansion of Massachusetts General Brigham on the grounds it will lead to higher health care costs in that state. The writer, a Los Angeles freelancer, is a former Detroit News business reporter who blogs atStarkman Approved. In a major blow to the hospital, Reza Dabir, Dearborns top cardiothoracic surgeon, resigned to join Ascension Health. Its not unusual for a so-called charge or supervisory ICU nurse to have just one year of experience. The silence is understandable. Freed doesnt disclose his hunch about Beaumonts financials, which received less oversight than he possibly knows. Whats notable about Foxs disclosure is the seeming priorities of Spectrum compared to Advocate Aurora, the Chicago-based hospital system that Fox tried to give Beaumont away to in June 2020 under terms so obscenely favorable to Advocate Aurora, he couldnt pull it off. The expansion is apromising sign that Spectrum is willing to commit money and resources to expand and upgrade Beaumonts facilities and reverse the decline the hospital system has suffered from Foxs extensive cost-cutting during his seven-year reign. In a company video posted on Vimeo Thursday, Beaumont CEO John Fox disclosed that Beaumont plans to spend significant dollars to embark on a three to five-year plan to expand the health systems private bed capacity. The insurance business is among the most profitable sectors in healthcare, but as anyone who has dealt with one of these companies know, their priority is profits, not patient care. The only remaining senior management executives are Grant, the chief nursing officer, and Jane Jordan, the chief lawyer, who like Grant and CEO Fox, has her primary home in Atlanta. A credible and competent board would have fired Fox, Wilson, and chief medical officer David Wood Jr. after internal surveys last year revealed the majority of Beaumont doctors and nurses had no confidence in them. In Dearborn, the nursing shortage is so acute that an ICU operates at 60 percent capacity. There are no bios or photos of Beaumonts other directors, and thats by intent. Turns out Beaumonts reported $4 billion reserve also dwindled by the time Fox turned over the keys to Freese Decker. Funny we only now are learning just how badly Fox ran Beaumont into the ground. Combining Spectrum with Beaumont would be akin to Target, whose management is respected and its brand has a loyal following, merging with Macys, a troubled chain whose flagship store in midtown Manhattan has lost its luster much like Beaumont Royal Oak. Under their oversight, Beaumont suffered a precipitous decline in reputation and quality of care. John Kerndl and Denise Waters. Those warnings are what led Congress to approve the financial largesse that Beaumont and other hospitals benefited from. To support Deadline Detroit's independent journalism, please sign up for a $3a month membership or a one-time donation. Copyrightdocument.write(new Date().getFullYear());Deadline Detroit, Inc. - All Rights Reserved, Tina Freese Decker, Spectrum president and CEO, a month membership or a one-time donation, Beaumont CEO John Foxs Final FU to Detroit: Merger with Spectrum Health, Beaumont Health Chair John Lewis -- Champion of CEO John Fox -- Stepping Down in June, Beaumont Manager Moved to Sabotage Anesthetists Concerns About Critical Drug Pump Shortage, Beaumonts John Fox Set to Unload Historic Bloomfield Hills Estate, Beaumont Nurse Anesthetists at Royal Oak, Troy and Grosse Pointe Vote Overwhelmingly to Unionize, Beaumont Forces Suspension of Leader of Nurse Anesthetist Union Drive, Andy Levin Goes After Amazon's Union Busting in Alabama, but Silent About Beaumont. That would mean it will take at least five years for Spectrums nurse program to bear fruit, so it wont do anything to alleviate the current nursing shortage. The head of Beaumonts audit committee was Julie Fream, who earlier this month became the hospital networks chair and has no auditing experience or background listed on her LinkedIn page. Beaumont Royal Oak is a Level I regional hospital, which according to the American Trauma Society means it is required to have 24/7 staffing available to provide total care for every aspect of injury from prevention through rehabilitation. To be sure, Beaumont isnt alone in suffering from a nursing shortage. The Detroit News. Beaumont employees and vendors are encouraged to reach out, with confidentiality assured. Reach the writer ateric@starkmanapproved.com. Starkman: Electric Vehicles and the Exploitation of Michigan Taxpayers. The financial terms of the deal will reveal whether Freese Decker is as touchy-feely as she appears or whether she can be quite ruthless when a lucrative financial opportunity presents itself. I only see the potential for massive financial loss., Freed warns Spectrums directors: When you sign the documents that will permanently change this region, your signature will forever hold you accountable for the repercussions.. Studies also show that hospital mergers also result in a decline in patient care. 'The Week That Was:' Will Kristina Karamo Seriously Damage Michigan's Republican Party? Lewis, the board chair, was replaced earlier this month by Julie Frehm, president and CEO of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association. The evidence is overwhelming that when hospitals merge, prices go up. This columnist, a Los Angeles freelancer, is a former Detroit News business reporter who blogs at Starkman Approved.. By Eric Starkman. Moreover, rookie nurses still have a lot to learn. To support Deadline Detroit's independent. Craig's guest is Eric Starkman, Deadline Detroit contributor and author of the blog Starkman Approved. Today is indeed a historic day. By Eric Starkman. When the Advocate Aurora deal was announced, Beaumont had a $2.5 billion cash reserve, so Advocate Aurora was essentially committing $1 billion, while retaining $1.5 billion. 'The Week That Was:' Will Kristina Karamo Seriously Damage Michigan's Republican Party? Starkman: Beware! Gretchen Whitmer were silent. Nursing shortages are causing havoc at other Beaumont hospitals as well. Beaumont CEO John Fox is headed for the door Friday. That resulted in Beaumont staff nurses working alongside nurses getting paid considerably more money doing the same job, prompting more staff nurses to leave. Fox, who owns homes in Atlanta and North Carolina, cant be bothered to even create the appearance that he cares about Beaumonts future. It marks the passing of a once great hospital system, and the creation of a giant Michigan hospital network Spectrums former CFO Michael Freed has warned could result in a , Spectrum Moves Forward with Beaumont Takeover, Beaumont Expects Imminent FTC Approval For Spectrum Takeover Of Its Faltering Hospital System, Good News From Beaumont Hospital Network To Spend 'Significant Dollars' to Expand Private Room Capacity, Beaumont Foxs Thanks to Hospital Docs: Let Them Eat A Cookie., Beaumont Faces Threat of Nurse Anesthetists Strike Over Declining Patient Safety Standards, Bad News for Beaumont -- CEO John Fox Sticking Around Longer Than Expected, CEO John Foxs Michigan Legacy? Spectrums takeover of Beaumont was a deal that should never have been allowed. Reach Eric Starkman at: eric@starkmanapproved.com. I know little about Fream, who served as Beaumonts vice chair for several years. The release, which Fream presumably signed off on, said her appointment was part of a normal governance leadership rotational process.. John Kerndl, who joined Beaumont in 2016, quit in March. Beaumont CEO John Fox . The writer, a Los Angeles freelancer and formerDetroit News business reporter, blogs atStarkman Approved. But Beaumonts release last month announcing her elevation to chair to replace John Lewis provides some insight. Beaumont Royal Oak nurses must sometimes tend to as many as seven at a time. The company announced this week that Aaron Gillingham, Beaumont Healths senior vice president and chief human resources officer and interim chief compliance officer, has resigned. The only aspect of the deal worth cheering about is that Fox will finally be removed from Beaumont, but the company shouldnt have to lose its independence to make that happen. Less readily understood is why Spectrum would want to do a deal. By Eric Starkman Beaumont Health CEO John Fox has no shame. The Royal Oak budget cuts were made in 2020, when Beaumont increased its reserves to $3.5 billion from $2.5 billion and Fox earlier in the year warned U.S. hospitals could collapse because of the pandemic. A company is headquartered where the CEO is based. So What? My guess is that if Freed understood how Beaumonts directors stood idly by while Beaumont imploded, hed challenge their appointments regardless. Fox trumpeted the deal as a win for Southeastern Michigan because he said Advocate Aurora would invest $1 billion to move the William Beaumont Medical School in Rochester to the Royal Oak campus and upgrade Beaumonts technology. Beaumont reported operating revenues of $4.6 billion in 2020 and is only an eight-hospital system. Copyrightdocument.write(new Date().getFullYear());Deadline Detroit, Inc. - All Rights Reserved, AG Dana Nessel and Gov. Fox, who has already been paid more than $20 million in compensation since joining Beaumont in 2016, potentially stands to earn tens of millions more if regulators approve Spectrums takeover. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services objectively ranks hospitals for quality and Beaumont recently got dismal results: Of Beaumonts eight hospitals, only Beaumont Troy, which is overseen by managers willing to stand up to Fox and Wilson, earned a coveted 5-star rating.
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