While working at the Eureka Springs Hospital, I noticed that we were billing for breathing treatments and other respiratory services that can only be billed if completed by a respiratory therapist (RT). I brought this to Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Asbury’s attention, and she said that it was fine. I printed off the AARC billing codes on what we could and could not charge for by law and gave a copy to her. I was again told that we would still process charges and submit and if they pay, great, and, if not, oh well. I told her that is fraudulent billing, and she said they’ve paid before.
I refused to process the charges and sign off on them, so she had to. Once I left the hospital I called and reported her to Medicare and Medicaid for fraud and asked them to look into the billing of the hospital.
While I was at ESH, I wanted to start a pulmonary rehab program and a COPD education program, as well as an asthma education program and write grants for government funding for equipment to provide for free to parents with asthmatic kids and teach them CPR. I ran the numbers, and the initial cost would have been around $30,000 to purchase equipment and it could have been set up on a payment plan. I was told “no.” The ROI on that would have been in the hundreds of thousands a year because Medicaid and Medicare reimburse at 100 percent on those programs! Still, I was told no!
I was trying to find ways to bring in money and provide services for the community to make them more educated and healthier and I was shut down every step. I was bullied by Cynthia and when I took it to Jodi and my boss, I was ignored. When I wrote my letter of resignation, I noted it was due to a toxic and hostile work environment.
Instead of allowing me to work out my notice Jodi Edmondson (then HR director) and my boss came to my office and told me my services were no longer needed. They made me pack up my office right then and took my badge. They walked me to the door to ensure I left the property as if I had done something wrong.
I want them stopped and for that hospital to regain its reputation for being the hospital with a heart and truly caring about patients.
I live in Springdale and was willing to drive there because I love that area and community so much and wanted to help in a rural setting to provide good health care because it is so desperately needed. There is so much potential for services that could be provided if you get the right people running it and get the wrong ones out. It’s sad when after so much turnover and so many complaints nothing has been done to the ones that have caused all the problems.
My intention was to stay there until I retired and make that program one so that the community did not have to drive to Northwest Arkansas for those services but could get them local. I was even going to eventually have a sleep lab for us. Before when the hospital was planning an expansion, there was going to be a RT office with a sleep lab, a pulmonary function testing lab, as well as the pulmonary rehab center. It was going to be amazing!
If the right people were to get in charge, I would come back in a heartbeat, but not while Jodi and Cynthia are there. I know most of the staff who were fired or left would also.
Kristie Hamilton
(Eds. note: This statement from Kristie Hamilton, a former respiratory therapist at the Eureka Springs Hospital, was presented to the Eureka Springs Hospital Commission March 17. Hamilton from employed at ESH from 12/22/22 to 7/23.)