Critics of the Eureka Springs Hospital (ESH) Commission spoke again at a commission meeting Jan. 20, and told commissioners they will continue their campaign for accountability by speaking at commission and council meetings until the wrongs have been righted.
Richard Webb, a former employee of the hospital, referred to narcissism, self-entitlement, arrogance and greed. “These things have destroyed entire nations!” he said. “So, what makes you think they can’t destroy a hospital?”
Webb said he and his wife, Samantha, a former medical records clerk who says she was unfairly fired, and a lot of other good people just wanted to do the right thing, work, live, be part of a good place, make a difference and be happy.
“We were wronged, defamed, had our dignity attacked and made to suffer by the very people who were supposed to have the best interests of the hospital and its employees,” Richard Webb said. “Instead, we get ignored. We get political games and smoke screens. Well, I’m here to tell you all that my wife and I are not kids throwing tantrums as stated by Ms. Asbury (ESH Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Asbury) in one of her secret text messages to a commission member, and neither are the other good people who have spoken out, either former or current employees, who have been wronged.”
Webb said after his wife was fired, he was bullied by Asbury including her following him to watch him cleaning toilets. He asked the commission how it could hear all the complaints and do nothing.
“Make no mistake, none of us are going anywhere until these questions are answered,” he said.
Samantha Webb spoke about winning an appeal of the hospital’s denial of her unemployment request, and winning the hospital’s appeal of that decision. Webb has said she was fired for attempting to fill a legitimate medical records request because Asbury was afraid the hospital would get sued.
“Did you really think that any of us would simply walk away with our tails tucked between our legs?” she asked. “Did you? You threw the lives of good, decent people into turmoil and you’re proud of it. You demand my husband clean restrooms while you watch, hold secret meetings, break laws… HIPAA (patient privacy law) violations, anyone? For what? Your own selfish greed, your ego and self-entitlement. That’s what.”
Webb said they were there because Asbury is allowed to conduct herself like a bull in a China shop. “The mayor won’t stop her,” she said. “The former CEO wouldn’t stop her but maybe she was intimidated by her. Kent Turner (former commission chair) wouldn’t dream of stopping her and neither would Jodi Edmondson (current interim CEO). Barbara Dicks (former vice chair of the commission) wasn’t going to. Nobody.”
Bradley Tate-Green said the patient care at the hospital has failed, and doctors are refusing to send their patients there. He raised concerns that the commission often brings up important business and votes on it with little or no discussion, leaving the public unaware of what factors have gone into its decisions.
At the meeting and later in a post on social media, Tate-Green said several commissioners exhibit cynicism, selfishness and greed.
“So, the chief financial officer just gives vague explanations about why and where the hospital is losing money,” he said. “I would love to have a breakdown line of where the money is going. Accountability is needed because this is state funds and funds provided to the community which begs citizens to stand and hold the commission and employees accountable. One leader in the hospital has Medicare fraud tied to their name and another recent hire was terminated (at her last job) for poor performance and horrible work practices. So, we are not hiring great people on the right bus headed in the right direction with the right driver(s). Apparently, we are going from good to bad.”
He also questioned the lack of agendas provided before public meetings, and called for an audit of the hospital finances.
“It is time for leaders in all arenas to stand for what is right and have ethics,” said Tate-Green, who has advanced college degrees and experience in healthcare. He quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday was the day of the meeting, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”
At the end of his public comment, he went over the time limit. He tried to finish his statement but was stopped. In his post on social media, he said the time is up for a commission that cannot be trusted.
“Council needs to dissolve this whole commission or remove the violators,” Tate-Green said. “I plan to apply for the commission and have already applied for the CEO position as I am well qualified to run it as opposed to a high school educated leader.”
Allen Smith also spoke alleging that multiple violations by the commission call into question the legality of all their official actions. He said anyone who violated the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act should resign immediately. Smith also said former chair Kent Turner lied in a previous report when he said the hospital laboratory was fully functional.
Commissioners heard staff reports that progress has been made in hiring highly-qualified professionals to fill key positions at the hospital, and that staff is trying to hire more local workers to reduce costs from using PRN (temporary contract) staff.
Chair Sandy Martin reported on a new effort to establish a telemedicine service at the hospital through the University of Arkansas for Medical Services Institute for Digital Health and Innovation. She said UAMS has already visited the hospital, and the $7,900 required to start the program can come out of Rural Emergency Hospital grant funds. Commissioners have expressed excitement about what the program could do to help local residents, including providing access to specialists without leaving Eureka Springs.