Kindred at Home (KAH) President David Causby welcomed a new hospice division executive in Curo Health's Larry Graham. Together they are integrating Kindred's 178 hospices into Curo's 245. Kindred at Home's hospices are much larger than Curo's, over twice the size on an average revenue basis. Significant overlap exists in a number of hospice markets..
Kindred at Home's new owners, TPG, WCAS and Humana, expect significant cost reductions in the hospice arena from combining Curo and Kindred at Home. Causby oversaw the integration of Harden Hospice into Gentiva as a newly promoted Executive Vice President-Chief Operating Officer. That integration came up $150 million short of revenue expectations. That's a lot of business to drive away.
Moving Forward communications have avoided personnel reductions to date. Early casualties can be found in the medical director arena. Kindred's former Hospice National Medical Director now fills a regional position.
Cost control is the mantra under KAH's new National Medical Director. Insurance like approvals are needed for a number of hospice interventions. Board certified hospice physicians have to ask management for approval for certain medications or treatments to treat symptoms and/or manage pain. It's not clear how this process might delay needed care for hospice patients or deny it altogether. That will play out over time.
Very little has been shared locally about changes but our hospice managers seem distracted, even disconnected. They may be trying to wrap their minds around new targets to meet, possibly Curo's staffing model.
The way work is done is important. Hospice was founded on compassion, teamwork and collaboration. Respect, integrity and openness are in short supply at the moment. Win/lose competition has reared its ugly head at our site. Management fomented chaos since the double KAH-Curo buyouts were executed.
Gratitude, appreciation and raises disappeared long ago. There are no signs of a pay increase. Hospice has its own intrinsic rewards but the work carries an emotional toll. Bad management adds an additional unnecessary burden that can drive employees away.
Financial rapscallions prefer a lower average wage. This emphasis discounts the value of seasoned, experienced employees, something critical in the hospice arena. Seasoned staff are integral to quality patient care/customer service and are necessary for mentoring/training new employees..
Massive change is underway. It's mostly subterranean at this point. To date leaders have been massively enriched while employees wrestle with stagnant pay and deteriorating benefits. I'll write as more information arrives that illuminates executive priorities for our hospice. Hopefully it won't be years before my hospice co-workers get a real raise.
Anonymous (from KAHtivacare Hospice)
Beware!! I recently learned from my manager in Maryland that my lifeline, my Clinical Operations Director was "eliminated" along with many others across the region. WHAT..? This nurse worked above and beyond, traveled to Maryland each week, sacrificed her family time and was always so willing to answer any question. She personally called me to check on my progress and helped me stay engaged in this never ending job. She has worked for this company for 15 years or so and is a wealth of knowledge and passion/purpose. So much for loyalty to your employees Dave Causby!! You speak of Quality and do this!! it's really all about the $$$$$.. I will be resigning from this circus the moment I can find a job with Bayada or Amedisys.
ReplyDeleteMessage for Real Tony Strange, former Gentiva CEO:
ReplyDeleteI am the latest Kindred causality. I have been an employee for almost 15 years; beginning with the Spartanburg SC branch as a field nurse, then a clinical orientation educator, then as a Director of Clinical Operation RN. For the last year , I have flown to Maryland to help drag those branches out of the abyss. I along with about 75 other clinical operations directors, rehab leaders, etc were “eliminated” without explanation. Kindred certainly isn’t Gentiva!! I miss your leadership and passion..
I enjoyed my time working for you!
Just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you and enjoyed my career when I worked for you..
Thank you,
Friggin sad, I too saw the writing on the wall a few years back being in a key support position for 20 years - and got out. Let me play this out for those in attendance, whatever the Company is called will run lean and mean for two or three years then go public again so the VC owners and upper management can reap tremendous IPO bucks.
ReplyDelete