Columbia/HCA

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 4, 2004

I posted this article in the Florida Nurses board in reference to Florida's place in the Salary Hall of Shame. These people are a big reason why. They cause problems everywhere else they show up too - not just FL. They drive salaries down, they cut nursing positions, all in the name of corporate greed. Their profit goal is 20% per hospital...That should tell you A LOT right there.

http://www.infact.org/colimba.html

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Jul 5, 2004

Thanks for the post. I know they are "BIG BUSINESS" in the worst sense of the word.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2004

I worked for an HCA facility once. It was simply the worst experience of my life. I will copy and paste the info contained in your link. Although some of the information given is incomplete, I feel this info is very important.

Think big business can be trusted?

Think again.

Columbia/HCA:

Wall Street Health Care

The Corporate Imbalance Sheet

$216,000

Amount of PAC money Columbia/HCA's Good Government Fund contributed in Florida in 1994, making it Florida's largest PAC.

24

Columbia/HCA lobbyists employed to repeal 1992 Florida state legislation requiring the corporation to disclose its physician-investors.

6

Number of lobbyists Columbia/HCA shares with the tobacco industry in three southern states.

$19.9

Revenue in 1996.

18

Hospitals closed since 1994.

2,000

Layoffs and positions eliminated since 1995.

$70,000

Total fines paid for two separate patient "dumping" violations in Florida, including one for $55,000 (the highest penalty ever paid by a hospital).

$19 Million

Money that would go into pockets of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Ohio's board members and an outside council if Columbia/HCA deal goes through.

$116 million

Tax breaks over 10 years for Columbia/HCA to move its headquarters from Kentucky to Tennessee.

$30,000

Amount Florida Senator Ginny Brown-Waite received as a consultant to Columbia/HCA while serving on the Senate Health Care Committee.

30%

Hospitals in Florida owned by Columbia/HCA.

4

Attorneys general who have sued to block deals involving Columbia/HCA.

$25,000

Fine for failing to have enough nurses on duty to ensure patient safety at Columbia Women's Hospital in Indianapolis.

$3.5 billion

Amount Columbia/HCA has said it is prepared to spend to set up a network in the Northeast.

3

Days notice Columbia/HCA gave town Destin, Florida before it closed the hospital in 1994.

$1.1 billion

Net worth of Columbia/HCA Vice-chair Thomas Frist, who made the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans.

$13.9 million

Columbia/HCA stock held in 1995 by US Senator Bill Frist (TN), brother of Thomas Frist.

20%

Profit goal per hospital.

$40 million

Estimated cost of Columbia/HCA's recent ad campaign to build its image as a national brand name.

$87 million

Amount of taxes Columbia/HCA owed in partial settlement with the IRS.

$600 million

Amount of taxes IRS says Columbia/HCA still owes.

Sources: Available upon phone or written request (not via email)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INFACT's Hall of Shame

INFACT Home Page

pickledpepperRN · Jul 6, 2004

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/June/03_civ_386.htm

http://www.laweekly.com/ink/03/08/news-ireland.php

http://tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/6991/view/print

nekhismom · Jul 6, 2004

RUN, don't walk, away from HCA. Truly a bad corporation to work for.

rekster · Jul 7, 2004

RUN, don't walk, away from HCA. Truly a bad corporation to work for.

I have worked for HCA since 1987 and have found it to be a GOOD company to work for. I have worked in 3 different HCA facilities and believe that the nursing care in those facilities has been nothing but the best. I know that others may have different opinions but do believe that the local hospitals quality depends upon the leadership and the nurses who work there. I work in a direct patient care area and am proud to work for HCA. BTW the name Columbia, is no longer a part of the corporate name. There were problems during the time when it was "Columbia". I am sure one could find issues with nearly any "for profit" or "not for profit" hospital company. I think one should judge each facility on its own merits. Just my .02 cents worth

CSLee3, ASN, BSN, LVN, EMT-P · Jul 7, 2004

I agree that it really depends on the individual facility, beit owned by HCA. I recently had services for care and the bill sent to the insurance was from " HCA/Columbia SYS INC."

The Austin area hospitals (4) that are owned by HCA at any time has around 10-50% nursing agency people on the floors at any given time, depending on the hospital. Nobody seems to know where anything is, some equipment is old, some is new, one facility is nice and clean, one is trashy......turnover is high at a couple of them. So it really is the individual hospital and employees that count.

If you were to be in the hospital receiving care and you loved your attending doctors and nurses, you wouldn't care if it was corporate owned or church owned. People is what makes it go.......................onward through the fog.............

mattsmom81 · Jul 8, 2004

HCA has turned the use of agency nurses to its own advantage by establishing All About Staffing....revenue for these agency nurses goes back in HCA's pocket.

I worked for Columbia HCA for the past 5 yrs or so and burned out with them. Some are better than others. But the gosh almighty buck is the bottom line....and ill/sick/injured employees have received zero compassion from any HCA facility I've been associated with. I've seen injured 40 yr employees turned out on their behinds and a new dx of seizure disorder, MS, lupus done the same way...no compassion at all for loyal employees through the years. They contrived 'reasons' to let them go, and none were asking for unreasonable accomodation.

Thanks to their messing with my retirement $$$ back in the 80's I received a settlement of 10K last year following a class action lawsuit that they fought viciously for many many years. Most of my $$ went to legal fees, but I would have had nothing otherwise. This is a very slick ruthless corporation and I won't go back.

Thanks for posting the data...there is a good reason why many hospitals have dropped the 'Columbia HCA' from their title.

sweetpooty · Oct 19, 2004

Iworked for Columbia in a Home Health agency in Florida. I was layed off by them in a group cut back when Federal investigations nearly killed our business.

Sorry to disagree but....I was always treated fairly, offered and given all the education I wanted and needed and they had very generous ways of rewarding good patient care. We were told over and over that patient satisfaction was the number one goal. Never was I told we couldn't afford to get something that one of my patients needed. It may not be the same all over but I didn't have a bad experience with Columbia at all.

Mary

flaerman · Oct 19, 2004

Sorry Gang,

I have been employed by HCA since 1997 and have worked for them in 2 seperate states(Tx and Fl) without any problem or complaint with them. HCA

has gone a long way to correct the problems incurred when they were known as Columbia. My salary is just as competitive as any other hospital here in Central Florida and we have an overtime incentive that most other places do not have. What has occurred in other states I know nothing about and will not comment there pro or con. The staffing issue which they were supposedly fined for is an inherent problem with facilities nationwide due to our current nursing shortage and other problems within our professionn. Yes they are a corporate owned facility and work towards a profit, but they are not the only healthcare corporation working towards profit within. All hospitals reagrdless of non-profit vs profit status are looking to turn the bucks reagardless of their status despite what non-profit facilities may say. With healthcare going the way it is most non-profit facilities are being eaten up by corporations. Here the majority of transfers we see from a certain group of hospitals are always Medicaid in nature but it's not dumping? I work in the ER and we are very cognisant of whom, where and why we transfer a patient. My benefits are good and I no desire to work for any other hospital or corporation here in central Florida, if I again decide to move I will see where HCA has facilities and make my decision accordingly.

flaerman

sjt9721, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2004

Sorry Gang,
I have been employed by HCA since 1997 and have worked for them in 2 seperate states(Tx and Fl) without any problem or complaint with them. HCA
has gone a long way to correct the problems incurred when they were known as Columbia. My salary is just as competitive as any other hospital here in Central Florida and we have an overtime incentive that most other places do not have. What has occurred in other states I know nothing about and will not comment there pro or con. The staffing issue which they were supposedly fined for is an inherent problem with facilities nationwide due to our current nursing shortage and other problems within our professionn. Yes they are a corporate owned facility and work towards a profit, but they are not the only healthcare corporation working towards profit within. All hospitals reagrdless of non-profit vs profit status are looking to turn the bucks reagardless of their status despite what non-profit facilities may say. With healthcare going the way it is most non-profit facilities are being eaten up by corporations. Here the majority of transfers we see from a certain group of hospitals are always Medicaid in nature but it's not dumping? I work in the ER and we are very cognisant of whom, where and why we transfer a patient. My benefits are good and I no desire to work for any other hospital or corporation here in central Florida, if I again decide to move I will see where HCA has facilities and make my decision accordingly.
flaerman

And when you transfer, all your retirement/years of service transfer with you!

I agree with previous entries reminding us that many of the problems described are individual facility issues. Bad experiences for staff and patients happen across the country...at HCA, at Tenet, at XYZ, etc, etc...