Paris Regional Medical Center

nevb · Jul 28, 2008

bump:up:

tbeemantx · Jul 30, 2008

I have lived in the Paris area my whole life, but have been living in the Houston area the last three years. From what I understand based on the opinions of people in the community, PRMC is not the best place to work as there is a lot of mismanagement and the company frequently sells (and we all know what a joy corporate changeovers are). I am moving back to the Paris area and was advised by just about everyone I know that works there or has worked there that I should apply elsewhere. I don't want to burst your bubble of hope, but I wanted to let you know what I knew. But then again, it IS all hearsay and I cannot speak from experience....

nevb · Jul 30, 2008

Thank you for replying! I am happy to hear opinions good or bad. Do you have any info about good places to work?

nevb · Jul 30, 2008

am so excited you responded! I want to pick your brain a bit! I would also LOVE any info you can share about the area- Lamar County I won't limit myself to Paris. Blossom and Reno seem to be the surrounds? Any other great areas close by? I have 4 kids and DH is a CDL driver. I have seen that Campbell's soup, Sara Lee, Kimberly-Clark and Waste Management are all in the area. Any insight in to being employed by any of those companies would be great. I t seems like a nice small town. I am a small town type of person I am a blue jeans and t-shirt girl. my interests are simple I like to hike a bit, hang out with my dogs, read, watch tv and internet time. I don't need big city excitement, if canget to Wal-Mart I am happy. I would like a friendly town for my kids to be raised if they are bad I want to hear about it!:chuckle Does this sound like a description of teh area? I want to rent for a year and if it is a good fit buy after a year. I found this site for rentals is this a reputable agency? http://www.paristexasrentals.com/

tbeemantx · Jul 30, 2008

Well, from what I hear, home health is the way to go in Paris. Since I'm new on the block again, I don't really know yet. I wasn't a nurse when I lived here before.

As far as outlying "small communities" in the Paris area, there are a plethora. Most people choose where they want to live based on where they want their kids to go to school, since the school districts are rigid here and you only attend the one you live in. If you want city comforts close to home, the east/north east portion of the city is what you want (out hwy 82/Reno or hwy 195). These are fast growing areas and very close to new development. Also, WalMart is out this way. BUT, I have to say, after having lived in a major metropolitan area for a few years, living pretty much anywhere within ten minutes of Loop 286 gets you into the city quickly.

As far as your lifestyle, you sound very similar to me in that you prefer things laidback. Paris is definitely one of those places. It's easy to fly under the radar. The one major flaw of this area is gossip. It is thick and very negative in these parts. But like I said, it is easy to fly under the radar. Just stay out of the lives of those that attract most of it. Not hard to do, IMHO. But yes, if your kids go out drinkin' on a Saturday night, it's not hard to found out. And if you don't hear it from someone else, you can pretty much gather it yourself by asking around about the kids they hang out with. It's a dry county, so SOMEbody has to buy the booze, ya know what I mean?

Campbell's may be good as a temporary place of employment, but for years now there has been talk of shutting down the plant to streamline production. I wouldn't choose it as a permanent place for your hubby. KC is very reputable and know to be good steady work. The plant makes specialty products and does well, so no threat of shut down for a long time. Sara Lee is an old plant (used to be Earth Grains) and I don't hear many good things about it, but I don't know a whole lot either. You also have Turner Piping near KC which may be a possibility.

I would definitely rent for a year first. I think it is the small town atmosphere you are looking for, but you will want to get familiar with the area and schools first before you decide on where to buy. I am not familiar with the rental place you have listed, but it seems like just a listings site so shouldn't be too shady. The Paris News is also an excellent source for rental properties in the area.

tbeemantx · Jul 30, 2008

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask me anything else!

nevb · Jul 31, 2008

Thanks for the answers that was just the kind of stuff I was looking for! I live in a town that has quite a bit of gossip too. It's an old area, a "porch town", people sit on the porch and watch what happens on the street. The bad aspect of my area that I am hoping to escape is the nepotism, people judge you for who you know not your merits. People get jobs because they are family and friends of people in charge not because they are qualified or good workers. I know some of that goes on everywhere but there are a lot of bad people who get ahead who don't deserve it. We had a big problem with our county officials and missing money from county issued debt cards and that sort of thing.I just want a friendlier area people here really want to scr*w you over if it will benefit them, there is not a whole lot a loyalty and respect for fellow humans! :eek: OK enough of that! So Kimberly Clark has a good rep, are there any other companies you have heard of in the outlying towns that would have truck driving jobs that people seem happy to work for? Is there a good site or larger newspaper to search for jobs as the Paris News had few jobs? And on to the big ? what are the nursing jobs paying in the area? What are the hospitals in the 20 mile area that have a better to work for reputation? I really want to end up in OR I am starting out in tele

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

Many of the national carriers have depots/offices in the metroplex. Frozen Food Express is based in Lancaster, for instance.

Long Rider · Jul 31, 2008

PRMC was bought by a for-profit company several years ago whose management style has become infamous. There is apparently someone either in upper management, former upper management, or has connections with upper management that started a blog site that was critical of managment and they actually brought suit against the blogger to try to shut him down!!

News of the suit spread like wildfire across the blogosphere, as you would expect. Google "Paris site" (that's what the blogger calls it), "blogger", "law suit" etc. and you will find out all kinds of dirt about how the corporation allegedly deals with those that voice disagreement.

Paris is out in BFE, and they have a nursing school that produces about 70-80 RN's and 70-80 LVN's each year. That's 140-160 brand-new licenced nurse EACH year. Most of them are locals that have no desire to move or commute 100-150 miles away to get another job. In other words, the market is already flooded /c nurses, and the hospital knows it. This seems to be reflected in poor reimbursement and a general lack of respect for nurses.

On a zero to ten, based on my experience 2 years ago, I'd give it a 4.

Paris does have a decent amt of industry there, "soup" (which supposedly gave an across the board $5 an hour pay CUT!), Turner International Pipe, Harris, Walker, and Harper, Paris Packaging, Sara Lee and the local holy grail of factory jobs, Kimberly-Clark. When KC had an opening for a few dozen jobs, literally thousands applied. Paris is notoriously "clickish", unless you know someone, your sweetie would probably have a hard time finding a decent job. (Of course if you have a clean license and whiz quiz, PRMC will hire any nurse. But the clickishness often spills into the hospital too, esp in ICU, ER, step-down, cath lab, surgery and the other "elite" specialties.)

Paris keeps the industry there, in part, with low taxes. So guess, where the tax burden goes. Yup, the citizens. So people are moving to the out skirts, like Reno. Blossom is still considered low rent, and has rougher reputation. On the up side, houses are cheap in Lamar County.

Lesssee, what other dirt...Oh, yeah. Racial tension! They actually had the New Black Panthers march a couple of years ago during the "Baby Cotton" nastiness. Google that too. Pretty sad. Most folks get along okay, but there is still an under current of racism on both sides. Young kids get along okay regardless of race, but once puberty hits, the races tend to tragically alienate each other. I suppose that's everywhere nowdays tho'.

I figure Parisians will start to flame me know, but that's my general assessment of the situation in Paris. I got the hell out, and am thriving. You may love it there, YMMV.

Long Rider · Jul 31, 2008

I was wrong, the "Baby Cotton" incident actually happened last year. Apparently PISD is being investigated by the DOE for descrimination against black kids. Well according to Wikipedia. Of course wikipedia is succeptible to rapid political revision on both sides of any political agenda.

nevb · Aug 1, 2008

I t is always good to hear the good and the bad and research from there. I had seen quite a bit about the girl who shoved a teacher or other school worker and received a pretty harsh sentence. Any idea what the RN pay scale is in the area? What other hospitals are in the area besides PRMC?