Needed... Public Relations Ideas for failing LDRP

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hello everyone,

I work in an LDRP unit. Since October we have been

losing revenue due to lack of new patients. The Docs

won't send them to us because we are the only hospital

in the area with no NICU. So, because of this, administration

said we were going to get our own NICU starting March 1st.

Well... March 1st has come and gone and we still have no

NICU. Our unit manager has taken it upon herself to do some

PR for our unit and needs ideas. The only problem is, I don't

think it will matter how much PR we do if the Docs don't

recommend us to thier patients. Any ideas?

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Hello Everyone, Just an update for you. We had a mandatory

unit meeting with the "executive staff" today and they have

decided to close our unit effective July 1st. No attempt to

recruit Dr's, no NICU as promised, just closing. I think if they

had tried to save this unit it would have worked,but they didn't

even bother. :angryfire I've got 4 weeks to find another job.

I've worked here almost 11 years. I can't believe this is happening :crying2:

I'm so sorry to hear this! Sorry, but not surprised. Are you close enough to IL to cross over and work there? No shortage of NICU jobs in the Chicago area and suburbs. Best of luck to you!

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Hello Everyone, Just an update for you. We had a mandatory

unit meeting with the "executive staff" today and they have

decided to close our unit effective July 1st. No attempt to

recruit Dr's, no NICU as promised, just closing. I think if they

had tried to save this unit it would have worked,but they didn't

even bother. :angryfire I've got 4 weeks to find another job.

I've worked here almost 11 years. I can't believe this is happening :crying2:

I'm really sorry to hear that. Are you being offered another job within the same facility, in med-surg or another area? Are you going to find another job since you want to stay in LDRP?

Good luck.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Hello Everyone, Just an update for you. We had a mandatory

unit meeting with the "executive staff" today and they have

decided to close our unit effective July 1st. No attempt to

recruit Dr's, no NICU as promised, just closing. I think if they

had tried to save this unit it would have worked,but they didn't

even bother. :angryfire I've got 4 weeks to find another job.

I've worked here almost 11 years. I can't believe this is happening :crying2:

This is pretty much what happened to me 2 years ago. I am sorry. I know how you feel. You certainly were not given much time to find another job----that sucks. We were given very little notice, and for me, no severence applied. Thank good ness, I had another job already. I saw it coming and took care of myself.

I am so sorry. Good luck and hopefully, this is the one and only time this will happen to you.

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I am really sorry. I wonder if I may be in the same boat sometime. Our unit is a level one who does about 600 deliveries/year. Malpractice rates in PA are out of this world. I hope you find a job you love in OB. I really do. It must be very hard for you.

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Specializes in ER.

As a mom...no offense to your effort, but I was a low risk pregnancy all the way up until the moment I delivered at 35 weeks...then all heck broke loose...with the notion that I really can't control what can possibly go wrong despite a normal pregnancy...and knowing all the things I went through with my little preemie and his breathing complications...I would not deliver at a hospital without a NICU. I know that its more the exception than the rule...but I guess having already been through it once, I can't imagine the stress it would have caused me to have a complication and then have to be transferred or have my child transferred to a higher level of care....It was stressful enough because my son had to be transfered his third day to a higher level of care, but at least they were able to closely monitor him in the first NICU. I know its hard these days with malpractice and sue happy people everywhere...I applaud your efforts to stand up and be heard to try and make improvements for your floor. I do not envy the stress you must endure in such a quickly changing specialty...They have closed down so many L & D floors that it makes your job even more stressful to think if it doesn't get better soon, you may have to close..Definitely you need to sit with the Docs that are not referring and get their feelings on things...because whose to say that just because you are all set to open a NICU that they will even go refer there then...It would be a shame to go through all of that and still not get any business because they've been doing it a certain way for so long....Good luck to you and I hope you find your answers....

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Specializes in ER.

Sorry I didn't see your post about closing until I posted the previous message. I'm sorry that your unit is closing...Its so frustrating to think that insurance companies and lawyers are now dictating how health care gets managed these days...It is ruining the business...Its really sad...I don't think people realize the impact it is going to have yet...At some point there is not going to be anywhere nearby to deliver, unless its a big University Hosp that can use other resources to supplement the OB side...The scary part is...in just a few short years I think we are going to see that its all going to catch up...and those who had no idea(lay people) how severe of a problem this has become...and then the moms are going to be lined up outside the clinics...and then we are going to have more deliveries in the ER because there was no where else to go nearby...that day is coming...quicker than we think...and trust me...we don't like birthing no babies in the ER...Good luck in finding another job...I hope you are able to find something that you like!

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I am so sorry to hear that your unit is closing. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Please be sure you read the update. The decision to close the unit has been made and the OP will need to find a new job.

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Just because your administrator says you are going to be getting a NICU, doesn't mean it is going to happen any time soon There are so many legalities involved. Is your hospital licensed as a level II or a level III? Can your area handle neonatal intensive care babies? Do you have the staff who are trained for NICU babies? There are so many needs to be met before any hospital can handle something as big as this. It probably would be better for your PR dept to concentrate on how your area can be relied on to care for mother/baby couples to the best of your ablility and the best well-being to them instead of boasting on having a NICU

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