Commissioner Brinn, Still Drinking Vidant's Cool Aid; Yum Yum | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Commissioner Stan Deatherage took issue with Vidant shutting down the Psych Ward at the Beaufort County Hospital. He made it an agenda item and requested that Vidant appear at the October meeting to justify their decision. The gang of five, who are true believers in Vidant's infallibility, objected.

    It was embarrassing to sit and listen to Gary Brinn explain to Commissioner Deatherage, in a manner as if he were addressing a child, that all Commissioner Deatherage had to do was to call Harvey Case, Vidant's man about Washington, and Mr. Case would explain to Deatherage why he closed the Psych Ward. It was nauseating to see the four Vidant stooges nod in agreement as Brinn made a fool out of himself.

    The gang of five completely forgot they are supposed to enforce Beaufort County's contract with Vident. Instead they, again, proved they have no intention of looking after the tax payers' interests.

    These five commissioners have supported Vidant's behavior, while Vidant has removed medical business, services and practices from Beaufort County. The loss of the Belhaven Hospital cost us 25 million dollars and 100 jobs. We gave Vidant a hospital business that was taking in seventy million dollars each yea - the Beaufort County Hospital. These business and financial geniuses (the gang of five) have cost us easily one hundred million dollars. This is the same group that refused to require Vidant to repay us $350,000 that Vidant owed us. They refuse to enforce Vidant's contract with Beaufort County. There is no better example of elected officials selling out their citizens.

    In fairness, I must admit that these commissioners had help from the Washington/Beaufort Chamber of Commerce. Has anyone noticed that all these chambers of commerce, right up to the National Chamber, have become extremely liberal. They no longer support business. They support socialism.

    These are the commissioners, with Brinn as Chairman of the Board, who secretly hired lawyers to break the county hospital board that could have kept Vidant honest. They raided the trust fund, took the 3.5 million dollars and have now spent that.

    They gleefully thank Vidant for the new emergency room. They think Vidant paid for it. The simple truth is Vidant did not build the new emergency room within the time frame set out in their contract. You paid for it. Vidant waited several years while they collected your money to pay for it.

    Vidant promised to continue to provide all the services provided by the Beaufort County Hospital when Vidant took possession. They promised to run the Belhaven hospital indefinitely. The pattern is the same. With Vidant keeping the books and providing the management, they said the Belhven Hospital and the Psych Ward were losing money and must be closed.

    Vidant loaded Belhaven with expense. One example is they applied most of the Washington/Belhaven administrators $300,000 salary to Belhaven. They did nothing to improve conditions at Belhaven, said it was losing money and closed it. It was their bad management that closed it.

    Vidant claims the psych center, at the Beaufort County hospital, was closed because it was losing money. Until two years ago, according to press reports, the psych center was leased to a third party company. All Vidant did was collect rent. How can you loose money on that deal? Two years ago that lease either ended or was cancelled according to newspaper articles. Vidant became the operator of the psych unit. Guess what, under their management the unit was closed. With Vidant managing and Vidant keeping the books anything can happen.

    Vidant screams for single payer and or expanded Medicaid. There is a reason. They believe the "Federal Socialists" will not allow them to go broke. Most poorly managed companies are looking for guaranteed payments from a big brother. With Trump in office, and a possible swing away from socialism, non profits like Vidant may be on the extinct business list. They could go extinct before the coal and oil companies.

    I argue that companies that make a profit are safer, provide better service at a lower cost and are less corrupt than non profits. Vidant operates similar to a Ponzi scheme. They are trying to collect money faster than their bills come due. All businesses that do that eventually get to the point they cannot pay their bills.

    Vidant claims to have an 800 million dollar surplus. But, Vidant is keeping those books.

    Vidant's lack of business skill stands out when you realize their plea for more MEDICAID is a plea for more business that loses money. MEDICAID pays less for medical services than any other payer.

    It is only a matter of time. Cool Aid for everyone.