Executives of Catholic Health Initiatives Should Go Undercover in Kearney

According to TV by the Numbers, the premier episode of Undercover Boss was the “biggest new series premier on television since 1987” as well as “the most watched reality series premier ever,” with “38.6 million viewers.” However, certain Kearney residents must be wondering whether the leaders of Catholic Health Initiatives were among that extensive viewing audience.

For several months now, 40 local doctors have been fighting for the right to build a new hospital in Kearney because they are dissatisfied with the administration at Good Samaritan Hospital, a subsidiary of Catholic Health Initiatives. Recently, CHI has made several decisions that have had negative effects on Kearney residents and has put off making decisions that could have a positive impact in Kearney.

According to last October’s Kearney Hub article “Good Samaritan Plan Doesn’t Sway Doctors,” CHI instituted a round of layoffs at Good Samaritan 2 weeks before Christmas, cut nurses’ benefits, shut down the outreach clinic in Ravenna, and closed the privately funded Healthy Living Center. In the current legal debate over whether to postpone building Kearney Regional Medical Center, Kearney cardiologist Sean Denney complained of 35 year old operating rooms, outdated anesthesia equipment that is still in use because CHI has not paid to replace it, and an unfinished renovation that was simply dropped because the company claimed to lack the funds.

Interestingly, CHI announced plans to spend 65 million dollars on renovations and equipment as soon as 40 of their own doctors publicly proclaimed that they plan to build a competing hospital, Kearney Regional Medical Center. Denney, chairman of physician investors of KRM, showed his lack of faith in the CHI reforms by implying that the declared changes will not take place for more than 30 years if they are ever made at all.

Perhaps the corporate leaders of CHI should take a lesson from the owner of Waste Management, Inc and other corporate bosses who have appeared on CBS’s new reality show Undercover Boss. If the bosses at CHI actually come to Kearney and learn about the issues at Good Samaritan, they might decide to do what local doctors are asking: replace outdated equipment, renovate old operating rooms, finish building projects they’ve started, and most importantly, invest more of the money that comes from Kearney back into Kearney. Kearney residents should start writing to the producers of Undercover Boss because national media attention tends to drive corporate bosses toward humanitarian efforts.