Wenatchee: Healthcare Hell (#2, 2008); One Nurse's Story

Suzie once worked in Seattle, WA at Children's Hospital. She was a nurse with high qualifications and excellent recommendations before she moved to Wenatchee, WA. She found her first place of employment in this area, at the Central Washington Hospital. She was received warmly and had high marks on her reviews. However, while there, Suzie became concerned with the equipment and procedures in place in the intensive care Prenatal unit. This was her specialty unit and she had experience in Seattle she felt could benefit CWH. Some of the conditions were unacceptable, she believed, and put the preemies at unnecessary risk. So she spoke up.

Suzie thought it through carefully. She was sure the hospital would appreciate the suggestions and feedback and it wouldn't have taken much to make the appropriate changes. Instead, Suzie's concerns put her on the "troublemaker" list. The hospital didn't appreciate being told they were doing something wrong or could correct the problem. Suzie persisted, keeping the lives of the preemies in mind, and thinking often of the parents of the life endangered babies. This only made things worse. Suzie started getting reviews which were unfavorable. When Suzie questioned this, as nothing had changed in her work ethic, she was cut short. Shortly thereafter, Suzie was fired.

Suzie was already living in Wenatchee so she figured she could find a job at another clinic. She applied to the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and they wouldn't accept her. They hired people who had fewer qualifications and experience but left her out. She also tried to find employment with Columbia Valley Community Center and was out of luck. She found out, among the whispers, that she had been blacklisted and would be unable to find employment as a nurse, of any kind, at a medical facility. Instead of fighting this, or hiring an attorney, Suzie took a job at the local Wenatchee library, as a children's librarian.

I met her there, where she witnessed my son's first early attempts to climb stairs and walk. He was very young and as we began to talk, she told me her story.

Then, one day I wanted to get in touch and asked someone to pass a message to Suzie. The librarian knew a doctor in town that I had problems with. I mentioned Suzie's unfortunate problems, in brief, to this librarian, and the next thing I knew, Suzie was no longer working there. She may have quit. I don't know. But I haven't been in touch since, though Suzie and I discussed the town's politics a number of times--maybe on 5 different occasions. She gave me her number and I lost it.

Suzie, if you're out there, look me up. I think you need to hire a lawyer, but no one in this town will take your case. It's common knowledge that to fight the medical professionals here, one must hire a lawyer from the Seattle area. Lawyers here are too tied in to the community.

That's the true story of one nurse who wanted to make a difference in Wenatchee. And that's the treatment she received. She cared about the lives of babies, not politics, and in return for her efforts to recommend improvements, she was written up, fired, and blacklisted. All the other clinics joined in the effort to block her from finding employment in the medical field in this area. Suzie told me she watched babies die or develop problems that could have been prevented. She cared about those who suffered and she had years of professional experience from a renowned hospital that specialized in children. But the bottom line of CWH was cost, politics, and ego. They didn't want to be told they were doing something wrong and punished her for it.

Good luck Suzie. I wish I could talk to you again for the specifics of the changes you had recommended. I think others in the community would like to hear about it too. I hope you find your talents put to good use and are rewarded, in the long-run, for being conscientous.

Blacklisting and retaliation happens everywhere. But it is far too easy and common in this town. The lawyers here have not been able to keep this town in check and are married and intermarried, and otherwise connected to the doctors and medical professionals in this town. There are really only 3 kinds of professionals here: PUD employees, healthcare employees, and lawyers. They stick together. Someone from out of the area, whether lawyers or a supervisory agency, should take a closer look.

There is more to share, but this is all for now. I've realized I cannot delay in writing any longer, as I have recently learned about (discovered) extreme attempts which have been made to prevent me from writing anything at all. Let me tell you one thing...I will never take another pill from anyone in this area again.