Highlands Hospital employees seek meeting with commissioners
Claiming they are facing a reduction in working hours and loss of health-care benefits, Highlands Hospital employees asked the Fayette County commissioners Tuesday to set aside their differences and sit down with its staff to resolve ongoing problems.
“Our behavioral health admissions have been drastically impacted by the awarding of the (Uniontown Hospital) contract,” said Marcy Ozorowski, an employee of Highlands Hospital in Connellsville. “We are here to tell you that employees are having their hours cut and losing their health insurance coverage. The overall effect on the continued lack of admissions will be devastating to our facility and our community.”
In March, Uniontown Hospital signed a contract with Value Behavioral Health (VBH-PA)/HealthChoices Program to provide physical and behavioral health care services for those enrolled in the Medicaid Assistance Program.
Highlands, along with Brownsville General Hospital, previously provided the inpatient psychiatric services, with Highlands being the lone provider since the closure of Brownsville a few years ago.
Ozorowski, along with Karen Blocker, said that they were representing the hospital’s employees, not the administration or hospital board, in requesting the meeting.
Ozorowski said that recent requests made by hospital attorney Daniel W. Rullo for a similar meeting have gone unanswered by the commissioners.
“We would like to know when we can expect to hear that a meeting has been scheduled, or are you waiting for more layoffs to realize how serious this is?” said Ozorowski.
Fayette County Commission Chairman Al Ambrosini said that he welcomes a meeting to end the conflicts that began in July when the county received a letter from Michelle Cunningham, Highlands’ chief executive officer, that alleged the county commissioners played a role in awarding the contract to Uniontown Hospital, which adversely impacted Highlands Hospital.
Ambrosini added that two other meetings have been held and Highlands officials failed to attend.
Ozorowski asked that past actions be put aside.
“Let’s start with a clean slate,” she said. “Let’s put the past behind us and go forward.”
Commissioners Vincent Zapotosky and Angela M. Zimmerlink said that they would attend any scheduled meeting called to discuss the matters.
In her July 13 letter, Cunningham claimed that “an official in the Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration (FCBHA) said they were ‘pressured by the commissioners’ to award the Uniontown contract.'”
Ambrosini said Tuesday that several of Cunningham’s statements were “false and unsubstantiated,” and while Highlands’ employees are seeking to have only the commissioners, Cunningham, hospital board and legal counsel at the meeting, he will insist it be a public meeting and extend the list of who’s invited to others.
“Everyone that was wrongly accused in the (July 13) letter has a right to be present,” said Ambrosini. “And, I want it to be public. I want the public to have the opportunity to learn the truth.”
Ambrosini said that he would request that Lisa Ferris, FCBHA director; Paul Bacharach, Uniontown Hospital president/chief executive officer; both hospital boards and legal counsels; along with other related agencies join the commissioners to discuss the matters.
“This meeting must have all the parties in attendance, including Mrs. Cunningham,” said Ambrosini. “She has made these allegations, so I want to make sure she has all the facts.”
The county and hospital have conducted separate studies with varying conclusions regarding the role of the county in awarding contracts to hospitals to provide the behavioral health services.
Following the meeting Tuesday, Ambrosini said that he would make the meeting a priority.
“I want Highlands Hospital to be successful,” he said. “It is important to Connellsville and Fayette County and all those that work there or seek treatment.”