What's messing with your Groove?

[wiggin]

My sister is the chief of staff (read: head doctor) of a midsize government run hospital. She's one of the youngest COS' in the entire system and has been pushing hard to make the hospital improve its already good quality of patient care and healthcare outcomes. She was fresh on the job when the pandemic hit and earned her boss' accolades for anticipating needs and managing through a very challenging period.

A few days ago, a nurse on her staff who is unvaccinated came to work multiple days in a row with symptoms (obviously, this is expressly against the rules). The nurse since has been diagnosed with Covid, which she gave to dozens of patients and staff, leading to at least one death and lots of delayed/interrupted care. As you can imagine, my sister was furious at the senseless waste of it all. After handling the immediate ramifications of the outbreak, she wrote a strongly worded memo the hospital staff, emphasizing the importance of adhering to Covid guidelines and conveying her disappointment with how the hospital as a whole failed these patients.

The memo was leaked to the press.

You know what the response of her superiors has been? They've been uniformly pissed at her for sending the memo, because the optics of it look bad and make it appear as if the government organization running the hospital is doing a bad job. Someone much higher on the bureaucracy totem pole was testifying to Congress soon and it sounded like this might come up. So, instead of the organization sharing her concern and working to ensure that patient safety and quality of care is paramount (and figure out how to get everyone to agree to get vaccinated), they are crucifying her for daring to raise this issue with the staff.

She's ready to quit, which would mean that an incredibly passionate and talented physician would be hounded out of an important role because of ass covering bureaucrats.

So... now she is attending a meeting with her bosses and the two senator's staff to talk about statewide Covid protocols in this hospital system, and is getting a lot of criticism from various bosses several levels above her. (As if senators have any useful input into public health.)

But you know what's crazy? At the same time as this whole mess, the head chief of staff in the national system invited my sister to speak to all of this organization's chiefs of staff in the entire country, including the full text of her email, with her being held up as a model for how to address these kinds of issues. And some of the national leadership thinks she did a great job implementing their big system-wide risk reduction strategy in this case.

It's literally Jekyll and Hyde, with half of the system (fortunately, the right half) thinking she's the bee's knees, and the other half having an aneurysm about the potential PR problem.

[Flixy]

It's a sad state of affairs when a hospital telling employees not to infect coworkers and patients is seen as a bad thing.

[Aimless]

It's a sad state of affairs when a hospital telling employees not to infect coworkers and patients is seen as a bad thing.

It's the US. An email that can be construed as the hospital admitting it was responsible for a stupid and reckless oversight—an acknowledgement of gross and harmful negligence—that caused death and disability is obv gonna send some people into a panic over the prospect of lawsuits. Govt-run institutions have some protections that private institutions might not have, but it'd still be a shitstorm. But that's no excuse for treating an objectively competent and caring leader—who has acted correctly throughout this crisis—like shit.

[Steely Glint]

"Why should you face a lawsuit for a policy violation someone else... noticed? You don't need fixing procedures and better training, you need need retaliating against whistle-blowers"

[Aimless]

"Why should you face a lawsuit for a policy violation someone else... noticed? You don't need fixing procedures and better training, you need need retaliating against whistle-blowers"

this is the way

[wiggin]

"Why should you face a lawsuit for a policy violation someone else... noticed? You don't need fixing procedures and better training, you need need retaliating against whistle-blowers"

I doubt there's a liability concern since this is the federal government. The concern is much more nebulous - essentially the cabinet member in charge of this agency will face questioning and criticism over any 'scandal', irrespective of whether the hospital leadership and staff did their jobs well. The maddening thing is that people weren't worried about the staff member who caused this whole mess, but that the email addressing the issue got into the press.

[Flixy]

But if you don't address it, it will keep happening.

[Ominous Gamer]

But if you don't address it, it will keep happening.

Issue isn't that it was addressed, the issue is that it was documented. Middle management hates having their shortcomings aired like that. Regardless of how warranted it is.

[Steely Glint]

But if you don't address it, it will keep happening.

Welcome to... *gestures at all of politics, business, power generally*

[Hazir]

That comes close the truth, but the issue is that rather than address the issue as a personal matter, or a formal restatement of policy by the e-mail it was made into one in which systemic failure was implied. Nobody politically accountable likes to be surprised with systemic failure being exposed without as much as a heads up.

Also, how was it possible at for this woman to have such disregard for the rules? Is there no management that should have told her to stay away after repremanding her for breaking the rules?

[wiggin]

Issue isn't that it was addressed, the issue is that it was documented. Middle management hates having their shortcomings aired like that. Regardless of how warranted it is.

That comes close the truth, but the issue is that rather than address the issue as a personal matter, or a formal restatement of policy by the e-mail it was made into one in which systemic failure was implied. Nobody politically accountable likes to be surprised with systemic failure being exposed without as much as a heads up.

Also, how was it possible at for this woman to have such disregard for the rules? Is there no management that should have told her to stay away after repremanding her for breaking the rules?

So, while you're both right that this is how large bureaucratic organizations work, the reality is that this organization is intentionally trying to model itself on 'high reliability organization' principles, which are supposed to foster a 'preoccupation with failure', a culture of high accountability, and extraordinary organization wide responsibility for reducing risks and avoiding accidents. It's a rather noble aspiration for a healthcare environment (and a challenging one), but to have bureaucrats upset when the very risk management tenets they espouse are used to address a problem... that's pretty rich.

Re: the offending nurse, I can't speak to her specific situation but all sorts of people come to work sick despite public health messaging to the contrary - maybe for economic reasons, maybe because they are oblivious, maybe because hey don't believe the restrictions are appropriate. It's not always obvious to managers when someone is symptomatic - they rely on the honor system, which was violated in this case.

As to why she was allowed to work in a healthcare setting without being vaccinated, the mandates were just coming in force and it's very difficult to fire government employees. Add on the dearth of healthcare staffing and organizations are doing their best to cajole and encourage and incentivize rather than wield the big firing stick. Certainly in my state the major healthcare groups have ended up firing hundreds of employees for failing to comply with a mandate; but those were frankly employees they couldn't afford to lose.

[Flixy]

For the last week I've been called multiple times a day by different numbers trying to scam me or something and I'm starting to get really annoyed by it.

[Hazir]

For the last week I've been called multiple times a day by different numbers trying to scab me or something and I'm starting to get really annoyed by it.

Vodafone seems to do screening on those types of numbers. Recently I automatically get the option of adding suspect numbers to my block list.

[Flixy]

Cool, didn't know that. I'm at kpn, not sure if they have that. I reported it anyway, so if they do I think they'll let me knew.

[Ominous Gamer]

log4shell is being blamed for the ransomware attack on Kronos, a huge time keeping and payroll company used all over the country. Including by my employer.

I just got an email explaining that they are still trying to find a way to get our paychecks out before the end of the year.

So far work was admitted that they've lost everything back to at least the 5th. So thats a ton of paperwork we have to do by Monday if they want to try and get paychecks out before christmas. They won't say if direct deposit is going to happen. Earliest timeline for digital time keeping is "sometime in the new year".

Kronos is also being mum about what information might be at risk, which is a dick move when you're dealing with people's bank accounts.

[wiggin]

Shopping for condo insurance is the most infuriatingly opaque process.

[Flixy]

Day before Christmas and I started getting a runny nose, sneezing and coughing. Self test was negative but still not sure if I should go to my parents tonight, also since my grandma will be there..

[wiggin]

My daughter has a breakthrough Covid infection - probably acquired from school, which had a spate of cases last week. Which, on the face of it, isn't terrible - her symptoms are super mild (likely due to vaccination and age) and she's off school until January anyways. Of course, we're also scheduled to move this week, and my unvaccinated son needs to isolate from both his sister and the public for over a week. My in-laws, who had traveled here to spend the week with their grandkids while my wife and I handled the move, are instead dealing with the move while my wife and I divide and conquer with our kids and try to coordinate everything remotely. It's only been about 2 days and my son is already getting cranky about being isolated...

It's going to be a fun week.

[GGT]

Sorry to hear that wiggin

My son's roommate got covid after a job stint in Puerto Rico. He's still sick with flu-like symptoms 2 weeks into his infection. My son got PCR tested right away but didn't get results for over a week, so it totally messed up our family's holiday plans.

I found some OTC antigen tests at Walgreen's last week before they sold out, bought 6 sets (at $24 each!) and mailed him 2, but it was too late to make a difference. Thankfully, the kits aren't on the "NOT approved by the FDA for Emergency Use" list or I'd be even more angry and frustrated. (I tried asking the pharmacy staff but they had no idea what they were selling )

I was especially sad to learn that my sister's in-law family hadn't "gotten around" to boosting their 91 yr old matriarch AND had invited several people outside the family (who had traveled extensively since November) for cocktails and dinner.

[Hazir]

I am trying to get my boostershot registered. Which is harder than it should be because I got it in Istanbul. Which meant biontech was used and it's registered according to the EU system rules. If I had had all of my shots in Turkey that would have gotten me a EU wide travel code. As. Things stand I may have to get a 4th shot in a month or so just to be able to show that i have had the third one

[Dreadnaught]

Third shot put me in the hospital. The ER doctor has seen this a bit and basically reminded me that we've never tried just vaccinating people over and over again; sometimes you don't get the immune response we want

Not an anti-vax post at all and I know you were joking, just...be careful

[Hazir]

Third shot put me in the hospital. The ER doctor has seen this a bit and basically reminded me that we've never tried just vaccinating people over and over again; sometimes you don't get the immune response we want

Not an anti-vax post at all and I know you were joking, just...be careful

Thing is that I am not entirely joking. I really had a hard time getting into the cinema yesterday as the lack of proper registration didn't get me a working Turkish QR code any longer. I may have to spend tomorrow in the bowels of the Turkish bureaucracy to get my Dutch shots registered.

[wiggin]

Lead abatement is expensive.

[Aimless]

My wife was denied her booster because they said it hadn't gone 5 months yet since her second dose (it was 150 days, and the latest available day+slot). As a result, she'll now get her booster in just over two weeks' time, she'll be exposed to much greater risk, the county will use two vaccination slots instead of one... and I'm pretty sure they'll toss the unused dose.

[Hazir]

I decided to get an additional shot (pfizer) for the simple reason that registration of the third shot turns out to be impossible and to travel without this proof is becoming increasingly difficult. Last week I had to take two tests in order to get on two flights only 3 days apart. For the simple reason I was redlisted as 'unvaccinated'

[Loki]

Is this future you?

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/...his-joint-pain

[wiggin]

https://www.wcvb.com/amp/article/ext...-2022/38859249

I had a bunch of friends at the synagogue in question. That's not concerning or anything.

[Wraith]

Is this future you?

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/...his-joint-pain

That's a lot of microchips in just one person.

[GGT]

Third shot put me in the hospital. The ER doctor has seen this a bit and basically reminded me that we've never tried just vaccinating people over and over again; sometimes you don't get the immune response we want

Please clarify: did the booster land you in the ER with symptoms of allergic anaphylaxis, or myocarditis, or something else? Were you treated and released, or admitted for inpatient care?

edit: hope you're okay and doing well

Lead abatement is expensive.

Yep, especially if you're a new homeowner "responsible" for all the costs to replace lead water pipes, or painted lead surfaces. Every new home buyer should be checking state laws before signing a mortgage contract. Some states are better than others in requiring testing, and disclosure statements from sellers, or lenders, or water authorities, and sharing the cost burden.

Radon and asbestos mitigation can also be pricey. But you'd only know that if testing for those things is required in the first place.

[Ominous Gamer]

Temperatures got down below freezing over the weekend so my library's HVAC heater turned on for the first time and proceeded to catch fire and possibly burn down part of our new building. Waiting on word from the walk through this morning.

Another win for lowest bid contracts.