RMC refuses to release new budget
Jul 27, 2010 | 1983 views | 3 
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The board briefly looked over financial statements before approving the new budget and moving on to other matters during its regular meeting Monday. The budget was not discussed and there was no mention made about revenue or expenses.
The hospital’s fiscal year ended June 30.
A Star reporter’s request after the meeting for a copy of the new budget from board chairman Anthony Humphries was denied.
“That’s not something we have to file publicly,” Humphries said.
He said due to the competitive nature of the medical industry, there are certain segments of RMC’s budget that the board preferred remained private.
No other reason was given why the board could not release the budget, however, Humphries added that he would work to get The Star some budget information within a week.
RMC is a public hospital and its board is composed entirely of members appointed by government bodies, including several city councils and the Calhoun County Commission. The hospital’s website states that RMC is a non-profit, community-owned hospital.
RMC is a public hospital and local governments appoint all its board members. State law indicates such public institutions adhere to Alabama’s public records laws.
According to Section 41-13-1 of the Alabama Code, “ … public records shall include all written, typed or printed books, papers, letters, documents and maps made or received in pursuance of law by the public officers of the state, counties, municipalities and other subdivisions of government in the transactions of public business and shall also include any record authorized to be made by any law of this state belonging or pertaining to any court of record or any other public record authorized by law or any paper, pleading, exhibit or other writing filed with, in or by any such court, office or officer.”
The hospital denied The Star access to information earlier this year in regards to an incident involving the release of patient information.
Last month, the board reprimanded a doctor who faxed a list of patients’ names to a local law firm in February. The patients were students involved in school bus wreck.
The name of the doctor was not released.
Upon request, The Star received a copy of the fax in March, but with all information on it redacted, including the letterhead. Hospital officials have repeatedly stated the incident did not violate federal law governing patient privacy, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA. However, to date, the hospital has not released information on how the fax did not violate HIPAA law.
While RMC’s current finances are unknown, it is no secret the hospital has been struggling financially for some time due mainly to the sluggish economy.
In January, the hospital laid off 14 upper management employees and enacted wage freezes for all other personnel.
RMC has approximately 1,400 employees, making it the second-largest employer in Calhoun County.
Also during the meeting, the board received a visit from Anniston Councilman Ben Little to discuss the hospital’s hiring practices.
Little had recently requested details on RMC’s hiring practices and on the hospital’s ratio of white employees to black employees.
“I’m not trying to say there is something racist going on … these were just some concerns from my constituency,” Little said. “Looking at the breakdown of employees, it was a concern to me of hiring of blacks in certain areas … there is a great disparity of whites to blacks.”
Details on the ratio of white to black employees were unavailable by deadline of this article.
“I ask for you to just look at the numbers periodically,” Little told the board. “I don’t want to make you mad, but the perception out there is real.”
Humphries said no board members were angry with Little. He added that he was convinced the hospital was doing the right thing in regards to hiring practices and that he and the board welcomed questions and concerns from the public.
Contact staff writer Patrick McCreless at 256-235-3561.
Yes the hospital is financially hurting right now but they do not want the employees to say they are. Many employees have been fired recently and many employees are being harassed, and yes I mean harassed by management and upper management. The employees were told last year that there would not be anymore firings but there has been. There is no trust in the board, the CEO, the higher management staff, the lower management staff and some regular employees.
There is so much sneakiness going on that the employees cannot trust their own co-workers. People that tattle about each other, spy just to make brownie points, such foolishness as that.
I can tell this because I am not employed there (thank God). I do not care what the RMC powers that be think but I can assure you, the employees are afraid to say anything for fear of being reprimanded or being fired. I do know that some employees have found other jobs because of the treatment they have received. It is sad when someone would rather take a lower paying job than to work at a place where they are mistreated. Fortunately some have found much better jobs with better pay. Which brings me to something else. Mr McCormack, the CEO tells the employees that they will always work at RMC. It is thrown up in their face that because of the economy there are no other jobs out there. Obviously he is wrong because others have found jobs elsewhere.
You do not treat people wrong and expect to get away with it. There is no one or anything that is invincible. What goes around, comes around. If people are treated with respect and thanked for doing a good job they will do that job better.
RMC does not respect their employees, maybe a handfull that kiss butts and brown nose, but for the everyday, average, work hard employee, they do not.