No one’s saying much about today’s sudden departure of Irene Chavez as chief executive officer of El Paso's 500-bed Providence Memorial Hospital.
A statement released by the hospital Thursday had her announcing that she would leave today, after exactly one year on the job.
Chavez, 56, one of only a few women in the country to head a major hospital, was promoted to CEO from chief operating officer last August after holding that post for five years.
She has been rising in the ranks at Tenet’s Sierra-Providence Health Network for 13 years.
In Thursday's statement , the network’s president, John Harris, said he will serve as interim CEO of Providence while continuing his work as network president.
Today, the hospital’s public information officers said no more information is available.
Bob Roberts
June 20, 2008
Tenet/Providence is a company of thugs. In 2006 they paid a $900 million settlement in a Medicare fraud investigation at multiple hospitals, including El Paso. More recently, they used reported and unreported campaign contributions to fight our children's hospital. And all this, while getting TAX DOLLARS -- our free money -- for an Eastside hospital they would have built anyway (because the customers are there and there's money to be made). Now they're punishing the community by pulling all their charitable and non-profit funding of area organizations.
When the Eastside hospital opened, everyone cheered and no one told the real story. Like how Tenet/Providence is one of the most expensive hospitals in the nation -- even though the majority of their patients are low income.
Our media has dropped the ball and let us down. NPT's the only media that dared to even report about the contributions. But what about the whole story? The story of a predatory medical care model -- right here in our own backyard. The one that spent millions trying to preserve their monopoly.
Goodbye Irene . . .
David K
June 21, 2008
Oppose certain political factions and they will make sure you lose your job.
We are unfortunately at the mercy of certain politicians who will try to ruin your life if you oppose their policies.
Welcome to the People's Republic of El Paso where dissenters are quieted through any means necessary.
Bob Roberts
June 21, 2008
There's also the story of how Tenet/Providence got a hold of our previously non-profit community hospital in the first place. The story of a small cabal of privateers taking over the Providence board and selling it off in 1995 to Tenet for $130 million in exchange for a do-nothing Paso Del Norte Health Foundation.
Through this whole story, the same names pop up, over and over. Maybe David or Sito can put together the pieces. I agree with David K -- we are the mercy ... not of politicians, but at the mercy of a myopic and cheap business community that sold us out when they sold this hospital.
In fact, dissenters are and always have been punished by those who pull the purse strings (the "Golden Rule"). The king-makers have always lived in the shadows, calling the shots, and keeping everyone in line. If David K doesn't believe it, just look at their recycled candidate, their shiny new PAC . . . and their new radio station (Yes, the one from which David K just got kicked off. You know, to keep him in line.)
Guillermo Gonzalez
June 22, 2008
David K, you need to grow up. First of all, anyone can make vague insinuatoins. Do you think this makes you an incisive political observer? Trust me, it doesn't. So, which "political faction" snapped its fingers and had Irene Chavez dismissed? If you're insinuating that it was the very broad coalition that supported the bond election for the children's hospital at Thomason, your insinuation is ridiculous. If powerful forces were upset about Providence's opposition to the children's hospital, then they wouldn't care about someone at Irene Chavez's level. She was just a functinary. I suspect Irene Chavez got canned, at least in part, because she was in charge of the anti-children's hospital campaign and that campaign failed. The bottom line for corporations like Tenet is the bottom line. So, instead of blaming un-named "political factions," get your head out of your rear-end and face reality.
David K
June 23, 2008
Guillermo Gonzalez,
Thank you for not only making my point, but backing it up with facts. I appreciate your efforts to expose vigilante politicians.
Bob Roberts,
I wasn't kicked off. I still have the option to go back from 6-7. I choose not to.
The people who started the PAC you speak of were in support of the children's hospital. So I guess you didn't get your facts right again.
Bob Roberts
June 23, 2008
Sito/David -- Please don't give DavK the last word on this. Specially since he's so off base. I still can't believe you gave this joker a platform. He gets his facts wrong, he distorts reality, and his pompous about it. This is anathema to what El Paso needed. I have low hopes for our city. When the people you look up to and look to turn you down, I guess it's time to walk away. Screw this.
guillermo gonzalez
June 24, 2008
David K,
Are you trying to be an idiot? Because you're succeeding. I didn't back up your hallucinatory assertion. Irene Chavez was fired because she failed to defeat the children's hospital bond election. The impetus to fire her came from her higher-ups at Tenet and from that source alone. It didn't come from some vague "political faction." The approval of the children's hospital bond election is going to cost Tenet a lot of money. They're pissed. Irene Chavez is the sacrificial lamb. Truly, dude, get your head out of your rear.
guillermo gonzalez
June 24, 2008
David K,
So, when anything bad happens to someone in El Paso, it's that all-powerful "political faction" that is responsible. If someone loses their job, it's that "political faction." If someone is murdered, the family members of the victim should tell the police it's that "political faction" at work again. God, David K, I'm afraid. That "political faction" might snap its fingers and something bad will happen to me. On the other hand, David K, at least I'll know whom to blame if anything bad happens to me. That is a great comfort. Thanks, David K.