A Handbook of The Winchester Public Schools (The Handley Schools)
(Judge Handley also left money that constructed the Frederick Douglass school which this author did not share)
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Handbook of The Winchester Public Schools (The Handley Schools)
History on the only endowed public school system in the United States, the John Handley Foundation.
(Judge Handley also left money that constructed the Frederick Douglass school which this author did not share)
(Judge Handley also left money that constructed the Frederick Douglass school which this author did not share)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
No pay increases for Nurses/staff at WMC since 2007?
According to sources inside the Winchester Medical Center, nurses/staff have not received a "cost of living increase" since 2007.
There is some conflicting information whether or not the nurses/staff were promised a pay increase after meeting the Magnet Designation announced back on September 16, 2008 and more recently, another pay increase for the nurses/staff meeting the American Hospital Association requirements.
There is some conflicting information whether or not the nurses/staff were promised a pay increase after meeting the Magnet Designation announced back on September 16, 2008 and more recently, another pay increase for the nurses/staff meeting the American Hospital Association requirements.
The perception is that due to the lack of pay increases is the reason why some nurses who reside in Winchester and Frederick County are leaving the WMC and going across the mountain for better pay.
For the record, The Pub has advocated that the nurses and blue collar workers are under compensated. Reference this link dated October 14, 2009 ...
The “Winchester Medical Center” has been very profitable for years 2000-2008:
| 2000 | $11,917,127 | (per www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2001 | $4,262,944 | (per www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2002 | $25,868,766 | (per www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2003 | $35,113,921 | (per www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2004 | $46,711,931 | (per www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2005 | $54,346,679 | (per IRS990 & www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2006 | $57,422,789 | (per IRS990 & www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2007 | $66,617,961 | (per IRS990 & www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2008 | $9,500,911 | (per IRS990 & www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/VA/Winchester-Medical-Center.html#) | |
| 2009 | N/A |
Maybe the short comings in WMC’s profits in 2008 led to the Valley Health officials in not giving a "cost of living" pay increases for the nurses/staff. Based on these figures above, it's the only thing that seems logical.
But for some WMC and VHS executives, they still received some type of pay increase from 2007 to 2008 and most notable, the former CEO/PRES compensation package increases.
But for some WMC and VHS executives, they still received some type of pay increase from 2007 to 2008 and most notable, the former CEO/PRES compensation package increases.
Valley Health System's Top Salaries and Top Contractors
For the record, there has been no rebuttal featured in the Winchester Star toward Mrs. Luttrell's commentary since it appeared in print on January 17, 2009.
Short of nurses
I am writing this letter concerning the Jan. 10 article in The Star headlined “Nonprofit paradox.” I understand the “pie” Valley Health community benefit. I understand the hospital is a nonprofit hospital. But the Winchester Medical Center is very short of nurses.
Several times when my husband has been a patient, I overhear in the hallways, “We are short this shift.” There has been one nurse at a time on a floor to handle 12 rooms. That is one reason, as a care-giver, I stay 24/7.
The point I am getting to is the CEO and administrators whose salaries were posted in the paper could take a lesser pay and see that the money goes to the nursing income. This would make it more inviting to the nursing community to nurse there.
I know of several nurses who are leaving the area because of the pay. These people who get these big salaries have only a medical back ground in books. They are not like the nurses who take care of patients to see they are well. They are short-paid!
I think this “nonprofit” hospital needs to reline its incomes to help the community get more nurses and pay them well enough to want to stay here.
I am not saying my husband did not get good care, because he did. But I was with him 24/7 during his stay. I welcome any response to this letter. If I am wrong, please do not hesitate to answer.
FRANCES LUTTRELL Frederick County
January 17, 2009
Winchester Star's Letter to Editor
I am writing this letter concerning the Jan. 10 article in The Star headlined “Nonprofit paradox.” I understand the “pie” Valley Health community benefit. I understand the hospital is a nonprofit hospital. But the Winchester Medical Center is very short of nurses.
Several times when my husband has been a patient, I overhear in the hallways, “We are short this shift.” There has been one nurse at a time on a floor to handle 12 rooms. That is one reason, as a care-giver, I stay 24/7.
The point I am getting to is the CEO and administrators whose salaries were posted in the paper could take a lesser pay and see that the money goes to the nursing income. This would make it more inviting to the nursing community to nurse there.
I know of several nurses who are leaving the area because of the pay. These people who get these big salaries have only a medical back ground in books. They are not like the nurses who take care of patients to see they are well. They are short-paid!
I think this “nonprofit” hospital needs to reline its incomes to help the community get more nurses and pay them well enough to want to stay here.
I am not saying my husband did not get good care, because he did. But I was with him 24/7 during his stay. I welcome any response to this letter. If I am wrong, please do not hesitate to answer.
FRANCES LUTTRELL Frederick County
January 17, 2009
Winchester Star's Letter to Editor
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Breaking down VHS's 2008 Community Benefit figure of $58,349,282
Does the majority of the local citizenry even understand the meaning of this huge "community benefit" number?
To get a better understanding how the Valley Health System's 2008 $58,349,282 regional community benefit was derived, the following Schedule H's for WMC, Hampshire Mem'l and Warren Mem'l Hospitals will help to break it down per hospital.
Warren Memorial Hospital, 2008 Schedule H Community Benefit breakdown
Hampshire Memorial Hospital, 2008 Schedule H
Winchester Medical Center, 2008 Schedule H
Valley Health's 2009 Community Benefit Report
The 2009 Community Benefit report featured in the Winchester Star did not have a line that read "Excess of Revenue over Expenses (Profit)". Valley Health Systems profits for 2004-2007 were as follows: $42,613,000; $53,800,000; $59,432,000; $62,803,000 and a loss of $42,000 in 2008. Valley Health Systems had a five year profit total of $218,606,000 from 2004-2008 per information shared by a VHS official in December of 2009.
The perception is that VHS is taking huge profits made locally in Winchester and spending on an average of $30-35million for new hospitals in Page County, Romney, WV and Berkeley Springs, WV while previously enjoying the tax break perks from the City of Winchester. Is this fair to the local taxpayers?
Will these much smaller regional hospitals just become medical bus stops for the Winchester Medical Center campus?
Please note ... Page Mem'l and Shenandoah Mem'l IRS990 did not provide a Schedule H in 2008. The Winchester Surgi-Center was not part of VHS until March 1, 2010. The 2009 IRS990's are not yet available to breakdown Valley Health's total community benefit of $71.3 million.
Valley Health's statement on the regional communities that it serves:
WMC provides a range of services for its communities which includes clinics and support programs.
All of these items give patients access to leading edge technology and state of the art service, and to experience high quality patient care that is close to where they live.
These activities are overseen by WMC's BOD's, comprised mainly of independent community members.
The population has increased from the previous year from 951,209 to 959,447 in 2008.
The female population for 2007 was 479,624 and the male population was 471,585 in 2007.
The population numbers for 2008 show that females increased to 483,523 and the male population increased to 475,924 for 2008.
The regional community that VH serves is widely diverse. The regional community racial ethnic breakdown in the communities served by VH is as follows: 84.2% White, 4.8% Black, 1.7% Asian, 1.5% Multiracial, 1.2% other, 0.2% Native American and 3.3% Hispanic for 2008.
The total population per race or ethnicity increased significantly from 2007. Give the general location of facilities, WMC serves several migrant worker communities during harvesting of crops for the local farmers.
There is also an aging population that WMC serves with several of its communities. As the baby boomers grow older, more and more medical care will be needed and provided by WMC.
WVU-H East offers more than ‘bus stop’
September 27, 2009 - By Albert Pilkington III, president and CEO, WVU Hospitals-East, Martinsburg
Valley Health has spent a lot of money and time to develop a PR campaign aimed at discrediting our interest in providing health care for the citizens of Morgan County. Beyond all the rhetoric, I ask you to simply consider one basic concept. Do you want a hospital in Berkeley Springs or a medical bus stop for Valley Health?
Ultimately, that is the real question. Our approach will be the same as it has been in Jefferson County in that we believe in building and growing services within the community as opposed to the Valley Health model of using small hospitals as a feeding system for the big hospital in Winchester, Va.
If you are satisfied with driving to Winchester for the majority of your medical needs as if Berkeley Springs were a suburb of Winchester, then we are not your best choice. On the other hand, if you are interested in the development of your own unique community with services provided locally, then that is the approach we offer for health care.
Truly, beyond all the PR and rhetoric, this is the only real question at hand as both companies will give you a new building.
VHS hospitals profit/losses for 2006, 2007 and 2008
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Total: | ||
| Warren Mem'l | 2,680,781 | 2,245,851 | -1,222,867 | 3,703,765 | |
| Winchester Medical Center | 57,422,678 | 66,617,963 | 9,500,911 | 133,541,552 | |
| Shenandoah Mem'l | 3,933,230 | 1,933,193 | 1,689,374 | 7,555,797 | |
| Valley Health (Corp. Mgmt) | -7,559,599 | -9,210,808 | -9,725,512 | -26,495,919 | |
| Figures obtained via IRS990's | |||||
| VHS purchased Page Memorial | |||||
| effective 1/1/2009 | 433,956 | 331,956 | -367,694 | 398,218 |
Thursday, September 30, 2010
WMC's exemption by classification position / Code of VA - 58.1 Taxation - Ch. 36 Tax Exempt Property
Mr. Merrill says, "We still feel firmly that we meet the exemption by classification and are eager to find out how the commissioner came to her conclusion that we do not meet that definition of exempt by classification. Once we have that information we then will look at what our options may be. An appeal or what other recourse we may have."
Code of Virginia - Title 58.1 Taxation - Chapter 36 Tax Exempt Property
58.1-3603 Exemptions not applicable when building is source of revenue
58.1-3605 Triennial application for exemption; removal by local governing body
58.1-3606 Property exempt from taxation by classification
58.1-3650 Post-1971 property exempt from taxation by designation
58.1-3651 Property exempt from taxation by classification or designation by ordinance adopted by local govern...