We better start being concerned about LRGH's cost structure

To The Daily Sun,

Is anyone in the community at all concerned about the recent front page article, "LRHG lays off 58," in The Laconia Sun?

Over approximately 140 full-time employees have lost their jobs in the past several months, and you can be assured there have been many others before them. These are employees on the front lines of caring for patients and the supportive services that had made LRGH a place you wanted to go for your health care needs. You might want to think twice about that now, because who is actually taking care of you? A licensed professional or a newly hired, inexperienced person?

Does anyone find it interesting that none of those positions are at the extremely top-heavy administrative level? Or that a newly created, unadvertised job of "wellness nurse" was filled by a relative of a hospital officer? What exactly is the goal of that unadvertised position? LRGH already has a community education program to "strengthen the well-being of our community" that, last I counted, offered over 50 wellness programs, and does not have "the wellness nurse" as part of its staff.

We have not read of any layoff that involved personnel pulling in six-figure salaries, or has stopped the continual use of outside management companies to "conduct an intense review of all aspects of operation throughout LRGHealthcare"?

What exactly did the recent interim CEO, who spent a year at LRGH, do in his position? There is a fully staffed Nursing Education department, yet the ER has its own nurse educator, who is part of their leadership team? Is Convenience Care licensed to be in operation under its present structure? And there's a "position review committee" that meets weekly to consider the future of others. Who actually is that committee, more senior managers, the wellness nurse, a consulting firm?

As the community reads in the paper about the treasures being uncovered at the Colonial Theatre, they better start being concerned about uncovering the real reasons that LRGH operating costs are out of control. As the city of Laconia struggles to revitalize its image, does it really want to watch a major employer crumble and former faithful employees lose their jobs, health care benefits and the ability to continue to live and work in this community. I think not.

Theresa Smith

Moultonboro