Provide names of other journalists involved.
none
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
May 20 2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
This past year has been extremely challenging for financially fragile New York City community hospitals: three are bankrupt, and others are scrutinizing mergers and alliances that may help them avoid that fate. Most hospital executives blame their financial woes on the low reimbursement rates for Medicaid and Medicare and a large volume of uninsured patients. This article chronicles a different story line– tales of mismanagement, ineffective boards of trustees, and exceptionally poor judgment. The board of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center brought in a new CEO, Ramon Rodriguez, in late 2011 to save the debt-ridden Brooklyn hospital. He immediately caused a major stir, not least because he fired nine doctors, replaced half the board and fought the Cuomo administration’s efforts to merge the hospital with two other Brooklyn institutions. In a profile that captures the florid personality of Mr. Rodriguez and the difficult health care scene in Brooklyn, Crain’s health editor Barbara Benson explains why New York hospitals are hemorrhaging money and why fixing the system is proving to be so difficult. Her Wyckoff story details the derailing of a potential merger deal that could save the hospital from financial ruin, and Mr. Rodriguez’s depression and penchant for penning outrageous emails that blast his own board and top doctors. Financially troubled hospitals aren’t victims of low reimbursement rates alone. Their fiscal health is equally vulnerable to human error, as this article illustrates.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The article on Wyckoff Heights hospital would never have been written if not for health editor Barbara Benson’s reputation in New York’s health care industry. She writes a daily newsletter, the Pulse, that is considered a must-read among industry insiders. As a result, she has the trust of sources who are willing to pass on internal communications and documents. Insiders at Wyckoff Heights hospital entrusted her with private emails between the new CEO and board members. There is no defensible way for a hospital to insist all is well when there is a paper trail of venomous communications among top officials.
Explain types of human sources used.
Most hospital CEOs would shy away from agreeing to be interviewed for a profile and photographed, given the high probability in this case that the profile will not be flattering. But Mr. Rodriguez is an unusual character. We talked at length. As a health care reporter, I draw a line between being a journalist and a patient. I don’t talk about personal medical information with sources. But I made an exception in reporting this story: the hospital CEO and I both have sons on the autistic spectrum. I think that shared experience prompted my subject to open up, and revealed a side of him that readers would not have seen otherwise.
Results:
Wyckoff Heights hospital still has not agreed to merge with two other facilities, Interfaith Medical Center and Brooklyn Hospital. As a result, on Dec. 2, Interfaith filed for bankruptcy. The stories on Wyckoff Heights hospital were included as exhibits in a lawsuit filed in October 2012 by a former doctor and board member fired by Mr. Rodriguez. The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that Mr. Rodriguez slandered the doctor.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
There is no substitute for having a reputation in the industry for reporting fair health care stories. That reputation will draw key sources who have inside knowledge of a subject. Sources feel passionate about health care because at its best, good health care saves lives. At its worse, health care can attract frauds and opportunists, and sources are eager to turn to journalists to identify the bad players. As journalists, once we tackle tough subjects, subsequent stories almost seem to write themselves — with the help of excellent sources.