If life’s events could be compared to a baseball game, then, in Hot Springs, Virginia, one of the most bizarre first innings just wrapped up.
The score is tied, zero to zero, yet both teams are claiming victory as the home team’s star player is stranded on third base and the visiting team boasts about how much progress has been made.
The ball game being played on the field of Bath Community Hospital almost matches the excitement of the recent World Series.
For the visiting team, Team Troast, you have a roster of team manager’s who are so out-of-touch that think they own the team. With an arrogance only matched by the design team that built the Titanic, Team Troast has positioned itself as the team-of-choice for the one-percenters.
Unwilling to get their hands dirty in the day-to-day world, they brought in a coach, Jason Paret, to develop the team.
In the stands are the citizens of Bath County, some of which are acting like they’ve never seen a ballgame played in the big leagues. They don’t understand that this isn’t Little League where pint-sized players slug it out for bragging rights and still, everyone goes home friends at the end of the day.
Welcome to the majors.
The Recorder
Recently, the region’s newspaper, The Recorder, had a front page story, “Dr. Redington Reinstate at Hospital.”
According to the item, Dr. Jim Redington, star player for the home team, was reinstated to his position by the Bath Community Hospital Board of Directors.
The reinstatement came following mediation; a move that was only reluctantly agreed to by Team Troast after the latter’s attorney managed to convince the board that it had next to zero chance of being victorious in a lawsuit brought by Redington against the hospital and several of the board members.
The board’s first attorney, Victoria Willis, affirmative action on high heels, was given the opportunity to seek mediation. Understanding that mediation would mean the end of those glorious billable hours, Willis turned her powdered nose in the air and said, “No way.”
Knowing this was a pissing contest that had loser written all over it, Willis’ employer, maneuvered to get her out of the picture by making sure a judgeship was handed to her.
With a new firm — and a new attorney — representing them, the board figured they’d rather have Redington inside the tent pissing out instead of outside, pissing in, and the board agreed to mediation.
Bullshit Detector
In reading the article in The Recorder, my bullshit detector went into overdrive as I read the statement which was released following mediation.
What appears to have Team Redington cheering as though they just won a shut-out, is this two-sentence statement,
“Additionally, Bath Community Hospital plans to review its bylaws and board of directors policies to evaluate additional community representation. Both Bath Community Hospital and Dr. Redington appreciate the community’s interest and support in recent months and hope our fellow community members, friends and neighbors will be equally enthusiastic in their support for this joint resolution of the issues.”
Everyone seems to be fooled by the double-talk in these two sentences and the fans are going wild in the stands. Here’s the problem with the statement:
1. “…Bath Community Hospital plans to review….”
So what? A review of the policies doesn’t change the policies. I review the news everyone morning when I sit on the balcony with my cup of coffee and cigarette. I review the news, but I don’t change the news.
A review doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t even open the door to change anything. It’s a typical one-percenter way of saying, “OK, we screwed up, now we’re going to pretend to do something of substance in the hopes that people will calm down and think we really “Care about the community.”
2. “…evaluate additionally community representation.”
Again, a big ‘so-what?” In plain English the board still has not promised anything of substance. They’re only saying they’ll take a look at the idea of community representation on the board. Again, no concrete promises, just vague, abstract promises to “review” and “evaluate.”
Translated, the board is telling the home team, aka ‘Concerned Citizens,’ “Up yours.”
3. “Both Bath Community Hospital….appreciate the community’s interest and support…”
Mmmm…What about the board. Did you notice that nowhere in the sentences does it say the board appreciates the community’s interest? Basically, Team Troast wants to keep the fans in the stand with no input into saying how the ball field is managed.
Failed Inspection
Throughout the modern history of baseball, whenever a coach has had a losing season, he blames it on the players. If you’re old enough to remember the long-running George Steinbrenner/Billy Martin feud of the Yankees, you’ll know the dynamics going on. If you’re not old enough, be resourceful and look it up.
The ballgame in Hot Springs is no different than Billy Martin blaming the players.
According to the same article in The Recorder, “…Following a federal inspection earlier this year, the hospital was cited for policy violations of federal law…”
Under Coach Paret, federal inspectors weren’t happy with the way the hospital had set up some policies and procedures. Taken to the woodshed by the feds, Coach Paret, pointed at Redington and mounted a classic it’s-not-my-fault defense that has been heard between siblings since Cain and Abel. “He made me do it.”
Then, according to the lawsuit filed by Redington, Paret tried to rally the rest of the kiddies on the board by sharing some gossip, half-truths and outright lies about the doctor.
Church Time
On a Facebook page, set up to rally the citizens, it almost sounds like church.
With shouts of Hallelujah spiraling over the chorus of Amen, a person would think that Redington just hit a grand slam to bring the home town to the top of the scoreboard.
The fans in the stands don’t seem to realize that nothing has changed, other than a promise to re-instate Redington.
The remainder of the docs who tendered their resignation have not had their situation addressed. The board hasn’t made any statements of substance that will bring long-lasting change to the way the small hospital is ran. Paret is enjoying a paid vacation over the holidays and the board of directors has bought themselves one month of peace and quiet to try to formulate a winning game plan.
The ball game in Hot Springs, Virginia isn’t over.
Redington is stranded at third base and Team Troast is coming up to bat.
It will be interesting to see what the fans, aka Concerned Citizens, do now that they have to take the field.
Jerry Nelson, a Hot Springs, Virginia, native, is an internationally known photojournalist whose niche is social justice issues. From mountain-top removal in West Virginia to the disappearing rainforest in the Amazon to the aborigines in Australia, Nelson has turned his camera -- and pen -- on social justice issues that fly under the radar of mainstream media.
When he's not traveling, Nelson lives in Buenos Aires with his beautiful Argentine wife, Alejandra, and their cat, Tommy, while he sits on the balcony trying to figure out a way to move back home to Hot Springs, Virginia.