EMPLOYEES LEFT IN LURCH AS HOSPITAL CLOSES.Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer GRANADA HILLS - The emergency room sign at Granada Hills Community Hospital was wrapped in plastic Tuesday and departments were vacated in preparation for the facility's closure. A federal bankruptcy judge ruled Monday that the hospital was fiscally unfit for business, sending waves of emotion through the 500 employees whose jobs will be lost. Many are still waiting for paychecks due last Friday. Two union representatives stood by the hospital's front desk Tuesday, comforting those nurses who were shocked by the situation and insecure about their job prospects. ``These nurses here could only be described as having grace and dignity,'' said Deanna Ladouceur, acute care director for the Service Employees International Union. The hospital's closure stems from management amassing $18 million in outstanding debt, while losing more than $6 million since filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November. The facility's halls are now vacant and the mood is somber som·ber adj. 1. a. Dark; gloomy. b. Dull or dark in color. 2. a. Melancholy; dismal: a somber mood. b. Serious; grave. , with the exception of one department. ``Zippity Do Dah'' could be heard from behind a closed door at the hospital's Center For Aging Research And Evaluation. Devoted to those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (ăls`hī'mərz, ôls–), degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. and other forms of dementia, CARE has been in operation for more than 15 years. ``From the outside looking in it seems like an average day, but from the inside looking out, it's far from a usual day,'' said Dr. Ronald Ziman, CARE's founder. The program was able to raise about $23,000 last weekend at a fund-raising event. Ziman said he had no idea his fund-raising efforts Noun 1. fund-raising effort - a campaign to raise money for some cause fund-raising campaign, fund-raising drive crusade, campaign, cause, drive, effort, movement - a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported would be confronted with the hospital's closure this week. He and program manager Edna Landsman lands·man 1 n. One who lives and works on land. Noun 1. landsman - a person who lives and works on land landlubber, landman were told Tuesday that the CARE facility will be shut down. ``Before this we were told everything was fine and the hospital was making progress, making its way out of bankruptcy,'' said Ziman, a Northridge-based neurologist Neurologist A doctor who specializes in disorders of the brain and central nervous system. Mentioned in: Cervical Disk Disease neurologist a specialist in neurology. . ``This makes me very sad on one level and very upset on another.'' Ziman and Landsman are now looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a new location. Instead of relaying the news to those who attend the CARE program, Landsman said she has been informing their spouses and parents. ``And we're hopeful we'll find community support,'' she said. ``Our program has not been able to be duplicated by anyone else. We're disappointed by what has happened.'' Landman's not alone. Other employees are questioning how such a financial fiasco could befall be·fall v. be·fell , be·fall·en , be·fall·ing, be·falls v.intr. To come to pass; happen. v.tr. To happen to. See Synonyms at happen. the hospital. Andrea Ofrano's first job in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. was at the 155-bed facility. A resident nurse who specialized in open-heart surgery open-heart surgery Any surgical procedure opening the heart and exposing one or more of its chambers, most often to repair valve disease or correct congenital heart malformations (see congenital heart disease). , Ofrano said she feels victimized. ``There were fraudulent activities going on with the hospital's management,'' she said. ``How could they do this to a family like Granada Hills?'' In a court filing, hospital officials cited several motives for closure including limited operating cash after a $1.4 million loss in a botched botch tr.v. botched, botch·ing, botch·es 1. To ruin through clumsiness. 2. To make or perform clumsily; bungle. 3. To repair or mend clumsily. n. 1. wire fee. Officials said in the filing that they believe Healthcare Resource Specialist Inc., the company hired to help the hospital restructure itself, might have violated the law regarding transfer of the fee. Hospital employees have questioned the administration's management practices in the past. Ofrano said management should be held accountable for the hospital's demise. In an interview late last month, James Doulgeris, former interim president and chief executive officer of Granada Hills, said the hospital's condition was improving, touting touting the making of personal representations by a veterinarian to persons who are not clients in an attempt to solicit their business. new equipment in the emergency room. Doulgeris, an employee of Healthcare Resource Specialist, could not be reached for comment. Evan Pondel, (818) 713-3662 evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Dr. Ronald Ziman and Edna Landsman are looking for a new home for the Center For Aging Research And Evaluation, which will be leaving Granada Hills Community Hospital. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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