Dear Editor:

In response to the December, 1998, article "Whistleblowing as a Failure of Organizational Ethics," I can't help but add my comments. Three months ago I lost my job as a Department Manager in a regional medical center. Three generations of my family have worked at this medical center.

Approximately three years ago a new Department Director was hired. He had no prior experience in health care; rather he had worked only in manufacturing. He was hired because our VP felt he could market our services and "benefit the bottom line."

During his first year he developed a "management team." I was placed on that team. Early on he began ignoring the fact that our primary purpose was health care delivery. For him the purpose of our department was making money at any price. In staff meetings only marketing, budget and new policies were discussed. Inservices and safety issues were not addressed. He began promising care that he really didn't know anything about and the "team" had to pick up the pieces. In private he even threatened he would fire the doctors if they didn't do things the way he wanted. He said we would have profit sharing in a year if we met or exceeded our financial goal. In contrast, the hospital had an entirely different view of what we could expect, saying we could expect only a cost of living increase. Well, one thing led to another. Soon it seemed that off-colored jokes had become his favorite pastime. He even gave, and encouraged, sexually-suggestive gifts.

I objected to his behavior and when it didn't stop I filed a complaint with the Human Resources Department. Within a week I was called in by one of our VP's; when I told my story, he said, "But, he makes us lots of money." Then the Department Director called me in to tell me I no longer had a job because he just couldn't work with me anymore. My performance evaluations throughout my entire tenure had all been excellent.

I hired an attorney and the hospital proceeded to reply that my behavior was somehow in question because I didn't report the Department Director when his offensive behavior first occurred. Two other employees stepped forward to verify my complaint. One of those two employees is also gone now. No one else was willing to put their job on the line. I didn't have the strength or money to fight this situation in court so I settled for the standard severance pay. When I went in for my severance meeting, the VP of Human Resources told me, even before I had even opened my mouth, that he didn't want to hear my story.

Stories like this seem to be repeating themselves all over the nation. You "stick your neck out" or "whistleblow" and you are the one that is out of a job. Are hospitals providing health care services or are they out only to make money at whatever the costs?

RN, Name withheld upon request.

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