Cornyn fundraiser taking some heat in Harlingen

Texmex is reporting things are getting a little ugly down in Harlingen, Texas.

What we have is a CEO of Valley Baptist Health System, James G. Springfield, implementing cost saving Six Sigma measures at the expense of health-care quality. Not good.

So, "16 emergency medicine doctors have submitted a collective resignation to Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, saying the hospital administration’s focus on “metric results” could reduce compromise patient care." A memo released states adminstrators “would punish the doctors for caring for the sickest and most complex patients and working at the busiest times.” Not good.

The Valley Morning Star posted a story of the quitting doctors which lead to a long string of (anti-hospital administration) reader comments. The comments were then sabotaged and deleted which has led to an even bigger firestorm and a lot of finger pointing. Paul Binz, editor of the Valley Morning Star, is still trying to figure out who the mysterious deleters are. I'm not buying it.

You see there is a click in Harlingen where the media, healthcare and politico fat cats mingle, wine and dine on the dime of the less fortunate. I'm just saying...It was only July when Karl Rove attended a political campaign reception hosted at the Treasure Hills home of James G. Springfield for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is seeking re-election in 2008. The circle of friends here says it all.

One of the deleted, now recovered online posts...

Truth hurts. That's why things are getting deleted. Here I go again. Jimmy thinks hes above the law. With his big contributions to Governor Perry and having Karl Rove over to his house, he is thumbing his nose at us peons daring us to do something about him and his cronies. Ken Lay had the same friends Jimmy and in the end his greed and ego were his down fall.

As big stories in small cities go...this one is not going away anytime soon.