In response to Comments ignorance or inability to read the text, I would like to add that nowhere did I say anything about HMC's patient services, Buster or Gail's service to HMC by sitting on their board or anything in a negative manner about Highland Co. This is about the so called Dr. Drawbaugh and his hoodwinking the board along with various other people in high places in Highland Co. government. And yes it definately is about money. At this point, I'm not sure that HMC could be solvent without the numerous grant money (ie taxpayer $$) and stimulus funds that the great grant tapper has aledged to have acquired; if you can believe a word out of his mouth. This Highlander does not nor do a lot of others here. We haven't for a good while but it seems when you're dealing with politics, John Q. Public gets the last consideration. Lord forbid that We, the taxpayers, are savvy enough to identify a crook sooner than the powers that be. Guess you don't have that in Pocahontas Co. either. I also believe that as the investigation continues, you will see this is just the tip of the iceberg. Lay off Stinkwell. He's doing you a great service by informing you, John Q. Public & taxpayer, the status of your neighbors woes and how to learn from their mistakes so they won't be repeated in your county. Pay close attention to the costly Windmill mess and LEARN! Thank you Stinkwell! We need an e-tater forum in Highland to keep the taxpayers alerted to actions such as this.

Highland Medical Center welcomes new CEO
BY PAM FLYNN • CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dr. Bradley Drawbaugh says he is delighted to be in Highland County, where he and his wife will be closer to their family, and he can steer Highland Medical Center as CEO/CFO. (Recorder photo by Pam Flynn) Dr. Bradley Drawbaugh says he is delighted to be in Highland County, where he and his wife will be closer to their family, and he can steer Highland Medical Center as CEO/CFO. (Recorder photo by Pam Flynn) MONTEREY - On Feb. 12, Highland Medical Center officially welcomed its new chief executive officer, Dr. D. Bradley Drawbaugh, an energetic and competent individual whose experience and knowledge have allowed him to hit the ground running. Drawbaugh exhibits a personable and accessible management style which, coupled with his expertise and genuine concern for people, are producing changes at HMC.

Drawbaugh and his wife, Cindy Sue, are looking for property here. Drawbaugh hails most recently from the Chicago area, but has experience in other smaller rural healthcare systems in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and rural parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

"Over the years I have been especially interested in assisting health services to under-served areas with limited resources. I am always amazed at how smaller communities take care of one another. Highland is a good example," Drawbaugh says.

As he settled into his office at Highland Medical Center recently, new CEO Dr. Bradley Drawbaugh found a box of photos and news articles that recount the center's beginnings. He hopes to use the memorabilia to remind residents about HMC's history. (Recorder photo by Pam Flynn) As he settled into his office at Highland Medical Center recently, new CEO Dr. Bradley Drawbaugh found a box of photos and news articles that recount the center's beginnings. He hopes to use the memorabilia to remind residents about HMC's history. (Recorder photo by Pam Flynn) One deciding factor in applying for the position at HMC included the Drawbaughs' desire for a change in their quality of life - personally and professionally. "On a personal level, we are closer to my wife's family, who live just over the Pennsylvania line from Maryland and West Virginia in the northern Allegheny Mountains. She comes from a large family, loves to sew, cook, bake, and put up garden vegetables. I love to hunt and fish and also enjoy gardening and birding. We have horses. We love the mountains. We have a daughter getting married in July and they plan to relocate to northern Virginia and then start a family. Can you really think of a better place to settle than Highland?" he said.

"For years I have been traveling a lot and helping hospital and healthcare systems develop services to help meet critical needs in their communities. I have especially enjoyed helping turn around hospitals and health services clinically and or financially. Although HMC is probably the smallest operation that I have been tasked to provide leadership, there is something to be said for small. I was very impressed how this medical center emerged through the shared vision, hard work, volunteerism and contributions of several individuals. I think that it was a worthwhile decision to come here and apply my best efforts to helping preserve HMC for future generations."

Drawbaugh notes he had not been to Highland before, though he had traveled in the region. Because his grandparents lived in Falls Church, part of his childhood was spent in the Shenandoah Mountains. He explains, "I visited (Highland) only once before accepting the position. However, I did my homework and asked a lot of questions and sought out as much information about Highland Medical Center and the area. After good discussions, I finally settled on Highland over other offers. You have to understand that I met my wife-to-be and married her three months later. Call it love at first sight. We will be married to one another 30 years come this June."

Drawbaugh believes HMC has a lot to celebrate. "What a remarkable story of a community coming together to help its own citizens," he said. "We need to find ways to tell that story better and recognize the contributions of so many."

He said he recently found a box in his office loaded with photos, newspaper clippings and other memorabilia that describe the story of HMC from its earliest days when it was founded more than a decade ago. He is interested in preserving this important record of the history of the center, he said.

Drawbaugh readily acknowledges HMC has had its share of difficulties. He has already taken measures in his new role to hold open dialogue with staff and engage the community about ways to improve service. "I believe that (difficulties) are to be expected," he said. "It is not easy to provide healthcare in today's complicated healthcare system with lots of different licensing, regulatory agencies, payers, and ever-changing funding streams. Also, organizations are like people - actually they are people - and as such, they evolve over time."

In his first day on the job, Drawbaugh met the staff; on his second day, he held a "town hall meeting" with them, telling them it was their meeting and he was present to listen, assist, and support them with what they do best. He believes the staff is responsive to leadership. "I want to empower them to take ownership of how we can do things better. They have a lot of good ideas," he said.

HMC employees suggested changes that are patient- and customer-service focused. For instance, the sliding fee discount program has been simplified to be more easily understandable. In the past, the program was based upon a percentage of cost, a process that made it less predictable for a patient to determine what they might owe. The new method features a flat rate of $10 or $25 per visit, depending on the patient's income level.

Another valuable staff change will begin March 18, when every third Thursday at 6:30 a.m., the center will offer an early lab work day to accommodate loggers and others whose work schedules start early.

An important innovation to come from employees has been the revised patient satisfaction form. This form previously consisted of two pages of in-depth questions designed to gather a lot of information. The form was shortened to a half-page questionnaire of quick-response questions and plenty of room for notes and feedback. The number of responses is up from 10 percent in February to 28 percent in March. Questions and responses are designed to track patient satisfaction in key areas such as waiting times, facilities, or whether the patient would refer others to HMC. Responses are carefully monitored, recorded and rated as to status and need for improvement. One respondent noted, "Keep listening to our feedback." The staff will be doing just that.

"We have been getting a lot of useful feedback," Drawbaugh said. "We have noted long waits and problems with scheduling or referrals. We will also be adding these areas to our list of things to improve upon. We welcome and value the feedback that we get. Out goal is to reduce waiting times. We plan to implement new processes in scheduling and registration and using a patient time tracking tool. We are also implementing changes with how we schedule so that we can better accommodate our patients and insure successful follow-ups. We will also be looking at our referral practices to see who we can build better referral relationships to keep our patients healthy and happy."

Additional changes have been made in the patient signin sheet and staff is in the process of re-addressing the phone system, searching for ways to improve this vital link between patients and service.

Drawbaugh is also aware of the high turnover in staff that has plagued HMC in recent years. He cited staff stability as vital to HMC for patients and families, medical providers and employees. "We will be working hard to improve not only patient satisfaction but staff satisfaction. Our employees, including medical staff, could all be earning a lot more elsewhere. They have chosen to work here and serve their neighbors. I will be doing all that I can to support them," he said.

"We have already implemented some changes to better organize our team," he continued. "I am examining ways to adjust and improve our low wage scales within our limitations. We also plan to find ways to have fun at work and to recognize outstanding performance. As an organization, we are like a family and need to take care of one another."

One area in which the organization is being redefined is in management and front office teams. In order to provide more efficient operations - with an emphasis on customer service and patient satisfaction - including other physicians and labs where patients are referred, job descriptions have been rewritten. Drawbaugh had each employee in these areas write their own job descriptions, believing no one knew better than those individuals what they actually did in a day's and week's time. Each employee listed all functions they perform. This provided a basis to examine how to consolidate efforts better managed by one person, and has resulted in less duplication of efforts. Now the job descriptions more accurately reflect what these staff members really do.

"Medical oversight is provided by our medical director who reports directly to me," he explained. "As with staff, I believe in empowering and supporting my medical team and in inspiring them with a patient-centered focus to achieve positive clinical outcomes for their patients."

Regarding patient concerns, Drawbaugh added, "I have been listening to the concerns, opinions and the kudos expressed by others. I often ask for it. It is important to listen and acknowledge people. This is how we can continue to make HMC the very best it can possibly be."

One of those concerns has been the "bedside" manner of physicians, which some patients have expressed as a problem.

"I think it is important to emphasize that doctors are people," Drawbaugh says. "They also have personalities and styles of doing things. Some patients prefer a doctor who is more traditional, firm and the expert. Others prefer a doctor who is gentler and involves them in decisions about their care. Patients have different preferences and respond differently to different styles. Some patients prefer male doctors and others a female doctor. I think it is always a good idea to offer patients choices."

Recently, the HMC board chose not to renew the contract for Dr. George Damewood, HMC's current general practictioner, whose contract was to expire a couple of weeks ago. However, according to Bill Ellenburg, president of the HMC board of directors, the board and Damewood have mutually agreed to extend his contract through June.

Drawbaugh believes cultivating and maintaining healthy relationships is key to insuring an organization is providing excellent medical care. "In the recent past, the board and the administration have been in a period of transition. It is wise to re-access decisions that were made in that interim period. With regard to reports of Dr. Damewood's departure, please know that I regard Dr. Damewood as a valuable member of our medical staff. I look forward to continuing that relationship to more fully meet the needs of the residents of Highland and Bath counties. All are moving forward with the intention that we are going to make this work. I am very pleased with the medical team. They are really starting to coalesce as a team."

Negotiations are now under way to hire a new dentist and a new physical therapist with the intention of extending HMC's service offerings to include a full line of dental care and physical therapy. Other changes in service offerings are also planned.

Drawbaugh holds a Ph.D. in health care administration as well as a master's in business administration. He is serving both as HMC's chief executive officer and chief financial officer, overseeing not only every aspect of daily operations but also all financial matters at the center, Ellenberg explained.

In his experience in start-ups of both hospital and medical center facilities in other areas, and in his advisory capacity in financial and fiduciary management, Drawbaugh is adept at structuring services offered by an organization in such a way that services are financially sustainable and operating costs are met. Additionally, he has begun the process of resubmission for grant funding to help offset start up costs for the dentistry program.

Drawbaugh feels blessed in that Highland Medical Center has a rich history of individuals or groups of individuals who have made significant contributions in small and large ways. "This speaks so well for this community. History has shown that when critical needs have arisen, the community knows how to come together to meet those needs."

Highland Medical Center now has an operating budget of $950,000 and serves more than 2,000 patients for a total of more than 8,000 visits per year. The center offers a range of services - family practice including wellbaby care and family planning, adult internal medicine, x-ray and diagnostic screening, a dispensary, and mental health and substance abuse services.

HMC's future rests with improving its services, Drawbaugh said. "I am aware of the need for urgent care in this area. In the future, can Highland Medical Center be a place for delivering well babies, treating unstable diabetics, providing for short-term stays, monitoring and assessing medically unstable patients or stabilizing them prior to transport? I believe so. I am very aware of the number of elderly Highland residents who are residing in nursing homes one hour or more away from their homes, loved ones and community. Can Highland Medical

Center provide for some longterm care needs? I think it's possible with careful planning. Can Highland Medical Center provide for more diagnostic, wellness and preventive medicine to make our citizens' lives healthier and happier? I think we can do it. Can we reach beyond our borders with our neighbors to the west and provide more services? I think we can.

"These things may not happen overnight but at least we have some possible worthy goals to reach toward. In order to be successful we will need to involve the community in the planning and work harder at building and maintaining healthy relationships with the communities we serve."

HMC, he said, will need to evolve over time within its means, he added. "Initially, we will work hard to strengthen our overall financial performance. We are a nonprofit with limited resources and need to do everything that we can to maximize the return on our revenue so that we can sustain growth and provide new services. We are in the process of bringing stability to the team and involving them in working together to make improvements to everything we do that places our patients, families and communities first.

"The Highland people have been fortunate to have a dedicated hard-working volunteer board over the years and an equally dedicated patient base that together have kept faith with the public trust I preserving and growing HMC for future generations," he added. "HMC has a lot of strengths, principally its patients and families and the hardworking, dedicated staff. Without good people nothing else happens. Highland Medical Center is financially solvent; however, we need to improve our overall operations both clinically and financially. We need to do a better job of educating folks that we are not only here to provide good care when they need it but to we are also here to assist them in paying for their care."

Director of the Highland Medical Center arrested for fraud
D. Bradley Drawbaugh D. Bradley Drawbaugh

State Police say D. Bradley Drawbaugh, the director of the Highland Medical Center, was arrested Tuesday for fraud related charges including obtaining money by false pretense and fraudulent use of documents for the purpose of establishing a false status or occupation. Drawbaugh's educational credentials have also been called into question.

State Police conducted an investigation after a complaint was made about accounting irregularities uncovered during an independent audit of the medical center.

News release from the Virginia State Police:

State Police Charge Highland Medical Center Administrator

Salem, VA – The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation announced today that warrants have been obtained for Mr. D. Bradley Drawbaugh, Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of Highland Medical Center.

The investigation stemmed from an August 2009 complaint whereby Mr. Drawbaugh reported to the Highland County Sheriff's Office accounting irregularities uncovered during an independent audit of medical center records. During the course of the investigation, state police special agents discovered cause to investigate the authenticity of Mr. Drawbaugh's educational credentials.

Mr. Drawbaugh was arrested on December 22, 2009 in Highland County for fraudulent related offenses to include "obtaining money by false pretense" and the "fraudulent use of documents for the purpose of establishing a false status or occupation." A trial date has not been set at this time.