Employees question quality of care at Rox health center

Howard Manly

In a series of internal letters, medical personnel at Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center painted a picture of woeful operations at the center and layed the blame squarely on its CEO, Anita Crawford.

The damaging letters detail financial problems ranging from the loss of “significant grants” that helped pay for medical and psychological programs, to an almost chronic shortage of medical equipment, paper towels and toilet paper. In some cases, the letters allege, the center had no hot water.

In addition, the RoxComp employees report that the center is under “assessment” by federal and state health regulatory agencies, including a recent local investigation which determined one of RoxComp’s labs to be “insufficient.”

Crawford questioned not only the validity of the unsigned, anonymous letters but also the timing. “None of the letters,” Crawford said, “ accuse me of stealing money or running a center that is delivering poor health care.”

Without commenting on specific allegations, Crawford explained that RoxComp has undergone several routine surveys by both federal and state regulatory agencies. If there were deficiencies, Crawford said, they were fixed in a timely manner.

Crawford then said she believes the letters were sent “in retaliation” for her role as chairman of the board of Roxbury Community College. She did not explain the link between the two institutions or how her role in one affected her role in the other.

The series of letters began Feb. 24, 2012 and included the names of two registered nurses, Alyssa Harris and Iris Montijo, as well as Drs. Wendy Pavlovich, Samuel Rivers, Guity Valizadeh and Michelle Villarta.

The letter informed RoxComp senior management that the medical center’s supply shortage “has significantly affected our ability to accurately diagnose patients, determine severity of disease, develop treatment plans and treat patients.”

The letter also stated that the center lacked supplies necessary to stabilize patients in an emergency situation. “We are professionally responsible for providing a standard of care that gives us the capacity to make triage and referral decisions,” the letter stated.

In another letter asking for a meeting with the board of directors on or before June 29, 2012, an unnamed RoxComp staff member said the professional staff had concerns about “the lack of transparency, the lack of growth both in the number of patients we serve and in programs and services.”

Detailing the loss of several “significant grants” and the increased scrutiny from both “federal, state and local agencies,” the letter writer stated that “the staff understands that RoxComp cannot continue to exist and function…We have lost faith in the CEO and the senior management team.”

A letter dated June 17, 2012 repeats earlier charges on the “lack of confidence” in senior management’s ability to “create and maintain an environment that allows them to provide quality clinical care.” The letter states that “insufficient and inconsistent” inventory of supplies and equipment has led to “serious delays in lab results prompting cancellation of patient appointments in both medical and dental departments.”

“From a public safety concern,” the letter charged, “RoxComp has experienced a lack of drinking water in the building, no hot water to properly wash our hands, no toilet paper or paper towels and an improper retention of biohazard materials on the premises.”

The letter suggests the staff is experiencing “burnout” as a result of several unfilled key positions, including a permanent medical director. The unfilled positions come at a time when RoxComp has lost key programs due to a lack of funding. Gone is a long-term behavioral health program that provided services to individuals who experienced murder in their families. RoxComp also lost its HIV department.

In response to these serious allegations, Dr. Keith Crawford, RoxComp’s chairman of its board of directors, wrote that the staff would be invited to a “State of the Health Center” meeting in August or early September. Crawford’s letter, dated July 28, 2012, did not address issues raised in the staff letters.

Instead, Crawford wrote about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding President Barack Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act. “Clearly this will have an impact on the health center,” Crawford wrote. “…With change comes challenges and opportunities. We are all responsible for preparing and positioning the institution to respond to both…”

Crawford’s invitation was received harshly by RoxComp employees. In a letter dated July 6, 2012 and signed by RoxComp staff members, Crawford’s letter was characterized as “dismissive and void of any inclination that a meeting will be scheduled with the staff members of RoxComp to specifically address the concerns we have.”

One of the letters also reported that a RoxComp lab was under review by the Department of Public Health and was found to have “significant deficiencies” and was subsequently closed.

“Unless the infrastructure is strengthened in a very basic way, RoxComp is in no way viable enough to sustain itself in a changing patient care model that it will face in the not too distant future,” the letter stated.

+ Add Comment

Aug 8 10:03am by Also from Roxbury [64.212.90.254]

This is to the person that wrote that Anita is from Roxbury and is "One of us." Guess what? So are the employees that work at Rox Comp. You are not seeing the bigger picture. All you did was point out small issues and make her out to be a hero and basically threw everyone else under the bus. Are there people that work at RoxComp that are unprofessional? Yes. But there is also other people that are good at their jobs and really care about the community and the patients. At the end of the day if a Health Center isn't going with the DPH policy and procedures then it becomes a safety issue. And if you can't provide GOOD patient care i.e able to give meds, condoms, testing etc... Then it should either be fixed or shut down before something really bad happens.

Aug 4 14:24pm by roxbury [168.122.108.74]

nonsense, I was at the clinic ... the behavioral health program is open. The Lab is open. I was able to use their bathroom . and was able to use hot water , paper towels and toilet paper. The employees have nothing to do but complain for doing nothing. The adult family care on the 2nd floor is filled with drama , nurses talking loud that you could hear them from the waiting room. No wonder they have nothing else to do but complain . Where I work, if you don't like it, you look for a new job. Anita, you have some ungrateful employees with personal hate on you. watch your back and keep your head up. you are one of us.. You came from Roxbury and we are happy with your job so far...

Aug 4 9:51am by Roxcomp support guy [76.28.40.11]
and thanks all the providers to speak up and worry about this situation, all deserve better treatment from the administration and the CEO. Good job and congratulations to all, the center is nothing without all of you. Must be a difficult place to work. My respects

Aug 4 9:34am by Roxcomp support guy [76.28.40.11]
I think roxcomp employees should call the attorney general because I'm sure there's more and the CEO Anita Crawford should resign if she really is interested in save the health center. My two cents...........

Aug 3 9:28am by Concerned [170.223.207.16]
It's really sad to read this article having worked with the folks at RoxComp for a number of years. The Board really needs to step in before things gets out of control. They should do a thorough assessment and decide what direction they want the health centre to go and whether they have the right folks (at all levels) to take it there. I hope the health center weathers this storm.

Aug 3 0:03am by Neighborhood Guy [198.228.201.153]

A little tid bit of info. The CEO had all of the Bay State Banners removed from the waiting rooms and facilities. Sounds like a bad dictatorship to me.

I'm concerned.

Aug 2 20:38pm by A former employee [108.40.15.241]

As a former coordinator for the Living After Murder Program I'd like to know what she did with that federal money. Until a person suffers the traumatic loss of loved one they will never know the importance of having a program such as LAMP available to them. LAMP was well known not only in Bosto; but nationwide as several agencies throughout the country came to visit and duplicate its services. Where did that money go Anita!

Aug 2 13:02pm by Anonymous [71.233.211.64]
Anita Crawford needs to go before anything can improve, she has ruined the health center. And how about having a REAL board of directors!

Aug 2 10:40am by Anonymous [174.254.160.226]

There are too many health centers in Rixbury. The CEO of RoxComp only eorks 4 days a week, just returned from a two week vacation in Hawaii, the company pays for her car, and her salary is outrageous for her poor 15 year performance. The State and Feds should close RoxComp and patients should go to the Dimock Center which just received $5 million grant to rehabilitate their health center OR go to Whittier. Employees and patients have options! Vote with your feet.

Aug 2 10:16am by L. Brito [108.7.172.180]

It saddens me deeply to read this article, I worked at Roxcomp for neary 4 years, knowing that roxcomp has been going trough very rough times always went to work with the postive commitment to help patients .

Yes most likely, I think Roxcomp needs drastic change so to stay functioning but the fact is every day dedicated medical personell go to. Work and take care Of patients and help with loving care and conpassion . Dr. Guity ValIzdeh, Dr. Allysa Harris, the medical assistants, the nurses, are the most dedicated and hard working professionals I ever worked with. Roxcomp has very loyal employees and patients who have been coming to the center for generations and think of the place as home. The incident with no hot water was due to the boiler broken and was corrected. This dirty laundry is very detailed will bring moslt likely harm to the health center, but the patients that know quality of care they receive in the hands of Dr. V or the rest of the personnel will never see beyond that.

Aug 2 7:52am by 204.11.150.38

Really? There is no hot water, supply shortage, No paper towels, No toilet paper? Can someone verify? How often does it happen in a year? Is the behavioral health program closed? The article is more employee driven than giving us actual facts. My husband and I used to take our kids to Roxcomp but no more since last year... The new pediatricians are very unprofessional, look down on parents and lack communication skills with patients. Take care of patients and stop complaining..Ms. Crawford, get new employees and patients will start flowing back to Roxcomp..

Aug 2 0:40am by Anonymous [64.61.134.82]
ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY.

Aug 1 21:24pm by frive77 [72.74.196.84]
This does not sound right.... I was at roxcomp yesterday ,I had my blood work done at Roxcomp and the Lab was open. odd... Whatever is going on, fix our clinic. Sounds like the employees are not helping either... No hot water, that sounds like whining to me.. I do love my doctor...

Aug 1 18:14pm by Dr. Roy [198.228.201.153]

It's unfortunate to see a community health center serving our most vulnerable population under going such turmoil. I cannot imagine what the staff and patients are experiencing under this "third world regime." No hot water to wash hands?? I hope the media and department of public health step in and take a serious look at the condition of the health center and make changes as needed. This is no way to take care our neediest population and the clinicians who've devoted their lives to them.

Aug 1 17:10pm by Roxcomp patient [76.28.40.11]
I'm roxcomp patient for around 10 years. But, it is seen that Roxcomp needs a new administration and specially new CEO

Aug 1 16:22pm by Treme78 [140.241.0.20]

Hopefully Rox Comp can bounce back and get on the good foot. Really, get in there make the necessay changes, updates etc. Maybe even hire

more staff apply the correct guidelines and procedures. Too many chiefs and not enough indians (everyone can't be the boss).