The CEO of Banner has financial interest in a productivity optimizing company called Premier. (Google Peter Fine, Premeir). This company, Premier, is paid a handsome sum to meet with senior managers and directors within hospitals and formulate ways to make the work staff more productive. Unfortunately, the more "productive" the staff shows itself to be, the more productive the company pushes them to be. Over the years, managers are pushing their employees to work faster (not better), with fewer staff members (cheaper) and with fewer resources (reduced overhead). During this same period of time (since the recession hit in 2008-2009) our evaluations and infrequent and minute "raises" (approximately 1-3%) are based on patient satisfaction of the hospital as a whole. Only if the entire hospital receives a satisfaction score of 9 out of 10 or greater do we even register as passable. So given staff is being pushed to give superior service with fewer resources and for less monetary gain, staff are being pushed to the point of exhaustion and disgust. There is little one can do to be considered "outstanding" within the current evaluation system; therefore no matter how much we love our patients and put in 110% to our roles, we are expected to operate in a system that makes you feel inadequate. We understand that healthcare costs have gone up, and that nursing and support staff are considered a cost as well, but nurses cannot be expected to give and give with little financial reward. If only nursing and support staff were valued even a fraction as highly as "Executive Administrators" and these "productivity" consultants, Banner would be a better place to work. The message relayed to the workers comes across as one of Banner's belt-tightening and lack of dollars to pay its staff, however they have purchased three hospitals in the last 18 months, "investing" hundreds of millions of dollars and performing never-ending construction projects on the hospital I currently work for (Banner Desert). The members of the Old Boys' Club and the owners of the Construction Company are making out pretty well in Banner's latest investments, yet patients are still left out of the equation. CEO and executive bonuses have continued throughout the recession even though employee pay has remained stagnant. Banner is considered a not-for-profit entity therefore its CEO bonus and salary should be available to the general public; good luck finding the information anywhere within or outside of the system. This just underlines my thoughts on how profit-driven this company is.
