St. Luke's Hospital freezes employee wages

St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network is the region's latest health care group to announce cost-cutting measures amid the nation's recession, saying it will freeze employee wages but continue to provide no-cost health coverage.

[StaberDearth]

Welcome to the REAL world. If you've still got your job, when was the last time the rest of you got a raise?

[cynicallycrazy]

After spending close to ONE BILLION dollars buying land and building a corporate network that included buying other hospitals, and, during this period the executive board was getting bonuses, the nursing staff and rest of the personnel were reduced in numbers, all because the hospital network had taken advantage of their NON -PROFIT status plus creative financing, we are now supposed to feel their pain.
This is nothing more than propaganda preparing us for the staffing cuts that are sure to follow.

[wake up]

It's time for the teachers to wake up now. Not only are they stealing money from tax payers by demanding ridiculous raises, they are also stealing jobs from young, enthusiastic teachers, by saving jobs of those unworthy through tenure.

[Um no]

They're still getting a $1000 bonus? I wish I got that every year I didn't get a raise.

[From Bethlehem]

St Lukes is awful. Not only did they kill a friend of mine but when I had a problem with Anasthesia for a basic procedure the Gastero taking care of me got ticked and doubled my dose to shut me up. Then when I went back to check on my records to make sure I didn't get the same stuff again guess what magically disappeared. Yep, the notes about when that gave me, how much etc. No way will I ever trust them again, and I don't think anyone else should either.

[Tyler]

Did the overpaid administrators take a 2.5% reduction in salary similar to what happened at Lehigh Valley Health Network?

[Ralph]

Tyler wrote:

Did the overpaid administrators take a 2.5% reduction in salary similar to what happened at Lehigh Valley Health Network?

Good question, did you notice there was no mention of the big bonuses that the administrators are "rewarded" at Lehigh Valley every year. It wouldn't be a surprise if they already received them this year. At least at St. Lukes the staff got $1000.

[Clem Cudiddlehopper]

From Bethlehem wrote:

St Lukes is awful. Not only did they kill a friend of mine but when I had a problem with Anasthesia for a basic procedure the Gastero taking care of me got ticked and doubled my dose to shut me up. Then when I went back to check on my records to make sure I didn't get the same stuff again guess what magically disappeared. Yep, the notes about when that gave me, how much etc. No way will I ever trust them again, and I don't think anyone else should either.

Basically, I would like St. Luke's to find out who you are and make you prove your OUTRAGEOUS claims. When you can't, they should sue your sorry backside into oblivion.
I have been a patient there for gall bladder surgery, back surgery and knee surgery. I have always been treated with dignity and respect and given wonderful care. My whole family uses St.Luke's and we have never been disappointed.

[Happy St Lukes Patient]

Clem Cudiddlehopper wrote:

<quoted text>
Basically, I would like St. Luke's to find out who you are and make you prove your OUTRAGEOUS claims. When you can't, they should sue your sorry backside into oblivion.
I have been a patient there for gall bladder surgery, back surgery and knee surgery. I have always been treated with dignity and respect and given wonderful care. My whole family uses St.Luke's and we have never been disappointed.

I agree with you 100 percent. I have never had a bad experience at St. Luke's. I have always been treated with respect and given wonderful service. My company has also frozen salaries this year, but we aren't getting $1000 bonuses. I think this shows that the management at this hospital does care about its employees.

[One Up]

I feel sorry for the "little guy"
who has had his wages frozen.
I commend them for giving their employees $1,000. By doing that,they sure upped LVH, and LVH has a higher surplus each year than St. Luke's does.
Maybe, St. Luke's does really care about their employees more.

[RonMania]

Clem Cudiddlehopper wrote:

<quoted text>
Basically, I would like St. Luke's to find out who you are and make you prove your OUTRAGEOUS claims. When you can't, they should sue your sorry backside into oblivion.
I have been a patient there for gall bladder surgery, back surgery and knee surgery. I have always been treated with dignity and respect and given wonderful care. My whole family uses St.Luke's and we have never been disappointed.

Another opinion: The doctors (farmers) at St Lukes killed my wife. Won a small settlement for incompentent care. IF I WAS LYING ON THE STREET AN HOUR FROM DEATH an the choice was: Take you to St Lukes & they may save your life or hell. I would take HELL!!!!

[totellthetruth]

One day I chased crew of thugs fleeing a robbery to an abandoned steel mill. Inside, I was captured, tortured and executed by the notorious gang leader Clarence Boddicker and his men. After being pronounced dead, St. Luke's team reconstructs my remains into a powerful cyborg, dubbed "RoboCop." I have only limited memories of my former life as Alex Murphy, though I retain the habit of twirling my pistol before holstering it. This mannerism later helps Lewis recognize me as her old partner.

Now I patrol the city and prove extremely effective at stopping violent crime.

[cornrow racer]

that is a .48 an hour raise over a year. better than my .03 i used to get at Laneco

[LVH Employee]

Hey Elliot (Sussman CEO LVHHN) if we make more money why aren't we getting $1000?? Maybe you should take a million dollar pay cut and distribute it. The insurance coverage used to make up for the fact that I didn't get paid enough. Now what?? A high deductible and have to pay for my family. I guess the medical bills I have outstanding aren't going to be paid anytime soon. Kind of a catch 22 huh? You screw me, I screw you, You screw me again next year. Great way to help the economy.

[I do not Understand]

How these Hospitals buy up so much land and have the nerve to freeze the working peoples' pay.
Seems like the only people that are getting raises are the School Districts like Whitehall Coplay they don't freeze wages or even have cost cutting measures. They put it all in reserves for whatever they see fit. They just raise taxes and raise taxes and raise taxes. They answer to noone and they don't care what you think or how hard you work to pay your bills and just survive.

[inka_dare]

LVH Employee wrote:

Hey Elliot (Sussman CEO LVHHN) if we make more money why aren't we getting $1000?? Maybe you should take a million dollar pay cut and distribute it. The insurance coverage used to make up for the fact that I didn't get paid enough. Now what?? A high deductible and have to pay for my family. I guess the medical bills I have outstanding aren't going to be paid anytime soon. Kind of a catch 22 huh? You screw me, I screw you, You screw me again next year. Great way to help the economy.

Sounds like both hospitals are on tougher times, but St. Luke's treated the employees better.

St. Luke's:
$1000.00 bonus to soften a wage freeze
No cuts to health insurance.
No deductible in network.

LVH: wage freeze
Cuts to health insurance
High deductible

Please remind me why LVH is one of the Fortune 100 best companies to work for and St. Luke's isn't? Seems like St. Luke's is looking out for their employees much more so than LVH.

[How about]

How about all those hospital workers who sit on their butts all day and night get canned and pay the hard workers more. Everyone wants more and more. I spend weeks at a time in the hospital with my child and see what kind of babies he workers are. If they have to bust their butts formore then 5 minutes they whine and cry. Be happy you have a job.

[worker]

Um no wrote:

They're still getting a $1000 bonus? I wish I got that every year I didn't get a raise.

..... As a worker there, this is the 1st time we got this. And yes it will save the hospital alot of money giving this. If thay would give everyone a 2% raise it would cost them more then a $1000 per person.... know what u are talking about before u say stuff

[Happy St Lukes Employee]

I've worked for both hospitals and I have to say that St Luke's takes the cake on employees being treated with fairness and complete consideration. Management completely puts their employee's welfare as top priority. Their philosophy seems to be that happy employee's pass on their satisfaction to the patients and the first thing I noticed when I started at St. Luke's was how happy people are here. So different from the unhappy employees I worked with at LVH.

[Um no]

worker wrote:

<quoted text>..... As a worker there, this is the 1st time we got this. And yes it will save the hospital alot of money giving this. If thay would give everyone a 2% raise it would cost them more then a $1000 per person.... know what u are talking about before u say stuff

Know what I'm talking about? I read the article and called it a $1000 bonus. And I said I wish I had the same bonus for every year I didn't get a raise. Like this year.

Am I not allowed to have an opinion unless it's cleared by you? Sorry...u?