New Haven Independent

Posted by: Concerned Citizen | November 5, 2009 9:06 AM

The changes described are welcomed and were badly needed. The comment by the annonymous current employee is very telling. She/he like so many of the other employees had grown accustomed to the status quo. Even good and innovative employees lose sight of what they can contribute when those at the top provide no leadership. No one should occupy a position for 20 or 30 years without having significant contributions to show for those years. The Hill Health Center is an institution that had not been living up to its potential for a long time.

We hope that with new insightful, skilled and invigorated leadership the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center will again become the place it once was before Cornell Scott's long illness. If any place in CT needs a dynamic, efficient and skilled health care facility it is the Hill neighborhood.

Posted by: also concerned | November 5, 2009 10:57 AM

"No one should occupy a position for 20 or 30 years without having significant contributions to show for those years."

What are you talking about? Cornell Scott was the head of Hill Health for the past 30 years, until the past few years when he was ill. Are you saying he hasn't done anything for Hill Health!?!

Posted by: star | November 5, 2009 3:22 PM

There's a famous saying in the culture: "what goes around, comes around"....looks like it finally happened to a few who deserved it! Karma is all telling, 'specially to those who once practiced/ had an interest in alternative medicine modalities!
When the egos of some mentioned in this article became more important than the "mission" of the agency and the leadership of Cornell was impacted by his health, the humanistic approach of both care and treatment of staff and patients fell into the "black hole of Calcutta"!

Posted by: Charlene Gamski | November 6, 2009 6:57 PM

The Hill Health Center needed this change. I strongly believe, the new CEO Jamesina Henderson is doing a great Job in our Company. If some employees resigned or got fired for sure were the right ones to leave our center ... We need New people and develop a professional atmosphere, I think this SHAKE UP AT the HILL HEALTH CENTER is for the best interest of our employees and the Community that we offer our services.

Posted by: Yet Another Viewpoint | November 6, 2009 7:29 PM

Whether or not the departed senior leaders chosen by Cornell Scott were effective can be judged by their work. But from what I know about the organization, it has grown substantially over the past few years, with a committed staff of almost 500 that offers more types of services for its patients than poor people can access any place else in CT. Hat's off to the staff for their accomplishments. It does not sound like an organization in decline to me.

Posted by: Yet Another Viewpoint | November 6, 2009 9:10 PM

Whether or not the exited senior leadership chosen by Cornell Scott were effective is not for me to judge. What I do know about the Hill Health Center is that it is an organization that has grown dramatically over the past several years to nearly 500 employees, and grown to offer more different types of services to the regions's poor than any other community health center in Connecticut and perhaps in the nation. Hats off to the staff of the organization for their significant accomplishments.

Posted by: bfair | November 8, 2009 3:05 PM

Fantastic News!!!!!

Posted by: anonymous | November 11, 2009 5:00 AM

Unfortunately, this CEO has placed such fear in all employees over the last few months ...

Where did she come from ? She doee not have much of a solid employment history in health care managment. A museum in LA, a pre school for 1.5 years and her management of a recent tiny clinic in LA for less than 2 years?
She wants the center to be the "employer of choice". That surely will NOT happen since the "connections" have been established with the key leaders who were there and the news has spread on how unpredictable her managemental style is.
With what has transpired over the last few months has caused great pain to the remaining staff that is left, created fear and anxiety in all. They are all on guard to being "forced to resign or to be terminated" if they even blink the wrong way.
She has dismantled key programs and ongoing collaborations with organizations.
I would never seek employment there (unless you want to be her puppet) as well as MANY others and if Cornell Scott, the founder found out how she treated the key leaders and staff that he so trusted, he would be turning in his grave.
... She needed this article to "cover up" all the departures so that she would look good. Members in the community surely question her leadership and truly miss the key leaders. It is a shame.

Hill Health will never be the same without Cornell Scott's selection of key people that lead and contributed to it's growth.
Good luck to the remaining few- if you last...

Posted by: concerned dental patients in community | November 12, 2009 11:10 AM

What happened to the Dental Director, Dr Alexandra Chan. She is the epitome of grace, charm and elegance. My family and friends have been seeing her 4 years. We are devastated. We know her accomplishments since she took over the dental program in 2005. She expanded the department and renovated the program with her exquisite skills and fine taste. She cared for her patients with such compassion and sensitivity and had the most alluring smile. We love her for heart and soul. She was just "beautiful inside and out" and to see her as our dentist was an honor. She also adored her staff and the way she spoke to them indicated her charm and love for them.
We have been back since she left and her dental department staff at all of her 3 offices are sad and when her name comes up- they have tears in their eyes.
Something is not right with this picture...
Where is Dr. Chan?
Very disappointed

Posted by: another concerned dental patient | November 12, 2009 4:49 PM

Responding to the comment above- yes the community is deeply saddened by Dr Chan's departure. She was so gracious, beautiful, gentle and just had a heart of gold. Her staff adored her and the patients loved her. We want to know where she is so we can follow her.
What a woman of style and class. She was adored by the founder,the late Cornell Scott and well loved by the New Haven and Derby communities.
She was a wonderful leader. The Hill Dental will never be the same without Dr Chan with her smile and simple elegance. She treated us "first class". What a striking woman ..who gave such life and light to the organization.

Posted by: also concerned | November 12, 2009 10:22 PM

"natural evolution". Is that what you call it when you fire the head of payroll on the spot and then leave the payroll of the entire corporation in the hands of a temp employee? And then, for a month or so, employees were scrambling around, trying to figure out why they were under or overpaid. I got one check with an extra thousand dollars in it. Which I, of course, reported. But a "natural evolution" it certainly wasn't. Not when the CEO of the Hill Health, a 25 year employee, is given 7 days to pack his bags, without the opportunity to even say good bye to his patients. That's not a "natural evolution". I don't know how they do things out in LA, but where I come from, it's called lacking in grace and respect.

Posted by: Concerned Patient in Community | November 13, 2009 11:48 AM

I was a patient of Dr Gary Spinner and Dr Alexandra Chan. I am very disappointed with what chaos this new CEO has brought about at the health center.
My entire family saw Dr Spinner and Dr Chan.
We are leaving Hill Health as patients as we are disgusted with what we have heard and seen.
We know where Dr Spinner is practicing , but does anyone know where we can follow Dr Chan?

I heard she is back in NY as a Director at a large Medical Center but no one wil reveal the name to us. Please help us so we can transfer all our dental files to her office. We are self pay patients.
Please help us locate Dr Chan. We are not returning back to Hill Health

Posted by: star | November 14, 2009 10:45 PM

Also concerned: Just a clarification point, the CEO of the Hill Health Center was Cornell Scott who passed in August, 2008 and was NOT a healthcare provider with direct patient contact. The CFO, a 25 year employee recognized that his position would change when he was offered a different set of job responsibilities and HE decided that he would be happier moving on to new challenges in a new setting. He DID offer to stay during the transition BUT it was felt best for him to leave; thus notice to the HHC community was given within 7 days.

"Natural evolution"...well, changes DO occur when new management arrives, maybe not quite as fast!

Posted by: also concerned | November 15, 2009 8:37 PM

Star: if we must dwell on semantics...

Spinner was COO (Chief Operating Officer) during Cornell Scott's last years, though all at HHC understood that Spinner was in charge.

CFO (Chief Financial Officer) was Charlie Rose, who also left-resigned-was pushed out soon after the arrival of the new CEO.

The only point to be made, let's not try to put lipsitck on a pig, so to speak. It was (and continues to be) a bloody affair, those first days and weeks of the Henderson era. By no means a natural evolution.

Posted by: star | November 16, 2009 9:54 AM

Also Concerned:

Many thanks for catching my TYPO: CFO in my comment WAS intended to be COO!

And your last paragraph: FACT, and on-going, heck makes the French Revolution look like a Sunday picnic in the park, only thing missing are the knitting needles!!

Posted by: M. Smith | November 20, 2009 10:18 AM

We need to be more accurate about what happened with the interim CEO (Carolyn Holmes) and the new CEO (Jai Henderson) at Hill. The bloodbath they engineered resulted in both long-term and newer employees being fired/transitioned. No doubt some needed to go; others were very professional and energized all the staff and should have stayed.

Ms. Henderson came from an agency in California with a budget that was only $4,000,000 compared to Hill Health's budget of $42,000,000. One wonders why she was elected to the position of CEO with her limited experience. Additionally, to come into an organization and in a few weeks have the majority of senior management and other administrative personnel leave or be fired cannot be considered a smart management tactic. It should trouble people that she thought this was a sensible way to bring about change. It certainly wasn't a natural evolution.

I wonder what the board of Hill Health thought about the bloodbath? They should have been concerned with the management changes when people were being walked out the door even before Jai Henderson came. I am sure that whatever the interim CEO and Jai Henderson did was approved by them. Why weren't they mentioned in the article?

Finally, I agree that Cornell Scott would not approve of the manner in which the staff reduction was handled. He was a compassionate man... a gentleman who lived the values he preached.

Posted by: imnothere | November 20, 2009 10:12 PM

Ms. Henderson needs to start thinking about employee morale instead of worrying about the trees lining the street.
Why did she wait until the concrete dry to decide she wanted trees planted? Wasting Money?
Why did she make the security guards wear summer blazers, dress pants and shirts when the winter is setting in? Does she expect them to be warm and toasty in summer clothes?
....

To the Cornell Scott Hill Health Patients, it is rumored that Fair Haven Health clinic is a better place to be treated. If your appointment t is at 11 you will be seen at 11 and not at 4 PM after spending all day in the waiting area.

Posted by: shakespeare | November 27, 2009 10:46 PM

Quoting Shakespeare "something is rotten in the state of Denmark".

Paraphrasing Shakespeare, "something is rotten in the state of Connecticut, namely New Haven- Hill Health."

How is it possible that the board is not looking into this major "scandal"/"bloodbath" that is transpiring.

...

Posted by: star | November 28, 2009 2:48 PM

AND.......the follow-up story is ready to be published?? Many interesting, researchable comments on this comments section!

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