Hospital’s uncertainty driving away employees

Troubled system spurs workers to seek stability elsewhere

‘‘Waves of fear among employees has had the effect of displacing them,” he said. ‘‘There is also an increase in patients coming from Southeast and Cheverly ... Unless people hear of a long-term solution then these hospitals will continue to deteriorate, whether they close or not.”

The scare among employees reprises the tension stirred up earlier this year, when state and county officials failed to draft a bailout plan for the hospital.

The Prince George’s system, operated by Dimensions Healthcare, includes the Cheverly Prince George’s Hospital Center, the Laurel Regional Hospital and the Bowie Health Campus.

Hyattsville resident Jim Luby, who spent 28 of his 31 years as a registered nurse at the Prince George’s Hospital Center, said he went to work full-time in June for Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park out of concern that the hospital might close.

‘‘Very hard decision. I thought I would retire at Dimensions,” he said. ‘‘The uncertainty of it all was driving me nuts.”

Luby, 57, who is still working part-time at Cheverly, said most of his co-workers there are trying to stick it out, but are looking elsewhere so they have a fallback in case the hospital’s funding dries up entirely.

Dimensions Healthcare, which operates the Prince George’s system, has required government aid for years and is suing the county for millions of dollars it was promised in April, after the state plan fell through.

Dimensions originally went to court in July seeking $14 million that County Executive Jack B. Johnson had withheld after the Dimensions Board of Directors rejected his demands that four board members step down. The Circuit Court awarded $2 million to Dimensions, but the county appealed that ruling to the Maryland Court of Appeals Aug. 15, and is trying to hold off on paying the money until the case is reviewed.

Amid threats of bankruptcy or closure, Dimensions amended its original lawsuit and asked the court to reconsider its request for the remaining $12 million, which had been included in the county’s budget.

‘‘It’s too bad that the board of directors would rather continue spending money [on lawsuits] that could be used on patient care,” Johnson spokesman John Erzen said last week. ‘‘They are apparently interested in wasting the court’s time in dealing with matters that have already been decided.”

Samuel Epps, political organizer for the hospital’s Local 1199, said the uncertain financial future has kept hospital employees on edge.

‘‘If workers don’t know if they’ll have a job tomorrow, they’re going to look elsewhere,” he said.

Meanwhile, the board of directors that Johnson was trying to restructure in his favor could be shifting in the opposite direction.

Johnson rivals Del. Barbara Frush (D-Dist. 21) of Beltsville and Del. Tawanna Gaines (D-Dist. 22) of Berwyn Heights have been nominated to the 11-member board as public members. Their nominations will be considered at a meeting next month.

‘‘I think both Tawanna and I bring the perspective from the state. I think it’s much better to be an insider than an outsider,” Frush said. ‘‘This just gives us another foot in the door.”