My first interim assignment was to Bell Hospital in Ishpeming Michigan. It started July 31, 2012 and ran to December 6, 2012, I was the Business Office Director in conjunction with a Quorum project. I helped implement several system changes Quorum had initiated. A few months ago Bell sold out to Lifepoint. I think our project there was designed to get it stable enough to be bought.
My residence was in a motel/lodge in Negaunee whose name I don't even remember now. It is now out of business, owners having retired and having been unable to sell the property. The buildings were older, decorated like the 1950's, and difficult to maintain efficiently in the winter. I got the feeling the guests were mostly related to mining or hunting. The miners were largely union people who came up to negotiate contracts. There were some heated discussion about strikes and who was scabbing. Driving along the road one would see huge stacks of carrots and beets at various places of business along the road. For a while I thought it was people storing up for winter and wanting good nutrition. Then I realized they put it out as bait for deer in the fall.
Ishpeming is an old iron ore mining town on the Michigan Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior. Mining goes back to the mid 1800's and continues to be a sight for Cliffs Natural Resources. The ore leaves in ships that pull into the harbor at the bottom of the hill in Marquette. The old buildings of downtown, mostly diners and bars, are brick and look like they are waiting to crumble. But they don't quite do it.
Marquette had several very interesting restaurants - Sai Uwa Thai Bistro and L'attitudes - were enjoyed several times each. While I drove down occasionally to shop for clothes or something, there wasn't really much to draw me there. The drive down was enjoyable as there was a nice long stretch where you viewed the Lake like an ocean.
Each Friday I left around 4PM and drove the 9-10 hours to Newton and would return by Sunday evening. The drive was several hours south through forests of Michigan to Iron Mountain, Wisconsin, through Green Bay and Oshkosh, then southwest through farm country and Madison and Dubuque, IA. Finally the end was in sight as I hit Cedar Rapids. Seeing the far off green and red sign of Loves Travel Plaza from mile marker 173 made the last 10 minutes unbearable.
It is a historic area with proud Yoopers. The local accent is unmistakeable. Isolated as they are, the culture is very distinctive. I'm glad I spent some time there. I don't think I would have ever passed that way.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Alexandria Bay, NY
Alexandria Bay, NY February 2013 to August 2013
I drove to Alexandria Bay, NY for an engagement with BE Smith at River Hospital as the Associate CFO for Revenue Cycle. This was a new position the Board required them to bring in interim as well as recruit a permanent. The perception was the billing process was out of control. My perception was there was work to do but for the most part the billing process was under control of non-billing departments who were driving efforts in the wrong ways. And they were grossly understaffed for the results they expected. I identified the people in the office that knew what they were doing and let them run. They got the office back on track quickly. Thanks Melanie and Patty and Tangela.
Alexandria Bay is a historic area along the St. Lawrence River. Millionaires made the Thousand Island region their summer playground beginning in the late 1800's. Tour boats can still take you on the river among the homes and homesites. Interestingly, a number of homes burned down right around the time of the 1929 stock market crash. Stories of the homes are interesting. Alexandria Bay, NY. Boldt Castle, Singer Island, Wellesley Island, and the crossing into Canada.
The first 4 months were barren. Very few people were in the streets. Snow covered the roads. Ice covered bay and extended out into the river. It was difficult to even walk anywhere. There was only a couple of places to get anything to eat. A local supermarket was rather expensive. Watertown was 25 miles away and was where I could get Walmart prices. It was also the airport I flew out of.
I made several trips to Washington DC to be with Angela while she struggled with hospital stays. I got to know the road south - Syracuse, Binghamton, Scranton, York, Baltimore, and finally Laurel.
Then slowly the town woke up. Merchants from the south started stocking their businesses and opening them. More and more of the ice melted. A few boats made their way to the pier. People started arriving at their island homes.
The first abode was Bonnie Castle Inn (like an old Best Western.) Then came Captain's Inn and Suites. (Like an old Best Western.) Then they got me a much cheaper apartment right on the bay and the main street. Noisy during concerts, but a very peaceful view most of the time, including a great view of the bay, river, and sunsets. Lois helped me furnish it - curtains and ties and all.
As summer came there were more people walking around the town. Tour busses came with loads of people to ride the riverboats. I was there for the Riverfest with some powerful boats on display in June, Pirate Days in early August, and Blues Fest late August. This was when the streets were jammed with temporary residents.
I adopted a flower bed and landscaped it, planting marigolds surrounding a pepper plant and two tomato plants. I finally did get a pepper and two tomatoes before I left. Who knows what it looks like now.
I will probably not see Alexandria Bay again. It is quite out of the way. But we did think about accepting a permanent job and moving there. I will hold great memories of the bay, the people, and the work that took place there.
UPDATE: I was asked to return the spring of 2014 and was there for 2 1/2 months. I enjoyed taking the tours again, visiting Angela and Daniel over Memorial Day weekend, and watching the special events in the streets, again from my perch on the third floor of the St. James Street apartment.
I drove to Alexandria Bay, NY for an engagement with BE Smith at River Hospital as the Associate CFO for Revenue Cycle. This was a new position the Board required them to bring in interim as well as recruit a permanent. The perception was the billing process was out of control. My perception was there was work to do but for the most part the billing process was under control of non-billing departments who were driving efforts in the wrong ways. And they were grossly understaffed for the results they expected. I identified the people in the office that knew what they were doing and let them run. They got the office back on track quickly. Thanks Melanie and Patty and Tangela.
Alexandria Bay is a historic area along the St. Lawrence River. Millionaires made the Thousand Island region their summer playground beginning in the late 1800's. Tour boats can still take you on the river among the homes and homesites. Interestingly, a number of homes burned down right around the time of the 1929 stock market crash. Stories of the homes are interesting. Alexandria Bay, NY. Boldt Castle, Singer Island, Wellesley Island, and the crossing into Canada.
The first 4 months were barren. Very few people were in the streets. Snow covered the roads. Ice covered bay and extended out into the river. It was difficult to even walk anywhere. There was only a couple of places to get anything to eat. A local supermarket was rather expensive. Watertown was 25 miles away and was where I could get Walmart prices. It was also the airport I flew out of.
I made several trips to Washington DC to be with Angela while she struggled with hospital stays. I got to know the road south - Syracuse, Binghamton, Scranton, York, Baltimore, and finally Laurel.
Then slowly the town woke up. Merchants from the south started stocking their businesses and opening them. More and more of the ice melted. A few boats made their way to the pier. People started arriving at their island homes.
The first abode was Bonnie Castle Inn (like an old Best Western.) Then came Captain's Inn and Suites. (Like an old Best Western.) Then they got me a much cheaper apartment right on the bay and the main street. Noisy during concerts, but a very peaceful view most of the time, including a great view of the bay, river, and sunsets. Lois helped me furnish it - curtains and ties and all.
As summer came there were more people walking around the town. Tour busses came with loads of people to ride the riverboats. I was there for the Riverfest with some powerful boats on display in June, Pirate Days in early August, and Blues Fest late August. This was when the streets were jammed with temporary residents.
I adopted a flower bed and landscaped it, planting marigolds surrounding a pepper plant and two tomato plants. I finally did get a pepper and two tomatoes before I left. Who knows what it looks like now.
UPDATE: I was asked to return the spring of 2014 and was there for 2 1/2 months. I enjoyed taking the tours again, visiting Angela and Daniel over Memorial Day weekend, and watching the special events in the streets, again from my perch on the third floor of the St. James Street apartment.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Minot, North Dakota
Minot, North Dakota. October 2013 to February 2014
I drove to Minot for an engagement with BE Smith at Trinity Hospital. The job was as the Interim Assistant Director for Admitting to help create training documentation for a system conversion to McKesson STAR for patient financials. The work was interesting but limiting. The engagement was to be 3 months, but lengthened into 4, then a little bit longer so the Director could take a little time off. The Hospital has been looking for a permanent Director for over a year, and still doesn't have one.
Minot is in the middle of nowhere. It is the place the Great Northern Railway stopped for the winter of 1859. It is said conductors use to announce "this is Minot, North Dakota. Prepare to meet your doom." The town grew rapidly. Because of the current oil boom an hour or two to the west, there has been growth from 40,000 in 2010 to an estimated 46 to 47,000 now. Many jobs go unfilled in town. Where minimum wage is $8.00 normally, Walmart is advertising $12 an hour, $14 an hour if you will work overnight. Restaurants and mall stores alike advertise "applicants apply inside." New stores, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses are being built even in the winter.
It snowed in early November and I don't think we have had the ground show through since. We just finished a month or more of temperatures below freezing, going many days without getting above 0. 3 or 4 spells have been -15 to -25 with winds blowing at 20-30 mph creating wind chills of -50 to -60. Within 5 to 10 seconds exposed skin begins to burn and is numb. Layers of coats keep that out but still leave one cold. But the "natives" take it all in stride. It should be warm by June.
I would mention interesting places to visit here. But I haven't found any. The surrounding area is largely flat, prairie and farms with a shallow valley the river has created. When Lois was here we drove north about 20 miles past the Minot Air Force Base, home of B52's and other manned bombers along with refueling tankers and some nuclear missile command, and other repair facilities. We went up to the little town of Glenburn, maybe several hundred in population. There was a post office, a silo, a school, a small hardware shop, and a gas station. I think there was a small diner but I'm not sure. I could see opening a supermarket there. We both wondered why there would be a town there - what would people do there? Farming would be scattered away from the above described metropolitan area, wouldn't it?
One person I work with moved here from Germany as a baby in the early 50's. They were to be sponsored by a farmer in Pennsylvania but he died before they started. They were relocated near Minot and she grew up nearby and now lives here, working at Trinity.
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