| Unpaid wages and the current state of Pike County | | | | had been paid but no compensation was offered to |
| Hospital prompted a handful of protesters to take to | | | | the employees. |
| the street Friday morning in Murfreesboro. | | | | During Friday’s protest, a SWEPCO truck arrived |
| The protestors, which included unpaid former and | | | | to turn off the hospital’s electricity due to an unpaid |
| currently laid-off employees as well as family and | | | | bill. Protestors stated that the past due amount was an |
| friends, held up signs along the roadway that read | | | | estimated $8,000. |
| “Pay Us,” “PCH Unfair” and “X-Mas is | | | | “You can’t watch TV in the dark,” said one |
| Not Cancelled.” | | | | protester as the truck pulled away. |
| Protestors said the rally had been mounting for months | | | | When the power was cut, an emergency generator |
| but was pushed into action last week following a | | | | kicked on, but the generator was shut down Saturday |
| remark from one of the hospital’s administrators, | | | | evening, leaving several pieces of county-owned |
| Arthur Benson, that “Christmas has been | | | | equipment at risk. The generator was reportedly shut |
| cancelled.” | | | | down because the company that services the |
| Laid-off employee Barbara Sweeden said up to 50 | | | | generator had not been paid and a vital component of |
| employees were due paychecks when the hospital | | | | the machine was removed. |
| was forced into a temporary suspension of operations | | | | Also during the protest, Crystal Rhoden, who was |
| in November and that numerous attempts to get paid | | | | unaware of the protest, arrived at the hospital’s |
| had been rebuffed. She said when she recently asked | | | | clinic attempting to obtain her family’s medical |
| Benson if the employees could “please get paid by | | | | records. She said her new doctor will not see her |
| Christmas,” Benson responded “Did you not get | | | | family until they have the appropriate medical records. |
| my memo? Christmas has been cancelled.” | | | | Rhoden said she had tried twice to obtain the records |
| “It wasn’t funny then, and it isn’t funny | | | | and was prepared to pay the $5 per record and 75 |
| now,” Sweeden said in a released statement | | | | cents per page she was told she would have to pay, |
| signed by the current and former employees working | | | | but no one has been at the hospital to provide the |
| the roadway in front of the hospital. | | | | records. |
| Pike County Hospital voluntarily closed it doors on Nov. | | | | Sweeden said that past attempts to obtain medical |
| 20 with plans to re-open on Jan. 8. The closure came | | | | records from Nurse Practitioner Tom Lowman had |
| after years of financial troubles and happened a week | | | | been denied. “They were told no records would be |
| after surprise inspections by the Arkansas Department | | | | released until after January because they could not |
| of Health and the arrest of Benson and business | | | | afford the paper or toner.” |
| partner, Robert Hicks, on felony hot checks charges. | | | | “It’s like they are holding the dadgum records |
| The two men, who began leasing the hospital from the | | | | hostage and they’re trying to make money off of |
| county in July through the company Southwest | | | | the community,” Rhoden said. “What can I do? I |
| Arkansas Healthcare, are accused of writing bad | | | | don’t know what I can do.” |
| checks totaling more than $8,000 to a former doctor. | | | | Sweeden said that the issue of unpaid wages was |
| Sweeden said she hoped the rally would result in the | | | | turned over to the federal labor board two weeks ago |
| employees being paid but she also wanted “to let | | | | and that a case has been opened to investigate the |
| people know that some of the stuff that’s been in | | | | matter. |
| the papers where they’re saying they have | | | | “Since it is such a large number of employees it |
| attempt to pay us is not true.” | | | | could take a while before we see any results,” |
| Murfreesboro Mayor Jim O’Neal, who has worked | | | | Sweeden said. |
| at the hospital for more than 30 years as an X-ray | | | | Also on hand for Friday’s protest was former |
| technician, was at the hospital Friday morning as the | | | | hospital administrator Rosemary Fritts. Her sign read |
| protestors began to arrive. He had been in the hospital | | | | “Hicks is ‘Previous Administration.’” Fritts, |
| gathering up his belongings. | | | | who worked at the hospital for 25 years before being |
| “I’m official laid off,” the mayor said. | | | | let go in May when Hicks took over as interim |
| “I’m owed five week of pay plus vacation time I | | | | administrator in 2008, said she was there to show |
| never got to use. They have not made an effort to | | | | support for her former employees. |
| pay me one penny of what they owe me no more | | | | “The previous administration has been blamed for |
| than they have for these people out here who have | | | | just about everything, but (Hicks) is the previous |
| worked and given their lives and time to this | | | | administration. He came on board in August of 2008 |
| hospital.” | | | | and you can see what has happened since then,” |
| O’Neal did not participate in the protest, opting to go | | | | Fritts said. |
| to Hope that morning to start the process of receiving | | | | Friday’s protest spilled into Monday night and grew |
| his unemployment benefits. | | | | in size when the hospital employees got on the |
| Melissa Molnaird joined the protest after being stuck | | | | agenda of the Pike County Quorum Court. |
| with an unpaid insurance claim after the administration | | | | Pike County Judge Don Baker said he preferred |
| withheld insurance money out of employee’s | | | | waiting until Jan. 8 when the hospital is scheduled to |
| checks for two months but did not pay the premiums. | | | | re-open before any action is taken by county. |
| “Now I’m stuck with no coverage and more | | | | “We’re not going to do anything until then,” |
| than a $15,000 claim,” said Molnaird. | | | | he said. |
| Molnaird said she felt “betrayed” by the | | | | Baker also said he had talked with Hicks this week |
| hospital’s current administration and the betrayal | | | | and that he stated the power would be turned back |
| reached another level when she learned the | | | | on at the hospital sometime this week. |
| hospital’s past-due cable bill in the amount of $800 | | | | |