Held Hostage by a Gang

The citizens of Danville have fallen victim to gang violence. More sinister then any LA gang these gangsters were able to operate practically unseen by anyone in Danville. Unfortunately these gang members were not Crips or Bloods who wore bandanas, tattoos, and wielded guns. These gang members wore suits (some with dresses), designer shoes, and carried briefcases. This gang had several names, the Memorial Hospital Board Disciples, the Banker Mafia, and the Sell Out Kings just to mention a few.
How are they a gang? Well lets look at the law and see the definition: “Virginia State Law 18.2-46.1 defines a criminal street gang as any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, (i) which has as one of its primary objectives or activities the commission of one or more criminal activities; (ii) which has an identifiable name or identifying sign or symbol; and (iii) whose members individually or collectively have engaged in the commission of, attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation of two or more predicate criminal acts, at least one of which is an act of violence, provided such acts were not part of a common act or transaction.”
Gee, seems like this group qualifies. If denying adequate medical care is a criminal act then we have a clean sweep. This group most often referred to as “The Board” engaged in the commission of acts that denied quality medical care to many Danville citizens.
The facts are simply this:
Board gets greedy. Board sells to greedy group. Greedy group screws up. Greedy group tries to white wash problems. Problems grow. Greedy group hires and fires. Greedy group forces hospital to offer sub par medical care.
How will it all end? Many believe the next line to this story will be: Greedy group sells hospital and sails off into the sunset. This was a one act play from day one. Anyone could see this coming. But the question is why? The answer is simple---greed.
The hospital for many years was the crown jewel of the city. It had its problems but none the less it functioned as an integral part of the social and economic make up of the city. People rallied behind it during good and bad times. Donations poured in and allowed the hospital to grow, evolve, and continue to serve the citizens. It was part of the fabric that cloaked the city with good will and security. Were emergency rooms crowded? Sure. Did people complain? Sure, but very few. It was an inconvenience that people put up with to insure they had access to a not-for-profit hospital that they felt connected to in some way. Volunteers filled the halls, the coffee shop, the wards, and the offices. People were actually allowed to work off hospital bills by working at the hospital. A true social experiment.
The hospital grew and grew, equipment was updated, state of the art computer equipment was purchased, top notch physicians were attracted to the area, and all was good in Mudville.
Then the gang moved in.
Like all gangs they sneaked in under the radar and no one saw it coming. The secret handshakes began, the strange language started, and the gang began to circle for the kill. The calf had been fatted and now it was time for the sacrifice, all under the banner of what’s “good for Danville.” The OG’s (Original Gangsters) could wait no longer, the dollar signs were intoxicating. The secret was contained but it would soon be the talk of the town. The stealth of the negotiations rivaled the A-bomb secrets. The suitors were whisked in and out of Danville while the OG’s sized up the offers. Who would make the highest offer?
When all the dust had settled another gang, the Lifepoint Outlaws, had taken the turf as their own. The Hospital Board Disciples merrily walked away with briefcases stuffed with cash. How much did they receive? No one really knows, but it was “good for Danville”. Most of the cash was destined for the Golden Calf on the hill, the Institute. “This will save Danville !”, said the banker gangsters. “Trust us. We know more then you do.” they assured the citizens. Little did they know the storm that was brewing.
Lifepoint roared in on their motorcycles and looked over their “turf”. Hmmm the OG’s thought. This place has lots to plunder. And so it went. They slithered through the hospital slashing and burning as they moved from department to department. They soon discovered that the hospital computer system was so sophisticated that their antiquated programs would not work! So a logical business decision would be to upgrade the software. No, not this gang. They ripped out nearly all the computer systems and installed out of date computers that could handle their software. A giant leap for Lifepoint, a leap backwards for Danville. The working population began to drop as workers realized they were on the Titanic and the lifeboats were leaving. Before they were canned they simply jumped ship. The surrounding hospitals were eager to get these highly trained individuals. And the quality of care in Danville began to suffer.
The hospital gang sat back and let things go from bad to worse. Pressure began to mount. The “old gang” of Memorial began to sweat a little. What if people really began to look into what we did they wondered. How can we take the heat off? Throw money at them they decided. So the Benevolent Disciples stepped forward and proclaimed, “Hear ye, Hear ye! The Disciples will alleviate all your worries. We will shower the local counties and cities with money. The Emerald City, the Institute, will receive our blessing. The Pittsylvania County church of a gang member will receive a gift. The DCC Castle will be showered with funds. Oh yeah don’t forget to toss a bone to Caswell County.
Employees at the hospital unfairly became the scapegoats. Short handed they strained to maintain services. The emergency room took the worse hit as service suffered and time delays grew. Then the hammer fell. Accreditation was in jeopardy. The Lifepoint gang met and mulled over the problem. Hmmm, what can we do to take the heat off the gang. “Toss them another CEO!”, they decided. So another CEO made the slow trek to the guillotine.
The neighborhood became restless with the gangs and began to fight back. The Hospital Board Disciples ran for cover. The gang could not fight so many people. The biggest gang of all, the City Council Bloods, entered the fray as always…..late. They quickly put together a commission to look at the issue and issue a report. And so a group met and met and met and met……. The final report told everyone what they already knew. A gang had taken the Crown Jewel and was holding it for ransom. The City Council Bloods threw up their hands and said, “We did all we can do.” The Hospital Board Disciples smiled………..all the way to the bank.
This story is not a work of fiction though many wish it was. This is how gangs infiltrate a city and eat away at its core. No one seems to care until it is too late. What can be done? New gang legislation? Increased gang intelligence and enforcement? The train may already have left the station.
And the gangs smiled…..all is good…..all is good.