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Scathing investigation details failures at Mecklenburg Co. Health Department

By Joe Bruno, wsoctv.com
By Joe Bruno, wsoctv.com

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — The Mecklenburg County Health Department was slammed with a scathing 250-page report by a third-party consulting group, Navigant, that detailed multiple failures at the agency.

The investigation came after two high-profile mistakes by the department. In March, the Health Department failed to tell nearly 200 women about abnormal Pap smear test results. Then weeks later, the department accidentally released personal information of 2,000 patients to Channel 9.

Dr. Marcus Plescia announced in June in he was resigning as health director, but maintained the agency was under control and leadership was properly fit to handle the storm it’s currently moving through.

Navigant disputes those claims in the report.

Navigant found that leadership did not have the pulse of staff perceptions and was not listening to employee concerns, according to the report.

The report went on to say the executive leadership and management did not serve as good role models for their subordinates and did not acknowledge bad behavior and do not hold personnel accountable for their actions.

But it wasn’t just management under fire in the report.

Navigant said newly-hired nurses lack specific knowledge related to public health and staff are not held accountable for their inappropriate behavior.

Navigant said the Health Department needs to recast its position in the community by addressing operational issues and patient access. It went on to say that providers must dedicate time, provide practical solutions and resolutions within the clinic.

Mecklenburg County commissioner Jim Puckett released a statement on the report:

"The Navigant report as relates to management is what I feared and clearly explains senior management’s initial reluctance to have an extensive investigation done.   In light of the findings I am not surprised at the efforts taken by our senior staff to protect, defend and insulate each other.  Reading management has “behaved inappropriately, not served as good role models, allowed bad behavior, not held personnel accountable”, that a “definition of quality is one of doing no harm” etc. is it any surprise there has been a sense of circling the wagons?   These would all be reason enough for concern if we were talking about managing the motor pool, but when we are talking about the health department and the lives of our citizens it is inconceivable to me that this culture and level of incompetence would not only be allowed but shielded via supportive emails and public endorsements.  I am of course disappointed but grateful that we have a clear understanding of the issues before us and the beginning of a roadmap to return order and professional management to the department, assistance to our employees and an outline to what is needed to regain the public’s trust."  

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