Friday, November 2, 2012

An Update on the Health of Bravo Health

The Paradise Center Scandal Blog got an interesting comment this to a post posted way back on April 24, 2011 titled Anonymous Research Into the MHMR-TC Relationship With BRAVO Health with that comment being so good we thought a new post with this comment was a good idea...

It looks like BRAVO Health has done business almost completely with the federally controlled Medicare program. So I would agree with the conclusion by the first anonymous commenter on 4/28 that this is major "foot in the door" for the corporation as far as state-controlled Medicaid program. Medicaid can be and often is much more profitable than the more stringent retirement (with some for disabled workers on SSDI) medical benefit Medicare. So I see why this market is so valuable to BRAVO and its new parent company Health Spring. No wonder BRAVO is plastering ads all over and handing out donations to groups like NAMI-TC and MHA . I still can't get my hand on information to explain why BRAVO was placed on a five month suspension to begin doing business by the state's Dept of HHS back in December. The information provided on this blog would make it reasonable to think that THE only reason for that rather surprising--and pretty harsh-- suspension was due to Theresa Davis' refusal to collude with the McDermott gang. Because thinking about it what McDermott and his gang did to Ms. Davis and Paradise Center were also rather surprising and extremely harsh. Aside from criminal prosecution, I can only think that something as serious and very consequential as such a financial matter would explain the disturbing decision and damaging actions on the part of the agency's highest level of leadership. Some with master level social worker licenses could be in some hot water with the State Board since they as professionals in that field should have known of the likely harm that such sudden and drastic changes would have on people recovering from very serious mental illness. But they thought that their victims would ever speak up and call them out like the Paradise group has. Give Ms. Davis a lot of credit for not only standing her ground but also for helping to give those folks the self confidence and cohesion as a group to fight and essentially win this David v. Goliath fight. That's very remarkable in itself there because it looked like the McDermott gang and cronies were throwing everything at them to make them lose heart and give up. Your blog shares a lot of credit because it helped expose wrongdoing and spread the truth against the MHMR-TC political machinery. 

13 comments:

Sam E. said...

Yea, BRAVO lost a lot of money in this region due to the bungling by Jim McDermott and his girls. Sad bunch of imcompetent people living high on the hog off of our tax dollars.

Guelma said...

Speaking of Mcdermott during this season of turkeys and giving thanks: the big mhmr turkey's rule over mhmrtc is like a cooked turkey. It's done. But not before he weaseled his way into getting paid for six months as a "consultant" at full salary no less. Plus, he extracted almost an additional $40k cash for ending his contract sooner than agreed. Hmmmm.

Anonymous said...

I heard he was retiring. But what Guelma is reporting doesnt sound like a willing or planned retirement, like most happy and dignified instances during the conclusion of a public career. Hmmmm, indeed.

Suzette said...

It seems like there were consequenes suffered by the wrongdoers in this scandal. Jim McDermott's game got exposed and this scandal brought his long career to a shameful enfd. Not surprising to hear about his concern for his own financial interests at taxpayers expense. Again.

Wayne said...

Yes, old Jimbo is "retired" BUT still getting full salary as a "consultant" for half a year. I suspect it's so he can do marketing work for Bravo(now Healthspring) down in south texas to make up for the bad pr and financial loss that bravo suffered due to their business partnership with mhmr under old Jimbo.

T.r.e. said...

I was just going back through some of the old blog posts and found an interesting comment from a Mary M. in August 2011.

L.C. said...

Mary M. seemed to know something most of the public did not. Just a good guess, experience , or insider knowledge? Good riddance Jumbo.

nami mommy said...

If this bullycrat is gone, whos gonna take his place. Hopefully, not one of his so called gals.

Anonymous said...

After all the exposure of their level of competence and their questionable integrity, it would be a given that mhmrtc would conduct a thorough and open search for new leadership that would bring fresh perspective and competence to renew public trust. For everyone's sake, let's hope it won't be business as usual.

On the other hand, with some unresolved legal and possible litigation issues, it might be usefull to have these people around and available for testimony, if not accountability.

mhmr insider said...

No such luck because these secretive/incompetent bureaucrats quietly put the woman deputy as new ceo without much public disclosure. Nevermind conducting a thorough search for the best qualifiedperson for the job. The Fort Worthless Way at work again.

Anonymous said...

You mean the woman who was on Youtube asking a mental health consumer "what are supplies?" Lord help us all. And these poor mh consumers in Tarrant County.

lynnie said...

Bravo health made a calculated decision that would have profited their company and mcdermott & gals but lost million$ due to the latter's lack of competence and what could be summarized as conscientiousness~~doing the right thing driven by internal moral values instead of by pressure or threats from someone else.

Mcdermott and gals lost face but got what they value most, personal gains in the forms of positions and money. Off of the taxpayers, sadly. Tragically, the people suffering with serious mental illnesses lose a lot since the tax dollars were intended to help improve their lives instead of paying for expensive office towers for mhmrtc execs and their high living.

Crime watcher said...

Interesting article in this month's FW Weekly titled "Dorothy's Luck" that mentioned Guardianship Services Inc., which was closely tied to McDermott and MHMR of Tarrant County since many of their people sat on the Board of MHMR's 501(c)3 charity called "MHMR Visions". The series of reports and comments from activists fighting abuses of the guardianship system that enriches judges, lawyers, bankers, and professional guardians while depriving wealthy elderly and disabled people of their basic legal rights...and tens of thousands to millions of their private dollars.

Some local tarrant county probate judges who are tight with the MHMR elites were implicated in these unconscionable schemes, the same judges making donations to MHMR Visions and even honored as their Person of the Year during their annual fancy fund-raiser and schoozefest involving Tarrant County Commissioners and County Judge, who give almost a million dollars annually to Guardianship Services and a whole lot more to MHMRTC. Questions were raised about the large number of MHMR clients who have been placed in NURSING HOMES, some who are recipients of trust funds left by their financially well off parents who are deceased or too old and frail to manage the trust funds for their children.

Some had also noted that just months before the MHMR coup of Paradise Center Inc., there was a sudden influx of Guardian Services volunteers flooding the Paradse board, possibly to take over governorship of the little nonprofit on behalf of MHMR as they tried to cover up their dirty dealings with the state Dept. of Health Services and their secretive private business partner Bravo Health.

Wonder how much Bravo stock Jim McDermott, Susan Garnett, or the incompetent Sonja "crackberry mama" (what MH managers called her because of her addiction to her blackberry) Gaines were promised or received. Jumbo snuck out and is now doing "consulting"--uh-huh.