My wife’s old employer wants her research...

[A930Rocket]

I’ve got a question for the PPOT.

My wife worked at a hospital here in Charleston that had crazy high infection rates in the ICU/CCU. She did her research as a DNP student and implemented a plan to lower the rate. It was an uphill battle to get everyone on board and most didn’t. Despite their objections, she was able to decrease the infection rate by 83% in one year.

She left the hospital a year ago due to politics, poor management and lack of support. Since leaving, the infection rate has skyrocketed and the hospital is at wits end trying to lower the infection rate. In fact, the entire chain of hospitals in the SE has a very high infection rate and looking to see what they can do to lower it.

A former colleague and friend was asked by the SE region CNO to ask my wife what she did to lower the rates so drastically. She wants my wife’s research and information to take back to the hospital.

Since my wife was treated so poorly, how would you handle this request?

I’m inclined to tell them to **** off nicely, while she takes her knowledge somewhere else.

[sixbanger]

Or they can pay her highly for it.

[sc_rufctr]

Are they willing to pay her to hand over the research?

[OK-944]

If lives were not at stake...then yes - tell them to **** off. But this is a matter of principle.

Perhaps, as a compromise...to help save lives and keep everyone happy - your wife can offer her services as a consultant, and charge big $$$.

[wayner]

There are two issues

1) intellectual property rights (IP) Unless she signed something to the contrary, I believe in the US they own any that she created during her time there. ( Canada is the opposite, the worker owns it unless something to the contrary was signed, but I’m not a lawyer)

If she was ever to publish, she may want to seek legal advice related to her IP. It on the other hand she sights it as anecdotal evidence in something she publishes that may be ok but again seek advice

2)should she be a nice guy?
Why
I charge for my value not for my time
I’d like to be nice by I can’t be. My shareholders would have my head for giving away my value

I’d propose a program for them and implement it based on a valuation based on monetary savings or lost days or whatever

It would be a hefty sum, take it or leave it
Hire someone else to implement if she has a strained relationship that would make working there difficult

License any new IP to them, don’t give it away

Partner with me if she wants, ( I’m already giving away too much value here for free now )

[id10t]

Either.... publish for the betterment of humanity. Put a proper license on it - creative commons of some type with no derivatives, attribution required, no commercial use, etc.

Or set up an LLC for a consulting business and charge the big bucks.

[pavulon]

Consultant. Gig.

[stomachmonkey]

Bit tricky.

Depending on her employment agreement with the institution, the works she created while working there may actually be the Hospitals Intellectual Property to begin with.

That's pretty standard.

Now the moral part.

End of day her work will benefit patients.

Regardless of compensation or prior treatment isn't helping patients the higher ground?

[wayner]

Helping patients is the higher ground

... but in the US, each department in a hospital is seen as either a profit centre or expense

If others are paid to maximize that and they want your input for free and treat you like crap, find another hospital

Build a program for them

Pro bono but maintain your IP

Then sell it ( or give it to other hospitals at your descretion, not theirs
And, it is one thing, being able to implement it is another

If they want to steal it, tell them to come at night and take it in the dark like a proper thief

( chanelling Reardon from Atlas Shrugged)

[wayner]

Btw, my shareholders are my family who rely on me for groceries

[mreid]

Provide the research. It was created on their dime and lives are at stake.

From what you’ve said, there is only a small chance they will know what to do or have the skill to do it. She should then offer her services with the condition that she only reports to the CEO. Every hospital has a scorecard used to evaluate the CEO. Infection rate is one of the key measures. She will need the backing of the CEO to effect change. Typically where failure occurs is when the CEO delegates accountability to someone too low in the hospital and no one listens.

If I was her, I would package it up nicely and send it along with a cover letter directly to the CEO, demonstrating compassion and commitment while offering her services.

At this point, I have to disclose that one of my best friends is the CEO of a large chain of hospitals. All the individual hospital CEOs report to him. Over drinks a couple of weeks ago, he asked me how best to approach one of his CEOs who is not addressing infection rates appropriately.

[cairns]

Just curious- Roper?

[asphaltgambler]

The former hospital admin may not know the law regarding her IP. She should offer to them - her services strictly as a contractor / consultant for $XXXX per hour. Further, estimate the @amount of hours to implement and quote that. She should include a clause where at anytime they do not follow her direction for any reason, the gig ends and she is paid in full for the amount quoted.

Their reaction will tell if they are serious....

[wayner]

Originally Posted by mreid

Provide the research. It was created on their dime and lives are at stake.

From what you’ve said, there is only a small chance they will know what to do or have the skill to do it. She should then offer her services with the condition that she only reports to the CEO. Every hospital has a scorecard used to evaluate the CEO. Infection rate is one of the key measures. She will need the backing of the CEO to effect change. Typically where failure occurs is when the CEO delegates accountability to someone too low in the hospital and no one listens.

If I was her, I would package it up nicely and send it along with a cover letter directly to the CEO, demonstrating compassion and commitment while offering her services.

At this point, I have to disclose that one of my best friends is the CEO of a large chain of hospitals. All the individual hospital CEOs report to him. Over drinks a couple of weeks ago, he asked me how best to approach one of his CEOs who is not addressing infection rates appropriately.

I’d hit the LIKE button on this post if there was one :-)

[Danimal16]

Why do they need her research?

I mean the recommendations that were implemented as a result of her effort are the meat of her efforts.

If they have those procedures, why do they need the research?

IMO, there is nothing immoral about her not just giving the research to them, they have what they need to solve the problem that they seem to have made.

If they are seeing something different, yes, they should enter into a consultant relationship.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Danimal16

Why do they need her research?

I mean the recommendations that were implemented as a result of her effort are the meat of her efforts.

If they have those procedures, why do they need the research?

IMO, there is nothing immoral about her not just giving the research to them, they have what they need to solve the problem that they seem to have made.

If they are seeing something different, yes, they should enter into a consultant relationship.

OP states it was an uphill battle to get compliance and even then compliance was low.

Most likely because she was the one driving the adoption of her policies once she left the knowledge went with her.

People reverted to their old habits because it was the path of least resistance.

[masraum]

1) Most places own anything that you come up with when you work for them.
2) Also, as stated, this is lives and or individuals health.

As if #2 wasn't enough, to bring home the point of #1. I've heard stories where someone "invented" something on their own time at home, while they worked for a company that was not directly related to what the company did, but that person documented their work on their corporate laptop. The company therefore owned the invention. I think with a little research you'll find that is pretty much the norm.

Again #2 should be enough.

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by Danimal16

Why do they need her research?

I mean the recommendations that were implemented as a result of her effort are the meat of her efforts.

If they have those procedures, why do they need the research?

IMO, there is nothing immoral about her not just giving the research to them, they have what they need to solve the problem that they seem to have made.

If they are seeing something different, yes, they should enter into a consultant relationship.

Shouldn't the hospital have detailed records of the procedures that she helped implement years ago to lower the infection rates so dramatically ? It sounds like someone has dropped the ball on the upper hospital staff, and they are trying to scramble to recover, but can't find the procedures.

[-Levi-]

she did his on company time and was paid for it already, also peoples lives are at risk.
I would ask for compensation, but regardless at the end of the day I would hand over the information without without an offer.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

(1)She did her research as a DNP student and (2)implemented a plan to lower the rate.

A former colleague and friend was asked by the SE region CNO to (2)ask my wife what she did to lower the rates so drastically. (1)She wants my wife’s research and information to take back to the hospital.

Aren't those two separate issues?

1. Her research was funded by the hospital and technically they might claim ownership of it.
The research IP belongs to them.
"Security will escort you outside. Everything inside your desk belong to us."
So if she got a position at a local competing hospital and used that to bolster competing profits and her own salary later, it might be ajudged 'piracy' or 'theft', and thus her being personally responsible for all the former hospital's business losses vs internally projected gains.
(sorry just going over the worst case senario here as a paranoid.)


2. Whatever plans she implemented as former admin should all be on record within the former hospital system.
The friend can and should be able to find it all there.
The hospital should pay friend for such
The Admins/CEOs that reversed policies and caused mass deaths should be put on trial.