Before CEO Phillip Wolfe came to Georgia and was welcomed into Gwinnett County with open arms to run Gwinnett Medical Center, he was part of a very shady past. In 2004, Mr. Wolfe was the CEO of a hospital called Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California. For more than a year, hundreds of Enloe Medical Center's caregivers were struggling hard to improve the conditions of their hospital. In 2004, Mr. Wolfe earned some $629,361 in total compensation, while his employees struggled to put food on the table and avoid bankruptcy. He earned nearly 23 times the median income of the Chico-Paradise Metropolitan area, and more than 40 times the wages of some of his employees. Many employees struggled so badly that they had to ask for public assistance for food, shelter, and care for their children, all while Mr. Wolfe earned over half a million dollars. Town hall meetings were raging with hate from fellow citizens and workers. People yelled " Why is it you can't take a cut in your own pay, and from your Board of Directors, instead of putting the hospitals staff and the patients in harms way, from inadequate pay, and inadequate staffing?" While on board at Enloe, Mr. Wolfe allowed the hospital to bleed red ink and could never actually bring it back into the black financially. He caused major suffering and harmful working conditions for his employees, and brought turmoil to the local and regional economy there. It was after this disrupt that he resigned as CEO, suggesting he had done all he could possibly do for Enloe Medical. 

From there, he came to Gwinnett Hospital System in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Since the step down of the previous CEO Franklin Rinker, this hospital has basically been in red ink. As a previous employee, and one who was subjected to a 93 person layoff on November 11th, 2010, I am starting this petition for a better Chief Executive Officer. During my 15 years at this hospital, I have never seen it run so poorly as it is currently being run. The employee morale is down in the dumps. People are getting laid off, and there was even talk of another set of layoffs in February 2011. Employees there now are running EXTREMELY short staffed, with only two nursing assistants per floor to cover some 36 patients on some of the floors. In a memo sent to employees, Mr. Wolfe elaborated on how change was necessary. He pointed out that there would soon be layoffs and more layoffs after that. He said no one at the hospital would get a raise in pay during the entire year of 2011. He also said hospital matching for their 403b retirement plans would also be reduced. Employees and department managers are aware of how critical the staffing numbers are, but feel that they cannot stand up to, or suggest change without somehow being repremanded for their freedom speech. It had become a very hush-hush environment where employees felt scared to say anything. I feel under my Freedom of Speech rights, and those of my fellow co-workers, that we must now stand up for our rights for a fair and safe workplace. We must say it like we mean it. We must get this CEO out of office before he does any more damage! I am asking all employees and managers past and present, laid off or currently working to join me in this strong pursuit of fair treatment and a happier workplace. Any professor of economics will tell you that laying off employees and cutting back on staff to the point it risks patient safety is NOT the correct action a CEO should be making as new towers and other hospital property are currently being constructed. An open heart center is currently in the works, as is the renovation of the South Tower. More expansion of beds should mean more employees to staff the hospital that will serve these patients, not less. I cannot be the ONLY one here who sees a hospital going downhill now, and in five years, possibly going bankrupt. If you feel you have been wrongly treated, and would like to see new management change, please join me in this petition. Thank you for your time.