My Response to Barry Ronan's Informative Blog Entry About Finances and Efficiency Changes at W.M.H.S., Similar To a Featured Article By, "The New York Times" the Following Day

If you are intrigued with modern health care, and most especially as we as a nation transition into new mostly uncharted territory, read these articles from two days of writing/publishing with an open mind, and see what is truly possible with a new state of the art facility run with exceptional management and making profits already under some of the strictest  guidelines in place by any state in the union, Maryland.

This is my home hospital here in charming Cumberland, Maryland and they are indeed setting an example here for what the model of proper, capable, affordable, efficient health care will look like once properly embraced under the new and forthcoming guidelines, and why the onus is upon the politicians to move forward with these cost setting and money saving initiatives that are going to revolutionize the industry in only positive ways for both the industry and the citizens.

There is no reason for any hospital in the nation to not emulate this model to the tee, as it provides better health care, shorter hospital stays, and more conclusive medical treatment for the patients and less re-admissions and all the while bolsters the bottom line of profit for the individual hospital while almost un-intuitively saving money for the government, which is adopted properly as set forth soon to take place will certainly save trillions of dollars nationwide on health care expenses,money we must start saving right away while we right our economic ship through progressive efficient programs such that we are among the leaders of here at home.

I say a heartfelt congratulations to Mr, Ronan in his expertise and his excellent staff from the top down at the Western Maryland Health Care's Cumberland Campus, (W.M.H.S.), and kudos on a job thus far exceptionally well accomplished in a short three year window after transitioning to a brand new facility from two former campuses, and well ahead of the coming timely and needed reforming changes so direly needed.

An ounce of prevention after all is most certainly worth at least a pound of cure!

The Ronan Report

"The Ronan Report" provides insight about the activities at the Western Maryland Health System in Cumberland, Maryland, and about the changes taking place in healthcare today from a CEO's perspective.

Friday, August 23, 2013

It Was a Very Good Year

At today's Board Finance Committee, Kim Repac, our CFO, provided a report on the FY 2013 Year End Review.  Wow!  Our admissions were down 774, which under our new payment methodology is a good thing.  Our Case Mix Adjusted Length of Stay was also down to 4.09 days.  The way we use Observation Beds has improved and we saw an 8% decrease over last year.  Our regulated outpatient visits were down by 10.5%, which is also a good thing; and our ED visits were up, but ED admissions were down by 4.5%.  Our readmission rate continues to come down each year.  We saw dramatic improvement in our potentially preventable conditions producing a reward of $1.78 million out of a potential of $2 million putting WMHS in the top 10% for all Maryland hospitals.  We also saw improvements in the financial performance related to physician practices by $900,000.  Overall, we had a net income from operations of $10,861,000 or a 3.6% operating margin and a total revenue over expense of $15,151,919 or a 5% total margin.  What a difference a year makes.  Now in fairness, we cut supply and labor expenses by almost $7 million during the fiscal year, along with convincing the Cost Review Commission to revise their formula related to averted bad debt, which cost us millions during Fiscal Years 11 and 12.  They also agreed to provide us with a one-time settlement of over $2 million based on a flawed formula on Medicaid expansion.  In summary, we turned around our financial condition from a FY'12 loss of almost $2 million in total revenue to over $15 million; we dramatically improved our Quality Based Reimbursement; our patient satisfaction results improved and we reduced admissions and readmissions along with our ancillary use rates for the third consecutive year. It was a very good year and hopefully one that we can continue to repeat year after year.

http://theronanreport.blogspot.com/2013/08/it-was-very-good-year.html

MY RESPONSE:

P1

I have had a run of poor health for a while and as I have been a patient, most especially in the ED more then I care to, of course, I can see an over all settling in by the staff and better efficiency along the lines of better diagnostics and faster more thorough chart reviews. I can see where that has had an overall affect on shorter hospital stays and less often returning patients. The treatment I have received by Dr. Lamm and Dr. May has been better then my own PCP as I can tell they are able to quickly review my charts and familiarize themselves well with my many conditions and treat me effectively and I very much appreciate that they ask me what has worked well for me or what has not and are able to cater my care to my specific needs at the moment and get me quickly on my way to healing with these recent sudden onset events. I was raised to only utilize the ED when it was an emergency, of course, and as I find it harder and harder to get a quick appointment with my PCP and I am most often told to go to the ED instead, especially if my symptoms worsen rapidly. I must say I have a confidence now that I did not feel at first after the initial transition to the new facility. I am very impressed with the protocol in place as a patient, and having been in management a better part of my productive working life, the keen management style is impressive to say the least. I very often read your blog. I will one day require cervical fusion and I want to know that what ever hospital I finally choose will be one that is comforting to me as well as capable and competent, and I am starting to feel that trust building due to the marked change that only comes from listening to patients well and closely analyzing cost efficiency while increasing the quality of health care.

P2

I would like to suggest you write the local paper as well, if you have not and forgive me if you did and I missed it, and share a brief synopsis of these wonderful changes that are being made. I expect with the new facility that you will be attracting even finer doctors such as Dr. Lamm and Dr. May to further compliment your excellent staff and become the leader in this entire area that we need while the country transitions now into a new arena of healthcare that you all seem more then competent to be the example of while so many other institutions, politicians, and citizens, seem resistant to this needed change. I know that will not be an easy task what so ever, but with your numbers in FY2012 in comparison to FY2013, and the scrutiny of the Medicaid formula and resulting credit, it is again great to observe you have an excellent staff and impeccable leadership. My hat is off to W.M.H.S., and as usual I will still speak my voice as the consummate observer, and I will equally always give credit where credit is due. I like your style and transparency, and going back in time I appreciated your factual reporting on the concerns with Bath Salts that were epidemic at the time and not reported to the extent you shared anywhere else at all! I started a petition, addressed a local meeting in person siting your statistics amoung other specific details of the deadly molecular structures skirting the federal state and local laws, wrote and was published in the paper and wrote a blog entry as well that has been more widely read then my published article at the U.S. Department of Energy (Google; Swygert HRDC)  and I believe your blog was at least one instrumental part in a victory we should all be proud of! Your transparency was a major catalyst along with friends stories of family members ruing their lives with the


P3

abuse of these drugs. I sincerely hope perhaps you will entertain writing an entry of the after effects of the laws passage and if it has helped as I pray it has, and what the statistics are now in relation to their usage. I earned a degree in Science with a Major in Police in Police Science so these figures are of great interest to me as I hope we can always be so collectively efficient locally when any need arises. Your leadership shines and I hope one day to volunteer and offer back smiles and caring service as has been offered to me when ill. Sorry to be so long winded, but the expertise I have received while at the Ed has had me slowly back to a more productive level I was dearly missing. Cumberland is a better city and a healthier city with your experts and professionals caring for us all. If you have a day to blog about the one item I mentioned earlier and another day to blog about volunteer help desired and requirements and contact information, I would gladly share that and make myself available at any capacity from time to time. Thanks for your consideration in publishing this reply and offering a space where we may all interact.

Sincerely, John "Stephen" Swygert 


The following day, Mr. Ronan had a wonderful new blog entry and the following, "New York Times" article sighting the expertise and example that W.M.H.S. has become for the nation to follow! ; as follows.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The New York Times Article

It's not every day that your health system is featured in the NY Times, actually it's not any day as it has never happened before.  About two weeks ago, Kathy Rogers, Director of Community Relations, received a call from Eduardo Porter, a reporter from the NY Times.  Eduardo was calling to interview me upon recommendation from Maryland's Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, Joshua Sharfstein, MD.  Dr. Sharfstein visited with us several weeks ago and was impressed with our innovative approaches to population health and he suggested to Eduardo that he call us for his story on health care delivery in Maryland.

Eduardo and I spoke on the phone and he decided to visit Cumberland to interview Dr. George Garrow, Chief Medical Officer for W.M.H.S., and me.  George and I met with Eduardo last Thursday for over an hour providing him with a perspective on how we moved from a volume-based delivery model for health care to one of value.  George and Kathy then took Eduardo on a tour of our health system, highlighting those areas where we have dramatically changed how we deliver care to our patients.  Eduardo was especially impressed with Dawn Snyder, our Nurse Practitioner for our Congestive Heart Failure Clinic.  Dawn's photo was featured in the attached article. 

Eduardo left Cumberland and said that the article would run this week and it did.  It is tough to write on such a complicated subject, but Eduardo did a nice job.  Thank you, Dr. Sharfstein and Eduardo Porter, for recognizing the very innovative practices that have been put in place in western Maryland as we work to meet the triple aim of health care reform (better quality, reduced cost and a healthier community).

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/business/economy/lessons-in-maryland-for-costs-at-hospitals.html

Lessons in Maryland for Costs at Hospitals

J.M. Eddins Jr. for The New York Times

Dawn Snyder, a registered nurse, runs a heart failure clinic at Western Maryland Health System.

By EDUARDO PORTER

Published: August 27, 2013

CUMBERLAND, Md. — This hardscrabble city at the base of the Appalachians makes for an unlikely hotbed of health care innovation.

Economic Scene

Eduardo Porter writes the Economic Scene column for the Wednesday Business section.

Author Bio »

Past Columns »

Multimedia

Graphic

Keeping Costs Down

Yet Western Maryland Health Systems, the major hospital serving this poor and isolated region, is carrying out an experiment that could leave a more profound imprint on the delivery of health care than President Obama’s reforms.

Over the last three years, the hospital has taken its services outside its walls. It has opened a diabetes clinic, a wound center and a behavioral health clinic. It has hired people to follow up with older, sicker patients once they are discharged. It has added primary care practices in some neighborhoods.

The goal, seemingly so simple, has so far proved elusive elsewhere: as much as possible, keep people out of hospitals, where the cost of health care is highest. Here, the experiment seems to be working.

Hospital admissions here are down 15 percent. Readmissions have fallen, too. In 2011, 16 percent of people who had been discharged went back into the hospital. Now, that figure is 9 percent. Many patients report that they are happier with the care.

And Western Maryland has reaped financial rewards. In the fiscal year ending in June, the system made an operating profit of $15 million on about $370 million in revenue, said Barry P. Ronan, the chief executive. That’s a spectacular return, given that the average margin at hospitals across the state is a meager 0.8 percent.

Western Maryland’s initiatives to take charge of people’s health, rather than simply provide services for a fee, fit a core objective of federal health care reform: changing hospitals and related facilities into something resembling an Accountable Care Organization.

Yet the innovations taking place in this corner of Appalachia rest on a policy that the architects of President Obama’s health care reforms never tried to emulate. Indeed, this innovation was only possible because in Maryland, hospital fees are subject to government price controls.

Western Maryland Healthcare System is one of 10 rural hospitals that agreed with the state’s Health Services Cost Review Commission to accept a guaranteed budget every year to take charge of the health care of the community they serve.

If revenue comes in under the budget one year, the hospitals are allowed to increase prices the next to make up for the deficit. If revenue exceeds the budget, however, they must reduce prices to give the surplus back.

The system, adopted by Western Maryland in 2010, helps spur innovation. But it was only possible because Maryland has a commission that sets the fee that hospitals can charge patients regardless of whether they are covered by Medicare or private insurance, or are uninsured. Everyone pays roughly the same.

Price controls are not unique to Maryland. Medicare has regulated prices for decades. Other states — including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — experimented with them in the 1970s, only to drop them in the 1980s and ’90s when, for a time, managed care seemed to keep a lid on prices. In West Virginia, price controls have been in place since the 1980s.

Maryland has the longest track record, however. Price controls were put in place in the mid-1970s, when hospital costs had been rising at an alarming pace.

They addressed “the price dominance of hospitals, which are often monopolies or oligopolies and have a lot of price-setting power,” John Colmers, who heads the commission, told me.

At a stroke, the controls turned hospitals into something like public utilities — with regulated prices and a low but stable profit. Four decades on, the state’s experience offers fairly solid evidence that the hospital-as-utility model can work.

Not only could it help usher in changes called for by the Affordable Care Act, as it has at Western Maryland, it could also address head-on Obamacare’s main weakness, providing a direct means to rein in the cost of care.

From 1977 to 2010, Maryland’s price-regulated hospitals experienced the slowest rise in costs per patient in the country, according to the commission. Before the advent of price controls, the cost per each patient admitted into a Maryland hospital exceeded the national average by 26 percent. In 2011, it was 4 percent lower.

(Page 2 of 2)

What’s more, costs are more evenly spread. On average, hospitals across the country charge private patients about 44 percent more than patients on Medicare and Medicaid. The uninsured — who don’t have the clout to negotiate lower fees — must pay a sticker price that includes a 220 percent markup over costs, on average.

Economic Scene

Eduardo Porter writes the Economic Scene column for the Wednesday Business section.

Author Bio »

Past Columns »

Multimedia

Graphic

Keeping Costs Down

This, hospitals say, makes up for uncompensated care and the fact that Medicare and Medicaid pay almost 8 percent less than cost.

In Maryland, Medicare and Medicaid get only a 6 percent volume discount compared to private payers. And the sticker price markup over costs is only 33 percent. All hospitals contribute proportionately to a pot to cover uncompensated care — and this cost is incorporated into their regulated rates.

Unsurprisingly, health insurance in Maryland is among the cheapest in the country. Health plans that will operate on the new health exchanges created under the federal reforms will charge among the lowest premiums of any state.

Could price controls work nationwide? Studies have foundthat they helped manage costs in other states that later abandoned them, including New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

They didn’t work everywhere, however. Maryland hospitals bought into the system because Medicare accepted paying the higher rates set by the commission as long as increases in the cost per patient — measured from the base year of 1981 — came in lower than Medicare’s national average. This provided hundreds of millions in extra revenue from the federal government.

But in Washington State, regulation couldn’t keep costs down in the face of resistance from the hospital industry. And even Maryland’s regulations have had trouble controlling the volume of care.

The commission has no control over physicians’ decisions, the primary drivers of health expenditures. It hasn’t figured out how to transport the global budget used in Western Maryland to urban settings, where hospitals could cut costs simply by encouraging patients to go to the hospital down the block.

Indeed, Maryland’s cost controls are an example of how difficult calibrating regulation could be.

As Maryland’s hospitals have done a better job keeping healthier people out, they have ended up with sicker, more expensive patients, raising their unit cost. At hospitals like Western Maryland, a fixed budget means that each person kept out of the hospital automatically raises the cost of each patient in it.

This is threatening the Medicare waiver, which relies on keeping costs per patient low. It has forced the commission to authorize very small price increases of late. “Hospitals have taken it in the stomach in the last four years,” said Carmela Coyle, president of the Maryland Hospital Association.

The problems seem fixable, though. Global payments might be brought to urban areas by defining the population each hospital must serve and shaping compensation schemes for patients who are treated elsewhere. Mr. Ronan at Western Maryland suggests that global payments could be extended to physicians, too.

Maryland is now negotiating a new measure with the federal government to keep the Medicare waiver — one that will take account of the growth of hospitals’ total costs, rather than the cost per patient.

The rewards seem worth it. Robert Murray, a former head of Maryland’s rate-setting commission, estimated that if every hospital in the nation followed Maryland’s price guidelines, we would have saved $2 trillion between 1976 and 2008 in lower hospital costs.

Given that health care consumes 18 percent of the nation’s economic output, Maryland’s experiment seems worth a try.

E-mail: eporter@nytimes.com;

Twitter: @portereduardo

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/business/economy/lessons-in-maryland-for-costs-at-hospitals.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0

Cruisin' Bitches ~ Lyric ~ MobiusTripz

cruisin' my 89 f150 out on the highway,
sun setting colors and clouds basking in glory,
lady by my side we're listen' to country,
living the songs ourselves present real life stories.

chasing a dream trying to make a livin',
filled her up with gas gettin' ducks in a row,
I like wheelin' and dealin' and makin a buck,
working my own style so in the country i can take it slow.

a car payment has never or will be mine,
i like old jalopies that hum history in time,
odometer keeps clicking no liens just fine,
greasy fingers and cut scarred finger lines.

i talk to cars and know them well,
i redeem many from the pits of hell,
one last blast before outcast,
most these machines made to far outlast.

my 98 escort zx2,
practical and pretty sporty too,
mazda badged ford in perfect dichotomy,
and hundreds other cars I've driven too

94 lincoln mark viii beast,
luxury power feels so elite
cars make different attitudes,
4.6 liter dohc 285 hp in leather eludes.

drivin' these bitches up and down the road,
blessed and wrapped in old school steel,
when you buy that $ 50,000 ride you feel,
remember it's my baby at $ 650 twenty years time, a steal.

Somber Slumber, Per Chance to Dream ~ Lyrics ~ MobiusTripz

time twinkling stars twisting on,
spacefabric ripped it won't be long,
event horizon close rats as a throng,
radioactive dead dolphins sing no songs.

oblivious drones fly off to work with glee,
not aware of the invisible misery,
fission confusion fusion confission mutation trees,
new dna program evolution of death for free.

fukishima glows with auras that cant be seen,
invisible mass media distraction gleened,
turbulent tide reckoning hammer head peen,
the un~evolved with no idea what it means.

chorus

cryptic septic fungal pools,
zombies all around us drool,
hypothyroid and bloody stools,
swallow the pills you stupid tools!

history like dead men tells no tales,
distorted reality around us the salesman sells,
but all whaling ships always set sail to kill,
mankind the next species harpooned and soon to fail.

mother nature wins always as balance shifts,
stupid fools waste time lost in mortal rifts,
on angels wings set aloft to offer one last kiss,
this planet away we have really pissed.

money greed and impotence plentiful do last,
the morals, friends, and gods now outcast,
eyes of sin blind can never ever see past,
moments right now human species dying fast.

chorus

cryptic septic fungal pools,
zombies all around us drool,
hypothyroid and bloody stools,
swallow the pills you stupid tools!

somber slumber,
per chance to dream,
nothing left,
Syrian screams.

death gas on air floats,
bodies lying dead bloat,
the earth is his kingdom,
that god damned goat.

chorus

cryptic septic fungal pools,
zombies all around us drool,
hypothyroid and bloody stools,
swallow the pills you stupid tools!

the time to lift off is soon.

KEEP MARYLAND SMART ON CLIMATE ~ PETITION

Petition Overview

Climate change is happening right here in Maryland, right now. The effects of climate change are harming our people, our agriculture, our communities and our ecosystems. We’re witnessing rising seas, summer heat waves, and more frequent and violent thunderstorms. All of these changes affect Maryland’s citizens, their livelihoods and the State’s economy.

The time to act is now. Please take a few minutes to thank Governor Martin O’Malley for moving forward to address climate change--he needs to know that Maryland residents support him.

Under Governor Martin O’Malley’s leadership, Maryland is moving forward to address climate change with a Plan that will reduce greenhouse gases 25% by 2020.  The Plan encompasses more than 150 programs and initiatives that will result in an estimated $1.6 billion in economic benefits, support more than 37,000 jobs and positively impact public health. The Plan is a comprehensive, multi-sector, multi-agency plan that incorporates many innovative strategies.

The Plan is good for Maryland and will support a green economy, preserve valuable agricultural and forest land, aid in restoring Chesapeake Bay, diversify energy sources, and promote renewable energy. Please take a few minutes to thank our Governor by signing this letter today.

To: Governor O’Malley,

Thank you for taking the lead on making sure Maryland is in the forefront of addressing climate change and its impacts on Marylanders throughout the state.

I’m very concerned that Maryland is among the states most vulnerable to climate change and that rising sea levels, along with increased storm intensity, will have devastating and far-reaching environmental and economic impacts on the Chesapeake Bay and on the quality of life Marylanders enjoy.

I am also aware that there is a high cost of inaction and that you and the many agencies you worked with to create the Plan are taking actions now to safeguard our communities from climate impacts we are already seeing and expect to see in the future.

Thank you again for showing great leadership regarding climate change while you have been in office, you are a champion and and an advocate for the health of our environment and Marylanders.

http://www.movingmdforward.net/action/keep-maryland-smart-climate-fb


MY REPLY:

Great work thus far, however 25% by 2020 is not nearly enough.  Please Google (HRDC / Swygert) and read my article at the U.S. Department of Energy!  I have been on the forefront of this a very long time and we have to continue to set the progressive example of change, not simply follow along. The scientific fact is that we are near a tipping point, and more quick efficient change is a must immediately! Thanks and you have my support if your initiatives are even stronger!

Honeywell HEPA Air Filter Claim for Repair August 10, 2013 Filed Online Model # 50255-HD

Received New Unit September 17, 2013

The story of this claim starts here and is quite obvious to follow along with as you read down the page. So I basically it starts with my description below which was originally a letter with the online claim which had to be paired down to a very small maximum of 2000 characters to explain the issue at hand and why I made contact through the same site where I registered my  product.

As it was suggested by the site that I keep this information for my records after registering it online, I simply thought I would do that right on my blog and report in real time the unbiased exact 

https://yourhome.honeywell.com/home/Applications/ProductRegistrationResult.aspx#

The text below is the first attempt to clarify verbally the issues at hand and the request I am making while in poor health and at his dire time of need, and I felt it clearly stated what this is all about, so you may read and follow the dates and times and check back in until it is complete and see what the outcome is.

(NOT COMPLETE AS OF THIS DATE,AND THE DAY THIS IS COMPLETE THIS WILL BE UPDATED TO READ SO)

I ave worked in many capacities in my professional life,and customer service, management,and marketing are my key assets in the professional world, outside of my mechanical skills and my personal expressions of art which are music writing and recording and performance,photography, drawing, and writing.

I have a Honeywell Brand Hepa Air Filter that I depend on for clean air and my poor health. 

This was a gift as I am going through disability with a plethora of problems. 

As this unit was a gift and I have contacted the giver to find where it was purchased, I have found it was from Home Depot. 

It has constantly stopped spinning and functioning on many occasions  since it was brand new, just a few weeks ago. It has less then two hours of use and I would like to find out about getting it replaced, as the first two days it worked I had felt better then I had felt with my allergies and breathing issues for YEARS!!! 

It is a great product, however it stops spinning and becomes very hot smelling and blows the individual power strip it is on as well as that it is on an individual and dedicated circuit with no other devices. 

The filter is like new, and the wrap around it has been cleaned well, and this solves nothing. When removing the filter I was able on three occasions to spin the turbine by hand with the switch in the on position while plugged in and it did spin again, but there is considerable resistance. 

As I have been a mechanic all of my adult life since age 16 and I am 45 years old now, it is very easy to see and understand with my vast experience and knowledge that there is to much resistance upon this particular electrical motor in this device and that it is quite obviously defective. 

There is no dust in the unit at all (motor itself) and the fuse is in excellent working order, as the motor does draw current. What is needed for me to get this gift replaced so I can continue to enjoy the high efficiency cleaning of the particulants out of my rooms atmosphere and help me to be a healthier man, as it did for the very few days it was operable?  

I also have a Honeywell thermostat on my Trane furnace and have been satisfied with Honeywell all of my adult life in other areas of home ownership as well, and would like to continue having great confidence in these products.  

I can clearly see that the electrical motor is manufactured by Kaz. The electrical motor's part # that is easily seen on a tag through the side of the unit with a flashlight is in it's entirety in three lines on the tag as listed:first line: 1A 15L 0003 ROHS CLB second line: 120v 50 Hz third line: P/N: 001 02068 001 . 

That is the extent of all of the information I have from this gift, my expertise diagnosis with out further dis-assembly beyond the mechanics of changing the basic filter, and desire to quickly resolve this issue, again for my severe health issues, as right now I have verified bronchitis and borderline pneumonia as I am typing this. 

As this was a gift, I do not have the receipt and it is not available either. I know it was purchased at a Home Depot and that it was roughly $ 175.00 a few weeks ago, I believe on or close to the purchase date of August 01, 2013. 

You may email and/or phone me at any time and if you can ship a unit or even a motor alone I would be more then happy to make the repairs as needed, as again I have excellent years of expertise with cars, home improvements, lawn mowers, professional bicycle repair, ad infintum. 

I appreciate a prompt follow up so that I may know where this claim stands, and what my next expected course of action can or shall be. I again appreciate your professional courtesy, and I am also curious if you can offer me recall information on these units for me to publish on my personal blog as well to share with others and prevent any problems. 

You may reach me via email anytime obviously, and by phone it is best from the hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F but anytime is great so that I can rectify this issue quickly as it seemed to help so much with my breathing so very quickly. 

I look forward to continuing being a loyal Honeywell patron and hope we can resolve this in a very timely manner as I have requested and clearly stated the issues and my concerns. 

Sincerely, John S. Swygert 

I have copied all of my available information for my blog entry thus far and hope to have a beautiful ending to this, thus far, dis-heartening story. 

This includes the model #, part #'s, symptoms, these statements, etc. 

Thanks again for your excellent timely response I look forward to in advance. 

Sincerely,

John S. Swygert 

Here is my Product Registration Information I recorded as suggested, which I also emailed to myself to store safely in a digital email file for future reference.

Product Registration

Model Number: 50255-hd
Registration Number: 20242

Thank you for registering your product with us.

Please print a copy of this confirmation page for your records.

Contact Us

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Online Statement:

I have a Honeywell Brand Hepa Air Filter that I depend on for clean air and my poor health. This was a gift as I am going through disability with a plethora of problems. As this unit was a gift and I have contacted the giver to find where it was purchased, I have found it was from Home Depot. It has constantly stopped spinning and functioning on many occasions  since it was brand new, just a few weeks ago. It has less then two hours of use and I would like to find out about getting it replaced, as the first two days it worked I had felt better then I had felt with my allergies and breathing issues for YEARS!!! It is a great product, however it stops spinning and becomes very hot smelling and blows the individual power strip it is on as well as that it is on an individual and dedicated circuit with no other devices. The filter is like new, and the wrap around it has been cleaned well, and this solves nothing. When removing the filter I was able on three occasions to spin the turbine by hand with the switch in the on position while plugged in and it did spin again, but there is considerable resistance. As I have been a mechanic all of my adult life since age 16 and I am 45 years old now, it is very easy to see and understand with my vast experience and knowledge that there is to much resistance upon this particular electrical motor in this device and that it is quite obviously defective. There is no dust in the unit at all (motor itself) and the fuse is in excellent working order, as the motor does draw current. What is needed for me to get this gift replaced so I can continue to enjoy the high efficiency cleaning of the particulants out of my rooms atmosphere and help me to be a healthier man, as it did for the very few days it was operable?  I also have a Honeywell thermostat on my Trane furnace and have been satisfied with Honeywell all of my adult life in other areas of home ownership as well, and would like to continue having great confidence in these products.  I can clearly see that the electrical motor is manufactured by Kaz. The electrical motor's part # that is easily seen on a tag through the side of the unit with a flashlight is in it's entirety in three lines on the tag as listed:first line: 1A 15L 0003 ROHS CLB second line: 120v 50 Hz third line: P/N: 001 02068 001 . That is the extent of all of the information I have from this gift, my expertise diagnosis with out further dis-assembly beyond the mechanics of changing the basic filter, and desire to quickly resolve this issue, again for my severe health issues, as right now I have verified bronchitis and borderline pneumonia as I am typing this. As this was a gift, i do not have the receipt and it is not available either. I know it was purchased at a Home Depot and that it was roughly $ 175.00 a few weeks ago, I believe on or close to the purchase date of August 01, 2013. You may email and/or phone me at any time and if you can ship a unit or even a motor alone I would be more then happy to make the repairs as needed, as again I have excellent years of expertise with cars, home improvements, lawn mowers, professional bicycle repair, ad infintum. I appreciate a prompt follow up so that I may know where this claim stands, and what my next expected course of action can or shall be. I appreciate your professional courtesy, and I am also curious if you can offer me recall information on these units for me to publish on my personal blog as well to share with others and prevent any problems. You may reach me via email anytime obviously, and by phone it is best from the hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F but anytime is great so that I can rectify this issue quickly as it seemed to help so much with my breathing so very quickly. I look forward to continuing being a loyal Honeywell patron and hope we can resolve this in a very timely manner as I have requested and clearly stated the issues and my concerns. Sincerely, John S. Swygert p.s. I have copied all of my available information for my blog entry thus far and hope to have a beautiful ending to this, thus far, dis-heartening story. This includes the model #, part #'s, symptoms, these statements, etc. Thanks again for your excellent timely response I look forward to in advance. John S. Swygert

I then hit "ENTER" and I got this message:

Please enter questions or comments of 1 to 2000 character sin length.

Please enter questions or comments of 1 to 2000 characters in length.

Please enter questions or comments of 1 to 2000 characters in length.

, therefore I amended the statement to this:

(It was a shame it let me type so much clear and pertinent information to only afterwards tell me I had to amend this, and I see that as a very poor choice on the programmers that did not make this warning or statement very clearly ahead of time for any customer going through this process online.) 

I have a Honeywell Brand Hepa Air Filter.

As this unit was a gift, I have found it was from Home Depot. It has constantly stopped spinning and functioning on many occasions since three days after it was brand new, just a few weeks ago.

I would like to find out about getting it replaced, as the first two days it worked I had felt better then I had felt with my allergies and breathing issues for YEARS!!!

What is needed for me to get this gift replaced so I can continue to enjoy the high efficiency cleaning of the particulants out of my rooms atmosphere and help me to be a healthier man, as it did for the very few days it was operable?

I can clearly see that the electrical motor is manufactured by Kaz.

The electrical motor's part # that is easily seen on a tag through the side of the unit with a flashlight is in it's entirety in three lines on the tag as listed: (first line:) 1A 15L 0003 ROHS CLB (second line:) 120v 50 Hz (third line:) P/N: 001 02068 001 .

I currently have verified bronchitis and borderline pneumonia as I am typing this.

I know it was purchased at a Home Depot and that it was roughly $ 175.00 a few weeks ago, I believe on or close to the purchase date of August 01, 2013.

I appreciate a prompt follow up so that I may know where this claim stands, and what my next expected course of action can or shall be.

You may reach me via email, and by phone it is best from the hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F, but anytime is great so that I can rectify this issue quickly as it seemed to help so much with my breathing so very quickly.

I look forward to continuing being a loyal Honeywell patron and hope we can resolve this in a very timely manner as I have requested and clearly stated the issues and my concerns.

Sincerely, John S. Swygert

https://yourhome.honeywell.com/home/Applications/ContactUs.aspx

After this was finally accepted I received this confirmation and I will now await a reply and conclusion and update this blog entry as I go, for a persona record as well as to share the exact nature of the customer service I expect to receive from an excellent company.

Furthermore, after a warranty request online this was my answer on the site for the specific warranty information, where I did indeed fill in the blanks with the proper information as requested, more specifically, under the "Select a Product Category" I chose, "Air Cleaners" and under the " Select a Topc" category I chose, "Product Warranty", and the "Enter Your Model Number" category I entered the model # this way 50255-HD as well as 50255HD, and neither request came up with a valid answer, and appeared exactly as below, with the exception of showing the choices I did indeed make which will not copy and paste here for my original proof of reference as I am doing my best to share.

Obviously, the program for the site was written and not completely digitally edited, and therefore I find it to be a very very poor resource which is becoming thus far a complete waste of time and something no patron should have to experience with any company.

With this type of issue, it makes me indeed wonder how well they will stand behind their product, and I will happily help them make their site something to be proud of, as I have also worked extensively with computers all of my youthful and adult life as well.

Why build something that does not work right to start with at all? ...and then to see it at the website too is quite a failing !!!

The best advertisement of any business is always word of mouth (BUSINESS 101) and this is not going very well in their favor thus far I have to admit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about Honeywell products. You can choose to either search by a product category and topic or by model number.

Select a Product Category:

  --Select Category--  Air Cleaners  Dehumidifiers  Energy-Efficient Ventilation  General  Humidifiers  Retail Thermostats  Thermostats  Trade Thermostats  UV Treatment Systems 

Select a Topic:

--Select topic--Cleaning my Electronic Air CleanerGeneral Air Cleaner questionsGeneral Electronic Air Cleaner QuestionsHow to Find Model NumberProduct WarrantyReplacing my Media Air Cleaner FilterTroubleshooting my Electronic Air Cleaner

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http://yourhome.honeywell.com/home/Applications/FaqSearch.aspx#result

PRODUCT INFORMATION AND PICTURE BELOW

Information below found at this web link:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202184299?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&N=5yc1v&R=202184299#.UgXyAtLUnao

Model # 50255-HD

Honeywell True HEPA Air Purifier

Internet # 202184299

Store SKU # 361314

(84)

Write a Review

$178.00 / each

END OF ORIGINAL BLOG ENTRY 4:53 a.m. August 10, 2013

Their Reply:

John, Thank you for contacting Honeywell. Support on your product is provided by KAZ Home Environment. You will need to contact KAZ Home Environment directly. Please visit the following website to link to product information and support: http://www.kaz.com/ KAZ Home Environment can also be contacted in any of the following ways: By Mail: KAZ Home Environment 250 Turnpike Rd Southborough, MA 01772 (Please do not return products to this address.) By E-mail: For product and order related inquiries: consumerrelations@kaz.com By Phone: If you are in need of customer support on your Honeywell portable Air Cleaner, portable Humidifier, Heater, or Electric Fan, or you would like to check on the status of any warranty repairs please call: 1-800-447-0457 or 1-800-332-1110. Honeywell Customer Care Suggestions and recommendations made by the Honeywell Customer Care are provided, without charge, as a complimentary service and are therefore given on the express understanding and agreement of the recipient that they are given without warranty (express or implied) or liability of any kind. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this message to verify that a Honeywell Customer Care Center recommendation or replacement suggestion is suitable for installation or implementation. This may require referring to product installation instructions, contacting the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or contacting a qualified service person or taking other appropriate steps. Final responsibility for the selection and application of a control or procedure rests solely with the installer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Case Number:07937188 MY EMAIL TO KAZ: 12:20 A.M. 08-16-2013 I am forwarding Honeywell's reply to me, as they said you would be able to address this issue with their product that you made the electric motor for, which is now not functioning.  Please read below.  Thanks Case Number:07937188 From: rokkinroll@gmail.com Subject: Portable Products - heaters, fans & Humidifier - 50255-hd Message body: I am contacting Honeywell regarding a product: That is currently in my home Other: Product line: Portable Products - heaters, fans & Humidifier Part/Model number: 50255-hd First name: JOHN Last name: SWYGERT Street address1: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TERRACE Street address2: City: CUMBERLAND State/Province: MARYLAND Zip Code/Postal Code: 21502 Country: United States Email: rokkinroll@gmail.com Phone: 240XXXXXXX Questions/Comments: I have a Honeywell Brand Hepa Air Filter. As this unit was a gift, I have found it was from Home Depot. It has constantly stopped spinning and functioning on many occasions since three days after it was brand new, just a few weeks ago. I would like to find out about getting it replaced, as the first two days it worked I had felt better then I had felt with my allergies and breathing issues for YEARS!!! What is needed for me to get this gift replaced so I can continue to enjoy the high efficiency cleaning of the particulants out of my rooms atmosphere and help me to be a healthier man, as it did for the very few days it was operable? I can clearly see that the electrical motor is manufactured by Kaz. The electrical motor's part # that is easily seen on a tag through the side of the unit with a flashlight is in it's entirety in three lines on the tag as listed: (first line:) 1A 15L 0003 ROHS CLB (second line:) 120v 50 Hz (third line:) P/N: 001 02068 001 . I currently have verified bronchitis and borderline pneumonia as I am typing this. I know it was purchased at a Home Depot and that it was roughly $ 175.00 a few weeks ago, I believe on or close to the purchase date of August 01, 2013. I appreciate a prompt follow up so that I may know where this claim stands, and what my next expected course of action can or shall be. You may reach me via email, and by phone it is best from the hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F, but anytime is great so that I can rectify this issue quickly as it seemed to help so much with my breathing so very quickly. I look forward to continuing being a loyal Honeywell patron and hope we can resolve this in a very timely manner as I have requested and clearly stated the issues and my concerns. Sincerely, John S. Swygert  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REPLY FROM KAZ ON 08-16-2013 Catherine at Kaz Consumer Relations 5:10 PM (1 hour ago) to me Dear John, Thank you for your recent email. I sincerely apologize for your unusual experience with our product, and any inconvenience you have encountered because of it.  Are you using the unit in an extension cord, power strip, or surge protector? Does using the unit directly in its own wall outlet change the performance? Since the unit was purchased so recently, have you attempted to return the unit to Home Depot? Since the unit is a Home Depot specific model and was purchased recently they may be able to assist you with their store's return policy. If they are unable to assist you with a return and exchange, we understand the importance of being able to rely on good, quality products; which is why they all offer a limited warranty.  In order to help you get a brand new replacement air purifier, I am going to need your shipping/physical address, and telephone number. Once I have this information I will be able to provide you with the RMA number you will need to return your product and receive a new one. Also, please look at the metal prongs on the plug of your unit. On one of the prongs there will be a 4 to 6 digit number stamped into the side.  Please let me know what this number is at your earliest convenience. Thank you! Kaz is committed to offering quality customer service and we hope we have done this for you.  Please don't hesitate to contact us if you require further assistance. Please visit our website www.kaz.com to view all of our current products and Web Specials/Rebates! The site also contains many Frequently asked questions, pricing, and the Owner Manuals for the products. Catherine Van Amburgh Consumer Services Specialist Kaz, Inc - Southborough, MA Email:  MY RESPONSE: Steve Swygert  6:47 PM (0 minutes ago) to Catherine Thanks so very much for your quick response. The unit has been used with a surge protector, and plugging it straight into its dedicated circuit had the exact same results. I thought I had been quite clear about that as well, I am sorry if I was not, my sincere apologies. In regards to your question about Home Depot, I thought I had been quite clear on that issue as well. This was a gift. I do not have the receipt, nor do I have a Home Depot close to where I live. As per your request, I will offer you my address and phone number again.  John Stephen Swygert XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX  U.S.A. PHONE: 240 - XXX -  XXXX This too (ALL ENTAILED ABOVE) was clearly stated in the email I sent to you. The digits you requested that are on the electrical prong are as follows: 34310 Honestly, did you read the entire email?  The reason I was specific to the details of the issue at hand as well as who I am, what my address is, and what my phone number is was to speed this process along as well as document the exact nature of the issue at hand in case there are any related claims or incidents with others so your company may more efficiently address these possible grave safety issues and issue any recall if one is so needed. This unit got very, very hot before it failed, and as I have an excellent working knowledge of electronics, that knowledge offers me a great concern that these units may indeed be faulty, and perhaps therefore hazardous to others that own them. As the modern assembly line offers excellent consistency today, so does it offer the consistency of common failures in poorly designed or assembled appliances, and other products assembled in this fashion. Shall I file a record of concern with a federal agency or perhaps UL, so that if there are concerns with other customers about the failure and overheating and safety of this system, that does draw quite a bit of amperage, they can be properly notified? I will be happy to do so and it may save a lot of headache,and if this is still in production, it will save your company incalculable fees in both the short and long term for certain. Please let me know what I can do to assist you as well so we know and are certain that these items are and remain safe. Do you (your company) have a corporate protocol to follow alongside complaints such as mine or even more serious ones?  I feel very satisfied knowing the 5 digits on the cord have a great significance, just in case the problem is much more serious. Thanks you for your quick response and excellent service. I am looking forward to receiving the new unit and looking forward to having the piece of mind that it will be safe as other Honeywell and Kaz products I have purchased. Your customer service expertise will keep me a happy customer in the future and as soon as this issue is rectified as well. Thank you Ms. Catherine Van Amburgh, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. I will keep the old unit and will happily ship it back if you are able to offer a return shipping label with the replacement unit, unless the exact nature of the issue is already well known by the cord's lot number. Sincerely, John S. Swygert ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catherine at Kaz Consumer Relations Aug 19 (10 days ago) to me Dear John, Thank you for your recent email. In an effort to ensure our records indicate the correct customer information we attempt to verify all contact information. This helps us avoid shipping and delivery errors. I apologize if this confirmation was an inconvenience to you. While normal warranty procedure requires that the entire unit be mailed back to our warehouse for replacement, because of the situation I have been able to arrange some special, one time courtesy, arrangements for you. Make sure that the unit is completely unplugged and use a pair of scissors to cut the power cord off of it (we would like a length of about 3 inches from the prongs).  Please include a note that has your name, address, telephone number, the model number of the unit, and a description of the problem. Furthermore, the warranty outlines a $10.00 warranty fee for processing and return shipping, and I have waived this for you as an additional courtesy. Pack the note and the cord in any mailer and send it to: Kaz Consumer Relations Attn: Catherine RMA: P1328 250 Turnpike Road Southboro, MA 01772 Once I receive this, I will be able to send you out a brand new replacement unit. **Please note that you are responsible for the shipping charges incurred while sending this unit back to us. The average cost is about $2 if you use a bubble mailer. I strongly recommend sending it in with some sort of tracking or delivery confirmation, as we can not be responsible for anything lost in the mail. You should retain the copy of your tracking number or delivery confirmation until you receive a new unit back, in case you should ever need to provide proof. Kaz is committed to offering quality customer service and we hope we have done this for you.  Please don't hesitate to contact us if you require further assistance. Please visit our website www.kaz.com to view all of our current products and Web Specials/Rebates! The site also contains many Frequently asked questions, pricing, and the Owner Manuals for the products. Catherine Van Amburgh Consumer Services Specialist Kaz, Inc - Southborough, MA Email:  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- consumerrelations@kaz.com Sep 13 (4 days ago) to me Dear Valued Customer: We are pleased to inform you that the order you placed with Kaz.com on 09/09/13 has been shipped. Your product(s) should be delivered to you shortly. You may track your package at UPS.com using the tracking number 1Z A44 A16 03 0002 6 or by clicking on this link: 1Z A44 A16 03 0002 6 Please note, this tracking number may take up to 24 hours to update through UPS. Thank you for shopping with Kaz.com. Please visit our website often as we are continually expanding our product assortment to serve you better. Best regards, Customer Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This was received on September 17, 2013 It seems to be working fine thus far. Thanks for excellent customer service !!!