Opinion ID: 2982419
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Montell’s Performance

Text: As the Program Director, Montell managed the day-to-day activities of the wound care center, including supervising employees, performing community education, reporting charges to Medicare, overseeing the handling of reimbursements, and meeting with hospital representatives. R. 66-1 (Dep. of Marla Montell (“Montell Dep.”) at 65–66, 72–74) (Page ID ##2018–19, 2025– 1 It appears that Kentucky uses “IIED” and “outrage” as interchangeable names for one tort, see Stringer v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 151 S.W.3d 781, 788 (Ky. 2004), as does Montell in this litigation. For simplicity, we will refer to her claim as one for IIED. No. 13-6186 Montell v. Diversified Clinical Servs. et al. Page 3 27); R. 69-1 (Day Dep. at 33–34, 47–55) (Page ID ##2402, 2400–07). During her time, annual gross revenue of the wound care center increased. R. 34-4 (Ex. 47) (Page ID #974). On March 30, 2011, Montell received a 2% salary increase. R. 34-6 (Ex. 51) (Page ID #1061). Montell, however, also struggled with aspects of her job. For example, the wound care center Montell managed failed to meet performance goals for the first three quarters of 2010. At a management meeting, called a DASH meeting, in October 2010, Montell gave a presentation that was poorly received. According to her supervisor, Day, Montell’s presentation showed a “[c]omplete lack of understanding of what was driving the business, what was behind it, and the root cause of her issues or problems and how to solve them.” R. 69-1 (Day Dep. at 84–85) (Page ID ##2414–15). Others, including Montell, agreed that her presentation did not go well. R. 66-1 (Montell Dep. at 85) (Page ID #2039); R. 63-1 (Videotaped Dep. of Belinda Blair (“Blair Dep.”) at 31) (Page ID #1763); R. 68-1 (Tanner Dep. at 24) (Page ID #2292). Day placed Montell on a Performance Improvement Plan (“PIP”) on November 9, 2010, that identified knowledge deficits, particularly related to processing Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements for FRMC and analyzing data contained in DCS’s operational reports. R. 34-3 (Ex. 13) (Page ID #830). Montell also failed to meet revenue goals, including in the fourth quarter of 2010. R. 69- 1 (Day Dep. at 195) (Page ID #2148). Moreover, despite the PIP, Montell continued to have trouble with the coding for Medicare reimbursement. Id. at 119–27 (Page ID ##2072–80). As a result, Montell received a documented oral counseling and a development plan in March 2011, which focused on the reimbursement issues. R. 34-3 (Exs. 18, 19) (Page ID ##848–54). On April 13, 2011, DCS issued Montell a Final Warning, which communicated expectations of Montell, noted a decline in the number of new patients, wound care center treatments, and HBO treatments, and expressed the expectation that the facility should generate increases in new patients (3%), wound care treatments (5%), and HBO treatments (10%). R. 34- 4 (Ex. 28) (Page ID ##882–83). Failure, according to the Final Warning, could result in termination. Id. This Final Warning was amended on May 3, 2011, because of another FRMC complaint regarding the handling of reimbursements. R. 34-4 (Ex. 29) (Page ID ##886–90). Rather than receive termination, Montell was given additional time to show improvement. R. 69-1 (Day Dep. at 202) (Page ID #2444); R. 68-1 (Tanner Dep. at 83–84) (Page ID ##2351–52); No. 13-6186 Montell v. Diversified Clinical Servs. et al. Page 4 R. 64-1 (Videotaped Dep. of Megan Lee (“Lee Dep.”) at 30–31) (Page ID ##1837–38). Pat Wolfe, manager of Medical Billing and Physician Services at DCS, provided additional training to Montell on the reimbursement issues on May 2, 2011; at which point Wolfe stated to Day, “I am comfortable with [Montell]’s knowledge of the concepts.” R. 34-6 (Ex. 52) (Page ID #1062). The Amended Final Warning also noted that the metrics were not met for the month of April. R. 34-4 (Ex. 29) (Page ID #888). Finally, this Amended Final Warning issued on May 3 stated that “[f]rom this point forward, [Montell] is operating on a 30 day action plan. If any of the requirements stated above or the requirements previously stated in the Final Warning and the 6 month action plan are not met, termination will be the next step.” Id. There were no complaints regarding Montell’s performance between May 3, 2011, and May 23, 2011. On Thursday, May 19, 2011, Day notified Montell that she had not met her performance bonus goals for the first quarter of 2011. R. 66-1 (Montell Dep. at 195–97) (Page ID ##2148–50); R. 34-4 (Ex. 31) (Page ID ##893–94).