League of Women Voters of California
Santa Clara County, CA November 7, 2000 Election
	Dominick A. Curatola Answers Questions Candidate for Director; El Camino Hospital District

The questions were prepared by the Los Altos - Mountain View League of Women Voters and asked of all candidates for this office.

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. If elected to the District Board, how would you approach the problem of the earthquake retrofitting required by state law?

It makes the most economic sense to rebuild the tower. This would enable us to integrate technology with facilities to meet our health needs in the 21st century rather than expending similar sums to retrofit a building designed in the 1950's. To obtain a favorable rating in the bond market for financing we will need 3 years of a strong bottom line in operations to demonstrate our long term ability to generate cash and service debt. This is also an exciting opportunity to partner with our local high tech industries to truly build the Hospital of Silicon Valley.

2. In view of our area's high cost of living, what do you think can be done to encourage young physicians and technical personnel to come to El Camino Hospital?

ECH will have to be more proactive in providing support for its employees and medical staff in the form of housing opportunities on campus as well as the formation of an endowment designed to generate income to provide low interest loans that could support hospital staff and young physicians who require large sums of startup capital to develop and maintain a new practice. The new tower also offers a highly visible reason to work here as such an investment demonstrates confidence in ECH's future on the part of the community and the bond market.

3. What should be the function of the district board in relation to the administration of El Camino Hospital?

The District Board is the publicly elected body which governs El Camino Hospital and thus sets policy and provides direction to the administration to ensure that medical needs are serviced with efficiency, competence and compassion. It is the Board's responsibility to devise a strategic plan and then empower its administration to realize those goals. The Board and the administration should be interdependent partners in this endeavor. The administration should not be hindered by micromanagement but should be supported by the guidance and oversight of a fully informed, functional and sophisticated Board which ultimately evaluates administration's effectiveness in accomplishing its mission.