PATIENT SAFETY & DELIVERY OF OPTIMUM QUALITY CARE

By Kathleen Sterling

"Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty." Ronald Reagan

Tri-City has some of the best physicians and nurses practicing in the region, however the current CEO, and his team have not done a very good job communicating this fact to the local community.

With a hefty bonus program for the CEO, and his top heavy management team, stipends for insider doctors giving them preferential treatment, plus the targeting of good doctors and nurses who raise concerns about quality issues, the employees and doctors have been demoralized.

Voters appear to have little faith or trust with the present board majority, the CEO, and his team. As the margin to pass the General Obligation Bond grew wider with each time the Bond was presented to the voters (public) dissent became more about whether this CEO and his team were trusted to do the job and faith in the CEOs ability.

Proposition F lost by approximately 400 votes, then Proposition T lost by 3000 votes with Proposition A losing by nearly 6000 votes. No matter what strategies were in place to win rather it be placing the measure on the ballot for a special election, general election, or as an all vote by mail election with a drop-off ballot box at the hospital -- the margin proved to grow with more public dissent each time.

With the approval of the Board of Directors, millions of dollars were invested in securing consultants for developing the master facility plan, strategic plan, advertisements, educational hit pieces, phone banking, voter turnout analysis, paying doctors to attend meetings, and more, but the super majority of the voter turnout requirement was not met.

Although the margin of loss was narrow, I believe both sides of the votes cast want the very best hospital in their neighborhood with the best delivery of optimum quality of patient care.

There's only so much money in the community chest. Over the last 9 1/2 years with this CEO and his team, cuts have been made in order to pay for deals that are not prudent but looks good on the balance sheet.

With cuts made at the bedside with the loss of good nurses and employees, to limiting any expenditures on capital improvements of the main facility, as well as redirecting limited financial resources into the Attorneys pockets for billable hours to recruit good physicians for a scheme to pass funds to other insider doctors, to make false claims against good doctors who raise questions about quality, to refusing to comply with public records requests by a large newspaper, to defend the District against lawsuits generated by patients or employees, to advising the District on environmental impacts for future development -- a financial juggling act has been created with all the balls being thrown in the air when the number 3 bond failed.

To date the financial numbers are based on projections rather than real numbers. With accounting maneuvers being used placing assets some not yet even built on the books, or joint ventures, to purchasing of equipment with doctors, to the refinancing the Districts Revenue Bond -- Tri City Board of Directors must stay focused with meeting the demands of providing optimum quality patient care.

The board must honor the public by paying attention to their concerns, and renew the public's faith and trust.

Until then STERLING is afraid that as long as the current CEO, and his top heavy management team continues to over utilize consultants -- the hired guns for the board -- to do the work the CEO and his team were hired to do, plus the taking away necessary nursing and employees who provide bedside care, and maintenance of the facility, this CEO will continue to generate more discontent, and more distrust amongst the employees, nurses, doctors, patients, consumers, voters, and taxpayers of the District.

Perhaps, this CEO, and his hand-picked team members, who previously traveled down this road together before they came from Shreveport's Schumpert Hospital, which was once the crown jewel, will not be the chosen ones to lead Tri City's new BOARD of DIRECTORS into the 21st Century with a retrofitted and updated facility.

Certainly, coming to Tri City in balmy Oceanside, the CEO, his protégé of magical numbers, and thinker of marketing share, noted quit well Tri City is a gold mine -- with a hefty bonus scheme consistently approved each year by the Board majority (excluding STERLING), this election may prove once again for STERLING - hope for CONSUMERS keeping the CEO from getting the last bit of gold remaining in the District.

When these problems are corrected - STERLING is confident the consumers, patients, employees, nurses, doctors, voters, and taxpayers (investors) with renewed spirit, faith and trust will support and invest once again in the future of their local, community hospital.

Whether there's a general obligation bond, revenue bonds, fundraising and collaboration with the District's foundation of dedicated donors, jointly, STERLING will assure you, we will find a way to finance the reconstruction and renovation of the our beloved 50 years old Medical Center preparing for the 21st Century.