A VIABLE COMMUNITY ASSEST - TRI CITY MEDICAL CENTER

By Kathleen Sterling

"Liberty can not be preserved without a general knowledge among the people." John Adams

From the onset a common thread ties the process of all three bonds together with the board majority failing in their due diligence to ensure oversight, and transparency of the CEO, his management team, lawyers, and consultants.

First and foremost, the board must be committed to keeping Tri City Medical Center as a viable community asset. We must beging to spending less money and start saving more money, so our local community hospital will remain OPEN and INDEPENDENT.

Closing or selling the hospital is not an option, as STERLING stated previously "Absolutely not, the public has more control over the destiny of their health care, and its dollars by maintaining a public health care board. Selling ---- that's a process of looking for an easy way out."

Secondly, Tri City BOARD MUST GIVE A DIRECT ORDER to CEO, and his team to GET OFF THEIR POSTERIOR and do what they should have done nearly a year ago: Apply to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) for the HAZUS extension.

To date one execuse after another has been offered by the CEO, and his team as to why they continue to fail the people in executing follow through with OSHPD. A simple requirement that many hospitals have complied.

Once we receive the extension from OSHPD, this reprieve will then give the board the opportunity to roll up our sleeves and do what a board should be doing -- demonstrate to the community we are partners - we all have a stake in the preservation of our local community hospital, and committed to provide continued services to the children, seniors, patients, employees, nurses, doctors, voters, and taxpayers.

I received many contacts from constituents with concerns about three bonds failing under the current board and CEO -- each time they have expressed they do not TRUST the CEO or his management team. I have listened and I agree, changes must occur, but I cannot do them alone.