Candidate for
Board Member; Tri-City Healthcare District

My 30 years of health and medical care experiences, including representing and advocating for CONSUMERS' RIGHTS and PROTECTIONS on various federal, state, regional, and local boards and committees affords me with the expertise to serve you, the public's interest for I have never forgotten why I am at the dais.

At Tri City, the BOARD MAJORITY'S VOTING record REFLECTS their INABILITY to think INDEPENDENTLY.

The BOARD MAJORITY'S VOTING record has HAMPERED the Tri City District in realizing its FULL POTENTIAL.

Our COMMUNITIES are GROWING, we should be planning for this expectation.

INSTEAD

The BOARD MAJORITY has become LETHARGIC about OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS.

The BOARD MAJORITY is often QUOTED referring to OTHER organizations as "DOING A BETTER JOB."

INSTEAD

The BOARD MAJORITY should be identifying ways to PRESERVE Tri-City as a FULL SERVICE ORGANIZATION.

The BOARD MAJORITY has JEOPARDIZED Tri-City's FINANCIAL INTEGRITY by becoming a RUBBER STAMP of APPROVAL FOR THE CEO.

INSTEAD

The BOARD MAJORITY often demonstrates their FAILURE to be prepared TO ASK THE CRITICAL QUESTIONS, WE - the PUBLIC want to know PRIOR to ENTERING into ANY CONTRACTURAL AGREEMENTS;

AND

The BOARD MAJORITY controls INFORMATION implementing policies and procedures ABROGATING their AUTHORITY to the CEO, GENERATING OUT OF CONTROL legal and consultants' EXPENDITURES;

AND

The BOARD MAJORITY allows the CEO to SPEND UP to $100,000 WITHOUT board APPROVAL on CONTRACTS and PURCHASES, or for ATTORNEYS or CONSULTANTS.

INSTEAD

The PEOPLE'S ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES - NEW BOARD of DIRECTORS MUST REQUIRE competitive bidding for ALL contracts and purchases OVER $25,000 per DISTRICT LAW and GOVERNMENTAL CODES;

AND

The PEOPLE'S ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES - NEW BOARD of DIRECTORS MUST STOP the over utilization of ATTORNEYS and CONSULTANTS by ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES for lawyers and consultants' EXPENDITURES.

The BOARD MAJORITY allows the CEO to TRIGGER without board approval the use of the LEGAL COUNSEL;

AND

The BOARD MAJORITY allows the CEO to PAY for an IN-HOUSE LEGAL COUNSEL, plus PAY for the independent, self-organized MEDICAL STAFF physicians' LEGAL COUNSEL.

INSTEAD

The PEOPLE'S ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES - NEW BOARD of DIRECTORS MUST STOP paying for the MEDICAL STAFF physicians' ATTORNEYS because it's the Medical Staff's own responsibility as an independent, self-organized group to pay out of their COLLECTED DUES for their own legal advice -- IT'S AGAINST THE LAW for the Hospital District to be paying.

The BOARD MAJORITY makes GIFTS of public FUNDS to INSIDER DOCTORS, an unnecessary STIPEND program compromising their ethics and integrity.

INSTEAD

The PEOPLE'S ELECTED REPRESENTATVES - NEW BOARD of DIRECTORS MUST STOP making gifts of public funds to INSIDER DOCTORS, e.g., hospital based contracted doctors, and/or independent doctors involved with peer review, or continous quality improvement committees, an unnecessary STIPEND program.

The BOARD MAJORITY also makes gifts of public funds by INDEMNIFYING INSIDER DOCTORS even though its against the State of California Attorney General's opinion.

INSTEAD

The PEOPLE'S ELECTED REPRESENTATVES - NEW BOARD of DIRECTORS MUST STOP INDEMNIFYING INSIDER DOCTORS which has created an EXTENSIVE ARRAY of CONFLICTS OF INTEREST amongst hospital based contracted doctors, and/or independent doctors on peer review or continous quality improvement committees.

The BOARD MAJORITY makes gifts of public funds to the CEO, and his TEAM through a BONUS SCHEME which takes away any EXCESS REVENUE BY LAW WHICH IS suppose to RESOURCES reinvested back towards PATIENTS, or into PROGRAMS, SERVICES, and EQUIPMENT.

INSTEAD

The PEOPLE'S ELECTED REPRESENTATVES - NEW BOARD of DIRECTORS MUST STOP allowing the CEO to interfere with the California "Corporate Medical Practices Act" and "Nurses Practices Act" which protects CONSUMERS and PATIENTS.

CONSUMERS and PATIENTS of the Tri-City Healthcare (Hospital) District know STERLING'S HALLMARK - She ASKS the HARD QUESTIONS, provides INFORMATION, EDUCATION, and OUTREACH to HELP CONSUMERS and PATIENTS efforts to OBTAIN ACCOUNTABLE, AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, QUALITY delivery of health and medical care services.

STERLING will continue to REPRESENT CONSUMERS and PATIENTS' VOICES and CONCERNS at the board while ADVOCATING for CONSUMERS and PATIENTS' RIGHTS and PROTECTIONS to ENSURE ACCOUNTABLE, AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, and QUALITY DELIVERY of health and medical care services.

STERLING a Public Servant CARES about CONSUMERS and PATIENTS' VOICES ~ CONCERNS ~ VALUES

STERLING will PRESERVE the District's INDEPENDENCE ~ FISCAL SOLVENCY ~ STRENGTHEN THE DISTRICT'S ETHICS ~ INTEGRITY ~ TRANSPARENCY

VIEW KOCT THE CANDIDATES FORUM ~ http://www.koct.org/pages/ELECTION_2008_koctforum.html#tchd

VIEW KOCT ~ MY CANDIDATES STATEMENT ~ http://www.koct.org/pages/ELECTION_2008_tchd_07sterling.html