League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Tracy Jensen Answers Questions Candidate for Director; City of Alameda Health Care District

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Alameda and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. (Most pressing problem) What is the single most pressing problem facing the Alameda Healthcare District in the next 24 months and how would you work with your elected colleagues to solve it?

The most significant challenge facing the Alameda Health Care District is the need to to design high quality services to address unmet needs of local patients and attract physicians to practice at the Hospital. The changing demographics of Alameda and the East Bay, along with increasing consolidation of health care services by large health care organizations like Kaiser and Sutter, makes it difficult for small non-affiliated providers like Alameda Hospital to compete. Individual physician practices are becoming rare, as group practices are becoming the norm. The challenge will be for Alameda Hospital to develop relationships with group practices and with the large medical centers, by providing unique and specialized services and/or becoming a Center of Excellence.

2. (Good government) What steps will you take to assure transparency and open decision-making processes?

For 10 years as an appointed and elected official in Oakland and Alameda I understand and appreciate the goal of open meeting and public information requirements. But transparency not only means putting an agenda out in time for people to be prepared for a meeting. For a governing board it also means raising issues that might otherwise not be apparent. It means looking for answers that might not be part of the administration's recommendations. It means discussing all alternatives before making a decision - not just those that the CEO recommends. I will hold the alameda Hospital CEO accountable for providing all recelvant information to the board and the public, and I will ensure that decisions are made with all available information. My experience as a health care policymaker, my degrees in business and public health, and my participation on the City of Alameda Open Government Commission give me the tools to ensure that all decisions are made in the best interest of Alameda residents.

3. (City-Healthcare District cooperation) How might the Healthcare District and the City work more effectively together?

When I was a member of the Alameda School Board I established the first City Council - School Board joint committee, which continues today. The joint committee met regularly to identify issues of mutual interest, and to determine the best way to share information with Alameda residents. Soem of the relevant issues that the District and the City worked together on were the closure of three West End Elementary schools, the development of Ruby Bridges school at Bayport, the safety issues at Emma Hood and encinal pools, the deterioartion of District property at the former Island High School, and, of course, the future of Alameda Point. I believe that cooperation and information sharing is in the best interests of both the City and the Health Care District, and if elected I will put forth a proposal for a joint committee of the two bodies. The Alameda Health Care District is considered a "special district" under California law, designed to provide a specific service and governed by an elected board of directors. Because the Alameda Health Care District was created by local residents to meet a need that was not being met by the City or County, the Board doesn't have to meet with other agencies. But, in my opinion, such meetings should happen to facilitate communication, improve efficiency and give the hospital necessary information about City objectives and constraints.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are presented as submitted. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 19, 2012 14:33
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