(Blogs are currently being updated, and put in a different order. Some of the things have already happened, as HFS is on board doing it's thing, which is to see if there is a way to save the hospital as it is in default on it's contractual obligations regarding the revenue bond project that has plagued the hospital with defaults and service and licensing issues, as well as staffing.)
After a disappointing sale-a-thon at the Kern Valley Healthcare Board of Directors meeting, where the big news was left for last, while we pretended the hospital had not just been taken over by Cal Mtg. the insurer of the revenue bond debt, fourteen million dollars.
Next week, we will not only be signing a contract with HFS financial consultants, we will have "tele-psychiatry." Finally, somewhere for KVHD board member,Bob Jamison, to get help and watch TV at the same time.
I love the Christmas list we're getting for believing things are so much better at the hospital. (It's always good to see the board passing out the kudos and pats on the back as they explain if the community doesn't pay we're out of business. Makes sense...on some other planet I suppose.)
We are going to have new stuff, cool things. Right? And I'm sure much like they have done, if anything goes wrong, they will stand up and take responsibility. Sorry, that's not KVHD that's Sierra Kings in Reedley.
Oh, but we have to pay for it with a general obligation bond. How do those bonds work?
Two thirds of the voters must agree to raise property taxes to pay off the hospitals' debtor Cal Mtg. Then what is left of the monies will be spent on a "retrofit."
Yes, we heard Chet Beedle and Pam Ott say for years it would be too uncertain financially to retrofit the hospital or remodel as there could be hidden costs as there could be mold from the leaking roof in the ER, or more likely asbestos in the ceiling requiring hazmat units to remove it.
They are right. But now the hospital administrators have one plan: pay off the debt and remodel the ER with the money from the community by way of property taxes in the form of a GOB.
Now these bonds have restrictions, you cannot use the monies for anything such as raises, operations of the hospital, just what the community ordered.
Hold it...Or can you?
Pam Ott almost had Measure M in her hands in 2006, until the nursing center collapse.
I was on the campaign trail with Ott and Beedle who both told me that the bond money was safe, as it could not be used for anything other than what the voters said it is to be used for.
After her rather quick departure in 2007 she headed to Reedley California somehow landing another CEO position even with a degree from a diploma mill on the internet.
Sierra Kings district hospital, currently in bankruptcy and being run by interim CEO, Sandy Haskins, of a familiar company who will be here in the KRV soon, HFS.
(HFS began it's contract only a week ago so the inspection, audit, is underway with the audit and we will see what the can find, and fast.)
HFS has been putting the pieces of it's life back together since Ott was fired in October 2009, after elder abuse charges were filed against her.
Now she might find the Fresno District Attorney interested in her recent shenanigans at Sierra Kings. (If the DOJ can't get her, maybe the DA and the good people of Reedley will)
According to this weeks article in the Reedley Exponent, a dynamic, community driven, newspaper, it seems 1.7 million dollars of "GOB" bond money was misspent. (But Ott and Beedle said that couldn't happen)
With CEO, Tim McGlew, and CFO, Cheet Beddle, and possibly the whole KVHD board counting on quickly planning a bond, construction project, and anything else that would entice the community to vote for it's "save the whales" campaign, it's good timing to look at what could have been the KRV.
It's all about trust
Many of us who lived thru the Pam Ott era and survived or partially survived, remember the promises of what the community could do by voting in a bond.
We were all ready to go and believe anything she said. I personally backed Ott and the bond.
Elder abuse charged, Dr. Hoshang Pormir, was another fan of Ott, and was photographed for many of the advertisements for Measure M. He backed Ott's play like nobody else in the hospital.
Now, HFS, trying to revive a dying hospital, Sierra Kings, finds that more than 1.7 million dollars in bond money, with very restrictive uses, has been used.
Oh my? How could that be? there are laws against it.
Well, according to the Exponent article, a government expert said by going against the will of the voters, they have lost "public trust." (along with 1.7 million dollars)
Haskins, the article said, verified the monies had been misused. Apparently, the town of Reedley was excited to vote in a bond worth 20 million and at the same time be promised new technology, another ER, upgrades on the birthing center, Adult and children health centers and seismic upgrades so that they will be standing during an earthquake.
Although monies went for other things, there was a construction project and new ER, but vendors walked away unpaid too. (Oddly, it seems they still have money left over. Good planning, it seems they planned for the misuse of the funds.)
Haskins does say that the rest of the bond monies not used are now being used properly again.
It's so easy to do a bond and build a building isn't it?
At tonight's KVHD meeting there was no chagrin as the board was confident there was no waiting for planning a future project, say in two years when the next election takes place, rather they would push forward and hurriedly get a "thingy" together for this election in November.
There is apparently no time for planning, that's out. We need to take action.
Unfortunately, because financial status reports were unclear, the KVHD board decided not to take action last year when it was apparent the hospital would be in default on it's debts by at least this year. And in default they are.
(I'm lying they knew there were problems but they waited until they are being hijacked by their debt insurer to do anything. Now the extreme measure of going to the community for money is being taken. Had we acted on this last year, could we have allowed more time for planning for the future? Would we have invited more community members in to help? We are setting ourselves up for failure and I'm going to watch it happen. I won't be happy though, but people will learn.)
What if they rush into this and then change their minds about the project, or the prices fluctuate, and the bond is written that the monies will be used for these specific purposes and nothing else?
With minimal planning and a rush job, it could happen. That could lead to a second bond or a third, etc. Or it could lead to using that money for things other than were voted in, which would be against the law. (we don't believe in the law at KVHD so it's really not a problem. And since all the agencies let us get away with "murder" I don't think anyone should worry about consequences.)
Do we really want our hospital "rushing" out a project when in the 1990's they took years to accomplish a third of what they promised and are now in default over?
I wouldn't recommend it, but the hospital is doing what "it" wants to do.
I've been in construction, it's never a good idea to rush anything, most especially a medical construction project with many different types of guidelines which must be followed. You could lose your shirt and fast with all the regulations involved.
Oh, yeah, we know that, but we haven't learned that. We are preparing to make the same mistake again. This time it could be with your money.
In Reedley the clean up from the Ott aftermath
Only the latest financial mismanagement, said the Exponent, as they had reported last month that Ott and financial manager, Chet Beedle, no sorry, Barbara Jennings, held back payments to it's social security alternative program.
Bankruptcy is an interesting process as it uncovers EVERYTHING which may have been done in error, or on purpose, who knows, nobody is going to tell the truth.
With HFS up in Sierra Kings, we have a good opportunity to see what they can do following up on Ott here at KVHD. They may see that there are similarities in the way both our hospitals were run financially.
The board of directors oversight
This article which tells a tale of blatant mismanagement at Sierra Kings, only serves as a warning of what is happening here in the KRV.
A government affairs official cited in the Exponent article said that the board lacked oversight. Well duh.
Tonight at our local hospital board meeting a moment of "who is running the show" became apparent at the end of the night.
CEO, Tim McGlew, told the board he had selected NTD an architectural firm, to put together something for them to see, regarding the bond again that will be on the ballot in November. He said he chose that particular company because the board had used them before.
Then he added, "if that's what the board wants to do."
Suddenly, a board member made a motion, and finally a sensible thing happened: Board member, Kay Knight asked what they were voting on, the company, money, what?
So, before they had heard what they were voting on, motions were made. Does this not make you think that the board is relying totally on it's CEO and CFO?
Obviously, because, one of the board members said the CEO and CFO are the heroes of the district who have cut costs and have been doing an excellent job.
So, I guess there's no reason for a board of directors then? Let's just get rid of them.
According to the article an attorney warned that the board can be liable for things that they should have been watching....and doing their due diligence.
Motioning for a vote without knowing what your CEO meant, is blind voting, pavlovian. Only easily manipulatable minds do things like that.
A tale of two types of boards
With Ott possibly facing some more criminal charges the board of directors in Reedley had something to say.
One board member said they weren't strict with Ott and didn't really know how the money was being spent. The Sierra Kings board member then conceded that the board is beholden to the community and staff.
What a board member actually took responsibility?
No, not here in the KRV, I'm talking about those people in Reedley whom I'm smitten with these days as they would be wonderful to have around here.
The one Sierra Kings board member who admitted they didn't watch carefully, now says that HFS is reporting everything. If they can't pay, the board knows about it that day and is able as a group to take action.
But out of all of this, DOJ, defense attorneys, Measure M supporters, Cal Mtg., we may actually see the truth, and with that truth, correction can be made.
You cannot make a good decision based on inaccuracies and untruths.
If the hospital runs down to the architect and says can you do all of this for us for this price and they say sure, that will be the restriction on the ballot. But as Ott and her gang have shown, all laws can be bent and broken: and people too.
I'd say print out the Exponent article and when the board comes a calling to tell you that they must have this bond: show them the article.
We need to trust the board and administration before we can even consider this bond measure.
And with a financial manager using credit cards to pay for operations costs, it's a cheesy operation which would love to suck in 20 million of "free money."
One audience member tonight summed up the issue of the debt with one practical question: why did it take 20 years to fix this problem?
As usual, no one answered. But maybe the problem with the board is they don't know what to do and hope that they can just skate by on silence and dodging questions they don't particularly like or agree with.
However, at issue is that the problem was never fixed and couldn't be obviously.
Who said that you can only go to a meeting if you agree with the board? Nobody. And in fact, if you harass or target someone for not agreeing with you, you're in violation of a few laws.
Things were strangely chipper, as if we had invited our debtor to take over the hospital. Some of the things that were said, were so out of touch with reality, I could hardly keep my mouth shut. And got gut shot for it too.
It is difficult for me sometimes to be able to explain some of what I have researched to people, board members, administrators, who don't or maybe can't think outside the box. But I feel confident that you the KRV resident, come November, will want to hear more and learn more. And I'll make sure you get the correct information.
One claim I've heard repeatedly is how good we are doing in comparison to other hospitals.
Well, it was said again tonight...
If we are doing better than most other hospitals across California, than why are we being taken over by a bond insurer? Are all the other hospitals in worse shape? How could that be, it makes no sense. Worse would mean, what, closed down? How much worse is it when you have to get a bond and refuse to consider any other options? When it makes no sense, you go to the experts and find out why. I'll get back to you on this.
Then we will wait and see what the DOJ, Etra and Ginsburg, the medical and nursing boards, the Fresno District Attorney, have to say in regards to potential charges against Pam Ott and our other cases of bad judgment.
Now if we find more evidence for you Jerry Brown, could you possibly stop the woman from taking down more than two hospitals and a nursing center? Isn't than enough?
Hopefully HFS will have not ideas, but will dig and find the things they have found in Reedley on our former CEO, Ott. And find the things that still keep us from having a functional hospital.
More to follow...
Thanks again to the people of Reedley, the journalistic integrity, the community support, you are an example for us all to follow.
And here's the article:
http://www.reedleyexponent.com/articles/2010/05/05/news/doc4be1d4b3d65c6435055285.txt
Press control button and click on link to open or just copy and paste into address bar.
Persistance and Tenacity, requires a new chapter, a new beginning....
No comments:
Post a Comment