The Kern Valley Healthcare District Board of Directors will meet for the final gathering of what could be called the "wildest year yet" this Wed. Dec. 1, at 5:30 Pm in the hospital cafeteria.
New board member, David Derr, and returning member, Kathryn Knight, will be sworn in and the agenda has an interesting subject under "new business": turn around cash flow.
Sources say the hospital has already put the chill on salaries and has cut hours and benefits, so it will be interesting to find out which way we are turning, "righty tighty or lefty loosey."
There was a plan
After the loss of Measure G, the hospital had not answered the repeated question from the public, what is plan B?
The financial problems are not new or sudden or anything of that nature. They have been with this hospital for 22 years. I can imagine in 1986 the announcement of the "grand plans" for the expansion of the hospital. They managed to eek out half of the promise, but that mistake still haunts the district to this day.
And the hospital admitting to a plan B, disseminating it at a finance committee meeting, would not allow a copy to be given to me or the public. I can't imagine what they don't want us to see.
They have also been directed to send a plan to Cal Mtg. as well. And the grand jury, complaint driven "review" requires a response within 90 days too. (that complaint/review was not generated by me and not much to write home about either. I know they can do better than that)
Why did we not meet Cal Mtg. in March of 2009?
Chet Beedle has told us many stories over the years, most of them recorded via video, email or documents, but he has not told you why they, CEO Rick Carter, CFO Chet Beedle, board member Bradley Armstrong, stopped what could have been a fruitful meeting with Cal Mtg. more than a year and a half ago.
Heading off problems before they become threats during an election for a tax increase/bail out, would seem to be the responsibility of the management team, administrators and board members.
Nobody acted on anything except to try and halt progress, which they accomplished. In an email from February of this year, Beedle talks of answers and the only one he can see is a GOB. The public had not been told that the hospital had already at this point been using the potential GOB in an effort to obtain a line of credit for one million dollars.
In emails between Beedle and Cal Mtg., Beedle tells the insurer of the "old debt" that they heard good news (this is April 2010) from Caldwell, Winters and Flores regarding a phone survey they did.
Tim McGlew, CEO, said the survey was done for "free" by the bond company which aids in elections and sells the bonds derived from property tax monies. The outcome of the survey was well over the 2/3 majority to win the election. The outcome of the election didn't quite reflect those figures which showed up again in July, as the paid for survey took place, and the public reported repeated calls, and convoluted questions. (We paid $15,000 for that phone survey regardless if the other was free, neither were accurate as people cannot be called a second or third time, and the numbers are easy to move, as it's how the question is asked. Complaints were numerous but fell on deaf ears.)
Regardless of the complaints the board of directors went ahead and put the measure on the ballot based on these surveys, only to have it defeated, and not register any of the numbers provided by CFW.
CFW, also in 2006, even though they were the company selected to run the 12.5 million dollar remake of the acute care wing, donated $7,500 to the campaign.
Where do they think they are going now?
With the last board meeting still causing dyspepsia among the viewers who have seen the video, and simply have been shocked at the behavior, or the most well worn word: arrogant.
It was difficult to watch this board ignore again its responsibility to this community, and the answers were not there. The respect and intelligence was missing as well.
Five months ago, the CEO told the board he would have a date for the strategic planning meeting in a few weeks. Nothing ever came of it. Kern Valley Sun reporter, Susan Barr, asked McGlew if the public was allowed to attend this elusive event.
The CEO and board counsel fell all over themselves explaining the public of course could attend and is encouraged to do so. Unlike the last one in 2008, where Bob Jamsion, the chairman of the board at the time, wrote a document eliminating the public. Only two members went or were notified or allowed, I'm still not sure, and those were insiders, Reverend Charles White of KRVR and former board member and Hospital Foundation volunteer, Chuck Wild.
Though the documentation of the "KVHD story" will be available to the authorities, and stored safely on the internet, I'm going to show you a few things before you head off to the meeting this week.
You're going right?
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