How strategic will it be: KVHD special meeting

Strategic specialist needs special board meeting

The Kern Valley Healthcare District "strategic plan" will be revealed this afternoon August 25th at 3 pm in the director's conference room at the hospital where board members will take action on the analysis recently completed by Michael Philps and company.

After 22 years of costs and meetings to try and bring the healthcare district out of its debt and into a brighter future, another in a long line of reports will be unveiled today. This one will be interesting as the district recently had a report completed/started last year done by another company, HFS, who was invited in to manage the district's default on it's debt.

Though HFS was brow beaten by Chet Beedle, KVHD CFO, and Dr. Robert Gross, board member, they still completed a financial analysis for the district. The CFO and board member were not impressed, and told the community there were "giant holes" in their report.

Though HFS pursued a more urgent analysis, this report is called a "strategic plan" which is slightly different but still covers many of the components addressed by HFS last year as the district slid into a deep default with debt insurer, Cal Mtg.

With several reports lying around on table tops and in folders in my house, it will be interesting to compare these previous strategic plans and financial outlook reports to this latest one about to come out of the "crackerjack" box.

What is the prize that makes this report different from the other reports? Planning or really goal setting, projecting future costs, and educating your board members on how to even implement new ideas, has been done before, again and again and again...

Actually, I take that back, open planning has it's place in any business, watching market trends, following technology, "finding government grants for projects," (they failed sorely there, as ARRA monies were dis-missed and excuses made while the district opted for a tax increase instead: gambled and lost): but the hospital has never followed through on it's obligations created in these reports.

Philps said he cannot guarantee the board and administration will actually utilize the information he collected, as the company does not have an on-going contract, but he has recommended that the issues he has outlined be addressed at every board meeting. (He might want to stay around a little longer and hold the board's hands as they figure out how to actually implement these ideas not just pay for them)

After nine months of waiting for the results of this new strategic plan, board members will be gathered this afternoon to take action on the report, which is merely a vote.

If I were to put together a strategic plan, my first idea would be "not to pay for anymore strategic plans" and get the board members into a classroom so they can be of use, not just used.

As the question always is with KVHD, will they and even "can they" follow through, and will the information contained in the plan be new or unique, or will we still be hearing the same ideas bandied around for two decades?

(Now if number one on this report is a "GOB" or tax rate increase, we will know, it's the same thing, just another day. )

Special meeting (why?) today at 3 pm..."Planning our future: who should we trust?" (I gave the meeting that title as board member, Dr. Robert Gross, DO, raised that very question while sullying the reputation of HFS)