Could we privatize or lease the Kern Valley Healthcare District a year and a half out from a formal default on their 25 year old debt?
The answer is yes, we could sell or lease and allow something non-government to get in and take over. But the administrators, like CEO, Tim McGlew, and CFO, Chet Beedle, CNO, Mark Gordon, and possibly the whole board would have to step down and let others take over.
Naturally, that is not in their best interest.
Like when I visited the hospital the night of the "Bull Fire" in Kernville to see what was going on in terms of alert or help for the riverside tourist town, I asked how is it going with the fire? One person said they didn't know about a fire, while another gave what I think is the most telling answer as to their perspective: "Oh, it's not effecting us, we're not threatened."
With so many questions and no time to collect answers, the KVHD BOD's voted in a resolution to put 22 million on the November ballot for the community to pay for their mistakes.
"Why can't we get rid of all these people (my word) and start over?"
The idea is to get out from underneath big brother and get a private healthcare company to buy or lease, thus eliminating the bond debt, and getting back to medicine and quit mixing it with politics.
That has been a question asked by many people around the valley and soon we will know the rules and regulations behind this sort of move that could help the hospital while saving money to homeowners and businesses stretched and strained from an unpredictable economy.
The idea was brought up at the meeting, but no other option less the GOB was given or researched, apparently.
In Reedley, California, the Sierra Kings District Hospital, amidst a bankruptcy is recieving offers from companies who would like to lease or buy and perpetuate that district. But they don't have the criminal and legal problems we do here at KVHD.
No offers have been known to have been made to our local district hospital, but according to KVHD CEO, Tim McGlew, having a buyer take over the hospital would keep the community from having a government, "transparent" hospital, as it would not be open to the public like it is now.
More on considering saving all money and getting a buyer or someone to lease, which would have to be done by the voters, but may or may not make the hospital "private."
As we know private business often surpasses the customer service standards compared to government interference. Board members who are voted in have little or no competency in or surrounding healthcare.
I'm sure a private hospital would have different standards such as keeping ahead of the ever changing healthcare system full of laws and regulations.
Not that socialized medicine isn't coming down the pipes, we already have it here, and we see the results which are frightening.
DEADLINES
Last day to sign up for the KVHD board of directors election, August 6th, at the Kern County Elections Department today. So far there are six people in the running, but I have a feeling that will change today especially after the shambles of a board meeting on Wednesday.
August 11 is the deadline for the hospital to be transparent if it believes it is "right" to throw another burden on the community. Now that has it's board voted bond resolution in hand, will they play it fair and put a complete explanation of all 22 million in monies and how it will be used?
If they don't put this on, this means they are going to go for the deceptive 75 word ballot verbiage designed by the company who did the recent survey, as administrators didn't even know about the survey in 2006 which included many community members who have drifted away from the hospital.
Watch and see what the hospital does before you cast your ballot.
More on privatizing later...we may need a special election next year, but it might be a vote to sell or lease our hospital to companies who are in the business: not the government.
