Nearly halfway through the Stevens Hospital Commissioner’s special meeting recently, President Fred Langer noted that there was hostility in the air and that the commissioners have been “filleted” and that it needed to stop. I couldn’t agree more, and that’s why I left early. The meeting had been billed as a public hearing to discuss an expanded board and the hospital’s finances. The Stevens Web site posted the press release stating the “why” was to discuss whether or not the board should be expanded.
That might have been the direction but when the meeting was turned over to Mr. J. Tiscornia of Wellspring Partners, Ltd., it took on the age-old consultant format to answer “what the community expects from Stevens Healthcare.” It didn’t matter whether you were there to discuss the expansion or finances of the hospital, consultants have an agenda and if you step out of those buzz words and boundaries, you are out of line and liable to get someone suggesting a fillet session.
Alas, despite the fact that Commissioner Deena Knutsen personally promised me that she was listening, she and the other commissioners appear to have left their hearing aids at home. Members of the public asked the board to consider expansion at the Feb. 18, 2004 board meeting. The March 17 minutes again reflect discussion of expansion of the board. District maps were presented at the April board meeting, at which time Commissioner Jack Tawney and Knutsen were in agreement that the board should increase to five members. On May 26, the board minutes show all three agreed and now they are awaiting further input and recommendation from Wellspring. More information was to be coming in June.
Seven months have passed. The consultants want to get into that introductory discussion and the community wants some action regarding expansion of the board and some sound financial discussions. It’s time this board got moving.
ELIZABETH K. MARKS
Edmonds
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
