Letter to the El Camino Hospital Board

LWVLAMV, LWVSV and other community members have written a letter to the board of the El Camino Hospital asking that it conduct its business more openly with the community.

El Camino Hospital District Board of Directors May 23, 2005 2500 Grant Road Mountain View, California 94040

Dear Members of the Board:

We, the undersigned community members and organizations, urge the District Board to conduct the business of El Camino Hospital more openly and to share with the public the detailed information about El Camino Hospital's operations and finances required to maintain the community's confidence and trust. As possible patients, families of patients, taxpayers, service employees, registered nurses, doctors, ECH Foundation supporters, and citizens who are proud of our community hospital, we all have a deep vested interest in the well being of El Camino Hospital. We are proud of the community asset we have all helped to create, grateful for the services it has provided, and enthusiastic about the new hospital campus as El Camino looks to the future. With the recent passage of the $148 million bond measure, the Hospital received a strong vote of confidence from the community to embark on an ambitious rebuilding of the hospital campus. To ensure reasonable public oversight of El Camino Hospital, especially at this critical juncture, we call on the Board to take immediate action to ensure that the Hospital conducts business more openly. As initial steps, we ask that the Board take as soon as possible the following specific actions:

• Require through public and official action of the District Board that the business of the El Camino Hospital District and El Camino Hospital, and their respective governing boards, be conducted with at least the degree of openness and public access to information required of a "local agency" within the meaning of the Brown Act, Cal. Gov. Code §§ 54950-54962, and the California Public Records Act, Cal. Gov. Code §§ 6250-6276.48.
• Reaffirm through public and official action of the District Board the reported decision of the District Board to instruct the Hospital to prepare and file each year a non-profit corporate tax return (IRS Form 990), notwithstanding any previously-obtained exemption. We also ask that comparable information be made readily available to the public for all previous years in which a Form 990 was not filed.
• Instruct the Hospital administration to designate appropriate senior managers to meet within thirty days with representatives of the undersigned community members and organizations, in good faith and a spirit of cooperation and openness, to study and discuss the manner, form, and content of the financial and operating information disclosed to the public by the Hospital and to identify any further or different information that should be disclosed to ensure maximum transparency and to facilitate oversight. Steps in addition to the above may be required to ensure continued public confidence. We respectfully request that a discussion of this letter be put on the agenda for the public meeting scheduled for June 1, 2005. The undersigned recognize and appreciate how well El Camino Hospital has served our community over the years. Our goal in calling for greater transparency is to ensure that the Hospital will continue to enjoy the community's trust and support in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Jane Turnbull President, League of Women Voters of Los Altos-Mountain View Area

Roberta Hollimon President, League of Women Voters of Cupertino-Sunnyvale

Robert Burnett, M.D. Past President of the Santa Clara County Medical Association and of the California Medical Association

Susan R. Hansen, M.D. Past Chief of Staff, El Camino Hospital

John Longwell, M.D. Past President of the Santa Clara County Medical Association

Jerry Manoukian, M.D. Chief, Department of Medicine, El Camino Hospital

Robert Mitchell, M.D. Past Chief of Staff, El Camino Hospital

Robert Naylor, M.D. Past Chief of Staff, El Camino Hospital

Peter M. Pollock Former Member, El Camino Hospital District Board

Professional Resource for Nurses Patricia A. Briggs, RN, MSN, President

SEIU, Local 715 Tammy Buckles, CLS, El Camino Hospital Chief Steward

Karl M. Sorensen, M.D. Past Chief of Staff, El Camino Hospital

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: May 10, 2008 10:21 PDT.

© Copyright League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area, California. All rights reserved.