This article has been updated with information about the invoiced repaid with the $800,000 loan. See the section marked ‘UPDATE’ below.
The controversy over the Tulare Local Healthcare District’s (TLHCD) $800,000 loan hasn’t died down, if Wednesday’s regularly scheduled TLHCD Board Meeting is any indication.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Visalia attorney Michael Lampe presented new information on the loan, producing emails that further his contention that Dr. Parmod Kumar, a board member, did not truthfully represent the purpose of the loan.
Dr. Benny Benzeevi, CEO of Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) the company that day-to-day management of TRMC has been contracted out to, appeared at this month’s meeting after being absent from the district’s regularly scheduled September meeting and its special October board meetings. He made a full-throated defense of HCCA’s stewardship of the hospital’s operations.
The $800,000 Emails
During the public comment section of the meeting, Lampe — who is currently the attorney in two lawsuits against the District — discussed new documents provided to him that further detailed the purpose of the District’s $800,000 loan.
Those documents came in the form of two emails. One, from Delbert Bryant, TRMC Controller & Compliance Officer, is dated July 18. He asks John Thomas, a loan officer with Bank of the Sierra:
“John, what is the good news on the loan application? We have been on this journey since May 12.”
An email from Thomas to Bryant in August informs Bryant that Bank of the Sierra is ready to proceed.
“[…] I have finally reached the point of being able to say we are ready to do the loan if you still want it,” Thomas writes. “This has become the most complex and difficult loan I have ever been involved with.”
Another, dated September 7, also from Bryant to Thomas, asks Thomas to immediately wire the funds to Cardinal Pharmaceuticals, and includes details for Cardinal’s bank account at Wells Fargo in San Francisco.
“Please make the wire today. THANKS,” Bryant requests.
Lampe used the emails to fortify his argument that the board either was in the dark, or deceived the public, in stating that the $800,000 loan was simply a line of credit with no preconceived purpose.
“The question I have for the board is, was the board aware that Delbert Bryant was attempting to negotiate an $800,000 loan for the district as early as May 12 of 2016? There’s another email from him dated September 7, which again is addressed to John Thomas, the subject matter is ‘Cardinal wire instructions’ — that’s the wire to Cardinal Pharmaceuticals that we’ve talked about and has been the subject of some press,” Lampe said.
“There’s an attachment to this email which is fascinating, the email’s dated September 7, and the attachment says Tulare Hospital District Past Due, 9-7-16.xlsx, that’s an Excel spreadsheet that the bank did not produce, we’ve not completed the deposition because I want to see that spreadsheet, but it raises some interesting questions, and that is: did the board know that the entire $800,000 was going to be sent to Cardinal Pharmaceuticals as early as September 7?”
Lampe continued by asking whether the purpose of the loan was known to the board.
“[…] was the board aware of the falsity of those statements when Dr. Kumar falsely represented at the September 1 Board Meeting that, ‘if that check is cut it will be approved by the board, it will come here’ — was the falsity of that statement known to the board at the time,” Lampe asked, “or the alternative, did the board actually meet at a later point in time in a non-agendized meeting to approve that loan to Cardinal Pharmaceuticals? These are questions that I would invite the board either collectively or individually to answer to the public.”
UPDATE: Loan Invoices
Before the publication of this article, the Voice filed a public records act request for any information relating to the expenditure of the $800,000 loan — specifically, what invoice(s) the loan was meant to pay.
A spreadsheet made available to the Voice on Thursday through this request appears to be the same spreadsheet sent by Bryant to Thomas, and outlines invoices to Cardinal that the district was in arrears on: it includes the amount owed, the invoice date, and the date each invoice was due.
The sheet starts out with $46,747.33 worth of invoices past due in November 2015, and that amount rose to an average of $150,276.22 in December of 2015 and January through April of 2016. The past due amounts fell to $29,793.91 in May, where the spreadsheet ends.
The spreadsheet is available for viewing below, and summarized data is available to the left.
Moody’s Upgrade
Lampe’s statements came on the heels of a Moody’s upgrade, which saw the district keep its “Baa3” bond rating but revised the outlook of the bonds to “stable.”
“Affirmation of the Baa3 and removal of the negative outlook reflect continued tax base growth emerging from the recession with assessed valuation exceeding a pre recession peak for the first time in fiscal 2017; improved operating performance beginning in fiscal 2014, driven by a new management team; and identified funding opportunities to complete construction on a planned addition to the medical center following voter rejection of a proposed GO bond in August of this year,” the press release from Moody’s states.
Novia’s Past Due Settlement
Lampe’s questions also call attention to documents recently received by the Voice, which detail a settlement between Novia Strategies — a healthcare consulting firm — and the district over past due payments.
“As you know, on or about June 10, 2015, Mr. Germany executed the Agreement on behalf and Novia fully performed the contracted services from June 2015 through February 2016. TRMC, however, failed to timely and fully pay Novia for services rendered, nor did TRMC reimburse Novia for expenses advanced to TRMC per the terms of the Agreement,” the letter reads in part.
“Despite assertions in Mr. Bryant’s email concerning inability to pay Novia, TRMC’s website currently touts the hospital’s financial turn-around, including returning TRMC to profitability, significantly increasing days of cash on hand, and providing significant raises to TRMC workers. In light of the foregoing, Novia believes that TRMC has no legally cognizable defense to continue to withhold or otherwise delay the significantly overdue amounts payable to Novia.”
The email from Novia’s Corporate Counsel, Dan Stein, stated it rejected an offer proposed by the district to settle the debt for 50% — approximately $22,250.45 — and instead counter-offered to settle for $35,000.00.
Bryant accepted the settlement, stating in a reply:
“We will accept the offer of $35,000, conditioned upon execution of a settlement agreement which includes a full release of claims.”
District’s Response
“The real question that should be asked is why are some members of the community trying to viciously and falsely discredit the greatest success Tulare Regional Medical Center has had in its history,” a statement from the hospital to the Voice read.
“Anybody who’s anybody knows that cash flow and profit are two different things. Any smart business will do what it can to maximize cash flow. The profits of the hospital for the last three years are indisputable. Two audits have already confirmed this and a third one is on the way. Four total credit rating agency upgrades (FITCH Ratings and Moody’s) specifically mention HCCA as being the cause of the dramatic turnaround and further confirmed it.”
“As for Michael Lampe and his political stunt, all that did was cost taxpayers more money for lawsuits without merit, as evidenced by individuals being named and then removed from the lawsuits. This is exactly the kind of baloney that these people have done before and have obviously not learned their lesson. They are repeating the old ways, which in the past have brought the hospital nothing but failure, disgrace and shame.”
Surprising Fliers
Wednesday’s meeting also produced another surprise: fliers that were placed on seats at the meeting charging TLHCD Board Chairman/President Sherrie Bell’s opponent, Kevin Northcraft, with falsely representing himself as a “neurophysiologist” and “neurologist.”
In red handwriting at the top, the flier states “This is not transparency!” — the flier is available below.
Northcraft’s supporters claimed that the fliers were placed on every seat before the meeting began.
“When we got here early today, these were on every seat, Sherrie. To conduct a campaign like this — it’s not right. This was on every seat, regarding Kevin Northcraft, of a locked room. How did they get in here? It had to have been someone with access — not the public,” Jennifer Burcham said of the fliers, during the public comment section of the meeting.
“And this is unacceptable tactics on behalf of whoever did this; and, since it’s your opposition, I’m assuming someone that knows you. I’m not necessarily blaming you, but this is disrespectful, and this is Moreno Valley tactics, and we don’t want that here in Tulare.”
Research by the Voice reveals that the flier was based on Northcraft’s Trustoria.com webpage.
Trustoria bills itself as “the largest open collection of professional US profiles in the world,” but unlike LinkedIn, a similar service, Trustoria’s profiles are not created by their subjects, but instead, they appear to be created by automated processes. Trustoria then charges users to view these computer-generated profiles.
Reviews of Trustoria’s parent company, Radaris, reveal that information gathered by the company can be inaccurate, which Northcraft also charges:
“The info apparently comes from an old listing when I was a part time massage practitioner in San Diego, part of several fun jobs I’ve tried in retirement. It lists a category, not that I was all those occupations; a huge misrepresentation of the truth,” Northcraft said in a statement to the Voice. “It has nothing to do with my candidacy and smacks of desperation by the other side, that is stooping to Moreno Valley, dirty politics style. They are trying to bring machine politics, underhanded approaches to Tulare. Our citizens are too smart to be tricked by those approaches.”
In Defense of The Status Quo
Bell took part of the meeting to defend her time and work on the board.
“The ten years from 2003 to HCCA coming on board, we lost over $5m in operations. It was never going to happen. Not only that, they hired an architect that was unqualified, it went through the bid process, but we didn’t narrow our bid properly, and so the construction company had never built a public hospital, so we had a tower that was destined to failure,” Bell said.
“So when I walked in, it was delaminated cement and pretty much construction had stalled. And over $69m had been spent of the bond. So let’s also talk about the past. In 2008 we had the OIG, which is the Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI show up at our hospital in early 2008. We had signed the board had signed illegal contracts with physicians, the estimated fine was going to be over $24m. Because it would close the hospital, they agreed to fine us $2.4m instead.
“We had no money, and so we were not investing into our hospital. That is the past. Personally — let’s not go back to that.”
Sharing a common theme, Benzeevi also used his speaking time to defend HCCA’s work at TRMC.
“What’s astounding to me in all of this commotion is that with elections going on, I’ve yet to meet with any of the candidates. I would think that it would be a great interest to try and sit down and talk and see what’s actually going on in the hospital, especially somebody who’s running for office to sit on this board,” Benzeevi said, extending an invitation for the candidates to meet with him. “This is not a game. This is serious business.”
Benzeevi walked the audience through TRMC’s past as an independently managed organization, stating that the HCCA stepped up to the plate when few would — through the previously-mentioned OIG investigation, the tower construction failure, profit losses, and staff turnover.
“How many of you would have walked into a situation like this?” Benzeevi asked the crowd.
Benzeevi wrapped up his speech with an announcement that the district now had the ability to complete the tower without an additional bond or additional taxpayer dollars.
“It’s easy to call people corrupt, it’s easy to call people names, it’s easy to undermine any progress that’s being made,” Benzeevi said. “It’s much harder to come from this and get to a place where we can even be in a position where we have enough position to be calling people names and to throw insults at people.”
Source documents mentioned in the article are available below, as is audio of the meeting.
Vendors suing
Doctors leaving
Nurses getting fired
All so the gang can take loads of money home.
Shame on them.
The citizens of this community are smarter than HCCA gives us credit for. We see thru the smoke and mirrors to hide the truth. HCCA is desperate so the negative untruthful campaign against Sherrie Bell and Laura Gadke opponents have begun and I am sure it will continue until election. Please don’t fall for it, please VOTE Kevin Northcraft and Mike Jamaica they will start the process of bring the community and hospital back together and get the tower completion started
What is their rationale for paying one person 3 million dollars of tax-payer money ?
You scratch my back – I scratch yours.
The question that needs to be asked is which of the five board members know the truth about the so-called “line of credit ” , which was actually a structured loan to pay for a delinquent pharmaceutical account. If they knew then they simply lied.
From Trustoria website:
DISCLAIMERS: Trustoria and its data providers make every reasonable effort to ensure that the Sites and the Data are an accurate reflection of the information received from its originating source. However, neither Trustoria, nor its data providers can or does represent or warrant that the Sites or Data will be complete or accurate. This data is provided “as is”.
and they paid for it…..This is sleazy Benzeevi, Moreno Valley, no doubt Iddo’s doings.
Moreno Valley FB page and they’ll tell you all about him.
Nice to know that rumors were true by some whistle blowers.
We as their bosses need to fire them all.
So now we have a cover-up.
These board members need more than a slap on the wrist.
It is shameful that that man can stand before the citizens of TULARE and profess to be helping when all he is doing is laughing at us all the way to the bank! And to think he is a physician that took an oath to “do no harm”. He should be stripped of his license!
Condescending Bensleazy. There were others qualified to take over TRMC. He doesn’t mention that HCCA wasn’t even a company when they were hired to manage the hospital. We need a new board and we need transparency and integrity to represent the citizens of the Tulare Health Care District.
Benny is saying that :
Guys, your house was dirty. I came in & cleaned it. So what if I decided to squatter-in? I will live here as long as I want and you will keep paying me for keeping it clean. If you choose to sell, I will have the first right. If you choose to evict me, you will have to pay me. I have stolen windows & hardwood floors & panels etc. I have taken away retirement money of long term lawn mower & maid
SO WHAT ?????
Why are you guys upset?
You should be happy. You dumb dumb dumb Tulare people.
Dr. Kumar must realize that it is different this time.
People are united, determined, well financed & really really pissed.
Recalling Dr. Kumar is not a big problem. All it takes is 1100 signatures. He had relied all along on people’s neutral ignorant slackings to get the votes he needed.
Not this time.
If each volunteer asks his/her friends in TLHCD 3 and gets 10 signatures, we can get 1100. If each doctor can get 50 signatures, we can get pretty close just from that.
He should plan for WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN HE LOSES?
Benny will sure discard of him like plagued flea. Just like he dumped the entire blame on previous CEO.
Will Benny be willing & able to hide all the documents that will send Dr Kumar to jail
– all the favored DEALS from hospital violating STARK law,
– all the SEXUAL harassment complaints that led to departure of not him but of the complainant,
– all the illegal ABUSE of power he did to fulfil his personal vendetta against any doctor who spoke against his CORRUPTION,
– all the LIES he lied about hospital finances,
– all the SKELETONS hidden in audit reports
etc etc
What will happen when all this comes to government knowledge? He may have bought Sacramento politicians but I dont think he can afford to buy DOJ & OIG & Medicare.
I am guessing 50 to 400 years in federal penitentiary.
If I am in his shoes, I would go to attorney Lampe, ask him to put me in touch with people pulling the higher strings, offer them a deal, may be pay a couple of millions $$ in restitution, offer them Benny’s head and agree to retire far away from Tulare.
Other option to consider is to become government witness against the corrupt practices at TRMC/Hillman/HCCA. Perhaps I could get off with a few million $$ in penalty & a few years of jail time.
Status quo is not good for him.
He brought HCCA monster. He will have to pay for their sins in addition to his own sins. Curses of long term employees whose retirement savings of decades were taken away when HCCA took over will not go in vain.
Time to think Dr. Kumar
Time to think
I’m a BIG believer of KARMA too. So make sure your not playing with the devil.. Karma appears in many ways.
What a joke……You must have a personal problem against Dr. Kumar!! This Dr has done so much for the community…..What about you?????
Sherrie is ready to rat out on Kumar:
She said
<>
Kumar was controlling the board prior to 2008.
What’s your real name Afsa?
Full transparency .
So when Kumar was in the minority on the Board when Smith, Kamboj and McPhetridge were on there, you’re saying he controlled it? NOT TRUE.
That majority of those 3 lasted about 8-9 months, Bell elected in 2012 went back to Kumar majority. Kumar has been the majority since at least 2007.
He owns it. No one left to blame.
Sherrie said
In 2008 we had the OIG, which is the Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI show up at our hospital in early 2008. We had signed the board had signed illegal contracts with physicians
Was the Advance-Register’s reporter at the same meeting? All they’ve reported is Benzeevi says we’re fine now. Nice work, Tony.
Sorry KEVIN NORTHCRAFT
this has been on the Internet for a long time….way before you and your group of people tried taking down our community hospital. These are LIES you have placed. Some true some LIES. Your NOT a NEUROLOGIST your NOT a DOCTOR. Don’t try to convince the public otherwise.
I’m going to say a prayer for you because I seen you out and about not to long ago and you don’t look well. Don’t allow a group of people
” Citizens Accountability People” to ruin you your health.
Teresa and Kimberley what about the $800,000 loan that was disbursed by Sherrie Bell to Cardinal Pharmaceuticals without a vote of the board? What about the fact that the district is manipulating financial data to show a profit by not paying their creditors? What about the $140,000 in legal fees the citizens of the public hospital paid for legal fees for a personal lawsuit by three doctors that the hospital was not a part of? I never hear you comment on anything relevant to the campaign….
Your opinion isn’t regarded either, Chris. This paper is a joke. That’s why it has to be given out free, no one would buy it! It’s stupid how you attack people and don’t step up and should of fixed the problems years ago at TDH instead of now. We shouldn’t waste our time talking to the likes of you.
The problems will never be fixed with Kumar on the board because he keeps creating them. Chris Northcraft didn’t create the lie the board is now caught up in – Kumar did, it appears other board members just go along.
How many Chiefs of Staff has Kumar had issue with over the years 4-5, are they all wrong and Kumar is right? District has paid for all those battles.
This paper is far from a joke, they are actually getting out the truth and their integrity not to be bought off or bullied is exactly what this issue has needed for years. Obviously our DA will do nothing, nor our congressman.
Kumar saved my life and if it came down to it he’d save your life too even though so much hate has been said about him by some of you
MR NORTHCRAFT You and Your supporters have bashed the Nurses and Staff at TRMC for the last time. Your a Nasty mean Group of people. These Nurses have dedicated their lives to helping others. I will NOT ever Vote for a NURSE BASHER!!
Oh Kimberly from Visalia, you can’t vote anyway. It is obvious these comments and the smear tactics are coming from you. The question is are you doing it on your own or at the direction of others. These smear tactics scream Benzeevi – Moreno Valley tactics. Why don’t you closely read the article to understand where this data was coming from and the indication from the site that accuracy can’t be verified. But you would rather just promote lies than accuracy.
By the way does it bother you in the least that the board is lying to the public and not paying their vendors so they can brag about how profitable they are?
Boom!! Truth 16. Kimberly-Teresa or both of you, stop it already. This current board and HCCA are DONE, FINSHED. Oh,and the board room tactics with your little stunt, very poor taste. A new low for both of you!
Lisa,
I wasn’t even at the Board meeting! What are you even talking about?? I had NOTHING to do with the “antics” you’re talking about. I think it’s hilarious that every action or comment on Valley Voice, social media or at the Board meetings is all Kim and I. Your accusations couldn’t be farther from the truth!
Did it bother you, Truth16 that Kamboj lied and didn’t live in the district when he was on the Board? No transparency , what a joke!
Yes it did, very much so. But since Kumar got him to run the community just accepted it was okay. The county also did nothing even though information was provided, I guess a condo was enough for them.
Wow…Teresa and Kimberly you claim to know everything about Kevin Northcraft and feel justified to go door to door and on social media telling people all about him….yet you didn’t know Kevin was raised by a single mother that was a REGISTERED NURSE! Shame on you!
I promised myself I wasn’t going to go back here, since Joseph Olderburg from Valley Voice broke anonymity of one of his viewers. 99% of the comments on here are from an ALIAS. He mentioned a person by a real name, that doesn’t agree with this paper. He stated that he didn’t have the technology to reveal everyone but me. HA!! Just shows how biased this paper is.
Chris,
You can understand that as a wife, and mother, as I am, that I have to look at my children everyday and know that anything I do and stand up for is 100% truth.
Whatever has come out of my mouth during this campaign about your husband , Kevin Northcraft , is with full honesty and backed by facts.
I am sorry that the scrutiny and campaigning is tough. That is part of being a public candidate. Full transparency. We fight for what we believe in. Not everyone is going to agree. If there are things I’ve said in reaction to being personally attacked, then I will own up to them. I will not sit back and watch someone attack my character or my coworkers. Calling us “dogs” “trolls” and “brown nosers” by your Northcraft supporters. Unacceptable!
We will continue to fight for what we believe in. If in the end, it doesn’t go in our favor, then I suppose Kim and I will be the first fired by Northcrafts new CEO. That’s of course if we still have a hospital in Tulare, then 100’s of jobs will be out of employment.
The name is Oldenbourg. I did reveal your name and, when you phoned so vehemently in objection, I apologized. I never stated that I lacked the technology to reveal everyone but you. I said you were one of the few I could identify in this anonymity fest, and that I would prefer it if everyone was forthright in using their real names.
Beg your pardon Joseph. I had someone with me that day and heard every word we said. Unless you recorded me and we can replay the conversation? Of course, you didn’t ask my permission to audio tape me, so you probably can’t. You knew you were in the wrong as a journalist, that’s why you apologized. As I said to you on the phone that day, I have no respect for you for doing that. If everyone was treated that way, no one would read your paper. That’s why I’ve stated publicly that I feel this paper is biased. I stand by that.
Why on earth would I trouble myself with recording you? As a journalist, I see it as a responsibility to reveal everyone’s identity–so I certainly did not apologize along those lines. I apologized to you because you were offended. Yes, you made it clear to me that you had no respect for me for doing that. I have no respect for someone who hides behind many aliases, and at this point I’ve lost track of how many you’ve used. Stand by what you will, but the paper is biased only toward the truth. It may have escaped your notice that we have printed positive things about the hospital.
Teresa, I don’t know Mr. Oldenbourg and he did not identify your identity to me. I recognize your posts because they are vicious, redundant, and poorly worded. You have used numerous fake names, fake profiles, and fake pages to personally attack Kevin Northcraft based on complete untruths. This, because Kevin Northcraft read the HCCA contract and realized that Sherrie Bell had signed one of the worst contracts in the history of public hospitals giving over control to a private company, compensating them more than 5 times market rate, and removing the public from control of the hospital. After reading that contract Kevin stepped up to run for office to return ethics, transparency, and accountability to the Hospital district. That being said, because Kevin values ethics, when he is elected to the Hospital Board he would not interfere with the administrator in areas of personnel. He understands his role as an elected official.
I have never heard Mr. Northcraft bash any nurses. I’m quite sure his issues are about a contract that was written and signed that was not in the best interest of the staff, patients or the community it serves in general. I think you are a good person and if you are a nurse I’m quite sure you’re an amazing one.
God bless you.
What a soap opera this has become. Six months ago Benzeevi wanted $55M to complete a $30M construction project. We were told that the hospital would close if we didn’t give him what he wanted. Of course, the hospital was never going to close, just another lie. Now, he has a better idea and we don’t need a bond at all. He has done such an outstanding job he can now get a loan. Another lie. If Benzeevi is truly interested in doing what is right for our community he will get to hell out of town and take Bell, Gadke and Kumar with him. However, don’t expect that to happen as long as he can continue to milk our hospital for $3M per year.
Kim Hughes & Teresa Berbereia have proven themselves quite good at “BROWN NOSING”
They were praising Shawn Bolouki when he was CEO. Now they are bashing him & praising Benny.
They will not hesitate to lose their credibility & integrity just so they can keep their job.
I dont blame them. If Benny has told them to lick his feet or lose their job, many people will do just that. They got to pay their bills.
“Afsa Shalima”
More juvenile name calling. More Northcraft supporters bashing nurses. Don’t ever see Kevin Northcraft with “full transparency” on these social media sites defending the staff that’s getting attacked.
We never bashed Bolouki. Kim and I taught GVALHI classes along with 16 other employees during his time as CEO. It was a positive project we are VERY proud to have been a part of.
I refuse to banter with you over credibility and integrity. Dr Benzeevi has NEVER forced us to do anything to compromise our values and integrity. If you know Kim and I, we would never do that. I have to look my children in the face everyday. Nurses can get jobs anywhere, we choose to work in Tulare because this community deserves it.
I find it funny that you blame these two young girls for everything. I like the fact that you think everyone is Teresa and Kim it takes the heat of others.
I’m almost positive that they’re responsible for all the Hillary Clinton emails that were deleted
To.
I’m actually one of Deanne’s cousins but she would never let me live it down if she knew I was for the otherside.
Since I have so few I seriously doubt that, almost all out of the area.
Now maybe a second cousin Alice and if so who or what you chose to support is your option. If it is you then I think you would acknowledge that we don’t even hardly know each other. Let alone me impacting you living something down. I don’t begrudge anyone their opinion of this situation just I wish people wouldn’t attack me and others for their opinions. But that hasn’t happened since I received a veiled threat from the hospital attorney back in March that was sent out to others by the HCCA marketing person.
The citizens group isn’t attacking anyone personally. We can’t speak for others in the community that have their own experiences and opinions. Nor can we defend these twisted and distorted allegations of putting down the staff, another falsehood that has been started and spread by someone.
the vote shall lead our community……
when the truth is there on a silver platter and they can’t see it, well that’s not our problem.
OP2, you should look up Iddo Benzeevi in Moreno Valley to see what he’s done to a town as a big land developer, since he is also in the HCCA group.
Just because the Citizens group has done the research and homework and you’re in speculation mode.
i find it ironic that its ok for the group against Kevin to use information from an inaccurate site that even admits the lack of accuracy, and yet they get so defensive at the leapfrog rating… ironic. I also find it ironic that sherrie can blast the former board for using an architect that hadn’t ever designed a hospital (which i agree is stupid) yet she hires a management company thats never managed a hospital… ironic. Also how her side claims Kevin wants to bring back the old MEC when wasnt it her that brought back Boluki the man who ran the tower into the ground… ironic. Personally i dont think they should bring back the old MEC but they certainly shouldnt allow Dr. Kumar to be on the MEC and board and whatever else hes got his tentacles in. Get rid of Kumar.
MOC2: Ya right! AND YOU PRAY TOO! That’s hilarious.
The board will never admit to any wrong doing, unfortunately I think a couple have been lied to by other board members to convince them to do things. But they are still responsible and liable for their actions. They swore to represent us and do what is right for all and they have failed us. They must all pay the piper now, they need to resign or be recalled
I was at the board meeting yesterday and I find it absolutely disturbing that people who claim to be wanting to save a hospital just get up and walk out diring the positive presentations on infection control, fitch rating, and radiology. Just like when you were so rude when the Donor Network was there.
And by the way Dan I think you forget Dr. Benzeevi is a doctor and all around the world some of the best hospitals are ran by physicians.
Why would anybody want non-caring non-compassionate , rude people to be back in charge of the hospital. If your pal Mr Northcraft gets on I’ll make it my life duty to make every board meet miserable like he did. I have nothing better to do with my time.
You must be one miserable man. You have nothing better to do with your life than cause trouble for others. You have my sympathy.
Whoever you are. You are a very sad soul. Life is to short to think about destroying another. If all you have to do with your life is hurt others maybe you should find a hobby where love and charity begin. Happiness is always better than strategizing to hurt others.
You are a sad human being and person. No life what so ever . Get ready Bell is losing so is Gadke.
myop
ANYONE is better than the current bunch of THIEVES
Shameless bastards
Deanne you run the Citizens site you absolutely 100% have control of who writes what on that site. You deleted people all the time. So when you don’t delete people talking crap about Nurses means your ok with it.
I made it very clear from the beginning I was an administrator. I also made it clear that we weren’t going to disclose the others because of the personal attacks. I was prepared for it because I experienced it in 2006-2007. I also saw it done to others, the list is long. The pattern continues with the defamation of Kevin Northcraft.
First, very few were deleted until right after Measure I was defeated when a lot of trolls were popping up and attacking Mr. Northcraft. Prior to that we let Brian Bell go on for months, he called people awful things including calling past board members embezzlers and definitely was attempting to write history. We had numerous requests to ban him but we wanted all people to be heard. Towards the election we put it to a vote and people wanted him deleted. Prior to that there was a Grace Wilbur that was deleted. Even though we were accused of deleting numerous posts that is untrue, we removed posts with cuss words and a few that got very inappropriate.
Our intent was to allow free community dialog. We also set out a goal to put forward truthful documents, historical and current. Our desire was that the community would educate themselves and then make their own informed decision.
Our group of citizens began meeting in February. Some of us didn’t even know each other. We had many different concerns, not all the same. There are usually 30 people meeting weekly with only one goal – having a PUBLIC hospital that we can have trust in. No one wants it to close, just the opposite. We want a vibrant healthcare community. The reason I got involved was the unprecedented decision to interfere with the Medical Staff leadership. My intent is not to reinstate anyone, other than knowing Dr. Betre as the Chief of Staff I couldn’t tell you who comprised the Medical Executive Committee. But I believe strongly in the sanctity of their elected body and their process.
As a past board member I have no desire to be on the board or attempt to run the board from behind the scenes. Nor do any of the other past board members. But as a past board member I have a difference of opinion on more than a few things. I also recognize that operationally the hospital is not in a good place. This isn’t personal about HCCA or the board, it is just fact.
I hate that I am part of suing the hospital but the withholding of public records all the while representing a different picture during the Measure I campaign was just wrong. Can you imagine if the bond would have passed. I spent yesterday afternoon being deposed for 4 1/2 hours by two attorneys that are being paid for by your tax payor dollars and they wanted it filmed. Questions were all over the place to wanting to know if I wanted to close the hospital as well as what doctors are involved with the citizen group. We have occasional doctors drop by but this is a citizen movement no matter how it is being portrayed otherwise.
The really sad part of your comment is about thinking I have some responsibility to delete comments about nurses. For the hospital to have growth you need the community to support it and for that to even begin to happen there needs to be a humbling to acknowledge there are problems. Without doing this no bond will solve the current problems. In 2005 the occupancy rate was 53% we had to work to grow it to that and it was work. Today the census is dismissal and the CFO is describing it as changing times. Maybe the CFO should explain that to KDDH that is bursting at the seams with people that have admittable diagnoses.
I for one will be glad when this is fixed but we have a ways to go. The recent financial deceit is very concerning. We do this because this is our community, where we live and raise our families. So no matter how much you continue to attack me or others that have a different opinion we are going to move forward. It is our hospital!
The people talking crap about the nurses , staff and the care are people that are still on that site. Again another lie . I have no more time for you. You don’t answer questions you just avoid them and skirt around them but you’ve been that way your whole life.
A soft answer turns away wrath. Be kind. More ears will listen to your concerns when you are trying to be part of the solution and not the problem. This has been hard for our entire community. Let’s work together to make it work. Life is short. Love yourself. I think your heart is good. But your rebuttals come off harsh and I don’t think that’s the person you are.
I think she just answered your question. It was a long thoughtful and truthful l answer. You either have a comprehension problem or just do not want to understand .
MOC2 perhaps the answers to the questions you are asking are just not answers you want to hear
The ones so against HCCA are dying to take over…….Diane Soares, Dr Kumar never helped you?? Hahaha
If I thought your statement was true. I would definitely not listen or waste precious time reading about this issue. I think we can work together as a community if we can set our differences aside and work for what’s best for the hospital and the citizens who want what’s best for the hospital. Much can be accomplished when kindness, patience and love of our community come together and make appropriate changes.
Recall Kumar
We must realize that Kumar is the mastermind behind all this conspiracy & corruption. He has used hospital for his personal benefit for as long as I have known him.
If we want to save our hospital, we must recall Kumar.
Without recalling Kumar, we cannot control board. Without control of board, we cannot take steps to prove that HCCA has violated their contract and kick them out (hopefully, so good that he lands in Moreno Valley).
RECALLING KUMAR IS THE TOP PRIORITY
“Myopinioncounts2″……. I guess you should take your ball and go home if you claim to have no time for Deanna. You come across as a petulant child. Deanna has “consistently” taken the high road and strictly based on your published comments it is safe to say that you have not. Perhaps that is why your “distant cousin” keeps her distance!
Isn’t funny how the Board and Benny always tell us that the past is the past, but every time they try to toot their own horns, the first thing they mention is how horrible things were in the past. Listen to the audio and listen how most of the dog and pony show by Sherrie and Benny talk about the past. Message to the Board and Benny,,,,,,,, you now own the current state of the hospital. The one-star rating, the deceitful hiding of the facts of the $800k loan, the low census, the drop in quality of care, the multiple lawsuits, etc, etc. etc.
If Benny Boy is claiming that bond money was pilfered away, why is he not letting those documents out?
Why did people have to do a lawsuit to have access to our public records?
Sherrie “dumb” Bell:
Getting a loan is NOT income
Not paying your vendors is NOT profit
If you claim these are such, you are DUMB DUMB DUMB
… or just a liar
To TRod,
We are thrilled Dr. Kumar saved your life. That is what doctors go to school to do.
But his skill as a board member is a different matter. This is where he is to be a steward to the district. His leadership has shown that he is not, again what he does for the community is great but again not a factor in his leadership on the board.
People try to indicate this is personal against Kumar. It is taken as personal but it is not. It is just performance. Dr. Kumar did and has controlled recruitment for many years. Our community now suffers because of it.
With his continued leadership there is no way for the district to move forward, just look at the past twenty years.
The concerns are not related to Dr. Kumar’s skills as a doctor. The concerns are related to his greed and dishonesty. The concerns are not related to whether or not Bell is a nice person. The concerns are related to her ineptness. It seems clear that Gadke is not only not a nice person, she is also inept and will do whatever Kumar instructs her to do. All three must go if our hospital is to survive.
WHY HAVE WE NOT HEARD ANY REBUTTAL OR EXPLANATION FROM THE PIRATES OF TULARE ON MISAPPROPRIATION OF $800,000 ISSUE?
DOES THIS MEAN THEY ACCEPT ALL CHARGES?
Wow! I am so glad to have read the contract HCCA has. Iron clad to keep mean horrible people like this out. Thanks HCCA!
ICAREFORTulate, I willing to bet you have never read the TRMC/HCCA Contract. If you have, how can you possibly defend $3,000,000 per year for a CEO that brought no management experience to the deal? How can you defend a contract that prohibits the Board from access to the hospital without HCCA permission. How can you defend HCCA when our hospital has the worst rating in the valley? There is so much more one could mention but suffice to say, you obviously have not read the contract.
People also need to be aware that TRMC/HCCA is sharing employees with the South Inyo Hospital that was taken over in January by HCCA and it seems there may be some other things going back and forth. As you review the Cardinal Health spread sheet, it seems the numbers increase dramaticly after the South Inyo takeover, could our hospital possibly be funding/sending stuff down their at on our Taxpayer dollars. Just asking
My friend at the hospital tells me that a lot of equipment was bought for the new building and it was lying unused.
Word on the street is that HCCA has sent some of these equipment to Inyo.