Once again, community members armed with misinformation and fueled with personal animosity are attempting to send our Tulare community into ruins. Case in point is Mr. Hobbs’ recent Letter to the Editor of Tulare Advance-Register, where he opines that there has been a “misappropriation of public property funds” at Tulare Regional Medical Center. Nowhere does the article he cites state anything of the sort.
It is important to note that while serving as a Tulare County Grand Jury member last term, Mr. Hobbs commented to local newspapers and the public about grand jury investigations. The law is clear that grand jury investigations are confidential and are not to be discussed outside the grand jury chambers.
In his letter, Mr. Hobbs is only partially correct in his mention of “the saga of TRMC”. Yes, the hospital had been mismanaged for well over a decade BEFORE HCCA came on board. It had 6 CEOs and as many CFOs in as many years, as well as multiple board changes. All that turmoil led to the hospital’s near collapse, a failed construction project, and a near catastrophe for our community. Let’s not forget the past.
In the three years since HCCA has come on board, the hospital has experienced GREATER stability than it has had in decades, has more people working there now than ever before, and pays them more than ever before, bringing great economic prosperity to our community. Why can’t some members of our community see this? Why do they believe what opponents of the hospital spew at every opportunity, spreading false information and assassinating the character of the people who have been working tirelessly to save the hospital from extinction?
Every action that HCCA has taken has been solely for the benefit of our District. Despite what some people think, HCCA is NOT here to take our public hospital—it is Tulare’s public hospital and always will be. And, HCCA did not come on board to swindle this community, nothing is farther from the truth. There are far easier ways for an organization to make money than to grapple with and rescue a hospital that was near closure. HCCA is here to help improve the healthcare of Tulare. Period.
As for Dr. Kumar, the leaders of the group of dissidents calling for his ouster are the very same people that failed the hospital, failed the community and brought it to its near demise. This group uses social media to attack and destroy anyone who stands up to them, refusing to even post opposing points of view on their social media page. And yet they complain about a “lack of transparency?” Not to mention that in the past these same people were in charge of the construction of the new tower and completely messed that up as well. Does the community really want these people, who were nowhere in sight when the hospital was failing and 500 employees were about to lose their jobs, back in control? Now that things are good, these people want to jump back in and take us to what? Back to the destruction they wrought upon in the past? Could anything be more hypocritical?
Get the facts. They do matter!
Kathleen Johnson is the Vice-President of Marketing for HCCA/Tulare Regional Medical Center.