Kudos to Assembly member Garcia & AB

My thanks goes to Assemblymember Garcia for his news conference held on July 28, 2023 to answer questions regarding Assembly Bill 918. In a time of great unrest, some influential members in the community fear change. Assemblymember Garcia is doing his job by providing healthcare legislation that will benefit the entire county.

His message is clear and direct, "We're trying to save lives." He added, "We're trying to ensure hospitals in Imperial County do not shut down." The assemblymember understands that if the doors of ECRMC close, Pioneers and Imperial County are not prepared to handle the volume of patients.

Let's be clear, for those who are in denial, the facts speak for themselves. El Centro Regional Medical Center (ECRMC) and Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District (PMHD) are deeply in debt primarily as a result of mismanagement. Years of experience has taught me that without a clear strategic plan, both facilities will eventually fail. While Pioneers claims it has had three months of positive financials, it is no guarantee for the future. Days Cash on Hand (an accounting number used to determine how many days a hospital can remain open without revenue) and EBITDA (Earning before income, taxes, depreciation and amortization) remains below the state average. Days Cash on Hand is one metric that triggered the Bondholder Agreement to engage an independent consultant to recommend changes and prevent a default. Instead of back and forth bickering between ECRMC and PMHD (more so), let's hear what plans are being implemented to turn around both hospitals. The community has grown increasingly weary hearing about hospital bailout plans because they ultimately fall onto the taxpayer.

On a positive note, it is good that PMHD has resumed posting Board Meeting minutes online. However, I request the Board to include monthly financial statements. Doing so will add transparency and the public can make their own conclusions as to the fiscal health of the organization. As we have learned from the past, financial narratives in board minutes sometimes fail to match the numbers. In conclusion, let's hope both hospitals get their own houses in order by presenting financial turn-around plans to the public. Anything else is obfuscating the real issue. Isn't that the truth?

Respectfully,

Keith A. Bradkowski, MSN, RN, NEA-BC

Brawley, CA

Thank you again for your thoughtful input.Your are correct that both hospital boards and executive teams need to provide the public with plans. PMHD has now been vocal on changes to the bill, but ECRMC has remained secretive, at least to the public. I understand that the County led mediation will now occur. With a professional mediator, who likely will only tolerate back and forth bickering for about five minutes as well as the transcripts of the sessions published, that negativity should cease.

Thank you Concerned Resident for bringing additional information to light. Your comment on executive leadership sharing plans with the public reminds me of an old adage, "One cannot use knowledge they don't possess.": It's time to bring in leadership that has the knowledge and experience to get the job done.

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El Centro Regional Medical Center is over $200 million dollars in debt. Should Imperial County take on their debt so as to keep two hospitals in the Valley?

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