The upgrades at MarinHealth Medical Center are turning heads and earning raves from hospital professionals looking for health care’s best path forward amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hospital was in a good position to help when the crisis hit. The Marin Healthcare District Board of Directors deserve thanks for its part in that.
Now, the four candidates on the ballot for two open seats on the board are charged with a tough task: How would they best use influence and oversight to keep the hospital financially healthy, as well as working for the well-being of all Marin residents.
Two incumbents – Ann Sparkman and Dr. Hank Simmonds – are challenged by Dr. Edward Alfrey and Melissa Bradley. The district is described as the legal owner of the hospital with oversight responsibilities and the ultimate goal of promoting the health of Marin residents.
Sparkman, 67, is a health care lawyer and nurse who says the financial health of the new hospital during the coronavirus pandemic is a high priority. Calling the board “physician dominated,” she said her skill set brings a balance.
As the virus response evolved earlier this year, the board created a COVID-19 task force to focus funds where they were needed most. As medical director of trauma at the hospital, Alfrey, 66, has been impressed.
“That task force formed by the district has done a fantastic job,” Alfrey said. “There was initial confusion about what we should and shouldn’t be doing at the hospital. We learned as we went along.”
Simmonds, 81, has served 12 years on the board after serving in the hospital in various roles including chief of the medical staff. He has worked in Marin health care for nearly 50 years. He said he hopes to help “maintain the integrity and reputation” he helped build after finding dysfunction when he joined.
In terms of equal access to health care for all Marin residents, Simmonds pointed to vans sent to areas in need during the pandemic like San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood. “Nobody held back,” Simmonds said.
Alfrey said the district needs to do more with community education and engagement. Education could help reduce the number of patients who don’t address health problems until it lands them in the emergency department, he said. Alfrey hopes to get more residents using the community clinics.
If done safely, Alfrey said he would suggest events like free blood-pressure screenings and glucose-monitoring tests as a way to connect.
Bradley, 49, is a former business member who was born at Marin General Hospital — the same place all four of her children were born. Despite these ties, she calls herself an outsider in the race. Bradley said board members are “yes men” for the hospital operating committee. She said the district board lacks transparency and fails its oversight duties, which she considers its main purpose.
“There is no pushback and no oversight,” Bradley said.
As a doctor in the hospital, Alfrey has been questioned by Simmonds and Sparkman about conflicts of interest. Simmonds said the board faced similar issues when Dr. Brian Su was elected two years ago.
“I do believe that Dr. Alfrey has a real conflict,” Sparkman said. “He will need to step out quite frequently.”
Alfrey agreed he would recuse himself on certain issues. We believe the board’s ability to find a comfort level with Su — which allowed him to blossom as an asset during the pandemic — could serve as a guideline going forward.
Having a “frontline” doctor like Alfrey on the board during this time of discovery with coronavirus protocol sounds like a benefit that should be pursued. Sparkman’s experience, expertise and network is perfect for the board going forward.
Considering all that, the IJ recommends Dr. Edward Alfrey and Ann Sparkman for Marin Healthcare District Board of Directors in the Nov. 3 election.
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October 25, 2020 at 12:37AM
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Editorial: Sparkman, Alfrey best for Healthcare District board - Marin Independent Journal
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