Letter to the Editor of the Fort-Bragg Advocate-News

The Hospital Resource Council (HRC) has requested copies of the hospital  Board's mandated yearly self-evaluations. We made this request as part of our task of holding the Board accountable. Instead of forwarding these evaluations to us for review, the Board  chose to hide behind legalities, which may or may not eventually be adjudicated in  their favor. However, more importantly the Board  took the position of secrecy over transparency.

More recently, HRC invited  the Board  to join in the forming of a committee for conducting a confidential paper survey of the hospital employees across a number of dimensions relating to their work lives. Instead of supporting the survey, the Board turned the matter over to the hospital  administration who stated that it  was conducting personal interviews of the employees. HRC  then  pointed out the severe scientific limitations of these personal  interviews  (when employees are afraid of their employers they cannot be expected to be  open and honest when their employers send people to interview them).  We added that in any event personal interviews and a survey could both be done. The Board and the hospital administration  declined our invitation to team up and transparently conduct the survey.

The public is being asked to trust the Board and Administration when we are told  that the hospital is now on the right track and may be turning the corner financially. We quote President Reagan who said, "We must trust and then verify." By the Board and administrations  actions, they are placing obstacles in the way of verification.  Perhaps they will reconsider and team up with the Hospital Resource Council’s efforts to save the hospital.

Respectfully,
Hospital Resource Council