Dear Avalon Community
I served for 13 years first supporting the Catalina Island Health Foundation and the Catalina Island Health first as a board member and then as president of both non-profit organizations. I watched the Avalon City Council meetings on January 9th and 16th, 2024. After both I was disheartened with what I heard. From my experience on the hospital board, the hospital should never have been declared “insolvent”. After mulling over what I heard on both evenings, I have some questions/comments for you to ponder:
Where was the Board of Trustees oversight? The Board is responsible for the financial health of the hospital. Were they not aware of the gravity of the situation or did they choose not to act to remedy the problems? If the hospital fails, the board fails with it. The board needs to be made accountable.
It is not a new problem that the hospital is not reimbursed as other hospitals are. If there was less money being generated, what steps were taken to reduce expenditures? Contrary to popular belief, hospitals can and do take measures to reduce cost, including personnel.
Why is it that the blame for the problems was attributed to three council members? Was it really their fault or was it easy and convenient to blame them?
What is the status of the Measure H funds being generated? Is the city comfortable with the way they are being spent? The funds generated from travel to and from Avalon are to be solely used to pay interest on debt for the construction of the new hospital.
Many of my friends and I made significant donations to the foundation to be used for the new hospital. What is the status of those funds? Are they still in a restricted account or have the funds been released to help with the financial condition of the hospital?
I co-chaired the Measure H campaign. Before and after the campaign, I made a pledge to the Avalon community that we would build you a new hospital. You as a community trusted me and seventy-one percent of you voted yes on Measure H. It was an amazing percentage, especially when the campaign occurred during the pandemic.
We all want a new hospital. I think that a new, modern facility is what Avalon needs. It can be a new version of itself but does not need to be the very expensive structure in the design process now. I cannot trust the board to take the leadership to make it happen. Will you help put pressure on the board to examine all the finances and find out where the problems are? What is the current projection of the cost of the new facility? How much has been raised.
My best wishes to you, the Avalon community that still holds my heart.
Carol Reynolds
Altadena
