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CEO spins healthcare districts

Original post made by Jack Hickey, Woodside: Emerald Hills, on Dec 5, 2014

Sequoia Healthcare District CEO Lee Michelson says: “Community-based health care districts…are a tremendous value…with tremendous flexibility…” resulting in “…many outstanding projects…“ such as the “…outstanding nursing education program.” And, “...we have been able to provide millions of dollars in financial support to more than 50 local nonprofits that have used these funds to feed the hungry...” “Years ago, our board chose to get out of the hospital business.” See: Web Link
It was in 1996 that “white knight” CHW bailed out the district after Sequoia Hospital CEO Art Faro had run up a deficit of $29,000,000. Art was instrumental in “morphing” the hospital district into a healthcare district so they could redirect property taxes assessed for the hospital to “feed the hungry”. Not exactly what voters intended, when they approved creation of the hospital district in the 1940’s, as was reported in the findings of the 2000-2001 Grand Jury.
The nursing program to which Lee refers has been investigated by the 2012-2013 Grand Jury concerning the question of whether nursing graduates were benefitting residents of the district. From information provided by Sequoia Hospital, we find that of nearly 320 nursing graduates, only 80 were hired by Sequoia Hospital with 64 still employed there. Information on the whereabouts of the other graduates is apparently unknown, except that 9 of them were said to have obtained employment in Palm Springs. See: Web Link
CEO’s of both districts have compensation packages well over $200,000 a year. The district functions can and should be performed by existing government agencies. LAFCo has given them a “transitional” status, and will be contracting for a professional Municipal Service Review (MSR), recommended by the 2012-2013 Grand Jury, which will facilitate their transition.

Comments (7)

Posted by Matt
a resident of Woodside: Emerald Hills
on Dec 5, 2014 at 11:40 am

Nice photo, Jack, though a little old and low rez, and really, for all the offices you've run for in the past... you do not have a photo of you in front of a flag?!? You had to photoshop one?

But returning to your link:

1). Work with Samaritan House to establish a free medical and dental clinic for the poor in the Redwood City area that is mostly staffed by volunteer physicians, dentists, pharmacists and nurses.

2). Provide support to build a new medical and dental clinic in the Fair Oaks neighborhood in partnership with the San Mateo Medical Center.

3). Establish an outstanding nursing education program in conjunction with San Francisco State University, Cañada College and Sequoia Hospital.

4). Develop and initiate our signature Healthy Schools Initiative that is now our largest program serving more than 28,000 public school children annually in eight local school districts.

5). Create and offer a Heart Safe Program that has provided our community with more than 300 AEDs as well as training in CPR for thousands of residents.

6). Expand the support for Ravenswood Family Health Center to serve our residents who choose that medical and dental facility for their medical home.

7). Join Peninsula Healthcare District in bringing Apple Tree Dental to our community that will make dental services for the poor and elderly much more available starting in 2015.

8). Offer Living Healthy Classes to those seeking a positive lifestyle especially as they look to the next stage of their lives.


Posted by Matt
a resident of Woodside: Emerald Hills
on Dec 5, 2014 at 11:45 am

And photoshopping yourself in front of a 48 star flag, is there a hidden message in that? Nostalgia? Living in the past? Don't care for Alaska and Hawaii much?


Posted by Jack Hickey
a resident of Woodside: Emerald Hills
on Dec 5, 2014 at 3:37 pm

Jack Hickey is a registered user.

Matt, thank you for recognizing that was a picture of Jack Hickey, and not Lee Michelson. That picture was taken from a videotape of a KCSM program called "Legal Currents" in 1991. It was a "call in" show hosted by the late Attorney Douglas Gray, featuring yours truly and then San Mateo County Supervisor Tom Huening. Huening was spokesperson for Measure "A", a.k.a. "The Best Schools Proposal", while I represented the opposition. Measure "A" would have raised the sales tax from 8-1/2% to 8-3/4% while creating yet another bureaucracy. It was resoundingly defeated.

I plan on uploading the video to Youtube.

Regarding the flag, that's the one they were flying when I served 4 years in the Navy.

Regarding the accomplishments of the district under CEO Michelson, here are a couple that clearly involve transfer of tax revenue which would occur with dissolution, and certainly don't justify a $200,000+ per year CEO:

2). Provide support to build a new medical and dental clinic in the Fair Oaks neighborhood in partnership with the San Mateo Medical Center.

4). Develop and initiate our signature Healthy Schools Initiative that is now our largest program serving more than 28,000 public school children annually in eight local school districts. ***SMCOE could easily handle this with funds resulting from dissolution.

5). Create and offer a Heart Safe Program that has provided our community with more than 300 AEDs as well as training in CPR for thousands of residents. ***This is clearly an activity which belongs in the County's Emergency Medical Services Department, which already is mandated by the state to maintain a database of publicly accessible AED's.

And,
9). (not mentioned in Lee's itemized list) $1.35 million per year going to the County managed Children's Health Initiative.


Posted by Jack Hickey
a resident of Woodside: Emerald Hills
on Jun 30, 2017 at 2:39 pm

Jack Hickey is a registered user.

Here's the link to the Hickey-Huening event on KCSM's Legal Currents:

Web Link


Posted by Burgers
a resident of Menlo Park: Fair Oaks
on Jun 30, 2017 at 3:12 pm

3 years later you post the link to the show you referenced?

Slow news day, Jack?


Posted by Jack Hickey
a resident of Woodside: Emerald Hills
on Jun 30, 2017 at 10:09 pm

Jack Hickey is a registered user.

What do you expect from a 300 baud modem?


Posted by Ancient Technology?
a resident of another community
on Jun 30, 2017 at 10:15 pm

A 300 baud modem?

Getting your technology from antique shops there?


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