Pollard and Norris in the race for Pos. 2 of the Public Hospital District 4 – Snoqualmie Valley Record
Posted: September 30, 2019 at 3:42 pm
Dariel Norris and Gene Pollard are competing for Position 2 of the King County Hospital District No. 4. The district comprises the cities of Snoqualmie, North Bend and Carnation, as well as unincorporated and rural areas nearby.
Norris has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Washington and has the occupations of hospital registered nurse and small business owner. She has also served on the King County Parks Levy review board and the Snoqualmie Valley Community Network board.
Pollard has degrees from the University of California, Riverside and Occidental College. He also attended the Naval War College where he earned a diploma. Pollard is a retired foreign service officer, Navy commander, according to his candidate statement on the King County Auditors Office website.
Biggest health care problem facing Snoqualmie/the health care district?
Norris: I would say the ability to meet the specific health care needs of the local community. The 2016 Community Health Data Report identified the following issues for the Hospital district: access, cancer, heart and lung disease, mental health, smoking, substance abuse, diabetes, homelessness for adults and youth, all with serious health consequences.
Pollard: The major problem facing the district is the long-term indebtedness of $100 million, the greatest of any comparable hospital in the U.S. This didnt just happen overnight; it took years to accumulate. I attribute this to poor financial planning and incompetent policy making, especially by the hospital boards finance committee headed up by commissioners David Speikers and Dariel Norris. Committee meetings were briefly open to other commissioners and the public under former superintendent Tom Parker, who left a year ago to take a position with Mammoth Hospital in California. But now the committee has decided to again close its meetings, so financial decisions come to the board for rubber-stamping without dissenting opinion or transparent discussion.
How do we address this problem?
Norris: At present, the hospital district hasnt been able to reach out to the local community with supporting programs that aggressively address the above issues. Many who live in the district dont realize the hospital has clinics, physical therapy or an infusion program. Lab services as well as endoscopy and colonoscopies are available. We have an X-ray department with not only an Xx-ray machine but also MRI and CAT scan machines. In addition, we also have an infusion program. Even if your primary doctor isnt part of the Snoqualmie system, you can still have your test done close to home and have the results sent to your primary doctor. I believe the district needs to aggressively reach out to our local community, find ways to let them know what we have to offer. I would like to see programs such as nutrition classes from a dietitian or exercise classes from the physical therapy department. I would like the district to have support groups for those caring for family members with Alzheimers or dementia. I think day surgery and particularly orthopedics would be an asset for the community. Snoqualmie Valley Hospital has significant strengths. I sit on the quality committee. We get data that compares us with other local facilities. Based on the data we consistently do very well. If there is an issue, the staff addresses it immediately.
Pollard: Any organization $100 million in debt is in trouble by definition, especially where public money is involved. Whats needed is change change at the top in the finance committee, and in the position of the interim superintendent. The district needs to do a national search to identify a superintendent with prior success in hospital leadership, preferably including experience restoring financially-troubled hospitals. The district also needs greater transparency and accountability in district operations. For example, the proposal for a new hospital was pitched to the community on the basis that the old hospital would be sold for $30 million to the Snoqualmie Tribe and a new hospital would cost $38.6 million. That sounded reasonable, but then the district failed to demand payment when due. With $28.5 million still owed, the district discounted the sale price by half, thereby losing about $10 14 million. I voted against the discounting. Ive often been criticized for my No votes, but the fact is that if other commissioners had voted the way I have during my tenure, there would be no $100 million debt. Equally important to the success of this or any hospital is its communication with the public. The district is deficient. In fact, a local newspaper gave the hospital the grade of F in communicating with the public. Public information and advice on health issues have been missing, especially regarding preventative health. The public is uninformed about whats going at the hospital. They dont attend board meetings, held in the hospital basement, and there is essentially no media coverage. Importantly, the district needs to complete the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) required by the Affordable Care Act and also by the IRS to justify the hospitals tax-exempt status. This is required every three years and must follow specific instructions. The districts 2016 CHNA was a quick and dirty copy of Overlake data and did not comply with the instructions. The 2019 CHNA is becoming overdue, which means the district will be out of compliance. An updated CHNA would assist the district in choosing and budgeting for health care priorities that would benefit the community.
In which direction do you foresee health care in the city/district moving?
Norris: Health care, in Snoqualmie and throughout the country, is struggling with payer models as well as a physician shortage which is growing daily. To meet the needs of Snoqualmie, we need to provide additional services. Services for the very young to the very old and everyone in between. The services need to be close to home and readily available.
Pollard: Because of the indebtedness, the district is now desperately seeking an affiliation, currently with Overlake Medical Center of Bellevue. Overlake is considering a short-term lease arrangement, perhaps five to seven years, which I dont consider viable. More importantly, I dont find Overlake to be a suitable partner. This is based on evaluations by national rating organizations, which dont list Overlake among the top six hospitals in the Puget Sound area. Its also based on my own experience as a patient at Overlake. The district has made many mistakes over the years (witness the debt). I feel that any decision to affiliate with Overlake, whereby this private hospital would take over all hospital operations, would be a historic mistake. It should be noted that Overlake would not bring one dime to the partnership, in contrast to the merger that occurred between Swedish Medical Center and Stevens Hospital in Edmunds. The Everett Herald reported that Swedish planned to invest as much as $90 million in that partnership over 10 years. In contrast, Snoqualmie would receive no funds from Overlake that might be used to help offset its long-term debt.
What are your budget priorities?
Norris: I was appointed to the finance committee six years ago. I was shocked to see some of the unnecessary extravagant expenditures. This is no longer the case. We have streamlined the executive staff. We have continued to budget with priorities in mind to reduce the debt while meeting the health care needs of the community. The present hospital was built with revenue bonds, not tax-backed dollars. The revenue bonds require a sizeable amount of cash on hand. Which we continue to maintain. The finance director suggested we invest those funds instead of letting them sit in the bank at a low interest rate. After a presentation, the chair of the finance committee, made a recommendation to invest those dollars. I believe this to be one of the most responsible choices and decisions the board of commissioners has made. We have also benchmarked as a way of discovering what is the best performance being achieved. This information can be used to identify gaps in an organizations processes in order to achieve a competitive advantage.
Pollard: My budget priority is to focus on austerity throughout the district. This includes looking at every position to make sure its really needed and properly compensated. I believe that some remain only because of the cronyism of prior administrations. A properly qualified new superintendent would be able to tighten things up and ensure the effective and economical operation of the district. Snoqualmie Valley Hospital and the Ridge Clinic belong to the taxpayers and residents of the district, not to hospital administrators or to the personal agendas of commissioners. Everyone associated with hospital governance and operations must remember they have a sacred trust to be good stewards of public funds.
Gene Pollard
Gene Pollard
View original post here:
Pollard and Norris in the race for Pos. 2 of the Public Hospital District 4 - Snoqualmie Valley Record
- Gene Therapy | Doctor | Patient.co.uk [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2015]
- Gene Therapy | Doctor | Patient [Last Updated On: June 9th, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 9th, 2015]
- Dr Rajiv Desai Blog Archive GENE THERAPY [Last Updated On: August 23rd, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 23rd, 2015]
- Local Doctor Leads Study Of Gene Therapy Treatment For ... [Last Updated On: March 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 19th, 2016]
- Breast Cancer Risk Factors: Genetics [Last Updated On: August 24th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 24th, 2016]
- Worlds Leading Biomarkers Congress | CPD Points ... [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2016]
- Why the super-rich are ploughing billions into the booming 'immortality industry' - Evening Standard [Last Updated On: July 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 1st, 2017]
- What to Know About Charlie Gard, the Terminally Ill Baby Trump Wants to Help - TIME [Last Updated On: July 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 4th, 2017]
- Cancer treatment is swiftly moving toward individualized molecular and genetic tools that Sparrow Cancer Center's ... - City Pulse [Last Updated On: July 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 7th, 2017]
- Tumor gene testing urged to tell if drug targets your cancer - ABC News [Last Updated On: July 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 7th, 2017]
- Tumor gene testing urged to tell if drug targets your cancer | KRQE ... - KRQE News 13 [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2017]
- Tumor gene testing urged to tell if drug targets your cancer - The ... - The Mainichi [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2017]
- Charlie Gard: Medical experts weigh in on case of terminally-ill baby - The Independent [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2017]
- High-tech solutions top the list in the fight against eye disease - Engadget [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2017]
- 'Prehab' therapy helps cancer patients prepare for treatment - KTBS [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2017]
- Baby Charlie remains on life support as parents fight doctors for experimental treatment - CBC.ca [Last Updated On: July 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 13th, 2017]
- Novel cancer treatment wins endorsement of FDA advisers - Washington Post [Last Updated On: July 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 13th, 2017]
- Ocean Springs parents fight to save 3-year-old daughter from fatal genetic condition - WGNO [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2017]
- US doctor who wanted to treat Charlie Gard had 'financial interest' says Great Ormond Street - Metro [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2017]
- New cancer therapy in clinical trial at Nebraska Medical Center has ... - Omaha World-Herald [Last Updated On: August 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 1st, 2017]
- Scientists successfully doctor human embroyo - Examiner Enterprise [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2017]
- WBZ-TV Riders Take On Pan-Mass Challenge - CBS Boston / WBZ [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2017]
- Gene editing breakthrough: Perspective from a geneticist and a pastor - WTSP 10 News [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2017]
- Indian-origin doctor helps gene editing of human embryos - Times of India [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2017]
- New Gene Therapy for Vision Loss Proven Safe in Humans ... [Last Updated On: August 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 8th, 2017]
- Springfield Mom Works to Raise Awareness after Son Diagnosed with Rare Genetic Disorder - KSMU Radio [Last Updated On: August 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 9th, 2017]
- Cancer's Newest Miracle Cure - TIME [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2017]
- Families with kids with Jordan's Syndrome meet for study to learn more about rare gene mutation - FOX 5 DC [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- Springfield Mom Works to Raise Awareness after Son Diagnosed with Rare Genetic Disorder - KRCU [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- Exclusive interview with Discovery's First in Human sickle cell ... - Monsters and Critics.com [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2017]
- DHK - Representative Chris Walsh, 66, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (a white blood cell cancer), Framingham, with Dr ... - WEEI.com [Last Updated On: August 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 21st, 2017]
- Life Lessons: Next generation testing - WFMZ Allentown [Last Updated On: August 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 21st, 2017]
- Potential therapy for eye condition - WTAJ [Last Updated On: August 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 21st, 2017]
- New 3D-drug screening aims to ease economic burden of rare muscle diseases - Medical Xpress [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2017]
- Doctor on new cancer treatment: 'genetically engineered, tumor-killing factory' - The Business Journal [Last Updated On: August 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 23rd, 2017]
- Baltimore 5K Aims to Raise Awareness about Sickle Cell Disease - Afro American [Last Updated On: August 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 25th, 2017]
- Stanford Center Hopes to Take Stem Cell and Gene Therapies to a New Level - Sickle Cell Anemia News [Last Updated On: August 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 25th, 2017]
- Gilead is buying Kite Pharma, a cancer-fighting Santa Monica biotech firm, for $11.9 billion - Los Angeles Times [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2017]
- Man describes new FDA-approved gene therapy for leukemia that changed his life - fox4kc.com [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2017]
- First gene therapy to treat cancer gets FDA approval; UM only Michigan hospital to use it - Detroit Free Press [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2017]
- Why the federal government urgently needs to fund more cancer research - Los Angeles Times [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2017]
- New 'hit-and-run' gene editing tool temporarily rewrites genetics to treat cancer and HIV - GeekWire [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2017]
- UTSA Presidential Lecture featuring Leonard Pinchuk - UTSA Today [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2017]
- South Bend man a 'walking miracle' after cancer treatment breakthrough - South Bend Tribune [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2017]
- Gene therapy - Doctor.ndtv.com [Last Updated On: May 18th, 2018] [Originally Added On: May 18th, 2018]
- what is gene therapy? - Bluebird Bio [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2018] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2018]
- Oncotype DX: Genomic Test to Inform Breast Cancer Treatment [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2018] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2018]
- Gene Therapy: The Future of Vision Treatment [Last Updated On: February 21st, 2019] [Originally Added On: February 21st, 2019]
- Gene Therapy Questions | FAQs - Dana-Farber/Boston ... [Last Updated On: April 22nd, 2019] [Originally Added On: April 22nd, 2019]
- Gene therapy might be a cure for "bubble boy disease ... [Last Updated On: April 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: April 24th, 2019]
- Xconomy: SMA Moment: Will Gene Therapy Shift Treatment ... [Last Updated On: May 2nd, 2019] [Originally Added On: May 2nd, 2019]
- A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Factor IX ... [Last Updated On: May 26th, 2019] [Originally Added On: May 26th, 2019]
- Targeted Therapy | Treating Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma Hub [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2019]
- Why the focus of autism research is shifting away from searching for a 'cure' - NBCNews.com [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2019]
- Here's What Happened to Dr. Sharpe on 'New Amsterdam' Details! - Distractify [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2019]
- Gene therapy drug priced at $2 million saves North Carolina babys life - WTKR News 3 [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2019]
- Three to be honored as Distinguished Clay High School Alumni - Press Publications Inc. [Last Updated On: September 30th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 30th, 2019]
- Nearly Half of Poland's SMA Patients on Track to Get Spinraza, Experts Say - SMA News Today [Last Updated On: September 30th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 30th, 2019]
- Genentech to Present Results of First Prospective Trial Using Blood-based Next Generation Sequencing Which Successfully Identifies People for... [Last Updated On: October 2nd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 2nd, 2019]
- Beyonc's father Mathew Knowles has breast cancer: Here's what you need to know about the disease in men - Yahoo Lifestyle [Last Updated On: October 4th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 4th, 2019]
- Study Measures Prognosis for Breast Cancer Patients with High 21-gene Recurrence Score Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy Plus Endocrine Therapy -... [Last Updated On: October 4th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 4th, 2019]
- Beyoncs father diagnosed with breast cancer - Houston Chronicle [Last Updated On: October 4th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 4th, 2019]
- What one doctor thinks about drug shortages and how to solve them - STAT [Last Updated On: October 4th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 4th, 2019]
- The facts about breast cancer awareness | News - The Albany Herald [Last Updated On: October 8th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 8th, 2019]
- Metastatic Breast Cancer: What You Should Know - University of Michigan Health System News [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2019]
- John Geyman on the Failure of Obamacare the Medical Industrial Complex and the Single Payer Solution - Corporate Crime Reporter [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2019]
- Quebec to cover revolutionary cancer treatment for types of leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma - CTV News [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2019]
- Deepak Chopra Has Never Been Sick - The New Yorker [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2019]
- Daughter drew inspiration from mom in battle with breast cancer, stresses early detection - Gainesville Daily Register [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2019]
- Cleft palate or lip is one of the most common birth defects worldwide, but do you know what it is? - ABC News [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2019]
- Pearland family fighting to get $2.1 million drug for toddler with rare genetic disease - KHOU.com [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2019]
- Gene-Therapy Treatment Could Help People with Macular Degeneration - Healthline [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2019]
- A Netflix Series Explores the Brave New World of Crispr - WIRED [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2019]
- Save your child from paediatric cancer: Know what to look out for - TheHealthSite [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2019]
- The 'Magic' Behind Every Successful Blockbuster Drug - DailyWealth [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2019]
- $2.1 million drug approved for Pearland toddler with rare genetic disease - KHOU.com [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2019]
- Genentech's Tecentriq in Combination With Avastin Increased Overall Survival and Progression-free Survival in People With Unresectable Hepatocellular... [Last Updated On: October 22nd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 22nd, 2019]
- Why Are More Black Women Dying From the Most Common Reproductive Cancer? - Mother Jones [Last Updated On: October 22nd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 22nd, 2019]
- 5 Biotech and Pharmaceutical Innovation Trends in 2019 - BioSpace [Last Updated On: October 23rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 23rd, 2019]
- Breast Cancer in Men | Outlook - Big Bear Grizzly [Last Updated On: October 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 24th, 2019]