Interesting comparison with the Port of Seattle. Valley has a performance audit going on right now too - will be interesting to see if they bother to reform before or after findings come out in the performance audit - and reforms are really forced upon them.

Where there is smoke there is usually fire. Seems to be smoke billowing out of the Valley Medical Board -- what are they trying to hide there? Does it go beyond the illegal elections & misuing public $ that has already been documented? It almost has to or else they'd probably want to open up.

Why are these "officals" still in office. When someone commits a criminal act they are criminals. Yes they were fined but I don't feel that is enough. They should have lost the office for trying to deceive the voting public and for using tax payer funds for their campaign.

Unbelievable!
How can these folks still be in office? The more they try to cover up or thwart Mr. Hemstad, the more guilty they appear. Why would the incumbant commissioners not open themselves up to full review and transparent openess as proposed by Mr. Hemstad?
I smell a rat.

How unfortunate that the Valley Medical Center board is so intent on silencing reformer Hemstad. You would think they would have learned from a failed jurisdiction expansion election, but no. You would think they would learn from a negative PDC finding, but no. You would think they would learn from two incumbents not being reelected, but no. You would think they would learn from all the negative press, but no. Perhaps more incumbents must be ousted in the next election. Voters should pay attention!

Mr. Hemstad was elected fair and square and the people who elected him to the commission deserve to have their representative present at the commission meetings. It's not just Mr. Hemstad who would be disenfranchised by these shenanigans, but the voters!

Mr. Hemstad seems to be on to something in his quest to bring openness and dialogue to the VMC board - why are they so resistant?

Where's the outrage? The press seems to be so extremely careful in their reporting to the point of glossing over some of the key points. Hospital management and this board have supported some very clear illegal and unethical actions to the tune of a great deal of taxpayers money. Why are any of the board still there? Why was the CEO given the reward of a new five year contract for this misbehavior?

The administration at Valley is very mean spirited. They've chased out Drs. and others who have tried to bring common sense into the institution. No surprise at all that they are going after Hempstead like a pack of wolves. These folks are arrogant enough they don't think they have to answer to anyone - including those pesky voters. They run it like it was their own private fiefdom and they don't want anyone looking over their shoulders at the cushy junkets being taken by the commissioners and making Roodmen the highest paid health care ceo in the state (astounding for a public institution that is much smaller than lots of the privates & non-profits). He is amazingly overpaid. They'll keep hounding Hempstead until they find some way to force him out. They've done that to all their best doctors & employees already.