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Questions about DCHS moves, borrowing plans

Speak Out

At a recent meeting, the Dickinson County Healthcare System Board announced the retention of the temporary CEO for another year. It’s inexplicable that a CEO who has done nothing proactively to put the hospital on a sustainable path “earned” a contract for another year.

The board points to the $1.24 million profit that the hospital has achieved this year, but at what cost? In a previous board meeting, the CEO bragged of the fact that due to attrition, they only had to lay off a half-dozen or so employees. What that means for DCHS is that the best revenue producers — providers — and the best support staff have quit and joined competitors. Most often, patients leave with their providers.

Anybody who has run a business with capital assets knows that a sustainable business must have sufficient revenue to cover its variable and fixed costs. At some point, with falling revenues, this type of business fails. This CEO has done nothing to address revenue. Anybody could have been as successful as this CEO.

In fact, had the board not hired Bart Stupak, two CEOs and the plethora of interim directors, I’d argue the hospital would have made more than $2 million in profit.

Wants facts on DCHS spending

I’ve been reading with great interest what is happening to our Dickinson County Hospital. They want to borrow $25 million now after a few months of being in the black. Why are they in the black? It wasn’t from the job cuts, was it?

Wow, you are in the red the past several years and now it’s OK to borrow money?

They don’t say what will happen if the loan defaults. Also, if your losing money, how do they explain the building behind the hospital? What about the big plans to add on to the hospital that was announced a few years back and made the coffee shop build back up the road?

By the way, wasn’t that new addition going to cost $25 million, the same amount they want to borrow?

Now we have Bart Stupak helping out. You remember him — he was the deciding vote for Obamacare, which saw my insurance go from $326 to a whopping $1,446, but I got a $1,100 credit that you all paid for.

Don’t get me wrong, I support this hospital and the wonderful people there, but I want the facts. I want to see where the $25 million is actually spent.

Need to heed pedestrian lights

Recently I’ve experienced, several times, vehicles not stopping for the pedestrian flashing lights on H Street between Super One and the VA Hospital.

Let’s be on the lookout before there is a serious tragedy.

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