Public Pulse

April 3rd, 2008

Palomar Medial Center Seeks to Ban The Paper

How interesting! When you have to sit and wait in the hospital it is good to have something to read. I have had occasions to go through the lobby and I have never seen any clutter so it sounds like "The Paper" has a valid complaint.

/s/Mabel Linthicum
Escondido, Ca.

Covert's timing is self-serving. What else has he got to hide? Maybe Mike Wallace and the 60 Minutes crew should pay a visit.

/s/D. Kaufmann
Los Aneles, Ca.

Futher investigation shows that THE PAPER has been covering PPH and Mr. Covert for many years. Just before a key bond election in 2004, The Paper published an exclusive interview with Mr. Covert allowing him to address community concerns.

www.thecommunitypaper.com/2004/10_28_04/special.php
Examples of community concerns:
www.thecommunitypaper.com/2004/10_21_04/coverstory.php

Now, nearly 4 years later, PPH is stuck with cost overruns in the neighborhood of $1/2 billion! That resulted in a May 2007 article with Escondido City Council member comments that PPH spokesperson Andy Hoang said were "irresponsible." www.thecommunitypaper.com/archive/2007/05_31/localnews.php
Last December, the "snake oil saleman" article was published. www.thecommunitypaper.com/archive/2007/12_20/index.php

Then the "A Covert Operation" article was published a few weeks ago. www.thecommunitypaper.com/archive/2008/03_20/index.php.

The last two articles clearly call for Mr. Covert to account for the unfulfilled promises made four years ago. However, the articles cite the sources and do not incite inappropriate activities, etc. The Paper, in publishing these articles alerting the community to the actions of a government official, is the essence of the First Amendment. This is the exact freedom that has made America great.

Mr. Lyle Davis should be saluted for his efforts and diligence. The unfortunate and clearly retaliatory actions of PPH must be condemned by all available means.

/s/(Name withheld by request)
Escondido, CA.

Keep The Paper!

Last time I went to the ER, The Paper was the only thing to read in the lobby that wasn't a hundred years old.

/s/(Name withheld by request)
Escondido, CA.

Censorship of The Paper?

Government censorship? Yes!

This article would not be very interesting EXCEPT that Palomar Pomerado is a government organization supported by property taxes with an elected Board. The organization is subject to the California Public Records Act and the Brown Act. Hence my heightened interest.

According to an article earlier this week, PPH's top administrator, Michael Covert, earned about $676,000 last year. This salary is much higher that the salary of any other government official in San Diego County.

Banning the free newspapers based on unfavorable press coverage of Covert's performance indicates that PPH should be watched very closely. Particularly when a government official, such as Andy Hoang, who is in PPH's PR department, takes an action to throw the public off a very interesting story.

/s/Name withheld by request
Escondido, Ca.

Short but Sweet

Give the bastards hell!

JRP (name withheld by request).
Escondido, Ca.

Don’t Stop!

Way to go, Lyle. Stay on that story! The public really needs to know what he is all about, and it ain’t good!

/s/(Name withheld by request)
Escondido

A Fan

I read the "PAPER this week and found your hospital article to be fantastic. Hopefully, the NCT & Tribune will pick it up also and run with it.

I can't wait until the movie comes out.

Name/Address withheld by request
Escondido

Kudos to Lyle

Lyle,

You are brave! Good for you!

I really enjoyed the update where Andy Hoang banned your newspaper from PMC. He should engage his brain before speaking!

The wimpy NCTimes and UT failed to even mention the Moody's rating.

I plan on pressing the FREE PRESS issue with the other newspapers. Government censorship should be a no brainer for them.

I was skeptical about one sentence in your article: "From this point on, we leave it to others to explore and report." Needless to say, you have carried more than your fair share of the task.

Name/address withheld by request
Escondido

From a Doctor

A stellar report. I would suggest you should submit this to Medical Economics journal, and the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, a watchdog group on sham peer review.

Thanks,
name/address withheld by address

Well Lyle, I'm not sure what sort of beehive you’re stirring up here. Although, for some unknown reason it reminds me of the Witches chant from Act IV, Scene 1 of Macbeth; "Double,double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble". By the way did you see the big raise and bonus Covert has been awarded?

/s/Sid Colquitt
Escondido, CA.

An Overview

PPH has always had a geographical lock on inland north county. Somehow, the goal of PPH(S) changed to one of becoming a large, dominant system able to compete with Sharp, UCSD, and Scripps. In order to fill beds and expand and build a new hospital, in the face of a poor payor mix in the District, Kaiser was welcomed. Kaiser patients occupy a large number of beds and add to Emergency Room crowding and use surgical and obstetric resources that may crowd out local physicians. Kaiser also competes with local primary care doctors directly and, until welcomed by PPH, had no North County Hospital to market. I think PPH would have done fine as an excellent provider of care to it's local constituency, rather than just another Center blowing it's own horn in ads.

So, I doubt Kaiser's value is a net positive. In fact, I doubt the new mega-hospital would have been needed if Kaiser weren't involved. They could have built a new, modern, needed facility next to the current one, left current medical staff in their offices and then used the previous pad for parking. Someone needs to look at the role of Kaiser, and the contract between PPH and Kaiser, and Kaiser’s contributions in allowing the grandiose plans to go forward.

The current Board is less than communicative when it comes to medical staff members, in an unprecedented way. Curious for a public Board. Since physicians, not administrators, are responsible for quality of care, communicating with Medical Staff would seem to be essential, not discouraged.

There are four seats coming up for election this year on the Palomar Pomerado Health Service. Let’s hope we get four new board members.

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