Who is behind the plan to close Sequoia Hospital?
Some insight into the issue by
Jack Hickey, Minority Member
Sequoia Healthcare District
Board of Directors
Background Information
Just to set the record straight, I have suggested to those promoting a new hospital down by the proposed Marina Shores Project that they should look to those developers for funding. There is only one Sequoia Hospital, and it's just fine where it's at. Notwithstanding the highly emotional seismic legislation contained in SB 1953, in my opinion, Sequoia Hospital will be standing far beyond my years.
Regarding Sequoia Hospital, it was built with taxpayer dollars on land donated by the Beeger family. The Hospital District created by the voters to collect those taxes, sold Sequoia Hospital to Sequoia Health Services in 1996, and has been surrepticiously turned into a Healthcare District by State Legislation. The District has been functioning as a philanthropic organization dispensing hospital related taxpayer dollars, to agencies of its choosing, for services not approved by the voters. The San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury has serious questions about the legitimacy of such activity.
The District, on which I serve as your elected Director, has accumulated over $50 Million in liquid assets and another $10 Million in other assets. Preservation of the Sequoia Healthcare District's assets to preserve the integrity of Sequoia Hospital is of prime concern.
The Little Hoover Commission has reported on Healthcare Districts statewide which have outlived their usefulness, yet have substantial assets which have become the target of other agencies and organizations. Sequoia is a case in point. Voters must decide whether the continued existence of the District is warranted. If so, then a definition of its charter is essential. Most importantly, current assets must be used for sustaining Sequoia Hospital on its present site, or should be returned to taxpayers.
Who knew what, and when did they know it.
The following articles, combined with other information reported in the APPENDIX below, suggests the possibility that a hospital deal may have been struck prior to the November Election.
THE INDEPENDENT
Tuesday, April 8, 2003
NEWSBriefs
Hospital petition fails to sway counsel
County counsel has rejected Sequoia Healthcare District
Board member Jack Hickey's attempt to put the relocation of the hospital to a vote of
residents.
Hickey collected about 3,700 signatures in favor of the ballot measure.
The county announced that he needed 6,608, but Hickey contended he needs less than 3,400.
In other hospital news, the board has narrowed its choices for a new
building site to three in Redwood City. One is on land owned by Glenborough Pauls, another
is the Century Theater site near Whipple Avenue and Highway 101 and the third is near the
empty Excite@Home buildings, said district CEO Frank Gibson.
Developer Glenborough Pauls has expressed some interest in working the
hospital into its plans to build 1,900 condos, offices and retail space and possibly a
hotel on Bair Island Road, Gibson said. The owners of the theater site would consider
leasing their land to the hospital, but would not consider a sale, he said. The land near
the buildings that used to be home to the bankrupt Excite has a few different owners.
"Every site has challenges." Gibson said.
The board also got an update last week on financing the new hospital,
which must be built because of new state seismic regulations. Revenue bonds are the
"most attractive" for the district, according to Gibson.
San Mateo Daily Journal
Wednesday, April 9,2003
Supervisors back new hospital
By Michelle Durand (04-09-03)
County officials unanimously endorsed a new seismically safe Sequoia
Hospital yesterday morning after residents, board members and nurses told them that a new
facility should be built on a new campus. Out of four options, the best is to build
an entirely new hospital on an entirely different site in Redwood City, said hospital
President Glenna Vaskelis.
The Board of Supervisors agreed and unanimously passed a resolution
backing the plans. The current timeline has the hospital breaking ground in 2005 and
opening in 2009. That grand opening will fall four years before the hospital is mandated
by state law to either be seismically retrofitted or rebuilt.
In 1994, state lawmakers passed the bill requiring added safety by
2004. The law affects nine area hospitals and seven are not up to standards. Four have
definite plans to either retrofit or rebuild, including Sequoia. Recently, the state
offered an extension for compliance until 2013 and Sequoia’s application was
approved.
The hospital board considered building a new hospital on the same
location but realized that it would create more havoc for neighboring residents, cut down
on services offered and potentially cause patients to go elsewhere for medical care.
The new facility will have 150 beds, specific floors for cardiac care
and women’s health as well as expanded office space for physicians. The increased
offices will hopefully draw more physicians to work in the area, Vaskelis said.
The new location hasn’t been decided yet but the old Excite@Home
building off Highway 101 has been floated as an idea. The district has also considered the
current Century Theatre off of Whipple Avenue, Peninsula Marina on Bair Island Road and
the Kmart property on Veterans Boulevard. Kmart decided not to close the Redwood City
store and property owners at the theater site only want to lease the space.
Some residents, such as board member Jack Hickey, oppose moving the
hospital. But at yesterday’s meeting, a handful of speakers echoed Vaskelis’
enthusiasm for the project and encouraged the supervisors to also endorse the plans.
“We think we need a safe building for our nurses to work in and
our patients to get better in,” said Leslie Holly-Brosnan of the California Nurses
Association.
Linda Gregory of the San Mateo Central Labor Council also gave the
project her blessing,
The final decision on the hospital will be made in conjunction with the
Sequoia Healthcare District. The district will lease the facility to the hospital and any
new use for the old building will be used to pay off existing hospital debt.
FACT: The below Resolution was introduced by Supervisor Rose Jacob Gibson a resident of East Palo Alto. East Palo Alto residents are not taxed by the Sequoia Healthcare District, nor are they resident in the District.
Sequoia hospital wants Broadway site
Thursday, April 03, 2003 - REDWOOD CITY -- The next occupant of the Midpoint Technology Park may indeed be dealing with infections and viruses -- but not the type that erase hard drives and wreak havoc on computer systems. The site on Broadway near Second Avenue tops the list of possible locations for a new Sequoia Hospital, Sequoia Healthcare District officials said Wednesday. Second on the list is 15 acres at the former Peninsula Marina site on Bair Island Road, and the Century Park 12 site on Bayshore is third. The existing hospital at 170 Alameda de las Pulgas is seismically unsafe, and hospital officials have opted to build a new hospital in a new location rather than retrofitting or rebuilding in the current site.
The district is negotiating with the owners of the technology park, district CEO Frank Gibson said. The theater site, which will be vacated once the planned retail-cinema complex opens downtown, has pretty much been ruled out, Gibson said. The owners don't want to sell, he said, and it's questionable whether the district should lease land instead of buying.
Developer Glenborough Pauls, which owns Peninsula Marina, plans to build a gigantic housing development at that site and nearby Pete's Harbor, and the planning process is under way for the Marina Shores Village. The owner may be willing to lease 15 acres to the district, Gibson said, which would build the hospital in conjunction with Marina Shores, not instead of it.
The Broadway site looks preferable, district board member Art Faro said, but he doesn't want to rule out other options. He'd prefer the new hospital be located west of Highway 101, where there are more people, and the site has easy access from the freeway.
City Councilman Jim Hartnett, who supports rebuilding the hospital somewhere else, said he doesn't know what's going on with negotiations, but the site on Broadway is probably preferable.
"It's a convenient site to get to, relatively speaking," Hartnett said Wednesday night, adding it seems like the one the district would most likely be able to buy and develop.
Not everyone is in favor of the district's plans, including some residents who live near the hospital and board member Jack Hickey, who attempted unsuccessfully to put a referendum before voters asking them to overturn the district's decision to rebuild elsewhere.
The district will likely put something before voters, although not what Hickey had in mind. The district will likely pay for the new hospital and lease it to Sequoia Health Services, the nonprofit company that currently owns the hospital, and the lease would require voter approval, said Jay Harris, a financial consultant.
Not wanting to wait for the November election, and noting that special elections are expensive, Faro suggested a mail ballot.
"In an issue like this, we need to get input from everybody," he said.
Hickey said there should be input from voters on what question will go on the ballot. He's worried the district will ask: "Do you like what we presented to you?" rather than giving voters a choice about moving the hospital.
Staff writer Suzanne Zalev covers Redwood City and East Palo Alto. She can be reached at 306-2427 or by e-mail at szalev@angnewspapers.com .
APPENDIX
Jim Hartnett (operating as Citizens for Quality Healthcare) sent a "Hit Piece" mailing to permanent absentee voters, supported the re-election of incumbent Sequoia Healthcare District Board members Faro and Shefren. In my opinion, it sent a message to these voters which would lead them to believe that Sequoia Hospital would be closed unless the incumbents were re-elected. Shortly after the election, it became clear to me that these Board Members were committed to building a new hospital near Kaiser with potential sites East of Hwy. 101 near the Marina Shores Project. Closure of Sequoia Hospital, as we know it, is part of their plan.
That "Hit Piece" was paid for by contributions including the following:
Peter and Paula Uccelli
$250
Marie C. Zahn Pres. Sequoia Foundation $250
Daniela Gasparini
$250
N. Paolino Franceschini Seq. Foundation $500
Plumb. & StmFitters Local 467
$1000
SM Labor Council
$500
William Graham Seq. Hosp. Exec. Team $200
Hannig Law Firm
$500
Leo & Patricia Walsh
$200
B. Conklin & Claudia Keys
$500
Glenna Vaskelis
$1000
Arthur Inman Sequoia Hosp. Foundation $250
Jack Castle Castle Insurance
$100
Kathy Romano Seq. Hosp. Dir.
$250
Sharon Henderson Seq. Hosp. HR Dir. $200
Jane Marmor Pres. Prof.Staff SeqHosp $250
Larry R. Aikens Realtor
$250
Kathleen Cresci Sequoia Hosp. Found. $250
Guy and Donna Smith
$100
George Koenig
$250
San Mateo Building Trades Joint Council $500
JoAnn Kemist Dir. Comm Services SeqH $500
Helen Calhoun Sequoia Hosp. Found.
$500
Jeffrey Ira
$100
William Royer
$200
In my opinion, many of the above contributors, including those I call friends, may not have been aware of the plans to abandon Sequoia Hospital as we know it.
However, in the context of the articles above which mention Marina Shores Developer Glenborough Pauls, one must question whether contributors above who are also involved in the Marina Shores Project, participated in the apparent deception of the "Hit Piece" mailing.
I have suggested to those promoting a new hospital down by the proposed Marina Shores Project that they should look to those developers for funding. I wish the best for creators of the Marina Shores vision.
****I
ask those who feel betrayed by their representatives, whether publicly elected,
union elected, or special interest groups to let your voices be heard!****
Additional information can be found
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