Why are you running for this office and what 3 major goals do you want to be measured by if you are elected?
I have lived in Montgomery County since I was a child and learned from my parents, by their example, that I have a responsibility to contribute to my community. Even though I contribute to our county in many other ways, MCHD is most near and dear to my heart. I’ve been a member of the MCHD Board for 20 years. We’ve lowered the tax rate every year since I’ve been on the board and added multiple tax exemptions to make the tax burden as minimal as possible while still providing 1st class services to our citizens. WE are THE lowest taxing entity in the county and have been for many years. Volunteering is very rewarding, and I would like to continue serving my neighbors. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last 20 years and want to be a part of continued progress.
Goals:
Our reason for existing is to provide financial assistance for medical treatment for our indigent population. We’ve come a long way by re-establishing damaged relationships with hospitals and creating a network of providers, including specialty care for our clients. Programs have been implemented to reduce unnecessary trips to the ER. Our paramedicine team visits some of our clients to make sure they have the appropriate medication and are taking it as prescribed, so they don’t have to call 911. Our staff has worked hard to establish relationships to get discounts on prescriptions for our clients, thus saving taxpayer dollars. Additionally, an outreach program has been established to assist our indigent population in finding out about available services and helping them get through the application process. I want to continue to support our staff as they continue to make things better for our indigent neighbors.
It’s important to continue to support our EMS department so they can continue to serve all of our neighbors. Our EMS is the best in the state, bar none! When you call 911 for an ambulance, a miniature ICU unit shows up at your door with highly trained professionals. We are recognized nationally and have accreditations few others have earned. Our crews have saved many lives because they have the training and equipment they need. I want to make sure they continue to have what they need.
Last, but certainly not least, we have an obligation to the taxpayers to keep our tax rates as low as possible while providing stellar service to our community in all that we do. I will continue to keep my eyes on the spending while being mindful that some things are vital to the community, even though some are expensive. Our most valuable resource is our employees. I want to make sure they are taken care of.
Do you have any experience with EMS or medicine?
I don’t have EMS or medical experience but it’s not a requirement for a position on the MCHD board. Our role is to set policy, set the tax rate, and approve the budget. I have a degree in accounting with a 3.7 overall GPA and a 4.0 GPA in all my accounting classes, which is a benefit in reviewing budgets and setting tax rates.
Should Disrtict employees take home District vehicles and if so for what purpose?
Employees who are on call to handle emergency situations outside of their normal working hours, and our CEO take home vehicles.
Should the Medical Director answer to the Board?
It would be appropriate for the Medical Director to report to the board, in much the same way the other executive team members do. The question asks if he or she should “answer to” us. Board members are not required to have medical training of any kind so it would be difficult to assess performance or determine if he or she was following proper protocols or procedures. The Medical Director answers to the CEO who has the knowledge and experience to evaluate the services provided.
Is it the responsibility of the Board to monitor the spending of the District and verify expenses?
Absolutely. We review proposed spending during the budget cycle. We also look at the expenses prior to the board meeting and ask questions before or during the meeting if anything seems out of line.
Typically, the CFO catches any questionable spending and addresses it before it ever reaches the board.
Additionally, disbursements over $50,000 require a board member’s signature. I have been the primary board member who has approved (or rejected) those disbursements for at least the last 12 - 15 years. I review the documentation submitted with the request before I approve it. Typically, the requests were discussed and approved by the full board at a recent meeting, as well as being budgeted expenses except in a few cases. Not all board members qualify to be approved by the bank to approve disbursements based on their financial history.
Should Board members have complete access to all areas of the District? Why or why not?
A board member should be able to access all areas of the District, within reason. Our employees have a job to do and unexpected interruptions by a board member, or anyone else, could potentially cause an issue. Discretion must be used to avoid violations of personal confidentiality rights, personal space, or HIPAA violations. It would not be appropriate to access any area without prior notice to the Supervisor and employees in that area. For example, a board member should not be visiting an ambulance station at 10 p.m. at night especially if the board member is a male and the crew members are female. That’s their time to sleep. A board member should not be allowed to walk into our HCAP office unannounced when an employee might be discussing medical records with one of our clients. HR is off limits, too, during a conference with, or discussion about, an employee. I don’t believe anyone has ever been denied access to any area. Access should be allowed; however, it should be scheduled in advance.
Should Health Care Assistance Patients be required to have drug testing in order to receive assistance?
It would be ideal if every person receiving government assistance of any kind had to pass a drug test to receive assistance. Unfortunately, I don’t believe there’s currently a law stating that. Perhaps our Legislators in Austin can address that during the next session.
Do you believe Board members should be allowed to ride along with EMS crews and spend time with Alarm and other departments?
Board members should be allowed to ride along with an EMS crew, tour alarm and other departments to see what our employees do. However, MCHD has had to implement some rules because one or two of our former board members overstepped their authority, getting actively involved in the situation, interfering with the crew on a call, telling the police and the Emergency Department at hospitals they were the employees’ boss, which they were not. The Board should not micromanage the district employees, so these visits should be few and far between and limited in duration, and definitely limited in interaction with the employees. Board members should only observe, not participate.
The Board is to set Policy, should it have any say in procedures?
Policies are the guiding principles to establish procedures. Getting involved in establishing procedures when we’re not familiar with the day-to-day specifics would be micro-managing. That’s the responsibility of the Management and Executive personnel. Board members have access to the procedures and certainly can discuss their concerns at a board meeting. I recall such a discussion a few years ago regarding “sole source” vendors. As a result, the procedure was updated to keep the board better informed when a sole source vendor was proposed.
