September 29, 2022 - The future of healthcare in Mariposa County is on the ballot this November with the election of four Directors to the Board of the John C. Fremont Healthcare District, and three of those candidates are running as a group led by Nick Lambert.
While it’s rather bizarre to run as a triumvirate for a Board of Directors, it would be blatantly illegal to govern as one. And that seems to be their intent with claims on their website that “we will develop a budget”, “[w]e will execute the strategic plan” and “[w]e will develop new standards” (all captured for the record). Apparently, their supporting claims of pertinent experience for these arrogant plans do not include any awareness of the Brown Act that prohibits such three-way collaboration.
No one running for the Healthcare District’s Board has more actual, relevant and proven experience than Candy O’Donel-Browne and Suzette Prue. Period. They will get my vote because I trust them to help successfully direct what will be the best opportunity in 70 years to improve healthcare in Mariposa County with the construction of a new hospital and its many new, enhanced and expanded services.
I make my choice fully aware of the complaints some have about our local hospital. But I also know that many rural hospitals have had to shut down, and even the largest hospitals struggle with medical billing issues and the unique financial challenges created by a pandemic that has both increased operational costs and decreased revenues due to people postponing elective procedures.
We can thank the Healthcare District’s Board and administration—both past and present—that we still have our hospital and that we are on track to get a new, improved one. So let’s not jeopardize this promising future by taking unwarranted risks, because our healthcare really is on the ballot this election.
Roger BieryMariposa, CA
