Guest Op-Ed: Ending the Unnecessary Crisis in Indigent Care

If one follows the media reporting on the handling of the medically underserved and indigent health care issue, it’s easy to conclude we are headed for a crisis. How did it occur?

Historically, our community hospital was sold in 1984 and the funds received were expertly managed by our late clerk of the circuit court, Chips Shore. Left alone, the funds would have been $83,000,000.00 ($83M). But the Board of County Commissioners removed the management of the funds and started managing by themselves.

By 2008, they had spent the fund down to approximately $56.2M. Then they proclaimed that the fund had "outlived its usefulness," collapsing it and proceeding to handle the healthcare issue with political expediency. They depleted the remaining trust funds, instead of logical corrective initiatives and solutions.

They predicted they’d have the fund "bankrupt" by the end of 2015. Congratulations, Mr Hunzeker, as the architect of the scheme, you’ve succeeded. Your strategy was to put a half cent sales tax into being, which would give you a significant recurring fund that you would dole out as you saw fit. Unfortunately, but perhaps wisely, the tax paying voters proclaimed no tax and spend as a solution. Well, what now?

I submit the issue is not healthcare alone. In the near past at the United Nations the world’s countries came together and set goals going into 2030. Although they set 17 goals, if we look at a few that can be impactful for Manatee County, maybe we could gain some insight. Most of the progress they identified is based on expansion of economic growth and keeping very close monitoring on social progress.

They call it a social progress index. The index is based on three things: 1. Are basic needs being met – food, clothing, and shelter? 2. Has the foundation been laid for wellness? and 3. Does opportunity exist for all citizens? The social progress can be measured by setting goals for education, health and environmental sustainability.

Let’s look objectively at these three measures.

Education – During the last decade we went off course on this and in 2012 had an administrative and financial collapse in our school district. Now, there are all indications that the administrative turn around is progressing nicely and financial stability seems to be in sight but the governance of our school board remains a concern.

Fortunately, a respected businessman, John Colon stepped forward and is now on the Board. Also, fortunately we have an upcoming election which will allow further change. With these occurrences, I predict we will see rapid dysfunctional governance issues resolved. When coupled with the progress made by Superintendent Rick Mills and now being taken to a new level by Dr. Diana Greene, I predict our school district will restabilize.

When the governance and administrative issues are coupled with the commendable involvement by such community programs as Take Stock in Children, the Early Learning Coalition and the leadership being shown by United Way, standby for good things in our school district.

Health – The mismanagement by county government for the past fifteen years is leading to challenging problems. Fortunately, under the leadership of chair person Betsy Benac, there might be a chance for corrective action to initiate. Under her leadership, the BOCC has agreed to put in place an oversight advisory healthcare board (OAHB) to bring together healthcare stakeholders with adequate skillsets.

Also, the county has gotten bids to bring professional consultants into the community to study all the issues. Unfortunately, the board has already turned over to administration the process. That is wrong. This issue needs leadership, not administration. Case in point: Mr. Hunzeker has his own committee of five who will choose the consultant and manage the process. That committee should come from the OAHB with staff support coming from administration.

Administration has shown their inability to deal effectively with healthcare. Keep the process at the level of the Board until an action plan is in place. The BOCC is finally talking the talk – now walk the walk. Manatee County has all necessary human and financial assets to take corrective action on this issue. Let the evolving collaborative alliance within the OAHB happen!

Environmental Sustainability – Recently, there was a very good conference held at the St. Petersburg University on global warming and its effects and forward planning that needs to occur. As a gulf coast community we need to study all the outcome analyses from that conference. We also need to have better oversight as to the tens of thousands of homesites that have been zoned without having adequate infrastructure in place to accommodate it. When coupled with the inadequate resources to repair and replace the present infrastructure – well, maybe the commission and Mr. Hunzeker are already planning the next crisis. Now’s the time to act.