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Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee seeks members
The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD), sponsors of a recent voter-approved $247 million bond that will finance several new construction projects at Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, is looking for nine East County residents to serve as volunteers on an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee (ICOC) that will oversee the expenditures of bond funds, announced Dr. John Hardebeck, GHD 2006 Board President.
Interested persons must reside within the District's 750 square miles in San Diego's East County. In addition, they must have certain qualifications and expertise in construction, medical and labor industries, as required in the June 2006 Proposition G ballot measure that received more than 77 percent of the vote, well above the two-thirds approval required.
Of the nine seats on the ICOC, six are designated
positions and three are at-large positions.
The six designated positions must include a representative from Sharp Grossmont
Hospital's executive management team, professional staff and hospital auxiliary
or Grossmont Hospital Foundation, as well as a representative or designee from
the GHD board of directors, San Diego County Labor Council and San Diego County
Taxpayers Association.
The three at-large positions must include persons
with extensive experience in project management, large-scale construction operations
and finance.
Applications are available at www.grossmonthealthcare.org, or by phoning (619)
825-5050. Deadline for submission of applications and nominations is 5 p.m.,
Friday, Aug. 25, at the GHD offices, 9001 Wakarusa St., La Mesa. The ICOC is
required to be established within 90 days of certification of election results,
which occurred on June 29.
"The purpose of the ICOC will be to monitor and evaluate the expenditure of bond revenues on behalf of the public, not the design or management of construction projects," Hardebeck said. "Our intent is to operate in an independent and open manner so that the voters' best interests are effectively implemented."
Meetings will be held at least every other month for the next two years, and committee members will serve for no more than two four-year terms, as specified in the ballot measure.
Construction at the hospital is expected to begin early next year on a number of capital infrastructure construction projects, including completion of the hospital's emergency and critical care center with 90 new patient beds, upgrading and expanding rapid-response cardiac care capabilities and upgrading the 50-year-old hospital's electrical, plumbing and other building systems infrastructure to support state-of-the-art medical technology.
Additional Prop. G improvements, as listed in the Grossmont Hospital Facilities Master Site Plan, includes complying with earthquake standards to improve disaster response capabilities and ensuring continued access to emergency and hospital care services to support a growing population in the East County
The Grossmont Healthcare District, which supports various health-related community programs and services in San Diego's East County region, serves as landlord of Grossmont Hospital on behalf of local taxpayers. The public agency was formed in 1952 to build and operate Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, including ownership of the property and buildings. In 1991, the District leased the hospital's operations to Sharp Healthcare under a 30-year lease that runs through the year 2021. The District is governed by a five-member board of directors, each elected to four-year terms. For more information about GHD, visit www.grossmonthealthcare.org.
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