Dear Editor,

I am writing to address hospital CEO Ms. Michels’ most recent unprofessional, not so subtle, complaint regarding the community asking questions of district management, as well as her reference to us as outsiders in the 1/4/13 CEO written report stating “No one from the outside can understand this business like we do.”

Aside from Civics 101 realities that public employees and elected official are ultimately accountable to the community they serve, we are the governing body that has, or should have, ultimate decision making authority.

We have generations long history of being actively involved in our community hospital district, as is our right. Throughout these generations our families have been and continue to be born there, healed there, work there, volunteer there, many have passed there and all financially support it in one way or another.

This is and always has been our community hospital system.

While I understand she’s not from around here, if Ms. Michel did some homework she would see that when administration and the commissioners did their job and accurately reported to the community they serve, we have stepped up and done our job.

Likewise, it is our job to step in and hold them accountable for not doing their jobs.

Some examples:

The inability to produce a detailed accounting; info that should have been readily available if it had been being closely scrutinized to avoid the damages done.

Blatantly withholding information that is detrimental to our decision making rights.

Deciding to cut services needed in our community without involving the governing community. Lying about activities that are or are not being performed, i.e. construction

Creating atmosphere that is adversarial to the very community they serve and report to.

This seriously violates the trust of those who employ you.And though she maybe oblivious to the fact, there are many, many people in our community that have decades of working knowledge of the healthcare system in several different areas, including administration.

In conclusion, if more time was spent involving and working with the community they serve, instead of shoving us “outside,” working against us or throwing mud at us, we could have avoided the community losses and found solutions as we have in the past.

Jarred Naclerio

Oroville