Kingsburg Hospital Wants Tulare District’s Help

By Julie Fernandez

Tulare- The Kingsburg District Hospital board has decided it wants to negotiate further with Tulare Regional Medical Center about its offer to form a joint powers agreement and provide management services to save the financially strapped hospital.

In a 4-1 vote on Sept. 16, the board selected Tulare Regional's offer in a letter of intent over three others and allocated 10 business days to hammer out a detailed agreement.

If the two hospital districts fail to come up with a plan acceptable to both of their boards, then Kingsburg would begin talks with its second choice, a Southern California partnership that would purchase and privatize the hospital.

“I've seen what they've been able to do in Tulare,” Kingsburg board treasurer Bruce Salazar said after the meeting. “I'm very impressed with the hospital and its board.”
Board secretary Donald Woollard, who seconded Salazar's motion to move ahead with Tulare Regional's proposal, praised the “professionalism and methodology” of the district.

“They brought a proposal to fit our community,” Woollard said. “They also intend to keep our staff.”

The Kingsburg District has 35 beds, which are used mainly for patients needing convalescent or rehabilitation services, and Tulare Regional has said it would seek a professional group to keep the skilled nursing facility open, he said.

Board member Jess Chambers, who is also Kingsburg Chamber of Commerce director, said the selection of Tulare is a chance to go backwards – to a time when neighbors helped neighbors – and forward at the same time.

A joint powers agreement between Tulare and Kingsburg would not require a vote of residents in the Kingsburg district, as would have the other three proposals, and would allow the hospital to retain its district hospital status.

Tulare's Strengths

Shawn Bolouki, chief executive officer for Tulare Regional, said he thought the board chose Tulare because its members current administration and board had turned the hospital around financially to where its operating budget is now in the black and how it was able to sell about $71 million in hospital construction bonds for its expansion last week, securing a good interest rate that is expected to save taxpayers millions of dollars. (He did not have all the details and said a report will be forthcoming at this week's meeting.)

The Joint Commission, on its recent accreditation survey, found no deficiencies in the hospital, while the last accreditation had uncovered 16, Bolouki also said.
The Tulare hospital has gone from “an institution that wasn't being taken seriously” to one that is and which, as a result, is starting to attract more physicians and nurses, he said.

In summarizing the four letters of intent Kingsburg Hospital received, consultant Kelly Hohenbrink said Tulare District proposed a joint powers agreement and to:

· Share operating margins of the health care operations
· Provide leadership, expertise and local medical staff development
· Allow the Kingsburg district to retain ownership of all real estate and lease the facility to the joint powers.
· Loan Kingsburg $250,000 in cash, which would be recovered from operational improvements.
· Provide $250,000 to acquire the rural health center's cash flow stream.
· Partner will other interested parties for specific services provided by the joint powers.
· Support existing services while developing and enhancing services.

Hohenbrink also said Tulare Regional is committed to working collaboratively with “quality providers” to:
· Increase the number of exam rooms in the rural health clinic and increase its presence in the community.
· Convert the unused emergency room into a 24 hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week urgent care center.
· Link the skilled nursing facility to an experienced skilled nursing and rehabilitation corporation to increase occupancy.
· Open the two surgical suites.

Hohenbrink reminded the board and audience that letters of intent are broad by their very nature and that key terms could change during detailed negotiations.

Adventist Health

Kingsburg hospital currently has a transitional management agreement with Adventist Health, which the board selected as its third choice despite heaping praise upon the non-profit for the assistance it has provided.

Adventist proposed to purchased the hospital district's rural health clinic and establish a landlord-tenant arrangement for the rest of the district's facilities.

The board heard from employees who praised Adventist and urged the board to continue its relationship with the company.

“If it's working and they're doing a great job…how can you make another choice,” one employee said, triggering a round of applause from the audience.

An attorney for Community General Medical Center, the fourth bidder, said patients, not employees, are the key to Kingsburg Hospital's future and his organization has the patient base to keep the hospital busy.

Bolouki disagreed.

“Without the employees, the hospital is only an empty building,” he said. “You have to be committed to your employees, because then they're going to be committed to patients.”

Bolouki and three other senior managers, along with Dr. Parmod Kumar, chairman of the Tulare Local HealthCare District board which oversees Tulare Regional Medical Center, attended the Kingsburg meeting.

Bolouki spoke informally with several employees after the meeting as did John Barbadian, Tulare Regional's vice president for human resources.

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PAW's Dash Provides Teachable Moments

Tulare - Take one look at Dash, the loveable and handsome service dog that Russell Lasswell uses in his Pet Awarenes Workshops, and you want to run up and give him a big hug.

Don't do that!

“You have to ask permission before you touch a person's dog,” Lasswell, a city of Tulare code enforcement officer, told Steve Conway's third grade class at Kohn School. “It's very important.”

Lasswell, who kicked-off the PAW program in the Tulare City School District earlier this month, had other important information to share with the students, whose attention remained riveted on the 3-year-old Golden Retriever, who was trained at the Assistance Service Dog Educational Center in Woodlake.

“Never scare a dog when it's sleeping,” Lasswell said. “Sometimes it will get up and nip you.”

Dog bite prevention is a big part of Lasswell's workshop.

After warning children to stay away from strange dogs and have an adult call animal control officers if they see one on the loose, Lasswell uses Dash to demonstrate some of the signs that an animal might bite.

If a dog growls, shows its teeth or you see its ears ago back or tail shoot straight up, walk slowly away and don't run because a dog's natural instinct is to chase people, he said.

Dash, who was trained to assist individuals with disabilities and respond to 90 commands, remains calm and agreeable as Lasswell manipulates his faces, ears, mouth and tail.

Later, Lasswell calls students up to teach them how to defend themselves from a dog attack, using their hands and whatever else they might have available.

Christian Cui puts his hands up as instructed to protect his face from an attack and Caitlin Coverdell uses her pink backpack.

“Put your backpack up and you can go back and get it later,” Lasswell said. “If you have to get on the ground, we're going to curl into a fetal position and cover our faces.”

Lasswell also talks about pet licensing, leash laws, animal care and other issues.
The city of Tulare and the Tulare City School District decided last year to introduce PAW into the primary grades.

Frank Furtaw, the city's chief code enforcement officer, told the City Council the city has a high population of unlicensed and unaltered dogs and a high number of calls for service relating to animals.

“Almost 60 percent of dog bites affect juveniles,” Furtaw said, adding his code enforcement officers have to go to school sites for animal problems more than 100 times during the 180-day school year.

He also offered up a couple sobering facts to support what he said was a need to teach humane and responsible animal care in the schools:

· Individuals who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes, four times more likely to commit property crimes and three times more likely to have drug or disorderly conduct offenses.
· Animals that are not spayed or neutered are more likely to be aggressive and they are more likely to stray.

The program got strong support from family and friends of Jennifer McCoun, who contributed generously to the program after McCoun, a dog lover and chief executive officer of the Tulare Chamber of Commerce, died in a skydiving accident in late January.

Dash's vest notes he was purchased in memory of McCoun, which might be all the more reason to hug him. But remember: Ask first!

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Teacher with 'Infectious Enthusiasm' Honored

Tulare - Dean Miller, who teaches at Palo Verde School in Tulare, is one of three teachers who will be honored tonight at the 16th annual Confucius' Birthday/Educators of the Year Celebration.

The Tulare County Office of Education and the Chinese Cultural Center has named Miller, who teaches seventh and eighth grade science, its Middle School Teacher of the Year.

“He has been working for Palo Verde for 16 years and is, without doubt, one of our best teachers … and I would venture to guess one of the best in the county teaching science,” Principal John Manning said.

“His enthusiasm is infectious,” Manning said. “You should see kids and how their eyes light up. He's a hands-on type of teacher and able to reach kids in many different ways.”

In addition, Miller is a lead teacher on the campus and has mentored other teachers and is “a professional through and through and eager to help,” he said. “He is most deserving of the award.”

Miller said junior high science is his love and he appears quite good at that, coaching Science Olympiad teams who have placed first or second in regional competitions and traveled to the state finals for each of the last 15 years.

“He consistently takes our kids to state and finishes in the top seven,” Manning said.
Miller, who also taught a year in Southern California before joining the Palo Verde staff, is originally from northern Nevada, east of South Lake Tahoe. He did his undergraduate work at colleges in Southern California and Ogden, Utah, and earned his teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona. He also has a master's degree in education and administration from California State University, Fresno.

Miller said his goal in the classroom is to generate student interest in future science classes, competitions or careers, as well as help them make education a higher priority.

“When students become life-long learners, everyone benefits,” he said. “Producing good citizens is one of my primary teaching goals.”

Miller lives in Tulare with his wife, Eileen, and children, Auston, 16, and Kyle, 14, who both attend Tulare Union High School, and daughter Genevieve, 3.

Others to be honored tonight are: Linda Warner, Elementary School Teacher of the Year who teachers at Three Rivers Union Elementary, and Nancy Wills, High School Teacher of the Year who teaches at Lindsay High School.

The recognition dinner is at the Central California Chinese Cultural Center, which has had a long tradition of celebrating the careers of educators on the birthday of China's great philosopher Confucius, who was an advocate for universal education.

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'Guys and Dolls' Opens Friday at Encore Theatre

Tulare - Guys and Dolls” was first performed on stage more than 50 years ago, but the story line and music continue to capture the spirit and enthusiasm of actors and actresses today, including those who will star in Encore Theatre's production of the romantic musical comedy.

Gloriann Boni, who will play the role of Miss Adelaide, a 1930s showgirl who has been engaged to Nathan Detroit for 14 years and raring and ready to get married, is a good example.

“It's one of my top 10 roles I had to play before I died,” Boni said.

Boni, who has performed in “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Paint Your Wagon,” “Singing in the Rain” and other Encore and Stages productions, did the hair and makeup of students who were in Redwood High School's production of the play in January. She also saw California State University, Fullerton's, production in May.
The popular play is based upon Damon Runyon's short story “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” in which Nathan Detroit, an organizer of floating crap games in New York City, bets fellow gambler Sky Masterson that he can't take the next girl he sees to Cuba with him.

That girl turns out to be Miss Sarah Brown, a Salvation Army worker who is on a mission to save souls.

“The role is actually pretty challenging for me,” said Krystin Dulay, a Porterville resident who has had roles in several College of the Sequoias' productions, including “Sweeney Todd,” “Evita,” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

“Susan and Dave Burley (the director and her husband) say the role usually plays out pretty bland, but they want to make her come alive a bit more,” Dulay said.
Ryan Bettencourt, a former Encore Kid who has the role of Detroit, will be a familiar face to audiences as he has been involved in five shows over the past year and a half, including “Blackpool and Parrish,” in which he played the butler, and “Beauty and the Beast,” where he took on his favorite role, Lumiere, who is in charge of the beast's castle.

Detroit is the comedic relief in “Guys and Dolls” and he is enjoying the role, Bettencourt said.

“He's kind of a nervous character because he doesn't want to lose his fiancée,” he said. “He's a great character to play – probably one of my favorites.”

Bennett Harrell is Sky Masterson, a high-stakes gambler who is “very suave with a sense of humor,” Harrell said. “He's use to getting any girl he wants and now he has to try very hard to get the girl he loves.”

Harrell, who played Cosmo, in Encore's “Singing in the Rain” a couple years ago, is a Visalia middle school teacher who said he is having a “great time” doing the show.
Burley said the musical is filled with tunes audiences will recognize such as “Luck Be a Lady,” “I've Never Been in Love Before” and “If I Were a Bell.”

Because of the character of Sarah Brown, Burley said she has invited Majors David and Ruth Scott to place a bell ringer in the lobby prior to each performance to raise money for the Tulare Salvation Army Corps.

David Scott said he has seen “Guys and Dolls” (it was also a movie with Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons) and reports the Salvation Army has been in lots of movies, especially those with a Christmas theme.

Scott said the Tulare corps' need for donations is particularly great now because the number of families it serves monthly has grown from 600 to 1,100 over the last seven to eight months because of the economy.