(Editor’s note: You can find a response to this letter by Public Hospital District Chairman J. Michael Edwards here)

At a special June 8 Hospital Board Meeting, Michelle Wier, of Wier Accounting Firm, gave a report to the San Juan County Public Hospital Board. In that report, the board was told of the dire financial position EMS was in. The bottom line; EMS is running their overall operations in deficit of $174,000. The board was further told that EMS could not sustain itself under the current revenue and expense model that exists. Not even for a year!

Michelle Wier gave this devastating news to the board and to people at the meeting and when asked for any questions of the board, the board had none. But Commissioner Michael Edwards stated “they could see the writing on the wall.”

Well, I have some questions. What was the writing on the wall? What did the board already know?

Why did the EMS Administrator Jim Cole unexpectedly resign? And, why has the board not explained why Jim Cole is not here to answer some important questions about the EMS financial mess?

Even after the devastating news that EMS is basically going bankrupt; the hospital board unanimously approved its new 2015 budget without discussion, without providing copies of the budget, or allowing any questions or comments from the public. And, they approved budgets for even larger expenditures than last year’s actual expenditures.

Where is the fiscal responsibility in this?

There have been no apparent changes in their revenue and expense model.

We need good people on the hospital board who can make strong decisions based on what is best for the community.

We need a board that knows what their job is and not forget they are spending our (tax payers) money.

Our hospital board cannot rely only on “expected” revenue to carry EMS into the future, they must cut expenses. Bottom line; make some serious concession so we still have a sustainable EMS that will carry us well into the future.

Leslie Brennan

San Juan Island