DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — The report titled, “Has the Bleeding Stopped?” is a continuation of a previous report sent in April of 2024. Outlining issues of overspending in legal fees and a lack in patient priority.
- Both reports claim that the hospital was overspending on legal fees.
- This came from a previous case against a former worker.
- While that has been resolved, the grand jury says there are other pending suits that could affect the level of care patients receive.
In April of 2024, a Grand Jury report was sent to the North Kern South Tulare Hospital District outlining issues of overspending in legal fees and a lack in patient priority. Now, a second report has been sent, titled “Has the Bleeding Stopped?”, continues to question the welfare of patients. Yet, the district says they’ve already taken steps to address this.
“I’m glad that the Grand Jury has again confirmed the districts concerns because we ourselves are investigating some of those behaviors that have taken place over the last two years,” said Chairman for the board of directors for the district Joe Aguirre.
Aguirre says to start with, they’ve already approved a forensic audit has been authorized to look into what’s been paid in legal fees and settlements over the last two years.
The report titled, “Has the Bleeding Stopped?” is a continuation of a previous report sent in April of 2024.
Both report claim that the hospital was overspending on legal fees. This came from a previous case against a former worker. While that has been resolved, the grand jury says there are other pending suits that could affect the level of patient care.
Aguirre saying, he’s taken steps to ensure that statement becomes a thing of the past.
“We started to believe that the executive team started to put their bonus structure before the expenditures of what patients need, and so to make sure that that didn’t happen or didn’t happen again, we eliminated the bonus structure,” said Aguirre.
Aside from restructuring the board, Aguirre says they’re also working on shifting their financial focus to improving patient quality of life.
“To replace every bed in the facility, that’s another $600,000. We had an interior decorator go from room to room to look at aesthetics, color, artwork,” said Aguirre. “We’re gonna make sure these patients get the best, highest level of care, that they can get that were able to offer in our community.”
Following the recommended steps, the district says they’re currently in the hiring process of finding a CEO but with a new title of general manager to create a more equal leveled board.
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