A MOTION confirming the executive's appointment of Sheryl Whitney, who resides in council district six, to the Harborview Medical Center board of trustees, as the district six representative.
It has been enthusiastically moved and is before us. Any comments or changes? All those in favor of approving the minutes please signify by saying i, i any opposed? All right, so this brings us to motion number 2017 0507, a motion to appoint Cheryl Whitney, who I think we all know from our time here at King County to the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees to fill the remainder of a four year term. Cheryl's from District six, my district. I'm delighted she's agreed to serve on the Harborview board. She's here with us today, along with Patrick Gallagher of our council staff, who will present the item. Please go ahead. Thank you, Madam Chair. Council members, for the record, Patrick Homemaker Council staff. As you noted in your introduction, Ms.. Whitney has been appointed to the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees by the county executive. She will be serving out the remainder of a four year term that runs through the middle of July 2020. So it's got about three and a half years, about three years left in the Harborview Medical Center board is comprised of 13 members, nine of them appointed by districts, and four at large by the county, the county executive, the board as the representatives of King County at Harborview Medical Center and oversees its operations, including the selection of the executive director. The since 2011, Ms.. Whitney has been co-owner of Whitney Jennings, a Mercer Island based full service management consultancy. And prior to that, Ms.. JENNINGS Ah, excuse me. Mr. Whitney served as a consultant to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Those are her more recent positions. And as you noted in your introduction, Madam Chair, she has a long history of almost 20 years with King County, and her final position at King County was as deputy county executive, so that I would conclude my remarks. Madam Chair, and I'd be happy to answer any questions. Also with us today is Jennifer Yu, who serves as a staff at Harborview and is the staffer who's coordinates the board appointments. Very good. Thank you. Mr. Hamacher, I want to ask a question. Then I'll call on Councilmember Gossett. I just want to ask Miss Whitney if you would take a moment just to tell us about yourself and your interest in serving on the board. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Members of the council I sat in, probably not this chair, but one like it. And for my confirmation as a department head here and a King County. And I'll be honest with you that I think I feel as nervous now as I did as I did on that day. There's something about public service. It never fails to be weighty, and I think that's as it should be. So I cannot tell you what an honor it is to be sitting here and to be considered for this position. I fully understand that a board position with Harborview is big and this institution is a jewel in this region and means so, so much so. I I'm I'm I'm honored throughout my career at the county, as Pat mentioned, I spent almost 20 years here at King County. Throughout my career, I had the opportunity to be up at Harbor View on many, many, many occasions. And I have watched the staff there perform at. Miracles. But as impressive as the life saving work that I have watched them do is the grace and the dignity that they treat each individual that is in front of them. And the grace that they show is so incredible and so powerful that the opportunity to have the opportunity to be a part of that culture is an incredible opportunity and honor and one that I really look forward to. I was asked to say a little bit about myself in terms of my history and how that might be of use to the board. And I would say that I a number of things, but what I hope is that my understanding of the leadership here at King County, of the systems here at King County, that so many of the faces have changed, those systems remain. And whether it's jail health or public health, human services and their daily interactions with Harborview, I hope that my my understanding of those organizations and those agencies is useful. I will say that I, I got my beginnings at King County in the Budget Office. So I know a great deal about the difficulty of balancing a budget for this institution. I hope my understanding of that work is useful here. I at one point served as the deputy director of what used to be executive administration, the general government department that housed the facilities management function. So I hope that that role will also be useful as the board is looking at potential facilities issues on into the future. And the very last thing I would say is that I was honored to be a part of the original work, King County's original work on equity and social justice. I'm incredibly proud of where that work has has gone. But that is a lens that I know from speaking with the staff at Harborview is critical to them. So I hope that I bring that perspective to the work each day. So thank you so, so very much and thank you for being willing to serve. Councilmember Gossett And then Councilmember one right there. Thank you. My first question, Madam Chair, is for Patrick. And I wanted to know, is she a District Six appointee or one of four at large? She's a she is an appointee representing District six. Okay. Thank you. I know. I can. Help her. She she sat on somebody's knee when she was three and she was already impressively articulate person, even as a little girl. I went to college with her uncle, so I'm really looking forward to this. But I have now I have a question for you. I put my professional hat back on. It was nice to hear what you said about the staff in general at Harborview, from your observations. But what if it were brought to your attention as a new board member that some low income patients of one of Harvey's clinics came to? The board or the board found out that there are allegations that they're being abused or misused are not treated adequately. I want to know how you would handle that kind of situation. And thank you for the for the question for the important question. And you will note in my comments that because I have I have seen firsthand and under very difficult circumstances the incredible grace of the staff at Harborview that I would find it I would find it shocking. But as someone who has been a part of the management structure of this organization with 13,000 employees, and knowing that there isn't perfection that that takes place every day, you do have to step in and you do have to step in seriously and raise issues. And when you when you hear them and you have to do it immediately. So I would have no I would have no hesitation about raising it with Paul and with the staff. And in fact, I would see that as my obligation. I'm sorry that Paul Hayes is the executive director at the hospital. My apologies. To. Councilmember Gordon right there. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, I want to thank Councilmember Garcia for clarifying where he began his remarks. In this era of getting nervous, everybody is is a long term relationship and friendship. Cheryl, first of all, congratulations and thank you for your willingness to serve. Those of us who have worked with you in the past and know the skills you're bringing. And I want to thank Councilmember Claudia Baldacci for recommending you for this confirmation. I share with you my belief that our review is one of the one of the gems of King County, who truly has produced a service that across the board, blue collar, white collar, no car is happening. A hospital that has received and served so many people, and those of us who have had relatives or friends who have gone there, have always, in my case, received nothing but positive feedback by the people who work there, because a hospital alone is not what makes it work. It's the people who work there and the service they provide and the quality of service and care. And I agree with you, I've heard nothing but positive feedback as you look at the budget, which something that you've had a keen background with with Executive Sims, as you look at the problems, the financial problems, what are some of your personal and professional concerns about the place of medicine and general and specifically as it relates to Harborview? So thank you. I have as because I haven't yet attended a board meeting. I'm not I'm not deeply ensconced in the the on the details of of harbor of his budget. But certainly as as a resident of this county, of this state, as a citizen of the U.S., when you look at the overall issues that frame and Medicaid and the health care structure in general, we're in a period of flux and it's it's unknown what's going to happen with that. So I'm I go in with a very clear eye as to the importance of and of health insurance and whether or not the fragile population that Harborview serves will continue to have access to health care and what that means in terms of reimbursements and just the bottom line for the hospital. So that is one of the things that I will be I'd been watching it before and having this honor to be sitting on this board. It's something that I've been extremely passionate about. And so I am I'm deeply, deeply concerned and interested in that you might see in my. Resumé that I'm also a board member at DSC Downtown Emergency Services Center and at DSC. We are on we are working on issues of behavioral health, particularly on that and how that interfaces with primary care and the funding and of of both of those systems. So I have a very a very keen eye for that and will be we'll be watching and to see how how I can be useful and where we proceed as a country in addition to to what's happening here in the region. Well, again, I think the only constant in this world is change. And we see the change every hour and day and the needs by which health care. I sat on our board for 12 years. The Franciscan Health System, which is a nonprofit, takes in St George, St Clair, St Francis, St Anthony's. I wish I was looking for fire insurance, but at the end of the day, we looked at change. And and my concern again is about mergers and how we try to figure out ways to make the hospital financially secure it. We're we were a nonprofit, obviously a Franciscan health system, but you're a nonprofit. And again, unfortunately, nonprofits can end up in debt and then collapse. And right now, I look at the some of the challenges facing UW medicine in general. And our review in particular. And I'm worried. So I think it's really important that someone with your background understands as much as we may want to serve as many and as often and as much, we may collapse the system in the process. So it's very important to bring your judicial and balanced view to understand there is a price to be paid and a financial accountability in the long run. So I agree. Thank you, sir. Thank you. I can't remember Up the Grove, followed by Councilmember Lambert and Councilmember Dan Belsky. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks for your willingness to serve. As you well know, Harborview has a unique mission, at least in this state, in terms of that public mission. And there's a special relationship between the county and medicine, and we value them as a partner. But there are times where the values and priorities may differ between the senior staff at UGA Medicine and the Board of Regents versus the County Council and the county executive. And we've tried to spell out in our agreement certain values and sometimes we interpret those differently and we see it most notably around employee relations sometimes. And I think often a majority of this body and the county executive view part of that public mission as setting the example for how we treat employees. And often we've seen you dub medicine in the in the desire to save costs really kind of do that hard nosed business model. Bottom line, how do you navigate that? Where do you see your responsibility as a board member when there is sort of a little bit of a difference in approach and values between You Dove Medicine and King County over issues like particular employee relations or compensation and contracts and things like that. And it's a challenge, right? I mean, it's a it's a big deal. It's a challenge. But this is in my mind, this is public service. And the the the varying points of view, the bottom line and the care that we want everyone to receive. All of these things require a balance. And I have and after the 20 years of battle scars here, I, I just I don't have fear about this issue of I'm trying to because because I believe that that everyone is trying to get to the best possible place as it relates to providing excuse me, providing services to the community. So knowing that we have our eyes on the prize of how we're trying to move forward and trying to then be able to reconcile and and work through tough issues. And I, I think that's I think that's the job of the board. Right? I think that's I think that that's our responsibility to hear where all the concerns are and then to set to set to set a course. So I'm in the end on the hypothetical of, you know, what may come about. And I'm I'm I'm not afraid of that and have spent 20 years of my county government career doing precisely that, listening to to the various concerns, understanding the financial impacts. And but I'll say about the employees that they are the miracle. I mean, they they are what is what is making that that place move. And so their their concerns and their ability to do a good job has to be a North Star for for the organization. And I and I hope I hope that to be the case because, in fact, they're the ones when you when you talk to anyone who has had an interaction up at Harborview, it's how they were treated, the expertize that was brought to their room and that and the dignity that they were shown. All of that is critical so that the employees as far as I felt this way when I worked at King County, I'll bring that attitude to to this board that the that the Louisa are central to this as a Lambert thank you to you and your expertize and it gets to the adage if you want something done, ask a busy person. So thank you for being able to do that. And everybody said what I wanted to say, so I'll just say ditto. On the idea of interfacing the DC population with the Harborview population and also 1811 House and. Now those facilities have one another mutually to make sure that people are treated with respect and also on a path to changing their lives. And also the the contract that we have that's wonderful with your job and making sure that their financial viability going forward doesn't negatively impact us. And having that really clear conversations, that may not be easy. And I know for your experiences here and sitting in conversations I watched, I know you can have those conversations quite well. So thank you for being willing to say, Hey, customer. TOMASKY Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for bringing this nominee forward. She touched on her experience in the Budget Office, which at the time was done on the fourth floor of this building. If I ask you, you're dating me. But yes. Oh, I'm dating myself. I'm dating myself. I worked across the hall. I mean. Yes, in executive. Walks, the executive. Office because it was there, too. Absolutely. But Cheryl, I think you touched on this in the response that comes up, the gross inquiry. I think one of the most powerful tools you will have as a board member, an independent board member representing the best interest of the hospital. Its mission is its budget approval for the hospital. Right. And your budget experience and your expertize there, I think will be a very powerful and that plays into, I think, a lot of the issues that we care about with respect to how we look to Harborview to serve its mission population. Yeah. And in the course of our negotiations with the updated contract with the University of Washington, which I encourage you to read and a motion surrounding it, we updated that mission, keeping it central tenants, but emphasizing them to make sure we reminded the hospital that we're there to serve that mission population is those who are uninsured, immigrant and refugee communities, you know, traditionally underserved populations. And even with the Affordable Care Act, I think, as you know, there's still five or so percent, maybe more of the population who are not covered by insurance because of the exclusions in that. And I'm I'm hopeful that we as a community working in partnership with Harvey and you that medicine can look at filling that gap which would be consistent with our reviews mission and would be interested in working with you on that. Great. With respect to the budget, I'm not sure I have some questions here. We just want to get well dialog. Now, one of the things that we did with the Harborview Agreement with University of Washington was for the first time ever, strike a deal where you don't mess and pays about. I think that we're only $5 million a year into our public health fund now. They can do that in cash or trade. So far it's been cash, but those dollars have been life saving for our public health department that's been cut there. And I want to call that provision to your attention. There's there's a that's a challenge is the budget is tight in the medicine world and, you know, medicine and and I ask that you watch that and be continue to be supportive of that because it's you talked about keeping our eye on the north star of serving the population it well it's two different entities public health and you're missing they are serving that same part. Of the country. Because we were up the grove talked a little bit about employee relations and labor and there are some provisions in the contract new that address labor relations. And unfortunately, from my perspective, it's continued to be an ongoing struggle. And I was very pleased to hear your response to concern about the groans about your commitment to the workers, because they are the health care is not the building. That's right. It's not the machines necessarily. But but it's them. And I hope that you'll carry that philosophy forward. And absolutely. And remember that as a trustee, you're, of course, there for the for the community. Like my question getting to it is I noticed in your publications that you've got extensive experience and work on issues surrounding equity and social justice and leveling the playing field. Yes. And you are no doubt aware of the major demographic shifts where our review at one time was in the epicenter of probably the community that was least served in terms of access to quality health care. But geographically, now, many of those patients live far away right now, you know, is a terrific partner and maybe helping solve the challenges that creates because of their clinic footprint throughout the county. And I wondered if you've got thinking or ideas about how we could take Harborview and its wonderful partnership with you, that medicine to it to address disparities countywide, particularly as they become more geographically spread and. Great. Great question. Great issue. And I so I'll be honest with you, that that my. My uninformed kind of knee jerk reaction to that would be to talk about that footprint of clinics that are that are spread throughout the region, that that's absolutely critical and you're absolutely spot on that the how the population and that we see the. They call it the in academia the suburbanization of poverty that it is that that we need to think so differently about these issues. I talked about my work at DSC, where we're working with this chronic homeless, mentally ill population and its work has been centered in in Seattle, but that we have been talking as a board about how are we supportive to those communities that are that are seeing the same issues that are taking place around around the county. So this is on top of mind and deep and heart for me as an issue. And very, very I'm very clear that that the city of Seattle itself is not the sole epicenter and that that these issues are are around the region. So I, I carry that issue with me in my lens about service provision. And I hope to, to understand this more thoroughly and what is actually happening on the ground, because I know a couple docs that work out in the surrounding the surrounding communities. I know that those services are taking place, but I would but it's something they need to know a lot more about and what access looks like for people. Who are at the heart of. Of harbor views, service population. I want to give Councilmember Gossett the last word here. I thank you. One final question. I appreciate that, Madam Chair. And this is I kind of follow up on what Councilmember Dombroski was asking, you know, about staff relations. While you were one or Ansell's top deputies, he was successful in getting a couple of policy changes through the King County Council, one of which had to do with contracting out. So we actually passed some policies and that for these workforces, King County has a policy of not allowing those services to be contracted out. So hypothetically speaking, if a situation arose where the University of Washington has day to day managers at the hospital say, well, we need to save money. So these workers at Harborview or that are served by Harborview, we don't have to, you know, contract that out because we've got to save money. Just I mean, you can vote the way you want to vote for. What would you take into consideration and taking that kind of vote should you be confirmed today? And I would be I would be thinking about precisely the issues that we thought about here when we were talking about not wanting to degrade our service level for for a bottom line. What we one of the things that I feel very proud of King County government for is working with employees, working with labor in order to solve heart problems and the the unions and what we you know, we have many here at King County are not and are not naive about what about the financial position. So I don't come at this thinking it's an it's an us versus them or it's that black and white. I my tendency because my experience is that working with employees and working with labor, that you actually get to some good, you get to some good answers. And that translates into a bottom line as it did here when we worked on health care issues. And that actually worked and in pocket actual real life savings, not glossy and not just happy talk, but real life savings. So my my inclination is to try to be working in partnership and to see where we can actually achieve that, you know, what's real, that you need to balance the budget. But at the same time, being able to work with the people who know that work in order to be able to come up with solutions. I've seen it. We've all seen it. We we have done that here. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. And I really. Appreciate your being here and answering all our questions. I think we're all i, i although this is one of the longer interviews we've done, I think everybody's very excited to, to have your expertize and deep experience and obviously carrying on on the board. So at this point, I would entertain a motion to approve proposed motion number 2017 0507 appointing Cheryl Whitney to the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees with a do pass recommendation. Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to make that motion. I'd like to propose motion. 2017 0507 the do pass recommendation. Thank you. And moved and seconded. Any comments or questions? All right, all those in favor please signify by saying I. I opposed. All right. I thought we had broken. Oh, I'm sorry. Is that a roll call vote? Let's call the roll. Thank you. Thank you. Council member and Staff Council Member. Dombrowski Council Member. Dunn Council Member. Gossett I Council Member. Commonwealth Council Member. Lambert High Council Member. McDermott High Council Member of the Grove. Council Member. Von Richter. I. Madam Chair, I. Madam Chair, the vote is seven is no nos. Council members Dunn and Caldwell's excused. Thank you. By your vote. You have passed the motion and thank you again for your service. This can go on concerns and most people want to revisit and invite Miss Whitney back again. All right. Well, let's put it on consent and on regular order. And this will come before the council in two weeks. Thank you so much. I know it's a it's going to be very exciting to work with you. All right. Our next item is ordinance number 2017 0481, which would establish a King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission. This was a follow up to a recommendation by the King County Immigrant and Refugee Task Force. And today we're just receiving a briefing.