By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Del Rioan Henry Gomez says he’d like to know what has happened to a number of programs formerly offered by the Val Verde Regional Medical Center.
Gomez, a retired banker, asked about the defunct programs during the public comments portion of a special called budget workshop of the Val Verde County Hospital District Board and the Val Verde County Hospital Corporation Board June 13.
“Good evening. Thank you board president and members for allowing me my three minutes. For all of you that don’t know me, I’m Henry Gomez, and first of all I would like to clarify that I am not representing any of the companies I work for, county, city or corporate boards that I’m a member of or committees or associations I belong to. I am here as a taxpayer, resident, and my remarks are my opinion,” Gomez told the board.
“I want to thank the hospital doctors and nursing staff for the good attention they have given my wife every time I’ve had to bring her to the hospital, from Dr. Cuellar, Dr. Gutierrez, since 1970, to Dr. DiBlasi, Dr. Barksdale, Dr. Gutierrez, Dr. Laing, Dr. Moore. “I also thank you for hiring Beverly Hernandez Garza as your navigator for the cancer resource room. Some of my fellow cancer survivors have been asking me when the room would reopen.
“Now – I would like to know why you have allowed the Heritage Mental Health Program to dwindle down from a doctor and three counselors to only a doctor on tele-medicine when mental health cases are going up?
“And I also want to know why you don’t have a hospice program anymore? It’s listed on your board in the lobby, but I understand you don’t have hospice here anymore. I know you can’t answer that, but it is something that I would like to find out,” Gomez said.
Gomez also asked to be placed on a board agenda so his concerns and questions could be discussed.
“And since I have not been able to get my calls returned from the CEO and COO, I would like to be put on the July agenda to discuss this and other matters I have a concern about. I have found out that the (rules) have changed and now for me to get on the agenda, I have to request it in writing to the board on a form stating what the reasons are that I want to get on the agenda and then the board votes on it. It surprises me to learn tonight that you have so many doctors as board members on both (the corporate and the district) boards. It used to be that the corporate board didn’t have that many doctors on it. There were CPAs, bankers, business people. You all have changed around quite a bit,” Gomez added.
Gomez was then told his three minutes to address the board had expired, and he finished by telling the board members and hospital administrators that he hoped to hear from them within 10 days.
—
Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
NEWS — Citizen asks about shelved hospital programs
By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Del Rioan Henry Gomez says he’d like to know what has happened to a number of programs formerly offered by the Val Verde Regional Medical Center.
Gomez, a retired banker, asked about the defunct programs during the public comments portion of a special called budget workshop of the Val Verde County Hospital District Board and the Val Verde County Hospital Corporation Board June 13.
“Good evening. Thank you board president and members for allowing me my three minutes. For all of you that don’t know me, I’m Henry Gomez, and first of all I would like to clarify that I am not representing any of the companies I work for, county, city or corporate boards that I’m a member of or committees or associations I belong to. I am here as a taxpayer, resident, and my remarks are my opinion,” Gomez told the board.
“I want to thank the hospital doctors and nursing staff for the good attention they have given my wife every time I’ve had to bring her to the hospital, from Dr. Cuellar, Dr. Gutierrez, since 1970, to Dr. DiBlasi, Dr. Barksdale, Dr. Gutierrez, Dr. Laing, Dr. Moore. “I also thank you for hiring Beverly Hernandez Garza as your navigator for the cancer resource room. Some of my fellow cancer survivors have been asking me when the room would reopen.
“Now – I would like to know why you have allowed the Heritage Mental Health Program to dwindle down from a doctor and three counselors to only a doctor on tele-medicine when mental health cases are going up?
“And I also want to know why you don’t have a hospice program anymore? It’s listed on your board in the lobby, but I understand you don’t have hospice here anymore. I know you can’t answer that, but it is something that I would like to find out,” Gomez said.
Gomez also asked to be placed on a board agenda so his concerns and questions could be discussed.
“And since I have not been able to get my calls returned from the CEO and COO, I would like to be put on the July agenda to discuss this and other matters I have a concern about. I have found out that the (rules) have changed and now for me to get on the agenda, I have to request it in writing to the board on a form stating what the reasons are that I want to get on the agenda and then the board votes on it. It surprises me to learn tonight that you have so many doctors as board members on both (the corporate and the district) boards. It used to be that the corporate board didn’t have that many doctors on it. There were CPAs, bankers, business people. You all have changed around quite a bit,” Gomez added.
Gomez was then told his three minutes to address the board had expired, and he finished by telling the board members and hospital administrators that he hoped to hear from them within 10 days.
—
Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
Joel Langton
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