In Commissioner O’Connor’s blog post, http://district-5.livejournal.com/3598.html, he stated that:

Statement: “…When I became a member of the Board of Commissioners (BOC), I found that Pardee’s management and trustees were rushing to enter into an agreement as a very junior partner to Mission…”

Fact: Pardee will own equal shares of the Health Campus management organization with Mission. This is stated in the Letter of Understanding that has been reviewed by Mr. O’Connor multiple times.

Statement: “…I say rushing, because every conversation with the trustees emphasized the need to finish quickly because of the amount of time already spent planning, never because of a business case or for any benefit to Pardee or the taxpayers who own it..”

Fact: Since September 2010, the Mission Pardee Health Campus has been discussed publically and with the County Commissioners.

Statement: “A majority of the Commissioners insisted that the deal be renegotiated with our direction to make it a true 50/50 partnership..”

Fact: Pardee will own equal shares of the Health Campus management organization with Mission. This is stated in the Letter of Understanding that has been reviewed by Mr. O’Connor.

Statement: “That Commissioners duty of oversight includes asking questions and getting answers no matter how inconvenient and uncomfortable or diversionary the trustees and CEO find them to be. If their answers are not responsive to the concerns, the questions will continue.”

Fact: Pardee Hospital, the Pardee Hospital Board of Trustees, UNC Health Care, and the legal counsel of Pardee and that of the County Commissioners’ have all been available to answer any questions that any of the  Commissioners’ may have.

Statement: “I have in fact grown more alarmed at each iteration of the continually changing memo that passes for a contract between our hospital and Mission..”

Fact: The final version of the Letter of Understanding included comments made by the Board of Commissioners and their county attorney. It was offered for review to all 5 commissioners with their county attorney present; 4 of the 5 commissioners reviewed the document prior to it being signed in January.

Statement: “A key bone of contention is the ownership of the real estate under the project. Mission simply refuses to settle on a simple 50/50 ownership by the partners directly. It has invented one twisted proposal after another to avoid simple joint ownership of the real estate, ostensibly to keep the BOC at arm’s length since they are politicians, you know.”

Fact: Again, ownership opportunities exist for the land, the building, and the management organization for the health campus. Pardee will own equal shares of the Health Campus management organization with Mission. This is stated in the Letter of Understanding that has been reviewed by Mr. O’Connor.

Statement: “The health care of all hereabouts will suffer without the vibrant, free, three way competition among the medically superior facilities we now have.”

Fact: Whatever Health Care Reform brings to the residents of our region, there will be a newly insured population. Estimates in our area exceed 17,000 newly insured individuals. The current health care infrastructure is not prepared for this increase, without the Health Campus.  Free competition still exists among the local health care organizations with or without the health campus – we are simply offering our residents another choice to receive high quality healthcare in the rapidly growing Fletcher community.

Kris Peters

Vice President, Strategy & Development

Chief Strategy Officer

Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital

If you have any questions feel free to email info@pardeehospital.org