Representative Bernie Sanders, Vermont's perennial Socialist politician is at it again, attacking the governance structure of the Fletcher Allen Health Care. His rhetoric, pandering to the popular pool of emotion, is not helpful to pull the institution out of its crisis. FAHC is in a vulnerable position as Vermont's premier provider of health care in the region and Mr, Sanders smells blood and is on the attack. Unfortunately his solution is wrong.
FAHC needs intelligent, experienced leadership, both on its board and in its top management ranks, not consumer advocates, political operatives or elected officials...at least not until Vermont or the US chooses a Government managed single payer system.
FAHC's 'parent' organizations must select the best and the brightest people who will work hard to become an activist borad, rather than what appears to be a passive posture from the previous board.
There is no question that Fletcher Allen's board was asleep at the switch with respect to Mr. Boettcher's failings and obfuscation of the facts concerning the Renaissance Project. Nevertheless, the best way out of this morass is the creation of a board that is dedicated, willing to work hard, ask the relevant questions and hold management accountable for not only results, but due process.
The other principal requirement is top management that knows their stuff, can be trusted (and tested in that trust by the relevant questions by the board and the regulators.
The primary goal, which Mr. Sanders ignores in his editorial, is to preserve the quality of health care for the institution that consumes 1/3 of the health care dollars and provides a similar proportion of excellent health care to all who seek it. That's what we must preserve.
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