[Vision2020] Gritman aims to oust Swanson

[Darrell Keim]

I saw that.  Was surprised, too say the least, since the rule seemed to
apply to all size contracts.  I've seen thqt with a maximum $ amount
allowed.

On Mon, Jul 3, 2017 at 1:08 PM, CJ's Night Club <cjsnightclub at cableone.net>
wrote:

> Saundra - did you say you read in the paper Grittman conducts business
> without having any bids? Aren't they a non profit? What is the board voting
> on? One contract and no bids?
>
> Phil
>
> ------------------------------
> *From: *"Saundra Lund" <v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm>
> *To: *"Darrell Keim" <keim153 at gmail.com>, "Rose Huskey" <
> rosejhuskey at gmail.com>
> *Cc: *"Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> *Sent: *Monday, July 3, 2017 12:57:05 PM
>
> *Subject: *Re: [Vision2020] Gritman aims to oust Swanson
>
> Interesting discussion, but I’m more than a little confused.  My confusion
> is likely to remain since all of us seem to only know what we’ve read in
> the paper, but maybe someone can help me be less confused  J
>
>
>
> First, I didn’t think BJ Swanson decided to “go public” or “throw down the
> gauntlet” – my understanding from the reporting was that someone on the
> board other than Ms. Swanson gave her private (to board members only?)
> email to the newspaper.  What I recall is that Ms. Swanson originally only
> confirmed that the email was accurate and refused to comment.  It was the
> board – or certain board members – who were very eager to go public, yes?
>
>
>
> Second, before this whole thing happened in public, I recall reading a
> brief newspaper article about the board election – maybe that was in late
> May/early June?  That made my eyebrows go up because there was something
> irregular about the election, and *if* the process is flawed, the outcome
> is suspect, it seems to me.  There was subsequently a letter to the editor
> from Sharon Harris that detailed those irregularities, which was stunning –
> and disappointing – to me even without the conflict of interests by the
> board chair, no-bid contracts, and all the rest.
>
>
>
> Not being one to rush to judgment with nothing more than what’s been in
> the newspaper, I’d been waiting for Gritman to address the stunning
> election irregularities, but with today’s article, it seems clear that’s
> not going to happen.  Because the election process *was* flawed, the
> outcome *is* suspect, and neither “getting rid” of Ms. Swanson nor Ms.
> Swanson’s resignation is going to fix that.
>
>
>
> I’m a stickler for process & rules being followed, and the Gritman Board’s
> decision to just ignore the big ol’ elephant in the Board room – the flawed
> election process -- is deeply disappointing & inexplicable to me as well as
> others I’ve chatted with.  Gritman is going to have to work very hard to
> get my confidence in the administration of our community hospital back,
> something the current Board seems uninterested in doing and instead seems
> to want to serve up a sacrificial lamb rather than address the flippin’
> flawed election process.  I can’t trust the process *or* a Board that
> allows an election with such significant irregularities to stand, and this
> makes me sad.
>
>
>
>
>
> Saundra Lund
>
> Moscow, ID
>
>
>
> Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
>
> ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@
> moscow.com] *On Behalf Of *Darrell Keim
> *Sent:* Monday, July 3, 2017 10:50 AM
> *To:* Rose Huskey <rosejhuskey at gmail.com>
> *Cc:* Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] Gritman aims to oust Swanson
>
>
>
> Rose:
>
>
>
> You should-in no way-be reading into this me taking any position on the
> charges BJ has made.  I am not expressing an opinion for or against the
> stand she has taken.  I don't have the facts other than those in the paper,
> and all the bard members I know appear to be fine, upstanding, dutiful
> people.
>
>
>
> BJ may be a board member gone rogue when dissatisfied with board
> behaviors, or a courageous whistleblower.  I don't know.
>
>
>
> I write to simply point out that stepping outside the board is likely to
> result in the actions currently being considered by the Gritman board.  In
> my experience with boards of directors, members have a responsibility
> towards integrity, organization image, and finances.  I expect this of my
> board members, and know Gritman has similar standards.  BJ has obviously
> weighed responsibilities and found she must take a public stance.  She has
> thrown down the gauntlet, and now the board must also weigh its knowledge
> and decide what it believes.
>
>
>
> As we all know, whistleblowers frequently pay the same price as board
> members gone rogue.
>
>
>
> I do appreciate your kind words towards myself.  Thank you!
>
>
>
> Yours Truly,
>
>
>
> Darrell
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 3, 2017 at 10:25 AM, Rose Huskey <rosejhuskey at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Darrell, I appreciate your tireless contributions to the community and the
> support you have organized and provided for many folks who have been
> marginalized but I respectfully disagree with your conclusions.  It is
> courageous and honorable when organizations goes awry, particularly  when
> the leadership is involved and profits financially  from self-serving
> behavior that the public is alerted.  Surely you do not wish this unsavory
> and reckless behavior to remain hidden.   Silence is assent – is that
> preferable to shining the light of day on this conduct.  Ignoring or
> covering up malfeasance has a long and disgusting history in this county.
> It is a practice that promotes and protects corruption.  You would not
> tolerate it in your organization and the community shouldn’t tolerate from
> the Gritman Board.
>
> Rose Huskey
>
>
>
> *From:* vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@
> moscow.com] *On Behalf Of *Darrell Keim
> *Sent:* Monday, July 3, 2017 9:18 AM
> *To:* Moscow Cares
> *Cc:* Moscow Vision 2020
> *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] Gritman aims to oust Swanson
>
>
>
> Not surprising.  I'm not passing judgement on her claims RE Gritman.
> Right or wrong, she took issues outside of the board and has caused Gritman
> to lose face in the community.  It was nearly inevitable they
> would consider censure.
>
>
>
> I wish all parties the best as they move forward maintaining Gritman as a
> healthy and vital community resource.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 3, 2017 at 12:45 AM, Moscow Cares <moscowcares at moscow.com>
> wrote:
>
> Courtesy of today's (July 3, 2017) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
>
>
> Gritman aims to oust SwansonLongtime board chair planning to resign first
>
>
>
> Kara Besst, Gritman Medical Center CEO, has called a private meeting of
> the 40-member general board of the community nonprofit and is asking them
> to remove former board chair BJ Swanson from all her board positions.
>
>
>
> Swanson was board chair for about 16 years, before being replaced last
> year by Greg Kimberling. She has been critical of the way he has been
> handling two major conflicts of interest after taking over the chair.
> Recently, she was also removed as an officer of the 10-member board of
> directors.
>
>
>
> Kimberling is the broker for Gritman's hazard insurance policies, and his
> sister owns Sprenger Construction Inc., the hospital's favored contractor
> for several years.
>
>
>
> Besst's email - calling the meeting for 5:30 p.m. July 12 at Gritman - was
> sent Friday evening.
>
>
>
> Swanson said Sunday by email that she was writing her resignation from the
> board.
>
>
>
> "I can't compete with the money and expensive attorneys hired by Gritman
> and am working on my letter of resignation," she wrote in an email to a
> general board member Sunday morning. "I no longer want to be associated
> with the Gritman Board and Administration's raping of the community to
> enrich just a few individuals."
>
>
>
> "The request is following allegations by BJ Swanson against Mr.
> Kimberling," Besst wrote Friday. "The Board has investigated the
> allegations on several occasions and, each time, has concluded that the
> allegations are unwarranted.
>
>
>
> "Instead of accepting the Board's decisions, Ms. Swanson chose to publicly
> disparage Chair Kimberling, the Gritman Board, and Gritman Leadership, and,
> in the process, has undermined the public's trust and confidence in GMC."
>
>
>
> Some members of the 10-person board of directors listened to both Swanson
> and Kimberling state their positions at a meeting Tuesday, Besst said. Then
> all those present voted to support Kimberling. Besst's email did not say
> they had voted to remove Swanson.
>
>
>
> A general board member who asked not to be named questioned whether the
> general board had any authority under its by-laws to remove a member of the
> board of directors.
>
>
>
> Another general board member reacted strongly Saturday evening. Sharon
> Harris of Kendrick has been a critic of the way Greg Mann, another
> Kimberling critic, was removed from the board of directors recently in
> favor of Steve Busch, who had not previously been associated with Gritman.
>
>
>
> "Should we not address my concern over the way the last election was held
> before we stack another election on top of an invalid one?" she emailed
> general board members.
>
>
>
> "Come on, fellow board members, how can you keep sweeping things under the
> rug? How long before the public notices that there is a lot of stuff under
> the rug and it is bulging?"
>
>
>
> She called for the meeting on July 12 to be public since Gritman is a
> community nonprofit.
>
>
>
> "I am sure I will be the next target, since anyone who challenges your
> actions is removed," she wrote, addressing Besst.
>
>
>
> "As you are no doubt aware, Gritman Medical Center, Inc. ("GMC") has been
> the subject of several articles in the local media," Besst wrote in the
> initial email to general board members. The meeting would, she wrote,
> "address the misperceptions and correct the record and answer any questions
> that General Members may have."
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
>
> Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .
>
>
>
> "Moscow Cares"
>
> http://www.MoscowCares.com <http://www.moscowcares.com/>
>
>
>
> Tom Hansen
>
> Moscow, Idaho
>
>
>
>
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