Thomason Clears Up More Children’s Hospital Issues

EL PASO, TX – Dennece Knight, Director of the Thomason Health Foundation,cleared upsome important questions about the proposed children’s hospital.

One of the most important questions regarding the hospital is if the taxpayer community will have any control over the hospital after it goes into operation. “The community input is really based in how the governance is set-up – it’s an open medical model,” said Knight.

According to her, this means that community input will only be indirect because several board members will be appointed by elected government bodies. The rest will be appointed by the medical community, she added.

In regards to the board, Knight says meetings of the Governing Authority will not be subject to the “Open Meetings Act.” Although Thomason Board Meetings are open to the public, there will be no guarantee the children’s hospital board meetings will be open.

Another key issue is if taxpayers – by way of Thomason – will have to pay more money to operate the hospital. Thomason has already spent $30-million to recruit specialists for the hospital and will require additional taxpayer funding to run the hospital, according to Knight.

“Because of the funding resources, the only tax dollars that would come to the children’s hospital are those that would go to Thomason for children’s care,” said Knight, “they’d just be moved around.”

Knight also clarified the hospital will treat children from Mexico and their will be no citizenship checks prior to treatment. “Through emergency care, we are required by law to provide care.”

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Compiled, written and reported for broadcast by Martin Bartlett

Written for the web by Joe Villasana