Political opponents align at news conference about Children’s Hospital
Saturday, political opponents of congressional candidate Veronica Escobar held a meeting to reveal concerns about Children’s Hospital.
Those who organized the meeting said the hospital is facing serious financial issues, but with elections only two days away, others say the meeting is a political attack against Escobar.
The meeting was led by bankruptcy attorney Andy Krafsur along with a panel of speakers that included Democratic congressional candidates Norma Chavez and Dori Fenenbock.
“We’re here because we care very much about our Children’s Hospital, we care deeply about children’s healthcare,” Fenenbock said.
“My greatest concern is that the Children’s Hospital and University Medical Center is quickly going on debt row,” Chavez said.
Less than two weeks ago Children’s Hospital CEO Cindy Stout revealed the hospital lost nearly $4 million in the last quarter and it still owes UMC $48 million.
Alia Ureste, a Republican congressional candidate, said there needs to be more transparency when it comes to the hospitals finances.
“The hospitals financials are reported monthly at UMC board meetings and they are reported quarterly at commissioners court meetings,” Escobar said.
Escobar said the news conference, held two days before elections, was a smear campaign by her opponents.
“It’s obviously a last-ditch effort to try to malign good work, and try to drag the Children’s Hospital into their mudslinging,” Escobar said.
Fenenbock and Chavez are running against each other and against Escobar, so ABC-7 asked about the unusual alignment.
“There’s no alignment here other than community leaders who care about transparency, care about solving the problems at the Children’s Hospital and bringing our community into the conversation about how we can solve it together,” Fenebock said.
Escobar said in the past Chavez has publicly called the hospital a failure.
“I would challenge that candidate to look into the eyes of the children who’s lives were saved there and tell them it was a failure,” Escobar said.
