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The founder of the health care group known as Insight said it would keep the current Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital executive team and include community members on its board if his nonprofit were selected to take over ownership.
In a March 13 town hall meeting organized by Insight founder, Dr. Jawad Shah said the new ownership would have a 501(c)(3) structure and take “majority control” of the hospital.
“I’m very fond of them,” said Shah of the current Hazel Hawkins executives. “I think they know what they’re doing and they will continue,” Shah said.
A sale of the hospital requires the approval of the San Benito Health Care District Board of Trustees and San Benito County voters. The other organizations that have submitted proposals to the district to buy or operate the hospital include San Benito County, American Advanced Management and San Benito Health Alliance-Ovation Collaborative.
Shah told the gathering that the San Benito Health Care District Board of Trustees, which is elected and governs the hospital, would be replaced.
“We’ve seen it work best when there’s a mixture of Insight core people with the community,” he said. With at least three board members, Shah said the community should be represented so “they can see what’s happening.”
He told BenitoLink Insight, which according to its website is a charitable, religious nonprofit based “upon universal Islamic teachings that are inclusive, respectful, and inviting of all faiths and non-faith communities,” would choose members of the community to be on the board.
At the town hall, Shah said the hospital’s current staff and physicians would also remain, but if there were “problematic staff or problematic issues” the decisions would be in “the hands of the executive team.”
“Overall, we have no intention of disrupting staff.”
As for hospital staff represented by labor unions, Shah said unions play an important role in protecting staff from employers. He said Insight was “comfortable” with unions.
He also said, “The unions and staff have to understand the significant pressures on the hospital.
“So, the unions and the administration, physicians, nurses, everybody, they have to come together and everyone has to give up a little something to allow us to really survive,” he said.
However, registered nurse and member of the California Nurses Association Sonia Duran told BenitoLink she was concerned about Shah’s message regarding unions because it was not what he had told the hospital’s staff.
She said that during a meeting with Shah and Hazel Hawkins staff earlier in the day, Shah said unions were problematic.
Shah told BenitoLink later that it was a misunderstanding.
“I’m very happy with unions,” Shah said March 14. Shah said unions are important and play a critical role in the workforce.”
Shah opened the 90-minute session with a presentation on Insight, which was founded in 2008 in Flint, Michigan. He said Insight has grown to over 1,200 employees and 13 hospitals and health centers including Flint Medical-Psychiatric Specialty Hospital in Michigan, Insight Keokuk Area Hospital in Iowa and SBEV Chicago in Illinois.
“One of the reasons that we’re here in California is because we see an opportunity,” Shah said. “There has been a large opportunity for us as an organization to come to a beautiful community and get involved in Hazel Hawkins.”
The meeting was well attended, filling about half the seats inside the S.D.E.S. Portuguese Hall. Hospital staff, its board of directors, executive officers and residents were in attendance.
Gary Byrne, president and chief executive officer of the Community Foundation for San Benito County, facilitated the town hall and asked his own questions combined with questions he received from community members prior to the event.
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