Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, March 15, 2011,
Item 4
Number 4 is to consider and take appropriate action to fill Travis County vacancy on central Texas -- central health care district board of managers.
I did ask ms. Fleming over lunch to give us a list of the current members and their backgrounds.
that was at our places after lunch.
and this vacancy is to fill dr. Flood's, right?
>> dr. Cooper?
>> dr. Patrick.
dr. Donald patrick.
>> this will be a four-year -- a full four-year term.
dr. Patrick's term did expire December 31st.
>> he's been in carryover since then.
>> yes, sir.
according to their bylaws he's been in carryover, yes.
>> last Thursday we did an interview with the six outstanding applicants and they were all good, I believe.
questions, comments?
>> no.
>> ms. Fleming, do you have any?
>> no, sir.
here at your disposal.
>> we did have Commissioner Eckhardt and Huber to do the bulk of the Commissioners' court's work when they short listed and conducted telephone interviews and then short list it further for us and the whole court interviewed all six of the short listed applicants.
so court members?
>> judge, I would move that we appoint rebecca lightsey.
>> okay.
motion to appoint miss lightsey.
I second that motion.
discussion?
>> I make a substitute motion of...
actually, I would prefer just to discuss that motion.
>> okay.
discussion on the motion?
>> one issue that came to light during the subcommittee's review of the applicants was a desire among the -- there was concern that there was diminishing representation from practicing physicians and rn's on the board.
with dr. Patrick's departure, there are no practicing physicians or rn's on the board any longer.
although dr. Coopwood remains on the board, he is retired and although katrina daniel is an rn, she is not in active practice either.
so as it stands, there are no practicing physicians or rn's on the board.
and we do have opportunity to remedy that, what appears to be a significant lack.
and although as I said at the end of the interviews last week, you could practically throw a dart and come up with an external applicant out of those who interviewed with us last week, including miss lightsey, who is mind blowing and has blown my mind for a number of years with her abilities.
we do have the opportunity in a number of practicing physicians and rn's that were also interviewed last week.
>> which ones of these are ours appointees?
>> our appointees are clark patrick, frank rodriguez --
>> actually, isn't it clark high drik, brenda and mr. Haley.
>> brenda coleman beatty and the vacancy is donald patrick.
>> and the rest of them are the city?
fz.
>> yes, the second page is the city and then there's the joint, which is mr. Haley.
>> well, I think that she brings the mental health background, which is important.
so the public interest background, which is important.
have done work with the col colonia.
farm workers.
I can say, though, that two of them I have known seems like forever.
I've known miss lightsey and had a chance to work with her when I worked for the Texas ag department.
I left there in '89.
so I have known her 25 years.
and ms. Hudson I've known since I began law school, which was shortly after john hille entered law school back in 19 -- pretty much 1970.
so I don't know that we can do wrong, but I think miss lightly would be an outstanding candidate for us also.
>> this won't be the last appointment we ever make to the health care district and I do think it's important that we -- that we show as much sal darety as we can -- solidarity as we can behind whatever applicant achieves this position.
but I would ask that we -- that we do consider -- if this motion is sustained, that we do consider a practicing physician or rn in our very next appointment, considering there is -- after dr. Patrick's departure, there is not a single practicing rn or physician on the board.
that is -- its mission is to provide health care services to the most vulnerable.
>> I don't really think you can do wrong with anybody who we appoint really.
we went through some pretty thorough -- all of them are good.
every last one of them.
you can toss a coin and whatever side -- you know, to each one of these and you couldn't go wrong.
I think all of them appear to be pretty dedicated to the volunteerism because this is a volunteer job, and appointment.
and goodness, it's going to take a lot of time to do a lot of these things.
I was impressed basically with everybody.
the mental health is a big issue in this county, but then there are others who had some quality of mental health, psychiatric type of involvement in this process.
and of course, it is a big challenge for us how we're going to address the mental health persons within Travis County, how can we do a better job.
I guess the board, hospital district would do a better job in dealing with that, and like I said, it doesn't bother me which way or another, but I think any of these candidates are very well qualified and I would like to thank them all as I did during the interview process, thank each and every damn one of them for wanting to participate in this.
and the only problem is we can only feel like one.
and so I would support whatever -- there's a motion on the floor and that seems a good qualified person.
I looked at all of them and I was very much impressed with this person.
she's been all over the place it looks like.
but at the end of the day the commitment toward board of mrpgz with the hospital -- managers with the hospital district is very critical in my mind and that's why I kept posing the question, that type of commitment and it just appears that all of them did reach that.
so you have to pick someone, and of course, I don't have any objection with this one, Commissioner.
>> I have no problem with your request.
in addition to that, my view would be that if there's another vacancy in the near future, and I would define that as kind of being two years or less, that rather than starting the process again, we contact these individuals and see if they're still interested.
and see if there's anything about their personal lives or professional lives has changed to render them unwilling or unable and use this list.
>> I think the one you had spoken about earlier, that earlier policy that -- ms. Fleming also brought item, the persons that apply for that, we keep that as part of the record as far as applications, looking at this new policy of how we appoint folks.
so this would fall right into this -- into that discussion that we had earlier as far as appointing both.
keep the application on file and never can tell what happened.
but of course, Commissioner, I recognize what you're saying also.
>> the health care district, in my view in the coming year, particularly during this legislative session, will be buffetted by a lot of big policy discussions, and while I do believe that it would be helpful to that discussion to have practicing physicians and rn's participating, of course it doesn't necessarily have to be actual board member.
there are board members who are not physicians or rns who have served valiantly and honorably.
and I credit the health care district board with being the least political and the most policy and procedurally oriented board.
they really have achieved so much in such a short time from a policy and procedural standpoint.
so I will support this motion with the request that we seriously consider a practicing physician or rn for our next appointment.
>> any more discussion?
>> I agree with you, Commissioner.
>> all in favor?
that motion carries by unanimous vote.
>> just for the record, your policy requires your appointment -- your procedure requires that your appointees file a financial disclosure.
so we will make notice to miss lightly that she has appointed and request that she file that as soon as possible with the clerk's office.
and I thank you very much.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
let us know if there are issues that we need to address, further issues regarding this, after you get that statement.
>> thank you.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, March, 2011 2:19 PM
