Audit, election addressed by healthcare district

The Fallbrook Healthcare District Board of Directors met September 10 to discuss the outcome of the fiscal year audit, the upcoming election and other topics concerning the Healthcare District.

At the meeting, Ken Pun, a CPA with Caporicci & Larson, reported that after going over Fallbrook Healthcare District's book of accounting records for two years, he found no discrepancies or fraudulent activities in the transactions made by the board.

As a public agency, Fallbrook Healthcare District is required by law to be audited every year by an independent contractor. According to healthcare district administrator Vi Dupre, the district has received good readings from auditors for several years. She stated that it is “reassuring” to know that the board's practices and investments and responsible managing of assets are on target.

With the current economic status, California's state healthcare budget has been cut back dramatically. Even though most special healthcare districts like Fallbrook's have generally not been affected by the cut in the state's healthcare budget, the board is “very watchful of where the funds go” but is still trying to find programs that will better the healthcare offerings in the community.

Dupre mentioned that because the board of directors has operated the healthcare district well and been meticulous in its finances, there has been a lack of interested candidates to fill two of the five board director positions that will open up at the end of the year.

If there are no eligible candidates for election, the existing board of directors will make recommendations of candidates to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who will ultimately make the selections to fill the board seats.

According to the health district's Web site, the board of directors “manages the Healthcare District's tax revenues and the other assets of the districts in a trustworthy, professional and prudent manner,” which includes long-range planning to manage the grant programs designed to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for all residents of the community. It also makes positive contributions toward solutions to the healthcare needs that exist in our community.

Several people have obtained information about the board positions and have said they would be interested in being recommended by the board for appointment.

This is the second election that a board director position has been open without enough candidates showing interest in the position. In the first instance, after a recommendation by the board, the county board of supervisors appointed Hollis Moyse to the open director's position.

In order to be considered for the position of director, Dupre says an applicant should be a resident who is able to show a commitment to the community of Fallbrook and have concern for the community's healthcare concerns, such as elderly care, teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse and the hospital's conditions.

And while a qualified applicant does not need to have a medical background to be considered, an applicant with a strong business background would be a preferred candidate, as “healthcare, as is everything else, is a business,” remarked Dupre, who feels that a good candidate should bring some level of business expertise to the healthcare district.

The board of directors will interview interested applicants during the general meeting in October. In order to be considered, applicants need to submit a letter of interest in the position and be living within the Fallbrook Healthcare District's jurisdiction.

Editor's Note: In the first printing of this story (in the September 18, 2008 edition of the Village News), errors were made. This is a corrected version of the story and the Village News regrets any inconveniences caused.