By a 4-1 vote, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. board adopted yesterday a vote of \u201cno confidence\u201d against CEO Esther L. Mu\u00f1a for her alleged continued failure to respond to requests for documents and information vital to the decision-making process of the healthcare agency.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a got the vote of no-confidence from board chair Joaquin Torres, vice chair Pedro Dela Cruz, and trustees Roy Rios and Philip Mendiola-Long. Voting against the motion was trustee Tony Raho, who participated via teleconference. The board being advisory only, the resolution has no legal force or effect.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a, along with acting CFO Cora Ada and Medical Affairs director Dr. Sherleen Osman, once again opted not to attend the meeting yesterday. No designee was provided as requested by the board yesterday, prompting the board to defer several items on the agenda.<\/p>\n
The no-confidence vote made it to the agenda yesterday after trustees agreed to amend the agenda and included the item under new business. <\/p>\n
Mendiola-Long said his no-confidence vote is a result of the \u201cfailures\u201d that the CEO had demonstrated in key areas and not a personal attack on Mu\u00f1a\u2019s character, nor was it an \u201cI feel pissed\u201d reaction to her absence at the last two board meetings. He said it is strictly about the \u201cmanagement and professionalism\u201d shown by the CEO.<\/p>\n
Trustees said the no-confidence vote should serve as a \u201cwarning\u201d for Mu\u00f1a to regain their lost confidence. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt least, at this point in time, the board made her understand that we\u2019re not comfortable with the status quo, we\u2019re not comfortable with continuing to receive no response or answer [from her],\u201d Mendiola-Long said.<\/p>\n
Does Mu\u00f1a have the ability to perform as CEO? \u201cThat is the question we have today,\u201d Mendiola-Long said. \u201cThe confidence is no longer there because that \u2018ability\u2019 is not showing through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Topping Mendiola-Long\u2019s list of Mu\u00f1a\u2019s 10 failures are the lack of a plan on the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. issue. CUC had threatened to disconnect the hospital\u2019s non-essential services if the CHCC fails to pay its monthly bill in full by June 30. The hospital\u2019s average monthly power consumption is $539,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an issue that is severe, that puts the lives of our patients in immediate jeopardy and also on [Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services] compliance issues as well as public health grant issues. Understanding that there may be other issues the CEO and her staff are working on which are also important, I would have hoped the CEO will recognize how important is the issue with CUC and entertain us to walk through the plan and how we can help,\u201d Mendiola-Long said.<\/p>\n
Also of extreme concern is the lack of cash flow report and organization planning, which he tied in to the Marianas Public Land Trust line of credit. Drawdown of the MPLT funds hinges on the hiring of a permanent CFO, which has been vacant for two years.<\/p>\n
From his initial viewing of current CHCC cash flow, Mendiola-Long said that CHCC is faced with the possibility of not meeting payroll.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no problem going before the Legislature and the governor [to ask for money]. However, we need something [to show them], a plan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also questioned the lack of report on the payment settlement with CMS pertaining to prior year reimbursement amounting to approximately $800,000. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were assured that this is coming through\u2026but up until today, it\u2019s not coming through. There was no explanation to the board on what\u2019s the problem with the delay,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Without this expected \u201csettlement funds\u201d from CMS and the unavailability of the MPLT line of credit, cash flow is expected to be impacted.<\/p>\n
Accrual of a significant amount of overtime costs in many departments was also a concern as well as updates on recruitment for vital positions like nurses.<\/p>\n
Mendiola-Long also scored Mu\u00f1a\u2019s failure to account for what is happening with the collection agency it contracted in Guam. He said no reports were provided to the board despite requests.<\/p>\n
Also cited was the lack of report or action on the board resolution about credentialing staff.<\/p>\n
In failing to provide at least one of the 10 reports being requested by the board, Mendiola-Long said: \u201cIt makes me think that this is either inefficient or incapability or just not respecting the authority of the board.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vice chair Dela Cruz and Rios echoed Mendiola-Long\u2019s sentiments and expressed hope that Mu\u00f1a will now start working with the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason I moved the board to adopt the no-confidence vote is to [make it] serve as a warning\u2026that we mean business here,\u201d said Dela Cruz.<\/p>\n
Raho said he cannot support the no-confidence vote as he recognized the valuable work Mu\u00f1a is doing for the organization. Instead of the vote of no-confidence, he tried to persuade colleagues to wait for the CEO\u2019s evaluation and from there a decision can be made.<\/p>\n
Raho also pointed out that, as an advisory body, the board cannot force the CEO to take its advice if she doesn\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n
The vote of no-confidence, he added, will also send the wrong message to federal partners. He asked for a contingency plan in the event something comes up and the CEO position becomes vacant.<\/p>\n
After the vote, Mendiola-Long later asked for the board to contact recruitment firms to come up with a pool of candidates in the event the CEO position suddenly becomes vacant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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