Hospital criticism
To the Editor:
In regard to Weston County Hospital:
Why would the Weston County Hospital Board spend any more Weston County taxpayer dollars in an attempt to portray the 2024 hospital operation as anything other than what it has been clearly shown to be?
The hospital operation was turned over to either dishonest or incompetent individuals, who proceeded to dismantle a functioning hospital and nursing home while fraudulently expending funds for their own and associates benefit.
The existing board chose to sever these individuals’ contracts, continue paying them for a period of time, and then provide them severance packages, end of story.
The money is gone, the people responsible are gone, and no further attempt to reconcile irreconcilable books will benefit Weston County either through recovery of funds or providing health care for its residents.
Is it the responsibility of the Hospital Board to satisfy outside mandates or run a hospital?
Weston County is not big enough or wealthy enough to run a hospital and nursing home according to all of these outside mandates.
We need to come up with a board willing to accept the responsibility of running the hospital according to the charter of board responsibilities, without hiding behind legal council. Adhering to the board charter should be protection enough to stay within legal constraints — and, if not, the board charter needs to be revised.
We need to come up with a system whereby tax revenue intended for health care is spent providing health care, as opposed to satisfying outside mandates and excessive administration.
— Jack Highfill