The Observation Deck

Below is my request this morning to Council to take immediate action to stem the losses at Lakewood Hospital by changing failed leadership. I also attached and sent to Council Dr. Terry Kilroy's affidavit in the taxpayer lawsuit.

From: Brian Essi <bjessi@sbcglobal.net>
To: Mary Madigan <mary.madigan@lakewoodoh.net>; Tom Bullock <tom.bullock@lakewoodoh.net>
Cc: David Anderson <david.anderson@lakewoodoh.net>; Ryan Nowlin <ryan.nowlin@lakewoodoh.net>; Sam O'Leary <sam.oleary@lakewoodoh.net>; Cindy Marx <cindy.marx@lakewoodoh.net>; Shawn Juris <shawn.juris@lakewoodoh.net>; Mike Summers <mike.summers@lakewoodoh.net>; Kevin Butler <kevin.butler@lakewoodoh.net>; Mary Hagan <mary.hagan@lakewoodoh.net>
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2015 8:02 AM
Subject: Changing Leadership

Dear Councilmembers,

Attached is an Affidavit of Dr. Terry Kilroy filed this week in court proceedings that underscores the systematic transfer of healthcare services, equipment and personnel from Lakewood Hospital. It also includes the statement "the citizens of Lakewood daily are being irreparably harmed by the erosion of Lakewood Hospital." The LHA Board has failed in their oversight of hospital operations. Immediate change is needed and in my view Council cannot and should not wait for court proceedings to rescue the hospital from actors working against it. Courts generally move slowly, Council can act swiftly.

I reiterate my advice in my May 13, 2015 letter Council that a change in leadership at LHA is needed. Without good leadership, there can be no accountability. Without accountability, there can be no change.

I hereby request that you take the following actions as soon as possible:

1. Replace the two Ex-officio LHA members from Council.
2. Immediately move to fill the vacancy created by Joseph Gibbons' resignation in May.
3. Begin a search for candidates to replace all of Council's pick to the LHA Board.
4. Remove President Madigan and elect a new Council president.

After Monday's Council Meeting President Madigan confronted me concerning my posts on the Deck:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13529 As she requested, I told her I stood by everything I wrote and I stand by it here with all of you. In the course of that conversation, she brought up my deceased father and called me a coward and a bully. She expressly taunted me to engage in name calling. Her allegations matter not to me personally, but we cannot have a Council President who is so emotional, engages in personal attacks of concerned citizens, is defensive and is controlling the agenda at such a critical time in our City's healthcare history. While she will be gone from LHA and Council in 5 months, much irreparable damage is ongoing and 5 months ore of inaction and complicity are unacceptable.

I have conclusive evidence that Councilman Bullock has been misled by CCF/Lakewood Hospital administrators concerning the causes of the recent hospital losses. He repeated the bogus information at Monday's Meeting and at 2 prior MOWs where Mr. Gable was presenting. I am not suggesting at all that Councilman Bullock has been dishonest in believing what he has been told and reporting it to Council and the public. Nevertheless, I think it best that he step aside or be replaced as our LHA pick, lest he will be in the untenable position of defending prior actions and statements as an LHA trustee as the evidence becomes clear that he has been misled on such material matters critical to Council's deliberations.

As to the non ex-officio appointments, we need experienced independent doctors, healthcare lawyers and/or healthcare administrators as our Council representatives on LHA.

Please do not misconstrue my requests herein as a personal attack on either of our Ex-officio members of LHA or our other appointees to LHA. I mean all the best for our City and our hospital assets and operations. It is just common sense that when leadership has failed, it needs to been replaced with fresh fiduciaries.

Sincerely,

Brian J. Essi
Cell 216-346-3434

Mary Louise Madigan's comments to you are despicable. The terms coward and bully bring to mind Ms Madigan herself.

Excellent work.

I was at two council meetings where Ken Haber was speaking.

At the first meeting he was asked by a member of the audience about services transferred from Lakewood Hospital. He responded by saying he was unaware of any services transferred and someone should let him know if there were any!

At another meeting he responded to a question from Council woman Marx about the rehab unit moving out of Lakewood. He waived his hand in dismissal and stated that "it's still there". Misleading at best.

I emailed council a copy of the minutes of the LHA where discussions took place about the loss of the rehab unit and the resulting $1.4 million loss to the hospitals bottom line.

I have some sympathy for LHA members and the Council on this issue. The Cleveland Clinic has been completely dishonest in its dealings with the City and the Hospital. Remember all of the promises they made about the Vision for Tomorrow?

Mr. O'Brian, can you dig up that old post of my interview with Jack Gustin about the Vision for Tomorrow? I can't find it in the archives. As I recall I drank the Kool-Aid.

Anyway, the ENTIRE hospital board needs to be replaced.

Bill Call wrote:Excellent work.

I was at two council meetings where Ken Haber was speaking.

At the first meeting he was asked by a member of the audience about services transferred from Lakewood Hospital. He responded by saying he was unaware of any services transferred and someone should let him know if there were any!

At another meeting he responded to a question from Council woman Marx about the rehab unit moving out of Lakewood. He waived his hand in dismissal and stated that "it's still there". Misleading at best.

I emailed council a copy of the minutes of the LHA where discussions took place about the loss of the rehab unit and the resulting $1.4 million loss to the hospitals bottom line.

I have some sympathy for LHA members and the Council on this issue. The Cleveland Clinic has been completely dishonest in its dealings with the City and the Hospital. Remember all of the promises they made about the Vision for Tomorrow?

Mr. O'Brian, can you dig up that old post of my interview with Jack Gustin about the Vision for Tomorrow? I can't find it in the archives. As I recall I drank the Kool-Aid.

Anyway, the ENTIRE hospital board needs to be replaced.

Bill,

Funny how when someone touches on Ken Haber the room goes silent. Yet he is in the middle of the mix.

Corey