Despite being a public body supported by taxpayer dollars, Estes Park Health and its elected board of directors have not provided the public with any relevant information about what has come to be called an “affiliation.”
No doubt any such “affiliation” would involve a larger healthcare institution controlling the decision making of EPH through a joint venture or management agreement.
What would that mean?
Since May 2023 when the voters gave the EPH board the go-ahead to negotiate an “affiliation, the board has kept the public guessing by using the excuse of “non-disclosure agreements” to justify its silence.
At the EPH July board meeting, the CEO and the board president teased that a letter of intent about an “affiliation” possibly might be made public at the August meeting.
It has been nearly two months since that meeting.
The community has a right to know how much autonomy would be relinquished by EPH prior to it entering into any such agreement.
And while the EPH board may not be able to tell us who they are talking with, they surely could indicate how many healthcare organizations have been solicited to affiliate with EPH, and how many have expressed a continuing interest in doing so.
The length of time that has passed—17 months—since the ballot question authorizing an acquisition, or a sale, or an “affiliation” without producing a letter of intent suggests that there may not be any other organization seriously interested in affiliating with EPH.
In addition, in the past week, the community has learned why so many of the EPH board agendas have indicated that an executive session was being held to discuss the Estes Park Health Foundation. The email from the EPH CEO to the president of the Foundation, and the email from the Foundation’s president to the EPH board citing discrimination and a hostile work environment illustrates clearly the disfunction occurring at EPH.
Interestingly, the correspondence by the hospital’s CEO to the president of the Foundation was actually written by the EPH chair David Batey according to the metadata on the missive sent by EPH CEO Vern Carda to Kevin Mullin, the president of the Foundation.
Further the action of clearing out the Foundation president’s office and barring him from EPH’s premises goes beyond the realm of reasonable administration. It smacks of a sense of desperation.
This behavior of the EPH CEO supports and confirms the reports of employees who have come forward to complain about a toxic, dysfunctional, and vindictive work environment at EPH.
At the August board meeting of EPH, members of the public confronted the board and management with the need to perform regular employee satisfaction surveys, exit interviews, and exit surveys.
The CEO of EPH had the audacity to suggest that such surveys were not useful, and he exaggerated the cost of such surveys, which are routine best-practices at most businesses the size of EPH.
While EPH may be exempt from submitting to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services a “community survey,” there is no reason that EPH’s board of directors could not authorize such a survey anyway if it cared about what the public thinks.
One cannot help but think of the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil monkeys.
It is also difficult to accept that there are not severe financial issues with the EPH that could endanger its long-term success.
EPH boasts of the number of days of cash on hand—about four months—to show the strength of the organization.
That metric may tell you about the liquidity and short-term viability of EPH, but it tells you nothing about its long-term viability. Pointing to four months of cash on hand is a distraction in the hopes that it diverts public attention from the more relevant metrics. We need to look at operating results to judge long-term stability.
The hospital financial statements for the six-month period ending June 30, 2024, showed a year-to-date operating loss of over $3 million. Even after considering other sources of revenue such as tax receipts, the loss for the six-month period was more than $1 million.
This follows operating losses of more than $10 million in 2022 and $6 million in 2023. Based on the six-month results reported, it does not appear that EPH is on a path to long-term financial stability.
EPH is a public hospital supported by nearly $3.5 million of annual tax revenues from property owners within the Park Hospital District. We deserve better—in terms of transparency, disclosure, and administration.
No business survives with a toxic work environment and recurring operating losses, and defending the indefensible does not change any of this.
The Foundation’s hard-earned assets were acquired over many years for the purpose of funding specific capital projects in support of EPH. The assets were not donated through fundraisers and bequeathed from estates to be used as a slush fund to cover operating losses.
As a separate, independent 501(c)3, the Foundation is not controlled by the EPH board and any attempt by the EPH board to bully the Foundation’s president and its board in an effort to take control of the assets in the Foundation’s treasury would be like killing the golden goose.
In the end, this will not end well for EPH, the Foundation, or the community.
Truth always wins…
This commentary is spot on. This community owes a huge debt to the EVV for it’s tenacious and accurate reporting about enormous problems at arguably, the most important institution in Estes Park. Unfortunately, the workers and patients at EPH have been victimized by an administration whose malevolence is magnified by its incompetence. The EPH BOD has, through ignorance or stupidity, enabled this maladministration and is equally at fault. Regardless of any potential pending “affiliation”, the CEO and CNO should be dismissed now. As a community, we deserve better and we could not possibly do worse.
How does the EPH Health CEO keep his job with continuing employee dissatisfaction and loss, lack of transparency, refusal to allow employee and patient satisfaction surveys, squabbles with the EP foundation that are unprofessional and most disturbing? EP Health is an institution that has immeasurable value to our community. It seems as though it is on a downward slide.
Excellent article that describes an environment long in the making. Who wants to go to a hospital where there is a toxic work environment? I fully support Kevin Mullin and all he has done for EPH throughout the years. I am very sad to see him treated so badly – that’s not just killing the golden goose but stomping it to bits.
Mr. Mullin is professional and a talented man; whom we need to keep. I am sorry you have been dealing with this in silence.
I also support Kevin Mullin!!
We need a hospital to stay viable as a mountain Town. Thank you Estes Valley Voice for your article. Sadly history shows EPH Board does not respond to social media posts nor even print media. Taxpayers may be the only stakeholders now–and this status should be leveraged to the max! Rural hospitals are already struggling fiscally. Transparency is not needed. The ballot measure passed is not inclusive of back room deals. Residents are going to have to review Special Election Rules and Mill Levy issues.
Looks like the Estes Park Health Foundation board members that support using Foundation funds to exhaust Estes Park Health debts are 100% violating their obligations of duty of loyalty, duty of care, and duty of obedience. WHICH IS THEIR LEGAL OBLIGATION!!! Someone call AG Weisner….
We lost our nursing home, maternity services, home healthcare and hospice. This resulted in losing local and seasonal community members. The greedy and fearful practices being unleashed on our good people will continue to change the demographics of our town to a detrimental end. Estes Park Health has broken up families and career’s. The untruth of 100% investigations by, HR further soiled peoples-good name. Perhaps this last point is due to the lack of knowledge, yet that’s an unfortunate reason because it’s a fraudulent claim. All investigations include a question and answer with the accused party; while considering disciplinary action. Those taking action on false claims are being unduly, used to follow through with illegal terminations and cancelling their own good standing. To all I say, stand up and do what is right. Unfairly, terminated or threatened employees please remind youself that you are worthy of employment elsewhere.
I was given inside advice that if one files a complaint with the EEOC lawyers will dig deep into your life to spin and unravel your character. However, the Colorado Attorney General needs to be brought into our towns services, so an unbiased and transparent investigation is done. Email, cora.request@coag.gov, or, 970-498-7200 for Gordon P. McLaughlin. He is the district attorney for the eighth judicial district of Colorado. Or, Phil Weiser the Colorado Attorney General for all 22 districts: 720-508-6000
Estes Park is a feeding ground to greedy, spirited people. Not enough of us take a stand against evil for fear of being targeted, and we are targeted. I’ve seen people eat their own to retain their job and that is indicative of a toxic environment.
Let us stop EPH from further amputation of the golden goose while we still have a chance. We can manage this peacefully, or we can watch our town continue to crumble.
David – If you see this comment, please remember you used the scientific method in your prior career endeavors. Use it again. All evidence from both internal and external stakeholders keep clearly indicating its time to let Vern go, yet you refuse to acknowledge the data. Letting Kevin go because he didn’t provide an illegal slush fund is another whopper of evidence that Vern has no idea what hes doing and is beyond unethical. How on Earth ware we supposed to believe any of the Hospital’s financial records now after uncovering Vern’s shady intentions? Hospitals we given record funding during Covid and EPH STILL had an operating loss of 10M in ’22. Who knows how bad the actual number was now that we know the CEO is willing to use slush funds. Likewise, EPH has cut huge operations within the Hospital and EPH was still in the red 6M last year. Currently we are in the red 3.5 going into the slow winter season… this very feasibly could be another 6M operating loss year. How then if EPH is cutting services, is it still on pace to have the same operating loss as last year when it had those services???? The cherry on top of all this is EPHs revolving door of CFOs. Something obviously is wrong here and it is getting harder and harder for EPH to hide. David, do your duty and get both a financial audit and social whistleblower investigation taken care of by a 3rd party and published to the public or step down.
I would say it’s more than Vern that needs to be let go. C’mon David, do what is right. Dig deep and put your integrity high.
Bravo to the Estes Valley Voice for your persistent and excellent reporting on this topic. During my career, I have been involved in decision making about how and when to share information with the public pertaining to hospital affiliations, partnerships, and mergers. The goal was always to be as transparent as possible with community members, knowing that continuity of care, jobs, career paths and other key issues were at stake. When you see Estes Park Health being secretive over and over again, it communicates that there must be something they need to hide. It’s shameful and possibly corrupt/fraudulent behavior.
I hate to bring political reference in this but its the most apt comparison.
CEO comes in by conning that he is charming; immediately hires an unqualified CNO and personal friend in HR to shield him. Same playbook; CEO does everything in secret, has absolutely NO IDEA what he is talking about [Please watch the Board meetings published online – he speaks in the most vague manner possible because he is all smoke and mirrors. Every single time he speaks its just madlibs over generic business phrases – were tired of him “touching base” and “optimizing synergy”], apparently does not ever use email (… in any other job in the world this would be a terminable offense and it screams hes either lazy or is shady and doesn’t want a paper trail), and his only reaction ever is fear for calling him on his BS and anger to keep all naysayers in compliance.
The situation beyond ludicrous – seems like he packed the court (Board) too. Estes Park is a worse place to live because of this unqualified and uncaring clown show.
Everyone needs to go to the district hospital meeting Wednesday September 25 at 5:30 pm at town hall. The higher ups need to hear our voices.
Please plan to attend the Estes Park Health Board Meeting on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 5:30pm at the Estes Park Town Hall. (Enter through the Police Department door.) A petition will be available prior to the meeting for your personal signature to support Kevin Mullin. Or if you are unable to attend the EHP Board meeting in person, please go to eph.org, then click on “board” then “meeting information.” You can then register to attend a Zoom meeting. You can still sign a petition by going to the following url:
https://www.change.org/ShowSupportForKevinMullin
Thank-you for helping us show Kevin that we support him and letting both Boards know how we feel about this dire situation. And please bring all your friends that can come!
Concerned supporters,
Tara Moenning
Gail Cozette
I recently spoke with two board members who said they were unaware of this whole situation until it was reported in the news. Whether that’s true or not, they are now fully informed and have a responsibility to act. It’s time for Vern Carda to go. If the board refuses to take action, then it’s time for them to be held accountable too. We cannot allow this behavior to continue—EPH has already lost too many talented leaders, doctors, and nurses. Be sure to attend the EPH board meeting Wednesday evening at Town Hall, 530PM.
This flat out is not true. Ask about the 2022 supervisor meeting where Vern started screaming (literally screaming) at the everyone in the room because they had the audacity to be upset that he was skipping every meeting that Batey was not in. No one that was in that room will ever forget that. Employees were crying in the clinic afterword.