To the editor:

Based on my review and research of the Lee Health Conversion Proposal, I believe that the said proposal will be detrimental to the citizens of Lee County.

I filed the following notice of objections to our duly elected Lee County Board of County Commissioners regarding the conversion plan from a public hospital to a non for profit private hospital.

My objections:

The citizens of Lee County will no longer be the primary stakeholders and shareholders of Lee Health per Florida statutes and its charter which has been the case since 1968.

The citizens of Lee County will not be allowed to vote for board members to represent the public interest versus private generated agendas and initiatives.

Lee citizens will be barred from governance per the Sunshine Amendment (FS 112, 119), there will be no requirement for advertised meetings/agendas and or open meetings/public comments, no financial disclosure of board members will be required nor will citizens be able to make public records requests which holds Lee Health to be transparent, accountable and responsible as to their organization and operations.

I find it disingenuous and objectionable that Lee Health’s primary reasons for wanting to convert rests on fiction rather than facts. Lee Health falsely claims that conversion will allow them to expand their market share outside the county.

Fact: Lee Health is currently providing health and rehabilitative services in Charlotte, Collier and Hendry counties.

Lee Health purports that conversion will enable them to increase their profit margin.

Fact: Lee Health’s profit margin as a public hospital is recognized as being healthy and is run effectively and efficiently by U.S. News & World Report. Lee Health recently received by the governor the Sterling Award for Best in its Organization and Operations and sustainable service to its community.

Lee Health bemoans as fact that not going private hinders its recruitment efforts.

Fact: According to Lee Health’s consulting firm Kaufman, it states in its report on page 54, by going private will hinder recruiting efforts. Note, because of the loss of sovereign immunity per Lee Health’s conversion plan it will undoubtedly cause increased malpractice insurance costs that will result in a rise in patient costs.

Lee Health introduced a new funding plan called the Lee County Local Participation Fund (LCLPF) at the county commission meeting on July 30. LeeHealth never brought up the LCLPF in their public hearings/final vote, nor in their submitted and draft Proposal Covenant Documents.

The purpose of the LeeHealth’s plan, according to physician Dr. Raymond Kordonowy, is “basically a work around to reclaim federal dollars that that will be allowed to disband its public district charter.”

The bottom line is that LeeHealth’s plan has saddled and burdened the county commissioners with another task.

This new task is that the commission must come to terms with them; reviewing and considering how to keep their promise to provide “in perpetuity a safety net for the public,” according to Kordonowy.

It is evident that the commission “is now being instructed to start collecting levies from health care providers,” according to Kordonowy. Does collecting levies mean taxes, fees, charges?

It should be noted that the legality of the Lee County Local Participation Fund is now being reviewed by the federal Office of the Inspector General.

The county commissioners met on Aug. 20. They discussed and reviewed its staff findings regarding LeeHealth’s proposal.

The decision of a commission approval will trigger a 45-day review and comment period whereby the public can provide their feedback to the commission before the final ratification vote by the commission.

Steve Maxwell

Sanibel