Central Health board should reflect diversity of its clients
Since the election establishing the Travis County Hospital District in 2004, the promise of the publicly funded district has been to help the poor and needy in Travis County access health care.
Now known as Central Health, the agency is governed by a board of managers that oversees an annual budget of almost $250 million for health care programs for the poor and vulnerable in Travis County.
The board consists of nine members; four are appointed by the city of Austin and four others by Travis County. One member is appointed jointly by both entities. A current opening is due to be filled by the City Council on Thursday.
Among our local community values is to ensure that all boards appointed by the city and county reflect the diversity of our demographic profile. But here is where the problem lies.
A subcommittee of the City Council has recommended an Anglo woman, Julie Oliver, to replace Rosie Mendoza, a Hispanic woman who rotated off the board at the end of 2016.
Though this may seem like a minor issue, in less than a year, the Central Health board has seen the departure of three minority representatives: an African-American, an Asian-American and a Hispanic individual. If Oliver is appointed, three minority board members will have been replaced by two Anglo women and a well-qualified woman of the Muslim faith.
This will leave one African-American and two His panic members on the current Central Health board serving a population of people of color who compose over 70 percent of the clientele Central Health serves.
Let’s rephrase that: Central Health board members who are identifiable minorities make up 33 percent of the board. Clients served with Central Health dollars are 70 percent minority. Obviously, something is out of balance with our community values.
Some have raised an issue about the city nominee — Oliver — having a conflict of interest due to her position with the Hospital Corporation of American, which operates as St. David’s Healthcare.
In a recent letter to the Austin City Council, the chair of the Central Health board of managers stated that Oliver “will have to recuse herself from much of the board’s most important business.”
It’s estimated Oliver would need to recuse herself on more than 50 percent of potential board actions. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of community representation and serving the needs of Austin and Travis County residents?
Over the past five years, two African-Americans — Brenda Coleman-Beattie and Anthony Haley — have left the Central Health board or were not reappointed due to potential conflicts stemming from their clients or employers. It seems to be a double standard to allow an Anglo woman with an obvious conflict of interest to be appointed to the board after two others left based on conflict of interest rules.
I urge community members to contact their City Council members to oppose the appointment of Oliver to the Central Health board.
Though she appears to be a fine person, she cannot represent minorities and Austin from the perch of a high-level employee of a for-profit health care corporation.
Council members: Go back to the drawing board and nominate a qualified, minority representative who can truly represent the health care needs of Austin and Travis County residents.