By Jason Sweeney

Members of the Los Altos-Mountain View League of Women Voters took their first opportunity last week to address officials at El Camino Hospital face-to-face about their financial concerns regarding hospital operations.

Jane Turnbull, president of the league, told hospital board members she was concerned about the “lack of transparency” regarding the hospital’s finances.

Hospital finances was one of its first agenda items at last week’s meeting, under the recommendation of current board President Mark O’Connor, who scheduled a full discussion of hospital operations and finances, including a public discussion period, for the board’s next regular meeting, July 6.

O’Connor’s request was in response to a May 23 letter from Turnbull and co-signed by, Roberta Hollimon, president of the Cupertino League of Women Voters, and several area medical professionals, calling for more openness regarding the hospital’s operations and financial affairs.

Discussion on the vote to add this item to next month’s agenda provided representatives of the league their first opportunity to address the issue face-to-face with the board.

Turnbull said she was happy the issues in the league’s letter would be discussed at next month’s meeting.

She restated most of the issues itemized in the letter: more openness and public access to information required of a “local agency” within the meaning of the Brown Act and the California Public Records Act; reaffirmation of the decision to instruct the hospital to prepare and file a non-profit corporate tax return (IRS Form 990) each year; designation of appropriate senior managers to meet within 30 days with representatives of the undersigned community members and organizations to study and discuss the manner, form and content of the financial and operating information disclosed to the public by the hospital and to identify any further information that should be disclosed to ensure maximum transparency and to facilitate oversight.

The board approved its operating and capital budget for fiscal year 2005-2006 and appointed Virginia Sherwood to the Foundation Board of Directors.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled 5:30 p.m., July 6, at El Camino Hospital.