Tulare healthcare district hires current member as new CEO, leaving board with 2 vacancies
Joshua Yeager
The Tulare Local Healthcare District now has two vacancies to fill after the hospital board hired one of its own members to become the district's new chief executive.
Phil Smith will serve as the district's CEO effective Dec. 1. Smith currently represents District 1 on the board. He will resign from his elected position before becoming the district's highest-paid employee and top official.
Tulare's hospital board announced the decision during a special meeting Wednesday evening. Smith was not present for the meeting.
"Unfortunately, that means we will have another vacancy on the board, but I think it fits well for him (Smith) and his career aspirations," Board President Kevin Northcraft said. "Phil certainly has a passion for the district and it's already surfaced on committees and as part of the board since he's been appointed."
Other board members pointed to Smith's background in finance and grasp of the issues facing the district as reasons for hiring him.
More than 20 candidates applied for the job, which was posted in September after current CEO Sandra Ormonde announced she was exiting the district.
The board conducted six interviews for the position before whittling down the candidate list to two finalists. The board unanimously approved Smith, who was not involved in the selection process, Northcraft assured.
"I appreciate the board's trust in me and hope I receive the public's trust," Smith told the Times-Delta on Thursday.
Ormonde will leave the district in good financial shape, Northcraft said.
Since she took the reins in May 2019, the district has successfully navigated bankruptcy proceedings and repaid loans to the city of Tulare that helped to keep the struggling hospital open.
Tulare Regional Medical Center was temporarily closed and forced to declare bankruptcy after doctors stopped sending patients to the hospital amid the chaos of Healthcare Conglomerate Associates' management. The lack of patients cratered hospital revenue.
The hospital's former manager Dr. Yorai "Benny" Benzeevi was indicted last year on 46 counts of embezzlement, misappropriation of government funds, money laundering, and failure to disclose political campaign funds. His criminal trial is ongoing.
The Tulare hospital has since reopened under the management of Adventist Health, a faith-based nonprofit with 22 hospitals across the western United States.
Board seeks 2 new members
With Smith's departure from the board, the healthcare district now has two empty seats. Senovia Gutierrez resigned from her District 3 post in September to pursue a job at a Southern California nonprofit.
On Wednesday, the board interviewed two applicants for the District 3 vacancy before deciding to extend the application window to Nov. 22 in hopes that more residents would apply.
One of the candidates, William Postlewaite, withdrew his application after the district's 2-0 decision to extend the deadline. Trustee Xavier Avila abstained from the vote.
"If you keep opening it up after you close it down that tells me you're maybe looking for something you haven't found yet," he said.
The remaining applicant, Marmie Fidler, is a local business owner and gravestone maker. She said her experience running Barnes Memorials would bring a unique perspective to the board and that, if appointed, she would run for election in 2022.
When asked to elaborate on her "different point of view," she said she was involved in many civic organizations and had sons-in-law who are Spanish-speaking and "of negro descent."
A public commenter named Cecilia Herrera said she was interested in applying for the vacancy. An Earlimart native, she said she understood the vital role Adventist Health Tulare plays in treating the many rural communities that surround the city without hospitals of their own.
Herrera is bilingual and currently serves as a manager of public health with the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency, according to the agency's website.
Those interested in applying for the District 1 or District 3 vacancies can submit a letter of interest to the board, though Smith's vacancy has not formally been posted yet.
District 1 covers the southern edge of Tulare, as well as Tipton, Earlimart and unincorporated Tulare County. District 3 covers western Tulare.
View the boundary map online here.
Joshua Yeager is a reporter with the Visalia Times-Delta and a Report for America corps member. He covers Tulare County news deserts with a focus on the environment and local governments.
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