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Councilor urges public meeting with hospital over staffing, council asks manager to arrange discussion
Summary
Councilor Tom Cheney asked the council to press hospital leadership to explain staffing shortages and service impacts and asked the city manager to arrange a public meeting with hospital officials; councilors asked for written follow‑up and a report from the city ttorney on related work with the attorney general's office.
Councilor Tom Cheney told the City Council on Aug. 25 about a constituent who experienced repeated asthma attacks and described difficulties obtaining consistent care at the local hospital. Cheney said the case — and a pattern of staffing and equipment problems cited by other residents — warranted a public meeting with hospital leadership to discuss staffing, unused space and the loss of services such as a local maternity ward.
"I think we need the hospital and particularly the president of the hospital to come here and talk to us about the staffing issues," Cheney said during council comment. He asked the manager to schedule a public meeting so the community could hear the hospital nswers directly and urged the council to obtain written documentation of any corrective steps.
Councilors added they had previously received briefings from the manager and the former mayor, and one councilor asked for a status report from an attorney who had been in contact with the Attorney General's office on related legal questions. The manager and others said they would follow up.
Ending: Council requested the city manager arrange a public meeting with hospital administration to discuss staffing and service concerns and requested written follow‑up; staff will report back to the council on scheduling and any legal work in progress.
