The children's hospital group appoints board, plans a study
By Nathan R. Huff
Advocates for a Silicon Valley children's hospital took the legal and ceremonial first steps toward what they hope will be the construction of the children's hospital.
At its first board meeting, supporters for the hospital officially incorporated the Silicon Valley Children's Hospital Foundation, hired a full-time consultant and adopted an interim board of directors to write rules and guidelines for members of the foundation.
The group of parents and doctors also voted to approve a needs-assessment study, paid for by donations from various Silicon Valley high-tech companies. The study will be done by Christopher Newman, a Chicago-based consultant who has experience with master planning studies for other children's hospitals, and Cypress Medical Network, a local group.
The needs-assessment study is the first obstacle that hospital supporters must clear before moving forward with site selection and serious fundraising. The group, led by vice chairman of the board Dr. Richard Fox and chairwoman Kathleen King, has already visited several area hospitals. Children's hospital supporters heard from those hospitals that care is already being provided for valley children.
Fox said the reason for visiting other facilities was to offer those doing the needs assessment a more well-rounded perspective. "We want them to have a very complete and balanced perspective," Fox said. "All the people currently [overseeing children's medical services] don't feel there's a substantial need. If you talk to the doctors and the parents, they say we really do have a need." Supporters say Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital is too far away for many valley residents, and its emphasis is on teaching.
The needs-assessment study will have two components, each of which will take approximately six months. Consultants first must establish whether there is a need. The second phase would be a study of the economic feasibility of such a facility, which, King said, other hospital representatives were skeptical of.
Once the needs-assessment study is near completion, the group will report back to Los Gatos Mayor Steve Blanton. He expressed preliminary support for the idea by creating a Mayoral Task Force to examine the issue.
In the meantime, supporters are in the midst of a membership drive. King said the group wants the hospital to be a community hospital in the truest sense of the word.
The foundation already has 46 members, 11 of whom are lifetime members who forked over $1,000. The remainder are charter members who pay $25 a year. King said they hope to have at least 1,000 members by Jan 1. At that time they will elect a permanent board of directors. Foundation members are soliciting members through their website at www.scvh.org, as well as through direct mailings.
The foundation's interim board includes Fox; King; website designer Susan Hannibal; San Jose police Lt. Dave Keneller; orthotics specialist Mike Dodd, M.D.; Chariot Foundation founder Linda Durnell; and Sun Microsystems public relations manager Russ Castronovo. All board members are parents.
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