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Hospital Panel's Chief Faces Daunting Task
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The hospital authority brings together seven community leaders with medical, financial and legal backgrounds. Also appointed to the group are lawyers Stan Brown, Andrea Leahy-Fucheck and Karen J. Shaheed, who is general counsel for Bowie State University. Joining them are former county official Thomas M. Himler and Joseph L. Wright, executive director of the Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children's National Medical Center.
During the recent swearing-in ceremony, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) reminded people about the impressive credentials of those named to the authority.
"One of the reasons we're so optimistic about the future is the talent of the folks appointed to the authority," he said.
Glover said that after years of finger-pointing about the system, leaders in the region are finally committed to getting something done.
"This is going to blow up unless we fix it," he said. "If it doesn't work, and that's not an option, everybody's fingerprints are on it."
Efforts to fix the system, however, have gotten bogged down in the past. But close observers say the new authority is the best hope to navigate tricky political waters.
"The county taxpayer has already pumped a tremendous amount of money into this," said Judy Robinson of Hyattsville. The community activist has been urging the government to address the hospital ownership issue for nearly 20 years.
"If they've put in the board, and they have confidence in it, let them do their work, don't exert a tremendous amount of political pressure and see if we can get someone who is decent."
By law, the authority is required to complete the funding and bidding process by the start of the 2009 legislative session.
Glover said he will continue working full time at the bank, but he is scaling back volunteer work.
Anyone who lives, visits or even drives through the county could wind up with his life on the line in a Prince George's hospital, Glover said. That means everyone has a stake in who controls the system, he said, and that's why the authority's meetings will be open.
"At this point in time, we're all ears," he said. "We have to listen to everybody."
Staff writer Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report.
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