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Look Before You Leap!
By Judy Pavlak, Winsted
In Alan DiCara's response [Democratic Principles and Local Health Care, February 1] to my article [Trouble Makers on Hospital Hill, January 25], he said that I had made "untrue remarks." In other words, he called me a liar. My first thought, in anger, was I'll sue him, but any reasonable person would think long and hard before doing that.
What good effects would come out of a suit? Clearing my name? Getting a sizable award? My father's favorite expression was, "You sue a beggar and get a louse." Okay, what bad effects will come from it? Where will I get the money to pay for court? Do I really want to waste my time and that of others on a lawsuit? Anyone can go into a court case, but you must think of the possible repercussions first.
The Winsted Health Center Foundation is angry that they were tossed off the medical license. Have they done any serious thinking about the effects on the Winsted Health Center's operation or of the dangerous backlash their actions against Commissioner Gorman might have? Just how will this affect their relations with Charlotte Hungerford, the holder of the Certificate of Need for the Health Center? Are their own corporators favorable to such action? They were never given the opportunity to vote. How do the eight communities served feel about jeopardizing the Health Center? The Foundation's attitude seems to be, Who cares? It is only when they want money that the public becomes important.
In truth, I never said the Foundation had no right to sue Commissioner Gorman. They do, but they should have tried the economical route first by using the existing administrative agency appeal procedure set up by law to request that Commissioner Gorman reconsider his decision.
Where will the Foundation get the money for their suit? Will they use contributions—gifts made by the people to further the Center's health services? Just how many of these directors would be willing to sue if the money were coming directly from their own pockets? With the power of the Attorney General's office protecting Gorman, plus state money and top-notch lawyers, it seems irresponsible to step into quicksand for vanity's sake. The ad hoc committee working with the people and Charlotte just saved the Center and the ER. Why open another can of worms?
Shall the communities blame all the directors and corporators if this suit drags the Health Center under? I guess we'll have to blame them all. We know that only ten directors voted on the issue, and there was one proxy. There are supposed to be 16 members, but the directors never filled the empty positions.
Maybe it is time for the Foundation directors to be listed, so we will know where to lay the blame if anything happens to our Health Center due to this frivolous suit: Richard Michaelsen, John Burwell, Claire Nader, Carol Crossman, Fred Silverio, Jedd Gould and Sarah Gauger from Winsted; Larry Hannafin and Barbara Tracey from Norfolk; and from out-of-district Michelle Martin of Burlington and Blanche McCarthy of Torrington. Oh, I almost forgot that CEO Deirdre DiCara and past CEO Fred Hyde played their parts.
By the way, Alan, didn't you quit as a corporator of the Foundation in disgust over the arrogant way the leadership of the Foundation was acting? You certainly have changed your tune!
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