An investigation of Valley Medical Center Commissioner Anthony Hemstad was brought to a close at the July 6 board meeting. The investigation was started by the 2009 board of commissioners.
David Burman, an attorney from the Seattle law firm Perkins Coie handling the investigation, attended the meeting and made a statement to the board about the issue. According to the minutes, Burman stated the report of the investigation was not complete and had not been written.
Burman stated 11 individuals were interviewed and the fact gathering part of the investigation was nearly complete. The attorney did not provide the board with any information gathered during the investigation.
The board ended the investigation on a vote of three in favor, Sue Bowman, board president, Commissioner Carolyn Parnell and Commissioner Don Jacobson. Commissioners Dr. Aaron Heide and Hemstad abstained.
The minutes noted Heide stated he had not been contacted by Perkins Coie.
Invoices from Perkins Coie relating to the investigation dating from Dec. 14, 2009 to Feb. 27 show a price tag of more than $36,000. The invoices were received by The Reporter through a public records request.
Heide stated in a phone interview he asked Burman at the meeting the hourly rate he charged for the investigation work. According to Heide, Burman said $700.
Heide stated in a phone interview, “I was curious about this investigation. It sounded like quite a lot of money, especially when we are talking about across the board cuts. Then it is abruptly halted without explanation. Did they just waste money? I was curious if there was an intimidation factor for asking questions and am I next.”
Valley attorney David Smith stated in an e-mail, “The Board made the decision to stop the investigation before any conclusions could be drawn, and in fact before all the work was completed. The Board did so in the spirit of finding a more collegial way of working together for the best interests of the District, and not for any other reason.”
The investigation was approved at the Dec. 7, 2009 meeting. The vote was unanimous, with commissioners Bowman, Parnell, Jacobson and Mike Miller voting yes. Miller was attending one of his final two meetings. He had lost his seat to Heide in the Nov. 3, 2009 general election.
Hemstad was in the hospital for a medical procedure and was not present at the meeting.
According to the minutes of the Dec. 7 meeting, Parnell stated community members were asking for the investigation. Information provided by the Valley staff related the members were Sylvia Cavasos, Larry Holliday and Jim Sullivan.
According to the staff, the board did not have authority to act on any information gained in the investigation beyond issuing a public statement.
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