Candidate Q&A: William Khieu for SVMHS Board of Directors.

What are the biggest issues facing Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare District in the next four years, and why are you the best candidate to address them?

By keeping patients safe and being proactive to keep patients as healthy as possible to avoid hospitalization.

Employee retention especially the experienced employees who can mentor future generations.

I have served the Monterey County community as a doctor for over 25 years. I have lived and raised my family here. I’ve worked "in the trenches"—living, breathing, saving lives at SVMHS. I know the needs of the diverse population of Monterey County residents. I will make a significant difference in the SVMHS healthcare delivery system.

I am the best candidate because:

I am Dr. William Khieu, MD MBA.  I've been taking care of patients for over 25 years. Medicine has become big business and many leaders have forgotten medical care's mission is to improve patients’ health and as such our community.

To better serve the medical needs of the community, one needs clinical and business knowledge. I have both of those skill sets. When I realized that a medical doctor can influence me much more with business knowledge,  I obtained a degree in business administration (MBA). Since 2000, I’ve been combining my knowledge in business and healthcare administration.  I have been the successful managing partner doctor for Ob-Gyn Associates of the Central Coast, Athena Medical Group, and Aria Medical Group.

In addition, I’ve been active in the community and served as president of Monterey County Medical Society, the Cypress Medical Foundation, and an active participant on various local nonprofit boards such as Meals on Wheels.

I have medical and business experience.  I will spare no effort to apply my unique skill sets to better lead the Salinas Valley Hospital Systems with clear objectives:

• Better health and better lives for all patients.

• Clear and transparent leadership.

• Nurturing and supportive workplace at SVMHS

Voting for me is voting for an experienced leader who has devoted his whole life to quality medical care and excellent healthcare for all.

How often do you currently attend SVMHS board meetings? Do you think the current board is effective?

Board meetings as a rule have been closed meetings for most important decisions. I have been reading the Board’s minutes from those meetings for years. Unfortunately, Board meetings are not effective at this point. Board members do not have enough knowledge and time to digest large board packages. I have a few ideas to change all of that so that board members can make sound decisions with knowledge and wisdom. For example, each board member should have a hired position of executive assistant to make sure all board matters are thoroughly vetted and studied for its merits. As a result, each board member can be fully briefed on important decisions and each board member is in the position to exercise his/her fiduciary duties to focus on the only mission: healthy patients and a healthy community.

How do you think SVMHS did at handling Covid-19? What policies should be in place going forward?

I would give them a C grade at the beginning of the pandemic. Many of the nurses were left unprotected despite voicing their concerns. As a result, a number of them now suffer from long Covid and were forced to retire. A lot of talented and experienced medical staff were removed from SVMHS during the pandemic.

Subsequently, SVMHS was able to catch up and keep patients safe but so many already suffered. We should learn from this and should be more vigilant in future health crises, big or small. It is always good to be overly prepared to keep our community and our employees safe.

Do you think SVMHS’ presence beyond the hospital is the right-sized footprint, or should there be more or less outpatient services? 

It’s not about the size or footprint, it is about how to best deliver the most efficient and quality care to all whether it be inpatient care or outpatient services. Outpatient care is critical in keeping more of the community healthy and out of the hospital. 

The seismic retrofit project has been years in the making and is finally moving forward, along with other construction. Is there anything you would change about the retrofit process or anything you would have done differently? If elected, what will you do to keep big construction projects moving forward and on budget? 

Keep all administrative staff accountable and responsible for the project. For example, instead of having a well-compensated salary regardless of performance, we should have an "at risk" portion of the compensation package which is tied to the performance of administrators, especially for important and costly projects like a seismic retrofit. 

Just a few years ago, the SVMH board was looking for a private buyer. What is your philosophy about whether SVMH should remain a standalone hospital into the future? What will you do to help keep the finances sustainable? 

If you look at the records, the hospital is financially sound and is likely to stand alone for many years to come. Hospital policies are in place to ensure viability in the future. 

Do you think the four hospitals in Monterey County work effectively together? What would you change, if anything, about the relationships between hospitals? 

Monterey County is very small, so we could better coordinate care between all hospitals for better efficiency.  Working toward this common goal will best serve the people of Monterey County. One of the main priorities for each hospital should be this collaboration.

Please rate the performance of the current president/CEO. 

I do not have all of the facts to evaluate the current CEO except that I prefer any leader including the CEO of SVMHS to reside in the area and not out of state.

Who are you supporting for the other open seats on the SVMHS board? 

I do not have specific support for any specific open seats, but I would recommend supporting candidates who would represent a local person who has lived and worked in the area for many years.

What is the proudest endorsement you have received? 

I do not focus on endorsements. My focus is on the people that I will soon serve. As a result, our supporters include many healthcare workers, business leaders, nonprofit leaders, and personnel. It also includes medical professionals, nurses, and satisfied patients that have been successfully reaching out to the voters of Zone 4. I honor and thank them profusely for their support and volunteer service. We have all come together with the same goal, to keep improving and enriching our community through excellent services offered through SVMHS.