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Residents in the El Camino Healthcare District largely picked candidates with medical degrees over careers in politics, with incumbent Peter Fung and candidate George Ting taking large leads in the race Tuesday evening.
Fung, a neurologist and the only incumbent in the race, led with 18,470 votes (38 percent) as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, followed by Ting at 17,855 votes (36.8 percent). Trailing behind is former Mountain View City Council member Mike Kasperzak at 7,806 votes (16.1 percent) and former Sunnyvale City Council member Jim Davis at 4,357 votes (9 percent).
Ting campaigned on his 40-year career as a doctor, and his understanding of what it takes for El Camino Hospital to foster a strong relationship with independent physicians that he says are key partners in the financial viability of the hospital. Fung argued that he would be best positioned to lead the hospital through turbulent times, evidenced by the recent bankruptcy of nearby hospitals in the county.
As board members for the El Camino Healthcare District, Fung and Ting will have direct oversight of El Camino Hospital’s Mountain View and Los Gatos campuses, including future investments, operations and union negotiations with nurses and other hospital staff. Board members also get to decide how to spend $20 million in taxpayer funds each year, more than $6 million of which is redistributed in the form of community health grants.
Ting told the Voice prior to the election that he plans to also serve on El Camino Hospital’s nonprofit corporate board of directors, which is an option for all health care district directors. By taking on the dual role, the hospital’s board will maintain its even balance between elected and appointed officials.
Along with holding the hospital accountable to the residents in the district, which encompasses Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale and parts of other neighboring cities, the winners of Tuesday’s election will help shape the hospital’s bid to expand in the south of the county. The hospital has recently sought to open a clinic on Winchester Boulevard in San Jose, and in 2016 purchased a large plot of undeveloped land in South San Jose. Hospital officials say there are are no concrete plans for the property yet.
The three candidates who responded to the Voice’s election questionnaire — Fung, Kasperzak and Ting — all agreed that scaling up operations is a valuable tool for keeping El Camino alive as an independent hospital, and is in keeping with the district’s mission of serving residents in the region.
Congrats to those elected and thank you to all candidates.
Let us agree to use these taxpayor dollars as intended: to support hospital operations and let them expand services into the community. We need better integration and less fragmentation in healthcare services.
Wow. Doctor running hospital boards rather than politicians. What a concept. I’m all for it.