Hospital affiliation up for discussion tonight

What: Carson-Tahoe Hospital Board of Trustees meeting

When: Today at 5 p.m. There will also be a compliance program education session at 4 p.m.

Where: Carson City Community Center, Sierra Room, 851 East William St.

Progress on Carson-Tahoe Hospital's proposed affiliation is up for discussion at this evening's Board of Hospital Trustees meeting.

Triad Hospitals Inc., Universal Health Services Inc., and Sutter Health are the three health care organizations being considered for affiliation. They will be examing Carson-Tahoe's financial records and books for a one-week period starting Sept. 11. After these visits are completed, the organizations will submit proposals to the hospital.

Affiliation could take any form: buy-out, lease, lease-manage, or a management agreement. It is hoped the move will ensure the continuing financial and technological viability of the hospital. Triad and Universal are both for-profit organizations, while Sacramento-based Sutter is nonprofit.

The hospital, according to Marketing Director Richard Linkul, is in a very sound position financially, which makes affiliation with Carson-Tahoe very desirable for these entities.

Recommendations from the affiliation committee should be announced some time in the fall after these proposals have been considered, according to Linkul, but there is no way of knowing when proposals will be submitted.

In other hospital business:

- There will be a public meeting between Carson-Tahoe Hospital representative George L. Szabo and neighbors surrounding the hospital and Andersen Field at the Brewery Arts Center on Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Ira "Andy" Anderson, owner of a 7.8-acre pasture bordering Mountain Street, wants to either sell or lease-back that land to the hospital, which could affect the surrounding neighborhood.

- Discussion and possible action on the 2000-01 capital and operating budget proposal for Carson-Tahoe Hospital's compliance program. The program is designed to assure that Carson-Tahoe complies with relevant legal and contractual requirements, accreditation and industry standards, corporate policies and procedures, and ethical business practices.

- Discussion and possible action on a business plan for brachi therapy radium 125 seed implant procedure. Brachi therapy is the current standard of care for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, and the impact of this intervention is related to quality of life outcomes.