Southern Inyo hospital official claims HCCA sent supplies from Tulare, “grossly deficient” in management

Posted on March 13, 2018March 29, 2018 by Tony Maldonado Jr

Healthcare Conglomerate Associates’ (HCCA) management of the Southern Inyo Healthcare District’s hospital was ineffective, hindered the hospital’s regulatory compliance, and was fiscally irresponsible, a legal filing by the district claims. The filing also repeats claims that the Tulare-based hospital management company shared money and supplies between the Southern Inyo district, which owns the Southern Inyo […]

Trump visit signals growing GOP unease

Posted on March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 by Dave Adalian

Rumor has it President Donald Trump may come to Fresno next week. Local GOP officials are playing dumb, but their Democratic rivals seem certain Trump will make a stop in Fresno on March 14 during a scheduled trip to California. With no official announcement of the visit yet, the reason Trump may come to town […]

District attorney provides update on HCCA investigation

Posted on March 6, 2018March 8, 2018 by Tony Maldonado Jr

An investigation into Healthcare Conglomerate Associates’ (HCCA) conduct while managing Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC) continues, Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward told the public on March 6. At a presentation before the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, Ward stated that his office’s involvement began in the summer of 2017, when the office attempted to […]

Legal problems piling up for Tulare officials and attorneys

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Nancy Vigran

Yet another lawsuit was filed Friday, March 2, against the City of Tulare for mounting problems with transparency and withholding records for its citizens. In recent public record act (PRA) responses regarding the billable hours incurred by the city attorney, Heather Phillips, and fellow law firm members, responses have been deemed slow with all issues […]

Tulare to consider changing controversial sign ordinance

Posted on March 5, 2018March 5, 2018 by Catherine Doe

The City of Tulare will consider changes to its sign ordinance after a lawsuit threat, officials stated in a letter. Josh McDonnell, Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Tulare, responded to a potential lawsuit facing the city over their outdated sign ordinance. In a letter sent today to the Law Firm of […]

City of Tulare could face lawsuit over sign ordinance

Posted on March 3, 2018March 3, 2018 by Catherine Doe

Some Tulare residents are afraid they’ll fall afoul of the city’s sign ordinance by placing political signs on their lawn — so a Visalia law firm is preparing to sue to overturn the policy, which the firm claims is unconstitutional. In a letter to Tulare City Manager Joseph Carlini and the Tulare City Council, the […]

Tulare hospital board receives financial update

Posted on March 1, 2018March 1, 2018 by Tony Maldonado Jr

While the Tulare Regional Medical Center’s forensic laboratory is open, the hospital and its clinics still have no concrete opening dates, the hospital’s board was told Wednesday night. “I think the summation of where we are is that HCCA left a lot of major obstacles in our way,” Larry Blitz, the hospital’s interim CEO, told […]

Lack of transparency and civility plagues Tulare

Posted on February 24, 2018February 24, 2018 by Nancy Vigran

In recent months, some Tulare citizens have been questioning the transparency, or lack thereof, from the city directed by the city attorney, Heather Phillips, an attorney and partner with Goyette & Associates in the firm’s Labor and Employment Division, as well as her ability to serve as the city’s attorney. As previously reported by the […]

Public asks two Tulare Cemetery District board members to resign

Posted on February 24, 2018February 24, 2018 by Catherine Doe

Turmoil has yet again gripped the Tulare Public Cemetery District’s Board of Trustees. Members of Caring Cause, a citizens’ group dissatisfied with the district’s leadership and maintenance of its cemeteries, and other members of the public created a standing room only crowd at the district’s February 21 meeting. The crowd wanted trustees Vicki Gilson and […]

Tulare hospital to reopen its Mineral King Lab

Posted on February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 by Valley Voice Contributor

Tulare Local Healthcare District will reopen its forensic laboratory Monday. Mineral King Lab was closed on Oct. 28, 2017 by Healthcare Conglomerate Associates, the district’s former management partner. While the district’s board voted in October to voluntarily suspend its acute care license — which covers the operation of the Tulare Regional Medical Center — the […]