Doctors Vote Thumbs Down on Grossmont-Sharp Merger

Sixty percent of doctors voting in a straw poll oppose the affiliation of Grossmont Medical Center with Sharp HealthCare, Grossmont officials revealed Monday.

The vote was 203 opposed to 137 in favor, with another 247 Grossmont physicians not returning their mail ballots, according to hospital spokeswoman Karen Hamilton.

The result was a slap in the face to Grossmont and Sharp administrators, who have been negotiating since last fall to achieve the affiliation that they see as in both Grossmont’s and Sharp’s best interests.

However, two Grossmont doctors have filed suit to stop the merger. And, at public meetings, most residents of the Grossmont Hospital District who testified have opposed the affiliation as a giveaway of public assets to a private corporation.

In addition, although sentiment on the five-member, elected Grossmont board appears to be leaning toward affiliation, the board’s chairman, retired Dr. Basil Maloney, has said publicly that he opposes the merger.

“We were elected to run the hospital. We were not elected to give it to unknown people from outside,” Maloney said last week. “I would feel it was a violation of trust if we did this.”

Calling the proposal a “trumped-up deal,” Maloney said he expects the medical staff’s advisory vote to weigh heavily with the board members.

“How the medical staff feels is very important to us,” he said.

The Grossmont board will meet at 6 p.m. tonight, at which time it will consider the doctors’ vote. The board had been scheduled to vote on the merger itself, but, after the controversy became apparent, the item was removed from the agenda.