Published in Mojave Desert News, Thursday, February 15, 2007

The people of southeast Kern have been swindled out of a Federal Grant that was to have brought telemedicine and access to specialist physicians into their small towns. Their healthcare districts’ directors, who are truly visionaries, spent countless hours over several years in planning meetings as part of a great effort to bring modern, medical technology to the rural region. Most of their efforts, and mine, were negated when the sought after Federal Grant was covertly diverted to invent a medical data- sharing system in Tehachapi.

I apologize to the members of South East Kern Health Collaborative for my unwitting part in the grand deception. It was never my intent to waste our time and energy on this boondoggle. I was duped right along with you.

I am glad that we have one positive result to our efforts. It is my fervent hope that the new Family Health Clinic in California City will thrive and expand its hours and days. This clinic, along with the well-established Family Health Clinic-Mojave, is providing some healthcare to the region’s people. We wanted so much more.