public healtA unique opportunity for Jackson
public healtA unique opportunity for Jackson，Given the health system&x2019;s grim financial condition and the need for urgent action， I support moving forward with the non-binding due diligence process that Steward proposes. In parallel， the PHT and BCC should collaborate to identify other options and determine how to proceed with any actual binding offer that might be forthcoming from Steward or other prospective partners.
Three critical success ctors are what make any option (including a potential partnership with Steward) viable to achieve a sustainable Jackson. Jackson&x2019;s operating losses and severe capital deficit are well documented. So as a first requirement， a viable solution must quickly provide several hundred million dollars for capital investment and working capital. Second， with the pending departure of current CEO Dr. Eneida Roldan， Jackson needs a new leader with the proven， unassailable ability to direct a turnaround in a complex public health system/academic medical center. Finally， efficient and autonomous decisions and direction-setting are a must.
Steward has put one potentially actionable solution on the table. We should not ignore it. We must also identify other opportunities and start difficult choices. There is no room for business-as-usual or politics-as-usual. If we collectively stay focused on what we can accomplish， I am confident that we will begin to build a sustainable Jackson. The time to act is now.
Miami-Dade commissioners and the Public Health Trust held a joint meeting last month during which we， the collective leadership of Jackson Health System， finally seemed to achieve a breakthrough. We moved beyond the counter-productive blame game and began to internalize the reality that Jackson has a broken business model. This is progress， but not enough. We agreed to meet again in 90 days and it is my hope that we can live up to the leadership challenge before us.
That information could then be made public healtA unique opportunity for Jacksonavailable to other interested parties through a competitive process consistent with the county commission&x2019;s requirements and preference. With or without Steward， we need an assessment of the system&x2019;s value and other approaches are certainly possible. However， engaging financial advisors and other firms to complete the same level of due diligence independently would cost taxpayers several million dollars and would no doubt take much longer than 60 days.
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Two weeks ago， Miami-Dade County received a non-binding letter from Steward Health Care System indicating interest in a potential strategic capital partnership with Jackson Health System. Some have called this a &x201C;game changer，&x201D; a characterization that I agree with in at least one important respect. The offer has brought about the first meaningful discussion among Jackson&x2019;s collective leadership &x2014; the Public Health Trust and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners &x2014; about achieving a thriving business model.
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Steward&x2019;s proposal to acquire Jackson is very preliminary and much more work is needed on both sides before an actual transaction might be structured and considered.
Thus， we must either begin to investigate new sources of funds to support our community jewel or we must accept the ct that Jackson is in peril and will likely become a shell of what it is today. Vital services currently provided to the community are at stake along with the jobs that provide those services.
Setting aside the relative merits of the initial &x201C;offer，&x201D; Steward&x2019;s willingness to work with Jackson on due diligence affords the PHT/BCC a unique opportunity to save significant funds and time. Steward outlines a 60-day process that ultimately makes all information available to the PHT free of charge.
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Jackson is under dire fiscal circumstances. The need for capital is so acute that JHS is projected to run out of cash within months. We are assured by our elected leadership that financial assistance from historical sources (i.e.， local and state government) is not forthcoming and any semblance of a tax increase is untenable.
This is not necessarily an indictment of the current model， but rather an acknowledgement that decision- must be much less cumbersome and time-consuming. There is justified interest， but 30 individuals (the mayor， the county manager， 13 commissioners and 15 non-commissioner trustees) simply cannot continue to engage as we have in the recent past if we are to achieve effective and timely impact.
This is money &x2014; and more importantly time &x2014; that we simply cannot afford and do not have.
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