Politics & Government

Hopsital Commissioner Candidate: Mary Alice Heuschel

Mary Alice Heuschel: If elected to Hospital Board, it'll enhance her position as Superintendent.

Mary Alice Heuschel is on the campaign trail for the Public Hospital District No. 1 with three priorities in mind: maintain the quality and safety of health care, ensure the UW Medicine and Valley Medical Center alliance benefits the Renton community, and represent families and children on the board by bringing leadership and helping to establish protocol.

“Board leadership is definitely lacking and needs to be improved,” she said. “There has been some dysfunction because they lack some protocol.”

Some of the current issues are resolving themselves, she said, now that the board includes 13 members instead of the five it had before the alliance.

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Heushel decided to run for the position after a year spent on the Presidents Community Advisory Board. It was this experience, she said, that taught her about the hospital board, and initially sparked her interest.

Outgoing hospital board member Don Jacobson approached Heuschel at the end of one of those meetings to say he would not be seeking another term, and asked if she’d consider running for his position, she said.

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Heuschel knew Don as a former Renton School Board member.

When asked if a position on the hospital board might effect her role as superintendent, Hueshel is adamant that the additional responsibility will enhance her role as superintendent.

“It is a hard conceptual thing, but the work I do as superintendent marries well with a position on the hospital district board,” she said. “It all fits with service above self” and will allow her to strengthen the hospital’s partnership with public education, she said.

Hueschel packs a lot into her busy schedule, but her role on the board, if elected, will not detract from her other responsibilities, she said.

In the last year, she’s wrapped up two other positions: A three-year stint on the Education Northwest Board and a two-year role as president of the Puget Sound Educational Service District Team.

Gary Kohlwes, Renton’s former Superintendent, served on the board, she said, adding that the board already has one doctor, Aaron Heide, M.D., and does not need another.

Heide is currently on courtesy status at Valley Medical Center, but is not employed by the hospital, said Kim Blakely, spokesperson for Valley, adding that Heide is affiliated with NW Neurological and Neurovascular in Renton, and also with Auburn Regional.

Randy Matheson, spokesperson for the Renton School District, confirmed that Gary Kohlwes served as Renton School District Superintendent from 1974 to 1997. Blakely said Kohlwes was a commissioner from 1995 to 2007.

Heuschel believes that her opponent has a direct conflict of interest with the commission because, she feels, his practice is a competitor of Valley. Joos maintains that his practice is not in competition with the hospital.

If elected, Heuschel said she hasn’t taken a position on what to do with Valley Medical CEO Rich Roodman.

“My feeling on it, is that Rich has done a really good job in terms of his skills and improving the hospital, but the issues of his salary, that was seven years ago and it just hasn’t been resolved yet, and it needs to be,” she said.

As a new elected board member, Heuschel said she plans to get Roodman’s salary and benefit information and “will go from there.”

“He does need to be held accountable,” she added.

Her strategy is to let voters know that she’s “coming forth to provide leadership” and that her campaign will stand on her record of integrity.

“I have no conflict of interest, no personal gain, except to support the work that I am doing (as superintendent),” she said.


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