The Island’s CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: Elliott Gorelick

Age: 46

Occupation: Student/Intern Pharmacist

Relevant experience: I have a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University

and a M.S. in Management Science and Engineering also from Stanford. I
have taken several courses in health economics at UC Berkeley and am
currently pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at UCSF. I am currently
employed as a pharmacy intern by Kaiser.

Why are you running for this office?: I have a great deal of interest in
healthcare and especially healthcare policy. I chose to return to school
to become a pharmacist so that I could participate in the changes in
healthcare that will be happening in the future. But close to home, there
is a healthcare issue that needs addressing. It is costing Alamedans
5,000,000 dollars per year (the parcel tax of ~300 dollars per year) and the
result is worse health outcomes than if we were paying nothing and the
Hospital did not exist. It is not politically correct to say so, but the
presence of Alameda Hospital in our community means poorer health for
Alamedans and we pay for that privilege.

Why should we vote for you?: I am the only candidate who is willing to
address a critical eye to the actual value the Hospital is providing. I am
the only candidate who is willing to evaluate healthcare outcomes and
be willing to take action if the result of that evaluation is that the
continued operation of the Hospital in its present configuration leads to
poorer health for the community.

What do you feel are the roles and responsibilities of the office you’re
seeking?: Management/staff serve to run day-to-day operations and act
in an executive capacity except where superseded by Board directives.

What do you think is the most pressing issue you would face if elected and
what would you do to address it?: The most pressing issue is that the
Hospital provides lower quality care at a higher price than alternatives.
The Hospital Board should close its emergency room. It should create an
urgent care clinic with extended or 24/7 hours. It should create a disaster
plan in case of some catastrophic event that requires triage or
emergency treatment locally in Alameda. This plan should be in place for
such an event, but should not require ongoing expenditures of the size
that the current subsidy to the Hospital requires.

The hospital is facing two major challenges: The loss of its surgical contract
with Kaiser Permanente and earthquake fixes that will cost $10 million. If
elected, how would you seek to handle those challenges?: The number
one priority is to close the Hospital because it provides lower quality care
at a higher price. This will free up funds for more productive efforts.

What services do you think the hospital should provide to residents?:

Create an emergency action plan in the unlikely prospect that Alameda
is cut-off during an emergency. This was one of the original selling points
of the parcel tax, but it turns out we could have hired a fleet of medi-
evac helicoptors for less money than the hospital is costing us. I'm not
suggesting that, but a plan for triage and access to equipment would be
a reasonable project for the Healthcare District to pursue.

Investigate alternative healthcare arrangements for Alamedans. What is

most needed is an urgent care center open to all with extended hours or
even 24/7. I think that the Hospital has already taken some steps towards
that goal. It does not require an emergency room to accomplish this and
it meets the needs of Alamedans who want to be able to find a place to
treat their non-emergency issues in a safe, pleasant, convenient manner.
It is also more likely to be able to require little or no subsidy so that the
parcel tax assessment could be reduced or eliminated.

General healthcare promotion efforts (blood pressure screening, diabetes

screening, cardiac screening) should also be pursued by the District.