Memorial Citizens Commission

December 3, 2010

Honorable Mayor Lionel Rivera

Colorado Springs City Council

107 N. Nevada Avenue

Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Dear Mayor Rivera and Members of City Council,

The Citizen’s Commission on Ownership & Governance of Memorial Health System is privileged and honored to have been chartered to evaluate and recommend the best possible future ownership model for Memorial Health System.

After thousands of hours of research and contemplation combined with insight from local, regional and national experts, we unanimously concluded that Memorial will best serve this community for generations to come by becoming an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) entity. (more…)

Three times in the past ten years a committee or commission has been formed to study the future of Memorial Health System.  It is fair to say, however, that no previous efforts have been given the resources and direction to work through a highly public, transparent process involving community leaders and national experts to examine all alternative models available to guide MHS’ future.  (more…)

The Memorial Citizens’ Commission presented its final report to Colorado Springs City Council on Monday, Nov. 22, 2010.  Click HERE to view the report.

To view the Commission’s PowerPoint presentation to council, click HERE.

With a drafted formal recommendation to Colorado Springs City Council now complete, the Memorial Citizens’ Commission’s next step will be presenting that recommendation to Mayor Lionel Rivera and City Council members at 1 p.m., Monday, Nov. 22 in Council Chambers of City Hall, 107 N. Nevada.
Included in the report and presentation will be details of the protections the Commissioners recommend accompany a change in Memorial Health System’s ownership and governance model to an independent, not-for-profit, tax exempt 501 (c) (3) organization. The Commission’s full report will be available at 1 p.m. Nov. 22. on its Web site —www.memorialcitizenscommission.com, under the “Documents and Records” tab.

A letter to the editor appeared in the Nov. 18 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette about a telephone survey/public opinion poll taking place within our community on the topic of ownership and governance of Memorial Health System and potential ballot language wording.
While there undoubtedly will be a lot of activity surrounding the outcome of our work and the next steps, your Citizens’ Commission is NOT participating in or sponsoring any public opinion polls or surveys that might be taking place within the community. In addition, this Commission does not intend to be involved in any surveying/polling efforts.

–Bob Lally, Citizens’ Commission Chair

The Commission has approved the Nov. 3 meeting summary and opening remarks by Commission Chair Bob Lally. To read the remarks and summary, CLICK HERE.

The Commissioners have announced that they will meet with the public and the media following their Nov. 10 closed session in order to discuss their recommendation of the nonprofit 501(c)(3) model and its associated parameters. The open session will begin at 3 p.m. in the Community Room of the Colorado Springs Police Operations Center, 705 S. Nevada.

The Memorial Citizens' Commission voted unanimously to recommend the standalone 501(c)(3) model during its Nov. 3 public meeting.

Nine months of discussion, dozens of public meetings and town halls, multiple presentations by local and national experts and hundreds of combined hours of analysis culminated in a vote to recommend the standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit model for Memorial Health System’s future. That recommendation for change will be made to Colorado Springs City Council Nov. 22 following a unanimous vote in favor of the model.

The full Nov. 3 meeting summary will be available following the Commission’s approval. Be sure to check back for additional information regarding the decision. To view the Data Aggregation Tool PowerPoint presentation from that meeting, CLICK HERE.

 The Commissioners will meet next in an executive session Nov. 10 in order to craft the language of their final recommendation to Colorado Springs City Council prior to its Nov. 22 meeting.

The Memorial Citizens’ Commission approved its October 20 meeting summary. The entire summary can be read by CLICKING HERE.

The Memorial Citizens’ Commission reached a milestone decision Oct. 20: The status quo for Memorial Health System will not adequately address the future of healthcare in our community. The “Stay as is” model, along with two variants – keeping the current system of governance and public ownership, but removing the ability for City Council to enact a mill levy in the event of financial strife; and maintaining the current base governance and ownership structure with tweaks allowed by state law to allow for more streamlined decision making – will no longer be considered.

The Commission was charged in February by the Colorado Springs City Council to meet three objectives: minimize the taxpayers’ financial and legal exposure; maximize Memorial’s benefit to the community, including high-quality care and economic and financial impact; and ensure access to excellent healthcare designed and delivered around the community’s needs. (more…)