Schneider to head foundation

Councilwoman Elizabeth Schneider’s tool set well equips her to rebuild the community connection to South Coast Medical Center that will help finance needed improvements, hospital officials said this week.

Center President Bruce Christian announced on Monday that Schneider had accepted the position of executive director of the South Coast Medical Center Foundation.

She will be working with the foundation board of directors to raise funds to support improvements to the medical facility, equipment and services, using skills she honed as a marketing consultant and as a council member.

“I can’t think of many things more important to our residents than having a hospital in our community that will serve all of us for many years to come,” Schneider said.

“For this reason, I have decided to forego my business and use everything in my power to retain our hospital and to help it prosper. The task will be a great one and we will need ‘all hands on deck’ in our community to make this happen — but it is do-able.”

Schneider will officially take over as foundation executive director on March 16.

Hospital officials hope that Schneider will be able to lead community support for the hospital’s future.

“Elizabeth is just so good at marketing and she knows the community,” said former Mayor Kathleen Blackburn, a member of the hospital’s governing board of directors. “I think this is win-win for the hospital and for Elizabeth.”

“We are delighted that Elizabeth will be joining us,” Christian said. “She brings not only fund-raising, marketing and community outreach experience to our organization, but also a vast network of valuable South County relationships to us.

“She has all the capabilities and resources we need for this position as we begin to turn the hospital around so that we can provide the critical services the South County community wants and needs.”

Schneider’s experience includes organizing housing and financial support for families displaced by the June 2005 landslide in Bluebird Canyon, persisting in efforts to get federal funding for the slide damaged or destroyed city infrastructure, promoting a countywide clean water education program for children, lobbying for an Aliso Creek rehabilitation project and helping Laguna Beach Seniors Inc. raise funds for the construction of a center on Third Street, including organizing the Legacy Ball in January.

“I am looking forward to putting on events that will connect the hospital with the communities of Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente, which it serves,” Schneider said.

Schneider replaced Martha Farrington, who left the post earlier this year.

Rumors of Schneider’s appointment had been flying around town for weeks before the official announcement was made Monday, by which time Schneider had all of her ducks in a row.

She had notified clients of her 12-year-old consulting firm, ADworx, of her decision to take on the foundation job. She also has resolved not to run again for public office.

“I can’t think of a career move that would be more rewarding to me than working to help keep our hospital viable in my home town,” Schneider said.

Schneider also advised fellow council members of her new job.

“She called all of us to tell us about the job and that she would be recusing herself from any future votes on the hospital,” Councilman Kelly Boyd said. “She seemed really happy, God bless her.”

Councilwoman Jane Egly felt it would be inappropriate for her to comment on Schneider’s appointment because she serves on the city’s hospital sub-committee. Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman, who serves with Egly, and Mayor Toni Iseman did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Schneider said she consulted City Attorney Philip Kohn and a personal attorney about conflict of interest laws before accepting the job.

She will retain her seat on the State Water Quality Regional Board, San Diego Region, announced recently by Gov. Schwarzenegger.

A resident of Laguna Beach for 24 years, Schneider is married to former county official Ernie Schneider. They live in Top of the World with their three dogs, Bailey, Kaluha and Sophie.

South Coast Medical Center is a 208-bed, acute-care hospital that has operated in Laguna Beach since 1959.

The medical center was built on donated land with donated funds, organized by Laguna Beach residents, who were outraged when a city police officer shot in the line of duty died on his way to a hospital.

Adventist Health bought the hospital in 1990. After attempts to relocate collapsed in 2005 due to community opposition, Adventist put the facility on the market.

Former hospital President Gary Irish said at the time that the decision to sell was prompted by the estimated $70 million cost to implement the state mandated, but unfunded, earthquake retrofit. The sale was called off in July 2006.

Before he left hospital employ, Irish had sketched a plan to construct a new building on the site that would house all the critical care units and would meet seismic standards, and to keep all other services and offices in the old building, which then would not need to be retrofitted.

A version of that plan is still being discussed, Schneider said.

All it would take is funding and someone to raise the money.

Schneider invites anyone who would like to help with fundraising for the hospital to call her at (949) 497-7128.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Should Elizabeth Schneider step down from the City Council because of her new position with the hospital? Write us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA, 92652, e-mail us at [email protected] or fax us at 494-8979. Please give your name and tell us your home address and phone number for verification purposes only.