Future unsure for health chief

Long-simmering tensions between the Spokane Regional Health District board and the agency’s chief executive, Kim Thorburn, are escalating again on the eve of a delayed evaluation.

Board of Health members planned to meet today in private to consider an appraisal that Chairman Todd Mielke said reflects concerns about Thorburn’s performance.

“Some board members believe they need to have a very cohesive relationship with the director of the health district,” Mielke said Tuesday. “They’ve been concerned about whether that strong of a relationship has existed.”

Thorburn disputed the validity of the comprehensive evaluation, her first in two years, because only half of the board members responded to the survey, and some of those people have since left the panel.

“They’re a very disengaged board,” Thorburn said Monday.

She said the evaluation, which began in November and was presented to her in February, contains unwarranted and personal criticisms.

“They said that I’m autocratic, that I terrorize the employees, that anything good that has happened has been because of my subordinates,” said Thorburn, 56, who has directed the health district for nine years. “There were really, really awful, nasty comments.”

Thorburn’s last evaluation, in July 2004, was described as “excellent” by one board member and included a 6.8 percent raise, to an annual salary of $125,000.

Mielke would not release scores or discuss details of Thorburn’s evaluation, which included information from health district employees, managers and community partners, as well as the board.

He said he was awaiting advice from legal counsel. Michelle Wolkey, the health district’s lawyer, said it wasn’t clear whether the agency would release the summary report. Officials also did not respond to requests for public records of Thorburn’s contract.

Thorburn characterized the evaluation as mostly positive.

“It was pretty favorable from employees, pretty favorable from the community, and it was the pits from the board,” she said.

Responded Mielke, “I’m not sure that observation is accurate.”

This isn’t the first time Thorburn has clashed with the health district’s supervisory board. Last fall, board member and Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richard said Thorburn has displayed a “pattern of disrespectful behavior.”

In 2004, tense e-mails exchanged with board member Kate McCaslin resulted in a vote of no confidence that the current board has not revoked.

“It’s been contentious since I got here,” Thorburn said. “I’m not a very good politician.”

She expressed frustration with what she described as the board’s reluctance to grapple adequately with such issues as fluoridation and protecting the regional aquifer.

“We don’t have a lot of values conflicts because they won’t deal with public health issues,” she said. “I’ve kind of gotten to the point of ‘why bother?’ ”

Mielke would not say whether health board members are considering firing Thorburn from her $125,000-a-year job.

“There’s the whole array of options from what’s the best case scenario – everybody thinks she’s done an absolutely wonderful job,” Mielke said. “The opposite end of the spectrum is that the board doesn’t believe it’s a relationship that should continue and she should be replaced.”

Thorburn acknowledged that constant conflict with her supervisors could cost her her post.

“I could lose my job,” she said, “but it doesn’t worry me.”