HOSPITAL BOARD WON'T APPOINT MIDDLEMAN.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley Hospital trustees dropped a proposal to hire a $60,000 board liaison who would either have kept an eye on CEO Mathew Abraham or lobbied for federal government funds to expand facilities.

After testimony from several hospital employees opposed to the idea and about an hour of debate, the board split 2-2 at its meeting Thursday night - with newly elected trustee June Snow abstaining - on whether to pursue the concept further.

Board chairman Dr. Abdallah Farrukh and director Deborah Rice, who supported the proposal, had different ideas about what the person would do.

Farrukh said a politically connected liaison could help secure aid for building an east Palmdale hospital or other projects.

Rice said she had a hard time getting a straight answer from Abraham about whether part of the mental health ward had been closed, and was never told about a ``war room'' where consultants posted lists labeling employees as pro- or anti-union.

``There have been problems,'' Rice said. ``This is the tip of the iceberg. ... The position is for us to obtain information.''

Mentioned as a prospect for the job was Lancaster businessman Pat Sileo, the 70-year-old father of Lancaster City Councilman Ed Sileo. The elder Sileo has worked on several hospital campaigns and in other local elections. Trustee Steve Fox said naming Sileo to watch over the CEO would cause ``gridlock'' at the hospital, and accused Rice and Farrukh of wanting to ``appoint a pit bull to gnaw at the rest of us.''

``I don't need a middleman to talk to Mr. Abraham. I totally trust him,'' Fox said. ``We're adding another layer of bureaucracy.''

Dr. Don Parazo, who like Snow was elected to the board in November, said he was not convinced the position was needed and sided with Fox on the vote.