HOSPITAL RACE TAKES NASTY TURN COMPLAINT FILED OVER LETTER, FLIER.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - With two months to go before the Antelope Valley Hospital board election, the campaign has already taken a nasty turn and shows signs of heating up.

Candidate and former board member Dr. John Manning has filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission over an anonymous flier about High Desert Medical Group and an unsigned letter mailed to him accusing him of wrongdoing.

Another candidate, Roger Berger, sent a letter to the board and hospital administrators apologizing for an outburst at the Aug. 25 board meeting.

Ousted hospital administrator Mathew Abraham, a board candidate, filed a wrongful termination and defamation lawsuit alleging attempted bribery and extortion on the part of High Desert Medical Group's owner.

The Nov. 2 election has drawn nine candidates for three seats on the board, including incumbents Dr. Adallah Farrukh and Steve Fox. Director Deborah Rice did not seek re-election.

``It's probably going to be pretty nasty because a lot of money is going to get spent,'' Fox said.

The last hospital board election in 2002 was the most expensive local election in Antelope Valley history, where former directors Gary Hill and Dr. Don Bean lost to June Snow, a retired registered nurse, and family practice physician Dr. Don Parazo, who works for High Desert Medical Group.

The candidates raised more than $437,000 and spent $391,600.

Manning said the letter against him was mailed to his office about two weeks ago. The flier, which accuses High Desert Medical Group of planning to take over the hospital board, apparently had been circulating at the hospital.

``This is the just the opening shot. There's going to be more to follow. I don't doubt it,'' said Manning, a Lancaster plastic surgeon who served on the board from 1996 to 1998 and did not seek re-election then.

Manning said he wanted the public to know about the letter and flier because such negative tactics are dissuading people from running for the board.

``One prominent member of the community, he wanted to run, a business owner. He said, 'Why do I need to harm my business because of this kind of sleaze?''' Manning said. ``It's sleazy, obnoxious activity, and it's got to stop.''

Hospital spokesman Ed Callahan called the anonymous letter and flier ``despicable.''

``The issues facing this hospital and health care in this community are very real issues. This type of nonsense has no place in this election process,'' Callahan said. ``We would hope all the candidates would focus on the real issues at hand. We have enough things to worry about without creating frivolous issues.''

Fox, a frequent critic of the board majority and hospital administrators, said the campaign has special interests that appear to promote their favored candidates, among them the current administration, the unions and High Desert Medical Group.

Fox said he also received a threatening letter suggesting he should not run again.

As for Abraham's lawsuit, Abraham's attorney said the litigation shouldn't have an impact on the campaign.

``That's a good question. People will interpret it both ways. People will have an opinion on either side. In the end, I don't see how one has anything to do with the other,'' Greg Hafif said.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com