Incumbents Win Marin Healthcare District Seats

The 2012 Election is over. But having won election to the Marin Healthcare District board, incumbents Ann Sparkman and Harris Simmonds now face another challenge.

The board is expected to push for a bond measure that would pay for seismic upgrades at Marin General Hospital. Construction of a new hospital campus could be in the works as early as 2014.

"We have a lot of work to do, but I'm happy we're making a lot of progress," Sparkman said. "We plan on rebuilding the hospital and we'll need the bond measure. … We'll approach the community with informational and educational measures regarding the bond proposal and the plans for the new hospital. We need to make it seismically safe. We need to modernize the hospital to maximize patient care."

Sparkman also pointed out that the hospital's billing office has to adjust to President Barack Obama's Affordable Health Care Act with the goal of improving patient care and making sure that care is cost-effective.

Sparkman and Simmonds ran together on a ticket backed by the Alliance to Save Our Hospital. Sparkman won 41.68 percent of the vote and Simmonds won 41.18 percent. Sparkman was appointed to the board in 2011 to replace Sharon Jackson, who retired with a year left on her term.

Challenger Joe Salama, who accused the board of holding "secret" meetings, finished with 16.61 percent of the vote.

"(Simmonds) and I served on the board together. We have a very collaborative board that works well together," Sparkman said.

Here's more 2012 Election news on Patch:

2. Marin Voters OK Sales Tax Hike for Open Spaces
3. Barack Obama Re-Elected President
4. California Election Results 2012: Voters Split on Propositions
5. California Election Results 2012: POTUS, Federal, State Races
6. Patch Election Day Photos from Around the Country
7. Patch and AOL Send Hurricane Sandy Relief Trucks to Long Island and New Jersey