OCEANSIDE — Residents of the Tri-City Healthcare District, which encompasses Oceanside, Vista and Carlsbad, will decide the fate of four board seats in the upcoming November election.
Tri-City, one of California’s 79 public healthcare districts, provides hospitals and other medical services to underserved areas.
This year, four of the seven board seats, representing Zones 1, 3, 5, and 7, are up for election. In Zone 3, which covers much of Oceanside, incumbent Gigi Gleason is running unopposed. The three remaining races have drawn competitive contests.
Zone 1: Sanchez vs. Newsome
In Zone 1, which encompasses eastern Oceanside and Vista, incumbent board member Adela Irma Sanchez faces a challenge from Allen Newsome.
Sanchez, who was first elected in 2020, is seeking a second term, stating, “My job is not done.”
A registered nurse with nearly 20 years of hospital experience across San Diego County, Sanchez currently serves on the board committee tasked with finding a healthcare partner for Tri-City.
Sanchez said she is particularly focused on reinstating the hospital’s women and newborn services, ensuring the success of the new mental health facility, completing an ER remodel and upgrading the hospital’s infrastructure.
Sanchez said she takes pride in her accomplishments during her first term, including appointing Dr. Gene Ma as CEO and playing a key role in preventing a potential nurse strike by advocating for fair compensation and benefits for nursing staff.
Sanchez also emphasizes her commitment to eliminating the hospital’s debt while maintaining high standards of patient care.
Newsome, a healthcare executive for over 20 years with his family’s business, Senior Mobility Aids, entered the race to ensure the community’s hospital remains trustworthy and delivers high-quality care.
“The quality of healthcare infrastructure in our community should reflect the high cost of living here, and right now, we need to bridge that gap,” Newsome said.
Newsome’s family business, Senior Mobility Aids, has provided care to at-risk residents for over 20 years. His campaign focuses on improving Tri-City’s reputation, enhancing transparency, and pushing for greater accountability from hospital leadership.
“For far too long, our community has had a complicated relationship with Tri-City, lacking trust in the care provided,” Newsome said. “This distrust, while sometimes unwarranted, stems from the hospital’s inconsistent quality of care and experience. By raising the bar on both, we can restore the hospital’s standing in the community.”
Zone 5: Byzak vs. Brown
Residents in Zone 5, covering parts of Vista and southern Oceanside, will see a new board member after current appointee Marvin Mizell elected not to seek re-election. Candidates Aaron Byzak and Sheila Brown are competing for the open seat.
Byzak previously spent seven years at Tri-City in several leadership roles, including as chief external affairs officer and chief strategy officer. Byzak said his experience in healthcare policy and emergency medical services gives him valuable insight into the hospital’s challenges.
Byzak’s top priority is rebuilding trust in the hospital.
“My experience as an emergency medical services provider has given me first-hand insight into the critical care Tri-City delivers to the community,” Byzak said. “The community deserves confidence in their local hospital, but right now, that trust has eroded. Improving the quality of care and enhancing patient, visitor and staff experience will be central to my work.”
Byzak believes the era of standalone hospitals is ending, which means Tri-City needs to explore a strategic affiliation with a larger integrated health system to ensure its long-term success.
“I bring a unique combination of hands-on experience and accomplishment, both within Tri-City and across the broader healthcare landscape, that no other candidate in this race can offer,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve consistently worked to elevate healthcare in Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista. My deep ties to the community, along with a proven record of launching successful initiatives that have positively impacted the region, set me apart.”
Brown, a veteran healthcare administrator with over 38 years of experience in the field, including roles at neighboring Palomar Health, emphasized her commitment to addressing the financial challenges faced by district hospitals.
“I am deeply committed to addressing the financial challenges faced by district hospitals, given the higher cost of living in our area and the recent strains on healthcare funding,” Brown said. “With my background in public health and a strong focus on healthcare equity, I am uniquely equipped to navigate these complex issues and advocate for the continued success of our health system.”
Brown began her career in healthcare administration in St. Louis, Missouri, before joining Palomar Health in 1992. Her experience includes serving as a head nurse in acute, neuro and orthopedic units and holding various management roles.
Although Brown considered retirement last year, she opted to remain with Palomar Health on a part-time basis in an advisory capacity as a strategic priorities executive. In this role, she has worked on key projects, including the development of a new 120-bed behavioral health hospital in Escondido and expanding Trauma Recovery Services for abuse victims in the South Bay.
As a candidate for the Tri-City board of directors, Brown’s primary concerns are ensuring the sustainability and maintaining the quality of health care services in the community.
“As a 32-year resident of Oceanside, Tri-City is not just a hospital to me, it is my community’s hospital,” Brown said. “We are all here to do something greater than ourselves and that is caring for our patients. We are stronger and better when we come together and meet the needs of our community.”
Zone 7: Chaya vs. Mitchell
In Zone 7, which covers most of Carlsbad, incumbent Dr. Nina Chaya is seeking re-election against challenger Valerie Mitchell. Chaya, an anesthesiologist who has worked at Tri-City since 2012, is the only physician on the board.
She highlighted her role during the pandemic, helping to secure vaccines and administering them to residents.
“I was sworn in during the pandemic and immediately began working on securing sufficient vaccine inventory, as well as the logistics of administering vaccinations to everyone who wanted and/or needed one,” she said.
Chaya also pointed to the board’s work in stabilizing Tri-City’s finances, noting that the hospital is now cash-positive for the first time in years.
“It’s no secret that Tri-City has struggled financially for some time. Some incredibly tough decisions had to be made during my term to keep us financially solvent while ensuring we provide the best possible care for our patients,” she said. “We accomplished this through strategic planning, quality improvement projects, and, most importantly, by listening to the needs of those keeping the heart of Tri-City alive.
“If I am re-elected, it will remain my top priority to find a suitable partner that will be trustworthy stewards to provide the best possible care for the patients in our district,” Chaya continued, emphasizing the need for Tri-City to partner with a larger health system to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Mitchell, a retired project manager at telecom giant Mitel and former IT trainer for Sharp Healthcare, criticized the hospital’s financial struggles and the loss of community confidence.
“Many patients choose to go to Palomar or other hospitals instead of staying here,” Mitchell said, vowing to improve communication with patients and address concerns over pay and working conditions for nurses.
Mitchell said her experience has given her “the opportunity to utilize patience, diplomacy, and creative thinking.”
Mitchell hopes to address the low approval rating from patients and staff, long ER wait times, and poor patient reviews, highlighting issues with care, attitude and responsiveness.
“There is a significant need for improving communication with our patients, whether they are there for a day, a week, or coming through the ER,” she said. “I would also like to address nurses’ concerns for pay, staffing and working conditions.”
