NO LOYTERING
Published in the Nov. 22, 2025 issue.
The monthly Northern Inyo Hospital District board meetings are becoming must-stream tv, rich in irony, presided over by a board and staff who have no concept of basic economics.
If you fire the people who make you money and keep your staff productive, you will make less money and be less productive. Duh.
While NIHD is “in negotiation” for Mammoth Orthopedics to provide on-call services, it decided to terminate the employment of its current orthopedic doctors on staff, Dr. Bo Loy and Dr. Richard Thunder.
Loy will be dismissed as of December 31 and Thunder will be dismissed as of March, 2026.
This will certainly provide leverage in negotiation with Mammoth.
The dismissal of Loy and Thunder was shared via an email from CEO Christian Wallis with everyone@nih.org on Wednesday.
At the Board meeting that evening, the medical assistant who precipitated Loy’s downfall (by harassing him! Beware crossing the union) insisted that “A lot of you don’t understand the Loy thing.”
She thanked the Board for keeping “the rest of us safe and comfortable.”
But then complained about the union getting screwed in contract negotiations. Yup. Safe and comfortable.
*Ummm, basic economics. No goose, no golden eggs. Maybe you should have thought this through.
Union rep Jane McDonald gave a lively public comment where she maintained the admin side of the organization has seen 18% wage increases on average, while the rank-and-file are “covered in soot” begging the “wicked stepmother” for a few crumbs.
She suggested administrators and the board are siphoning money off a sinking ship.
One employee, Matt, said, “Not a day goes by where we all don’t wonder if we’d be better off somewhere else.”
Several people spoke on behalf of Dr. Loy.
Russ Aldridge talked about how Loy saved his life four weeks ago when he was suffering from a massive staph infection.
“We need more guys like him. Not less.”
Retired Orthopedist Dr. Mark Robinson said, “We’ve had the ability to handle things here for thirty years. It’s a grave mistake to abandon obligatory orthopedic coverage.”
One woman said succinctly, “I can’t believe any of you sleep at night (for what you’ve done in railroading Loy). You know you’re wrong.”
Then public comment ended and the meeting continued and the 94 online participants and full board room was reduced to a fraction.
And then the CFO gave an update at the end of the meeting (see chart above left) to reveal NIHD lost $5 million in the first quarter
because there’s been a 5% decline in people walking through the door, a 50% decline in orthopedic surgeries, and a challenge in the labor-and-delivery space because of higher labor (the other labor!) costs and expenses.
Which is precisely why Mammoth Hospital dumped labor-and-delivery. It loses money.
The Pioneer Medical sign I couldn’t help including because Meredick’s been gone a year, Robinson’s retired, Reid never even made it on the board and Loy’s a short-timer.
What might have been if NIHD had actually decided to promote its doctors and services. And what might have been if it had defended Loy from scurrilous claims.
Board members Jean Turner, Melissa Best-Baker and David Lent should all be recalled before it’s too late. I’m on the fence about Laura Smith since she hasn’t been there long enough. I’m pissed at David Barrett for quitting without putting up a public fight.
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And yet, NIHD didn’t have my undivided attention on Wednesday. Because Bishop’s Parks and Recreation Commission was also streaming, and on the agenda was the delicate topic of how to placate the area’s pickleball and tennis players, who are both lobb(y)ing – see what I did there. Ho-ho-ho – to secure access to the City’s four asphalt courts at City Park.
The challenge is to accommodate players of sports which require varying amounts of space, as well as varying amounts of time to play. “The logistics don’t match” summed up Elaine Chao succinctly during public comment.
The Commission ultimately decided to provide striping for both games on all courts, with tennis getting “priority” on the upper two courts while pickleball has priority on the lower courts.
Bishop City Administrator Pam Foster said it’s clear that the rise in pickleball’s popularity has spotlighted the need for more facilities.
Which we have. They’re sitting there at Millpond County Park. In a pathetic state of disrepair. Despite the fact that the City of LA, as part of the Long Term Water Agreement, hands the County money every year for the purpose of investing in parks and recreation facilities. If the County had merely maintained its three existing courts at Millpond, you wouldn’t have people fighting nearly as hard for the four the City properly maintains.
because there’s been a 5% decline in people walking through the door, a 50% decline in orthopedic surgeries, and a challenge in the labor-and-delivery space because of higher labor (the other labor!) costs and expenses.
Which is precisely why Mammoth Hospital dumped labor-and-delivery. It loses money.
*In a partnership with Mammoth on ortho, who do you think is gonna get the better of the deal?
The Pioneer Medical sign on p. 2 I couldn’t help including because Meredick’s been gone a year, Robinson’s retired, Reid never even made it on the board and Loy’s a short-timer.
What might have been if NIHD had actually decided to promote its doctors and services. And what might have been if it had defended Loy from scurrilous claims.
Board members Jean Turner, Melissa Best-Baker and David Lent should all be recalled before it’s too late. I’m on the fence about Laura Smith since she hasn’t been there long enough. I’m pissed at David Barrett for quitting without putting up a public fight.
And yet, NIHD didn’t have my undivided attention on Wednesday. Because Bishop’s Parks and Recreation Commission was also streaming, and on the agenda was the delicate topic of how to placate the area’s pickleball and tennis players, who are both lobb(y)ing – see what I did there. Ho-ho-ho – to secure access to the City’s four asphalt courts at City Park.
The challenge is to accommodate players of sports which require varying amounts of space, as well as varying amounts of time to play. “The logistics don’t match” summed up Elaine Chao succinctly during public comment.
The Commission ultimately decided to provide striping for both games on all courts, with tennis getting “priority” on the upper two courts with pickleball having priority on the lower courts.
Bishop City Administrator Pam Foster said it’s clear that the rise in pickleball’s popularity has spotlighted the need for more facilities.
Which we have. They’re sitting there at Millpond County Park. In a pathetic state of disrepair. Despite the fact that the City of LA, as part of the Long Term Water Agreement, hands the County money every year for the purpose of investing in parks and recreation facilities. If the County had merely maintained its three existing courts at Millpond, you wouldn’t have people fighting tooth and nail for the four the City properly maintains.
