Grossmont Healthcare District

By Karen Pearlman 

Photo, left:  Aaron  J. Byzak, Interim CEO, Grossmont Healthcare District

Updated March 11, 2025 with comments from Christian Wallis.

March 10, 2025 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District’s communications strategy consultant Aaron J. Byzak is adding a title, acting for a short time as the public agency’s interim CEO. 

At a GHD Board of Directors special meeting on Monday, March 10, the board voted 5-0 to appoint Byzak in the role effective immediately. 

Byzak, 47, will advise and help the board find the successor to its most recent CEO, Christian Wallis, whose contract was not renewed by the GHD board last week during a closed session on March 4. 

“At this point I feel I’m uniquely qualified to help ease the transition,” Byzak said. 

The contract terms include $18,500 per month in addition to Byzak’s previous public affairs contract with the district of $6,000 per month.

Created in 1952, GHD supports the health and wellness of East County through oversight of Sharp Grossmont Hospital, the operation of a public Health & Wellness library, healthcare career scholarships for local students, and a community grants and sponsorships program. 

GHD is governed by an elected board representing nearly 520,000 people residing within 750 square miles. 

As interim CEO, Byzak said he will lead a team of 15 professional staff and report directly to the GHD board.  

His term is initially set for a minimum of three months, during which he will also help facilitate the board’s search for a permanent CEO. Byzak said he expects the process of finding a new CEO for the district to take between three and six months. 

Byzak is co-owner and Chief Strategist for Galvanized Strategies, a strategic public affairs and fractional executive leadership firm with offices in California and Texas. He previously served on the executive team for Tri-City Healthcare District from 2018-24, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer. He also was a key member of the leadership team at UC San Diego Health from 2009-17. 

Byzak has been the communication strategy consultant for Grossmont Healthcare District for the past seven months. His contract with GHD says his job entails promoting the district in media relations, doing communications planning and brand positioning, offering opinion/editorial support and doing community engagement and outreach.

He has also been part of the GHD’s recognition and awards strategy, in which the district applies for honors and awards recognizing its programs and partnerships. 

“Although I am communications consultant for the district, I have an extensive background in hospital leadership and healthcare district leadership, so it made sense for them to go with somebody who’s already in the organization to help lead the staff that are here,” Byzak said.  

“As interim CEO, I’m going to make sure that their amazing, nationally renowned programs continue without any hiccups and we maintain all the positive relationships we’ve built with all of our community partners and to help advice the board of directors on the permanent CEO search.” 

Wallis’ employment agreement was to expire on May 17 and the GHD board voted 4-1 on March 10 not to renew it, with Nadia Farjood casting the dissenting vote. They also voted unanimously to offer Wallace a severance agreement. 

Wallis, 54, was hired by the district in 2021 and given a two-year extension in 2023. He succeeded Barry Jantz, who retired after 16 years of service.

Wallis (photo, left) said with the suddenness of his departure from the district, he was disappointed that he was not able to properly thank community members.

"I missed being able to not say 'Goodbye and thank you,'" Wallis told ECM by phone the day following the approval of Byzak's contract. "I want to thank the East County community for their support over the last four years," he added. "I was immediately embraced and proud to work on their behalf."

Of the legacy he left behind at GHD, Wallis said he is most proud of the collaborations the district had with its community partners."These relationships have helped improve the East County healthcare workforce pipeline, developed innovative methods to improve the emergency response process and dedicated much-needed awareness and resources to our rural community," Wallis said.

In an email to those close to the district, Amy Abrams (photo, right), chief community health officer for the GHD, called Wallis' departure "an unwelcome surprise to all of us on staff" and praised Wallis as "a great leader, well-respected in the community, and a catalyst for several impactful initiatives in our region. He'll be missed by many,” she added.

Abrams also said she is "very grateful to have (Byzak)'s healthcare leadership experience as well as his knowledge of the Grossmont Healthcare District's work in East County" as GHD staff moves through the transition.

During the open session of the March 10 meeting, the board had some pushback from new GHD representative Nadia Farjood (photo, left). Farjood said she was "deeply disappointed in and disheartened by the decision of my colleagues to not renew (Wallis') contract.”

"I am also shocked and befuddled by the decision because Mr. Wallis was a visionary, strategic, thoughtful, kind and capable leader, admired and beloved by both staff and the community during his tenure,' Farjood said. "He spearheaded transformative initiatives in collaboration with staff and community partners that have made tremendous strides toward improving community health and wellness in East County."

Farjood asked to waive privilege over the closed session discussion, asking GHD's legal team to release information from the March 4 meeting in order to "educate the public." Her request was not seconded by any of the other board members.

Also at the March 10 meeting, Michael Peddecord (photo, right), an emeritus of the School of Public Health at San Diego State, thanked Wallis for his accomplishments and said that "many others in the community would agree he brought a needed set of skills and a new perspective to the CEO position with his unique skills and experiences."

"(Wallis) understood the workings of medical care, public health and also the potential of the district to play a previously untapped leadership role in these spheres," Peddecord said. "His work in developing a strategic plan will help the district's grant-making activities and be more focused in the long-term efforts to provide a better value for our healthcare tax dollars."

Bob Ayres (photo, left), GHD’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, said he is confident in the appointment of Byzak. 

“We brought Aaron on a time ago as our media consultant and he’s not an unknown,” Ayres said. “We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Aaron’s caliber and experience step into this role. His leadership abilities and strategic insights are essential as we continue to advance our mission.” 

Byzak is a Vista resident and North County native with three decades of work in the healthcare industry. He has been honored five times by the San Diego Business Journal in the publication’s annual list of the 500 Most Influential People in San Diego. He is also a four-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer. 

Barry Jantz (photo, right), the former CEO of GHD and current president and owner of Jantz Communications, said that he has known Byzak for many years.

He said that with Byzak’s diverse background in healthcare district governance and community health, and “given a number of significant matters before the district... he’s a great choice to step into the role at this critical time.” 

By Karen Pearlman

March 6, 2025 (La Mesa) -- The five-member Grossmont Healthcare District Board of Directors has decided not to renew the contract of CEO Christian Wallis.

Wallis, who was hired by the district in 2021 for a two-year contract at $215,000 per year, was given a two-year extension and a cost of living raise in 2023 to $247,424 annually. He succeeded Barry Jantz, who retired after 16 years of service.

GHD's board made the decision during its Tuesday morning board meeting on March 4 in closed session, after which the district’s legal counsel reported out with a public statement that the board voted 4-1 to not renew Wallis's contract.

GHD released a statement about Wallis's departure on Thursday evening, March 6:

"The Grossmont Healthcare District Board of Directors, in a 4-1 vote, has decided not to extend the CEO’s employment agreement beyond its current term, which expires on May 17, 2025. Additionally, the Board majority determined that a leadership transition was in the best interest of the organization, effective March 4, 2025. The Board also voted unanimously (5-0) to offer the CEO a severance agreement.

"We appreciate Christian Wallis’s service and contributions to Grossmont Healthcare District and thank him for his leadership. The Board remains focused on ensuring continuity and stability as we move forward and will provide further updates regarding interim leadership and next steps in the coming weeks.

"At this time, our priority is maintaining the organization’s mission and operations. We will not be commenting further on personnel matters."

A Navy veteran, when Wallis was hired, he had more than 27 years of leadership experience in the healthcare field in the private sector, the federal government and international healthcare settings.

He was previously regional/state vice president of Health Information Technology Support Services for Advocate Aurora Health in Illinois. He also served as the VP of operations for Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill.

The GHD website notes that a FY22-23 CEO evaluation took place in closed session on Nov. 18, 2022 during its Board of Directors meeting.

The board will have a discussion about replacing Wallis at a later time, possibly as soon as the week of March 10. The district's next meeting is 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 20.

By Brenda Miller, PhD., R.N.

February 6, 2025 (La Mesa) -- When Benjamin Franklin included silence in his list of virtues, he termed it “golden.” Silence does not mean remaining quiet with respect to important issues but involves speaking after listening and thinking before speaking.  That apparently is not the philosophy of Nadia Farjood, recently elected member of the Grossmont Healthcare District Board of Directors.

Prior to the January 7, 2025, board meeting, there was a barrage of rhetoric misleading the public on social media and in emails, petitions, and local organizations suggesting that the board did not want Nadia Farjood as a member. The rhetoric claimed the board was insensitive to needs of the public, purposely excluding community participation by holding meetings during the day; was racist, particularly with respect to membership by women of color; discriminated against young people, and so on. These unfounded accusations persist.

The criticisms of the board arose primarily out of Ms. Farjood’s failure to get the board to change meeting times to evenings to accommodate her personal schedule. According to change and group dynamics theories, someone entering a new environment should assess the environment before trying to make changes. This has not been Ms. Farjood’s approach. She rarely attended board meetings before and during the election campaign and missed a prime opportunity to understand the workings of the board and prepare for her role as a member. Because she was not present, she did not realize that, to reach out to the community, the board changed meeting times on a bimonthly basis from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After an extended time without any increase in public attendance, the board returned to the prior 9:00 a.m. time slot.

Now, Ms. Farjood is engaging in divisive rhetoric that promotes conflict, which she could have avoided with an effective assessment of the environment prior to trying to enforce changes. Perhaps she should reflect more deeply on the concept of silence as a virtue until she understands the issue about which she wishes to speak and the position she fought hard to successfully win.

Brenda Miller is a registered nurse with PhD and Masters degrees in nursing.  She ran against Nadia Farjood in the November 2024 election for the Grossmont Healthcare District board seat.

The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.

By Miriam Raftery

January 8, 2025 (La Mesa) – Dozens of public speakers at yesterday’s Grossmont Healthcare District meeting urged the board to move its 9 a.m. meetings to evenings in order to accommodate people with full-time jobs. The proposal was made by newly elected director Nadia Farjood, a working mother who says her new full-time job at the District Attorney’s office prevents her from attending daytime meetings.

The district represents about 520,000 residents. Around 271 people signed a petition in support of Farjood’s proposal, and around 40 showed up in support at yesterday’s meeting. But despite testimony from union representatives, healthcare workers, district residents and local elected officials, Farjood’s proposal failed, with no other director in support.

Some speakers voiced concern not only for Farjood, but for the potential chilling effect on would-be candidates who may be persuaded from running for office if they have full-time day jobs.

Jesse Garcia from the carpenters’ union called it “unfair” and “unAmerican” to “disenfranchise the 23,000 voters” who backed Farjood in the recent election by refusing to accommodate her request, potentially forcing her off of the board. He noted that he serves on multiple boards and committees, which all have evening meetings.

Regina Beasley, a Sharp Healthcare worker and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) member, said restricting meetings to mornings is “discriminatory” based on age, gender and employment status, noting that “most of us in here have children.”

Leila Kater (photo, left) testified that she represents almost 2,000 healthcare workers in the Grossmont district. She told the board that workers “will start paying a lot more attention to these meetings” in order to “hold this board accountable.”

Toni Vargas, a phlebotomist, voiced concerns over "exclusion" of working people including healthcare workers by holding morning meetings, and said avoiding evening meetings is "about preserving power."

Briana Costen,  a trustee on the La Mesa Spring  Valley School District board, said she was “deeply troubled” by the tone of the discussion.  “This is a public board, and you serve the public,” she stated, noting that “75% of voters in this district are below retirement age” and thus likely to have work conflicts that would make it difficult to attend daytime meetings.

Patricia Dillard, Vice Mayor of La Mesa, called for “transparency and accountability.” She said if any member cannot attend evening meetings that are more accessible to the public,  “you should have no choice to go get off this board.”

Former La Mesa Councilmember Jack Shu said he would often take calls late at night from constituents. “Public service means you serve the people when it is needed,” he said after dozens of others had spoken out. “I have not heard one person speak in favor of keeping the 9 a.m. time,” he said, noting that the city of La Mesa changed its meetings to 6 p.m. and had an increase in attendance as a result.

Melinda Vasquez said she worked with Farjood and voted for her because “I knew that she would bring a different vantage point to this board...She should not have to quit her day job to do public service.”

Several callers gave remote testimony on Zoom, including La Mesa Councilwoman Lauren Cazares, who praised the “excellent service” she received from the healthcare district after being hit by a drunk driver and injured in December.  She noted, “I have a full-time job and am a councilmember.  It shouldn’t be difficult to participate in meetings,” then urged the board to “please serve the community that elected all of you.”

After public testimony, the board held a discussion led by board president Bob Ayres, who thanked everyone for sharing their views.

Director Virginia Hall disputed claims by some speakers that all board members are retired and should be more flexible. “I do work,” she said, adding that she’s also helped care for her grandson. “It saddens me to hear these comments.” She praised the district for accomplishments including lowering tax rates for taxpayers, giving out $1.5 million in grants to community organizations, receiving a Golden Watchdog Award, and being named the Best Healthcare District in California in 2023.

Hall noted that people who can’t attend in person may participate via Zoom, and noted that the board did launch a pilot program holding meetings at 5 p.m. for six months last year, but that attendance did not increase. She suggested that attendance at meetings is low because the community trusts board members to make wise decisions.

Director Randy Lenac, participating remotely, noted that the head of LAFCO has said the Grossmont Healthcare District is the “gold standard of healthcare districts” and that Sharp Grossmont is a “great hospital.”  He voiced support for keeping meetings at  9 a.m. and said the meeting time has been “settled for a long time,” drawing groans from the crowd.

Farjood pointed out that the issue at hand was not whether or not the district has done good work. She then pressed her colleagues over their responses to a survey sent to board members about their availability for meetings at other times. Though all other members had written down a preference to keep meetings at 9 a.m., she noted, “None of the members identified any conflict with 6 p.m..”  She said she has seen board members at other evening meetings, including a recent holiday party.

Lenac insisted that “9 a.m. is the best time to assure principal participants can attend,” and insisted that his availability for other times is “irrelevant,” drawing laughter from the audience. He noted, however, that when meetings used to be at 7:30 a.m. he sometimes had to drive through snow from his rural residence, but added, “I never missed a meeting.”

Farjood asked who Lenac considered principal participants, prompting the attorney to try and stop her questioning. This drew shouts from the audience, such as ”No one elected him!” and “Stop speaking down to us!”

Assured she could continue, Farjood stated, “My view is that the public are principals.”

Lenac then clarified that he was referring to members of the hospital who regularly address the board on matters such as healthcare quality, finances, facilities, and future projects.

Farjood said the board is the oversight body for the hospital.  “To say we would put the interests of the hospital above the public you’ve heard from today is backwards,” she added. She asked Lenac how he knew that hospital principals couldn’t attend a 6 p.m. meeting, and he admitted, “Well, I don’t know, but I know that 9 a.m. works.”

As for the 5 p.m. pilot program, Farjood called it a “sham” and noted that many people get off work at 5 p.m. and are commuting home at that hour. She also objected to what she views as inadequate outreach by the district, noting that most constituents she met walking precincts said they “never heard of it.”

Farjood clarified that she is not asking the board to change its days, which alternate between Tuesday and Thursday, but only to shift times to 6 p.m. or later.

Hall objected, saying that people are tired at the end of the day, and that traffic can be bad at 6 p.m.

Farjood suggested that better outreach could boost meeting attendance. When Hall asked why so many people showed up at this meeting, when meetings are usually sparsely attended, Farjood replied, “Because I let them know about this,” drawing cheers from the audience.

Board Chair Gloria Chadwick (photo), a retired nurse and long-time advocate for seniors, noted that some seniors are vision-challenged, particularly with night driving.  Pressed on her own availability for evening sessions, Chadwick said, “I will do whatever our board decides.”

Direcftor Ayres (photo,left) said “it’s possible” he could attend evening meetings, but noted that he has an outside full-time job that often requires evening work, including talking with clients in other countries.  “Last night I didn’t finish until almost 9 p.m.,” he noted.

As for Farjood’s conflict with attending daytime meetings,  Ayres noted that directors are also expected to attend training sessions, committee members, legislative days, grantees’ events and community events, which are often during daytime hours.

Farjood asked why the board needs two meetings a month. She then made a motion asking the board to change to one meeting per month, on the third Thursday at  6 p.m. No member seconded the motion, which died without a vote.

“Today is a dark day for the Grossmont Healthcare District,” concluded Farjood (photo, left), who added that increasing public access was a key part of her campaign. “No amount of years serving on this board can erase the message sent today—that working people cannot serve on this board.”

But she added defiantly,  “I am not going anywhere,” suggesting she may seek accommodation from her employer or, as an attorney, perhaps pursue a legal remedy.  “I will be advocating for this at every meeting,” she pledged, thanking all who showed up in support.

East County News Service

January 6, 2025 (La Mesa) – Tomorrow at 9 a.m., the Grossmont Healthcare District board of directors will consider a proposal by newly elected board member Nadia Farjood to change the board’s meeting times to evenings or weekends.  But a survey of board members shows no support for that plan. The board previously experimented with holding evening meetings but found that attendance by the public dropped, multiple members noted.

Farjood, an attorney, has said that her  day job prevents her from attending any meetings Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., when she has court appearances, as well as from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second and third Tuesdays each month.

While the board has changed its meeting times more than once during the past election year, none of its meeting times were during the hours when Farjood has said she could participate.

“Rescheduling the meeting from 9 a.m. time will help accommodate all Board member work schedules and enhance public access,” she states in response to a survey of board members on meeting date/time availability. She also states that she  believes weekend meetings are not ideal for staff, leaving only weeknight meetings as options, in her view.

She notes that the La Mesa City Council meetings at 6 p.m., and that both Palomar Health and Fallbrook Regional Health districts’ boards meeting evenings. She also calls on Grossmont to cut meetings from twice monthly to once a month, and for the board to reimburse members for ride-share services or taxis to attend evening meetings.

A petition at Change.org has gathered 217 signatures in support of Farjood’s proposal.though many are from outside the district, The petiion argues that moving meetings to 6 p.m. would enhance accessibility and participation, promote transparency, respect the democratic process, and encourage more people to run for the board. 

But the four other board members disagree--and cite past experiences as evidence that daytime meetings have actually increased public participation.

Chair Gloria Chadwick says she supports keeping the current dates and times “because we conducted a pilot program to determine if more participation would be generated at an evening hour. The results were that fewer people attended the evening time slot.” She notes that no public comments or suggestions were received during those evening meetings, “not even from the Zoom meeting public, which included the competing candidates for the three board positions.” She adds, ”Since the 9 a.m. time slot, our attendance numbers have increased.” The meeting time change also reflect input from staff, and it aligns with scheduling of senior health programs offered by the library, where the board meets. Chadwick indicated she would only be available Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m, except for special or emergency sessions.

Board member Robert Ayres agrees with Chadwick. “After twice revising the current District Board meeting days and time I find that the present schedule is meeting the needs of the District,its staff, the staff of the Hospital, and for Grantee, Scholarships, and Sponsorship awards recognition. The 9 a.m. time is also conductive for presentations made to the District Board for both internal and external presentations.” He notes that Mondays have many holidays that would impact meetings and that Fridays are often not available for people traveling over the weekend.  He also voiced concern over nighttime driving safety concerns. He says he  supports only Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. meetings.

Board member Virginia Hall, who drives from Santee, concurs that, “When we tried the 6-month pilot program at 5 p.m., we did not have any more public attend compared to our previous 7:30 a.m. time. 9 a.m. is a more reasonable time for all,” she states, adding that it is “safer for all to drive during daylight hours and not during rush hour.” Further, she says  9 a.m. meetings allow for more staff involvement and less overtime. In addition, she says Fridays are when “most public, staff and the hospital staff are tired and Friday traffic is generally worse in the afternoon.”   She would support meetings only between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays. While she could also be available Saturdays during those hours, she observes,”GHD and hospital staff are usually not available without a financial impact to the taxpayers and hospital” on weekends.

Board member Randy Lenac, in answer to whether he supports keeping the current board meeting dates and times, responded succinctly, “Yes, it works for all concerned.”  He did not list any alternative times he could be available.

The board majority’s sentiment is bipartisan; Chadwick is a Democrat, while Ayres, Hall, and Lenac are Republicans. Farjood, a Democrat, has drummed up support for her cause from Run Women Run, though the group has also endorsed Chadwick over the years.

Farjood is correct that changing meeting times to evenings has been done by some other boards to enable working people to attend; examples include Helix Water District and the La Mesa City Council. But her request does not take into account the ract that the Grossmont Healthcare District Board already tried evening meetings, with the opposite outcome. Morning meetings have also been seen as more convenient for doctors and hospital personnel, a factor that cities and other public boards don't need to to consider. On the other hand, the board has the will of voters to consider, and whether keeping a meeting time convenient for the majority is appropriate if it disenfranchises voters whose representative is unable to participate. 

If the board declines Farjood’s request to change the meeting dates and times, her options to continue to serve appear limited.  A new state law prohibits elected officials from participating remotely, such as on Zoom, more than five times a year for boards that meet more than once a month (or two meetings a year for those meeting monthly or less frequently). The law, AB 2302 which takes effect January 1, 2025,  aims to increase interaction with the public in person. 

Per Grossmont District policy, a board member who misses three or more consecutive meetings can be removed, with the vacancy filled either by appointment or special election. 

Being forcibly removed could be a blight on a record of a public official aspiring to run in the future for another office. Another option is to resign, which would provide Farjood with the opportunity to save campaign donors’ funds for use in a future campaign for another office, but which could disappoint supporters who backed her campaign for the healthcare district board.

While it’s rare for a newly elected official to step down, it is not unprecedented. Helix Water District trustee-elect Luis Tejeda resigned Dec. 30, 2017 before being sworn in, citing a new job that posed conflicts of interest. County Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas resigned effective today despite winning reelection by a landslide, citing safety and security concerns.