ARLINGTON The Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics received no findings in the Washington State Auditors Office Independent Accountability Audit Report for its financial transactions from Jan. 1, 2004 through Dec. 31, 2005, making this the 11th consecutive audit in which the CVHC have received no findings.
According to the report issued by Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag, the Snohomish County Public Hospital District 3, which covers the CVHC, not only complied with state laws and regulations, as well as its own policies and procedures, in the areas examined by the audit, but also demonstrated internal controls adequate to safeguard public assets.
Sonntag explained that the audit examined the Districts management accountability for public resources, focusing on specific areas that represent the highest risk of noncompliance, misappropriation or misuse of such resources.
Among the specific areas examined for accountability by the audit were the CVHC accounts receivable, cash handling procedures, payroll, petty cash, change and revolving accounts, and small and attractive assets. The audit likewise examined the Districts budgeting requirements, charity care write-offs, competitive bid law compliance, contracts and agreements, ethics and conflicts of interest laws, insurance and bonding, risk management, and use of restricted funds against certain applicable state and local laws and regulations.
Clark Jones, one of the Districts two co-administrators, attributes its lack of findings in these biannual audits to creating a high awareness, among our employees, that we are a public entity, whose assets belong to the taxpayers. By this point, its fairly easy for us.
Sonntags report similarly characterized CVHC officials and personnel as consistently helpful in taking prompt action in response to auditor inquiries.