A task force looking into the problems facing the cash-strapped Jackson Health System has come up with the sensible recommendation that the crucial public health safety network be taken from the control of the politicians who comprise the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners and put in the hands of a not-for-profit corporation.

That proposal is at the core of 18 recommendations which the Miami-Dade County Hospital Governance Taskforce completed on May 12 and submitted to the commission. The overhaul would begin with “an implementation committee” that would be responsible for laying the groundwork for the takeover by the not-for-profit organization.

The task force is also proposing the creation of a separate Public Health Advisory Committee that would monitor the use of funds dedicated to the healthcare system to ensure accountability.

It has been clear for the past year or so that Jackson’s problems run much deeper than just the budgetary woes it has been facing and that the money troubles are a symptom of a much larger problem: the way Jackson is structured and governed. The recommendations of the task force provide a very good starting point for a much-needed overhaul.

It is good to note that the task force specifically recognizes the vital importance of Jackson to the well-being of the community. That has been, and must continue to be, the reason for Jackson’s existence.

If there is one point of concern it is the proposal of the task force that the mayor and commissioners make the initial appointment of the not-for-profit corporation’s suggested nine members. This should be the time for a clean break from the political influence that has dogged the system.