Louisiana State University has accused the operator of public hospitals in Shreveport, La., and Monroe, La., of failing to live up to its contract responsibilities, according to The News-Star.
LSU outlined its grievances against Biomedical Research Foundation in a 10-page breach notice. According to the report those grievances include:
- Failure to work in a collaborative manner with LSU.
- Failure to support and promote LSU Health Science Center-Shreveport's academic mission and reputation.
- Failure to establish a sustainable and competitive business model, according to the report.
The foundation will formally respond to LSU's allegations within a week, Biomedical Research Foundation Chairman Steve Skrivanos said in a report published Monday. "We don't agree to the validity of any of the issues, but we're committed to resolving any differences and would welcome third-party mediation," Mr. Skrivanos said, according to the report. "We're taking this week to digest the claims before we issue a formal response."
In the meantime, Mr. Skrivanos has emailed a letter to all 3,500 University Health employees in Shreveport and Monroe, reassuring them their jobs will not be impacted by the conflict between LSU and the foundation, according to The News-Star.
Biomedical Research Foundation earned the contract to operate the northern Louisiana hospitals in 2013 as part of Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's privatization of the state's charity hospital system.