The board voted 8-6, with one abstention, to issue a 90-day termination notice for the county-owned hospital’s management contract effective Dec. 31. That means Regional Medical Center will be under QHR management until March 31, at which time the contract with QHR will end.
Reasons for the decision are undisclosed, as Board Chairman Melvin Brooks said he wanted to speak with the board’s attorney before commenting.
Several trustees raised questions about the vote’s compliance with hospital bylaws, which grant the medical staff meeting time with the board before such a decision is made. RMC attorney Bob Horger said of the vote, “It may not be consistent with bylaws, but legally I think you can do it.”
Further, it remains unclear how the vote will affect RMC CEO Tom Dandrige, who is employed by QHR and has served as CEO since 1993. The existing contract states the hospital cannot employ a CEO placed by QHR at the end of the contract.
The board is requesting an advisory contract with QHR versus a management contract. QHR would serve in an advisory and consultative role in this arrangement, and trustees would be able to hire a new CEO outside of QHR. Mr. Horger told the Times and Democrat he informed trustees last week that he was unsure if QHR would accept the advisory contract request.
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