ERWIN — By the time the Unicoi County Memorial Hospital Board of Control meets on Monday, board Chairman Glenn Tilson hopes to have some information on attorneys who could represent the board during UCMH’s acquisition by a larger health care system.
In a called meeting Wednesday, UCMH board members present unanimously approved granting Tilson authority to engage legal counsel in the transaction involving the hospital. The attorney hired by the board is to have experience in mergers and acquisitions and not to have any prior connections to health care systems in the area.
With Wednesday’s approval, Tilson will search for attorneys meeting these requirements and hopes to bring information to the board at its regular meeting Monday.
“I would like, if it was up to the board, for me to gather information from several attorneys and get it to the board Monday, if I could get it to the board by Monday and let the board vote on those,” Tilson said prior to Wednesday’s vote.
Board of Control Secretary/Treasurer Russell Brackins said he would like to see the attorney possess prior acquisition and merger experience. Board member Sue Jean Wilson said, if possible, the board should know whether attorneys to be considered have any past ties to area health care systems.
After adjournment of Wednesday’s called meeting and before the board entered a closed strategic planning session to discuss “the hospital’s future” and discuss any new acquisition proposals received, Tilson said bringing in an experienced attorney is a necessary move.
“I do not have the expertise, and I don’t think anyone on the board has the legal expertise to make sure that all legal ramifications are available to protect all parties involved,” he said.
Tilson said UCMH interim CEO Jete Edmisson was awaiting a proposal from Wellmont Health System and that he had received no confirmation on the submission of a second Mountain States Health Alliance proposal. Tilson said the board hopes to make the proposals received available for public review today, seven days before it is set to consider acceptance of an acquisition proposal.
Tilson also discussed the process that led to the board’s consideration of MSHA’s letter of intent to acquire MSHA on Oct. 4.
He said the board’s Executive Committee previously made the decision to send requests for proposals to MSHA and Wellmont to see what they would offer in acquiring UCMH. He said he believes the board was able to make the decision to shop the hospital based on information available, and the RFPs were sent to the two largest health care entities as it was felt that they would submit strong acquisition proposals.
“We probably should have gone out for proposals sooner than we did,” he said.
On Oct. 4, after receiving proposals from Wellmont and MSHA in September, the UCMH board met to discuss and vote on MSHA’s letter of intent to acquire UCMH. After the meeting was opened for public discussion, the board voted to delay action until Oct. 18. The board also voted to allow other health care entities interested in acquiring UCMH to submit proposals until today.
Tilson said when the original proposals were submitted by Wellmont and MSHA, each entity requested confidentiality for the proposals. He voiced concern that when MSHA’s initial proposal was made available for public review on Sept. 27, it allowed Wellmont and other entities the opportunity to view the MSHA proposal and a submit a proposal to better it. Tilson said he questions whether it is ethical to allow others to submit proposals after the MSHA proposal was opened to the public.
Tilson said the Oct. 18 meeting, at which the board is set to consider a proposal for the acquisition of UCMH, will be held at Erwin Town Hall.
Clinchfield writes:
October 10, 2012
11:20 PM
Why does the Johnson City Press continue to allow the UCMH Board of Directors to enter into closed meetings? Strategic planning sessions can't be closed. State law doesn't allow it. Isn't the media supposed to be the public's watchdog?
Imker writes:
October 11, 2012
12:06 AM
Why is Tilson working for MHSA? He posted their proposal for all to see. The board of directors tabled it. Game on. Who is on the side of the people of the county and the 2 towns Erwin and Unicoi? If Tilson isn't on our side he should resign and go to work for the other side.
love-it writes:
October 11, 2012
3:38 AM
in the other news articles it has Shane Ohare who works for MSHA making comments how it saddens him at the comments people have made in the called meeting last week and how MSHA has such integrity????? Mr Ohare lives in Erwin and ran for alderman a year ago ..........so there is more than just the 3 board members that wants MSHA!!!!!! How Can the hospital require ( up front payment) or they wont treat you? How is that legal???
bridgett writes:
October 11, 2012
5:33 AM
Clinchfield is correct. Until the commentary on these UCMH articles exploded, the JC Press seemed quite satisfied to transcribe the Vonderfecht recitations of company press releases and call it news. Fair and unbiased reporting is often not the case in small "company" towns, and this is a good example. It is fair to say, though, that the JC Press has somewhat stepped up to the plate and has at least started to report a more broad picture of the story. Albeit a lot of the JCP stories seem driven by the commenters, who often have better and more comprehensive referenced data!
Certainly, at this point, even if the Board of Control had the poor judgement to choose an attorney inappropriate for this case, no decent attorney with a conflict of interest would accept. Not with so many heated critical eyes being turned toward this situation. Any attorney wanting to avoid conflict of interest charges and subsequent Tennessee Bar investigation would have the sound mind to be very clear of his/her objectives in this case, and would understand just who the clientele is.
Imker writes:
October 11, 2012
8:34 AM
Clinchfield: The legality of last night's strategy session (not the previous ones) is explained in the news story from last night:
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=102783
... in the later paragraphs, starting:
"Tennessee Press Association Public Policy Director Frank Gibson said state laws passed several years ago allow public hospitals to meet in closed sessions. Gibson said these planning sessions must coincide with open public meetings at which the board must vote to hold the planning session and divulge its purpose.
Gibson said action cannot be taken during these strategic planning sessions and the board cannot make a decision until seven days after information to be considered has been made public."
Read more: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=102783#ixzz28zexH5CX
dragonfly writes:
October 11, 2012
10:51 AM
From past comments, it sounded like MSHA felt this was a "done deal" practically. If that's so, were some decisions already made or am I getting this wrong?
Imker writes:
October 11, 2012
8:00 PM
Several members of the board, and the CEO of MSHA, believed it was a "done deal". The CEO believed it so much he didn't even bother coming to the meeting, not even to hang around outside. The chairman of the board was so smug, so arrogant, so certain it was a done deal, it it was listening to and watching a B movie villain. Several members of the board were irritated with the fact that the public actually had a right to be there, and even worse, were allowed to speak. I find it pretty doggone incredible this guy, who revealed himself to have risen to the level of his incompetence, is actually running for mayor of Erwin.
provided.