Suitor tells MRMC he would answer questions, but not in public
By Donna Hales Phoenix Staff Writer
The chief executive officer of one of four suitors seeking to purchase Muskogee Regional Medical Center said he will answer any questions from the board, but not in public.
MRMC officials told the Phoenix last week it had “tough questions” for W. Hudson Connery Jr., president and CEO of Essent Healthcare, Inc., based in Nashville. MRMC set up a public board meeting Monday evening for Connery to answer those questions.
However, Connery wrote MRMC Board President Chris Condley on Sept. 29 that he would respond fully to questions MRMC told the Phoenix it wanted answered, but not at the public meeting.
Connery could not be reached for comment.
The board posted a note at MRMC saying the meeting was canceled because Connery declined to attend. In the letter, Connery told Condley that most of the questions already had been answered in information sent to MRMC.
Condley said the negotiations with suitors bidding for MRMC is in the analyzation phase and he could not make any comments. Condley also said it would not be appropriate for him to comment on any suitor.
Condley would not say why MRMC didn’t release Connery’s written reasoning for declining to attend the meeting.
Connery wrote that he was deeply concerned that the private proposal process — involving confidential exchanges of information by both parties — is evolving into a public proposal process.
Connery’s letter to Condley said he understood that “Essent alone of all other bidders will be asked in a public forum to answer specific bid or planning questions not publicly asked of other bidders in a process very different from that originally outlined to us.
“What’s more, to fully and truthfully answer these and other questions you may have, we must reference the private MRMC information you have provided to us, which would violate confidentiality agreements we have signed with you if used in a public setting. In brief, we believe a public discussion is an untenable process for both of us, and Essent cannot participate in it.”
Connery said he understood from a Phoenix article that some of the expressed concerns stem from Connery’s absence during MRMC’s recent visit to Paris Regional Medical Center, an Essent facility.
“It is our philosophy that the corporate CEO does not attend those visits to provide the visiting board unfettered access to local hospital leaders, physicians and community members. We believe that this practice provides visiting boards the best opportunity to see the value of our work,” Connery wrote.
It would appear that Hud is getting gun shy. Since it's a community based hospital, doesn't the community have a say??? Apparently not. As to violating confidentiality agreements, a signed waiver of liability & indemnity from the hospital would probably do the trick.
But, Essent is not a public company, and maybe they do have something to hide...as opposed to the hospital, which must maintain a higher degree of open records....
One would think that the undisclosed reason that he failed to appear might be this forum....
9 comments:
From the local paper....seems that Hud would just as soon keep the cockroaches in the dark, where they do their best job.
Hope they had their collective heads pulled out & their BS filters running.
Thanks for the heads-up....frank
Yeah, what's the old saying, "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with BS!"
T'would seem that being asked pertinent, pointed questions that demand solid, factual and truthful answers is NOT what Hud/Huddites & Essent is all about. As Paris is so painfully aware of.
Hud can definitely thank this blogsite for that. Used car salesmen usually create their own demise.
I think our Founding Fathers are giving a standing ovation to Frank, this blog and bloggers everywhere. This is free speech at it's best. Long live the USA!!
When the harsh light of truth is shone on the cockroaches, they scurry off into any dark place.
Apparently the MRMC board of trustees are doing their homework, and this alone should knock E$$ent out of the picture.
Essent may be a private corporation, but I believe that the citizens of Muskogge and surrounding communities (Wagoner, Checotah) need to know what they're gonna get. I wish the folks of Paris had that option when Christus dumped CSJHS off on Hud's dinner plate- perhaps things would have been different (and possibly better).
The last time I remember any major healthcare decision that would affect a lot of people were concudted in secret, the plan was shot down in flames by Congress (read: Hillary Clinton's healthcare "deform" of the early 1990s).
All the people of Muskogee want is the truth and apparently Hud can't handle the truth.
Where are you Essent apologists NOW? WHY aren't you defending this proposed sale? Or are you too afraid to say anything? (cue chicken clucking)
Another similarity is the hospital in Weatherford...and we know where they went...not to E$$ent! Score another one for Paris, guys.
We (Paris) have endured much since the arrival of Essent. We've seen effective healthcare go down the toilet, we've lost many qualified,hard-working, licensed healthcare folks gravitate to other communities. Many of us would have preferred to remain in Paris, but that was not in our cards thanks to Essents' managerial/pad our pockets style. They hoodwinked many. Had we the advantage of a blogsite such as this one prior to Essents' arrival, perhaps we could have averted the problems we are enduring now. But hindsight is 20/20, and we have all enjoyed and participated in a forum that allowed us to unveil many of Essent's covert, devious and disastrous ways. Thus making it more difficult for Essent to have a negative impact on other communities. Thanks F.P.!
One thing to be said about Essent: They did wake up the medical community. They also changed some of the attitudes that we formerly had as to conservation of resources. But, I think that a lot of that could have been reached by an effective administrator--something we hadn't had in many a year.
This is probably a lesson to those non-profits out there with the attitude that their organizational deep pockets will protect them from the penalties of waste...not so.
We need to be concious of what and where we spend our money, and if we want to waste funds or error towards the frugal side--to be able to afford the staff raises, the equipment, and the facility upgrades that a lot of non-profits can't.
That's how we got into trouble and had to search out organizations like Essent and CHS--because we were unwilling to make the hard decisions ourselves.
So, file it under Lessons Learned for the folks from Christus that still log on, and others like them. It needs to be pointed to and be made an example of what not to let happen....
Reminds me of another note on a door--
"We have determined it is impossible for the debtors in these cases to reorganize under Chapter 11." ...note left in the door prior to a scheduled meeting with Arcon creditors.
For those unaware, Arcon Healthcare immediately preceeded Essent in Hud's ventures....frank
As a former MRMC/CSJHC/PRMC employee who is no longer with the facility, I feed bad for those folks left behind who have to deal with the mess E$$ent has made in Paris. I still have quite a few friends in the area, and they deserve so much better than what they have now. Even under Christus, it was better.
Wonder if, with the meeting cancelled in Muskogee, the sale to Hud will fall through- one can only hope.
Perhaps, with the display of business acumen shown by the CEO, we should now name him "Dud" instead.......
Hang in there guys, we're rooting for you- I hope to be able to come back once the scourge of Dud is removed from the area.
We keep hearing how Hud was such a successful exec--and then we found out about Arcon. Now we might be asking about HealthTrust as well, since Hud was terminated (during the merger) from there as well. He sued, and lost.
Guess that's how he got his 'my way or the highway' attitude....
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