The answer to NewsLanc’s question of “What should Lancaster General do?” in the eyes of LGH’s leadership will always be “Whatever is of the greatest benefit to LGH” as opposed to the community the public charity is meant to serve.
Why am I so sure this will never change? Because in corporate culture, the final word on every decision — especially financially-impacting decisions — sits ultimately with the Board of Trustees. And with the individuals who are listed below, there will not be even a remote chance of any of these Trustees going against the monopolistic and self serving desires of Lancaster General Hospital.
[They are:]
Gibson Armstrong, retired state senator who allied himself with the newspapers, The High Group and Fulton Bank in bringing about the convention center project.
Edward T. Chory, MD, General Surgeon, who directly benefits from Lancaster General Hospital’s on-call per diem pay
John A. Fry, President of F&M (member of the infamous ‘Big Five’ of LGH, Lancaster Newspapers, High, F & M and Fulton), who partnered with LGH in relocating the Norfolk Southern railyard, trampling the rights of neighbors who were seeking an independent study of the best location.
Dennis A. Getz, Executive Vice President & CFO, Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.(yet another member of the infamous ‘Big Five’)
Gerald W. Rothacker, Jr., MD, another surgeon who directly benefits from Lancaster General Hospital’s on-call per diem pay; and a direct beneficiary of a $10 million building (located at North Pointe Business Park) for his surgical practice wholly paid for by LGH
Michael W. Van Belle of the High Group (yet another member of the infamous “Big Five“)
Additionally, with the likes of Getz of the Lancaster Newspapers, will there ever be a front-page article on Lancaster General Hospital that is not favorable? So if the only daily published newspaper is under the sway of Lancaster General Hospital, where will the scrutiny come from?
NewsLanc has published that Lancaster General Hospital is a Public Charity that functions in a very private manner. By law, LGH needs to hold one annual meeting that is open to the public. LGH permits no media coverage of other board and committee meetings. All is done in secret. The public is shut out.
I can agree with NewsLanc in that three members of the Board of Trustees should be elected by the public to four-year terms. But I say that these three individuals would only make up a small minority of the Board and with little chance of overcoming the LGH-controlled Board of Trustee cronies.
I would mandate eleven elected positions (a majority of the twenty-one LGH Board of Trustees) as a step toward offsetting Lancaster General Hospital’s, always-agreeable Board of Cronies.
