Wrongdoings and misgivings in Treasure Valley medical care

As a BSU senior, I have learned much from my professors. Among the strategies for success have been to exhibit integrity in all my dealings and to be personally accountable for my actions.

The Statesman recently ran an article about Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center where the leadership permitted and directly participated in some bad acts. After a month-long trial, the jury of twelve Treasure Valley citizens unanimously found them guilty of conspiracy, breach of fiduciary responsibility to a partner, and other wrongful behavior that could have jeopardized patients’ health and safety. The jury only awarded $60 million and asked for nothing else. The ill-gotten gains from Saint Alphonsus’ new partner will surely cover that award many times over and the hospital administration will have come out far ahead.

In my studies at BSU, especially in my two law courses, I remember the Tyco and Enron wrongdoings and how both the regulators and the board of directors conducted investigations, discharged the bad apples, and implemented better internal routines. In the case of the horrific actions by the leadership of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, I do not see nor have I read in the paper any similar type actions being taken to correct their situation.

The Idaho Medical Board has not asserted or tightened its oversight; the Saint Alphonsus board of directors does not appear to have conducted an internal investigation or taken disciplinary steps; the Trinity Healthcare System that includes Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center has been missing in action; health insurance carriers have not demanded corrective action; and worst of all, I see no general outcry by Treasure Valley citizens to stop the self dealing and egregious acts exhibited by Saint Alphonsus Medical Center that potentially can directly and negatively impact them and drive future costs up.

Saint Alphonsus’ wrongful business dealings will certainly be among the worse recorded early in this century in Idaho, even greater than the Senator Craig fiasco. Treasure Valley citizens desire better healthcare and that can only come when medical leaders demonstrate integrity, compassion, and respect for the patient. These traits are abundant in smaller enterprises like Zamzows, Bronco Motors, Winco and so many other local businesses. Larger entities should look at the hands-on leadership style of smaller companies, be held more accountable to its customers and patients, and adopt a zero tolerance program on integrity issues.

Time is ticking away and with it the opportunity to right a wrong and implement controls to preclude these types of business transactions. Boards should be independently selected and annually trained on their fiduciary responsibilities and held accountable to discharge operating personnel who do wrong. State and federal agencies involved in healthcare should hire trained staff that can perform thorough due diligent reviews, apply advance statistical analyses to alert them of potential fraud, and investigate reported wrongdoings with full authority to enforce corrective actions. Treasure Valley citizens should demand more disclosure from businesses like Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center since it receives local and state tax exemptions, federal funds, and access to influence healthcare cost and insurance policies.

In my opinion, it is time to reform the system and let our community and government leaders know that the citizens of the Treasure Valley desire better oversight.

Gregory Floyd is a Boise State University senior

GREGORY FLOYD
Guest Opinion

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