Foulcard is FFH chairman, Accardo named vice chair

New officers were elected during a routine meeting of the Hospital Service District 1 Board of Commissioners Thursday.
After two months of controversy the regular session was brief and uneventful.
During that time the board that oversees Franklin Foundation Hospital has terminated without cause, reinstated and since extended the current contracts of Drs. Steve McPherson, internal medicine, and Donna Tesi, general surgery. Amid public outcry, the board voted five weeks ago to honor both contracts until March 31 and asked hospital CEO Claudia Eisenmann to begin new contract negotiations. Prior to the board’s October meeting when the contracts were terminated McPherson’s contract was good through March and Tesi’s through September.
Also, the board along with Eisenmann retained legal counsel with the threat of defamation, slander and libel litigation against two outspoken physicians, Drs. Brent Allain and Randall Horton. It also voted to remove board commissioner Allan Von Werder from his seat as board chairman.
Wednesday, the St. Mary Parish Council approved the hiring of attorney Gary McGoffin of the Durio, McGoffin, Stagg & Ackermann law firm to act as a mediator between the hospital board and physicians.
Thursday, the hospital board voted unanimously to participate in that mediation.
Newly elected board officers are Eugene Foulcard as chairman and Nick Accardo as vice chair.
In other reports the board heard from Chief Financial Officer Ron Bailey that in November, the second month of the fiscal year, the hospital lost $189,030, resulting in $61,761 year-to-date profit.
In other reports, the board approved credentialing recommendations as presented by medical Chief of Staff Dr. Donna Tesi. Those included the reappointments of Dr. Guillermo Delgado as active staff in OB/GYN and Gerald Elias as consulting staff in emergency medicine.
Chief Executive Officer Claudia Eisenmann announced the appointments of JoEllen Curry as interim chief nursing officer, Dawn Kaiser as marketing coordinator and Fred Stevenson as director of clinic operations.
She also noted that the hospital was recognized by the Hospital Engagement Network of the La. Hospital Association as a leader in reduction of patient harm and was awarded the maximum award of $4,000.
Board members Allan Von Werder and Ann Luke were absent, although, board attorney Russel Cremaldi said that Luke has resigned.