Still no resolution in FFH feud

With 12 days remaining on their contracts Drs. Steven McPherson and Donna Tesi are still uncertain of their futures at Franklin Foundation Hospital.
In special and regular meetings over the past six months, Hospital Service District 1 board members have terminated without cause, reinstated and then extended the internist and general surgeon’s current contracts until March 31. In that time, the hospital has seen the arrival and departure of Claudia Eisenmann as its chief executive officer.
Many local residents have attended all meetings of the board in support of McPherson and Tesi since the controversy began.
In December, the St. Mary Parish Council retained the mediation services of attorney Gary McGoffin of the Durio, McGoffin, Stagg & Ackermann law firm to negotiate new contracts. An original $10,000 cap on his fee was later extended to $25,000 at a rate of $300 per hour. At the same parish council meeting in December an agenda item to consider removal of some or all hospital board members was pulled.
A contract negotiation update on Wednesday’s agenda of a special meeting of the hospital board was not taken up since it was not listed as an executive session item.
Board member Dr. Nick Accardo, retired, said it was “a clerical error” that the item along with another listed simply as “Compliance” was not listed under “Executive session,” which was not on the agenda. A motion by Accardo and second by board member Clegg Caffery to amend the agenda to include executive session failed since it did not get an unanimous vote. Board members Allan Von Werder and Didi Battle were in opposition. Board member Bobby Judice was absent.
Members of the public continued to voice their support for the physicians.
Former Franklin city councilman John O’Niell addressed rumors that the hospital may be losing its only other internist, Dr. Roland Degeyter.
“Rumors are rampant in town that, Roland, you’ve decided to leave Franklin and go to New Iberia,” O’Niell said to Degeyter, a hospital board member.
“That’s none of your business,” Degeyter responded.
“I’ve heard it from people close to (Degeyter) that he’s telling people that he’s leaving,” O’Niell said. “So in 12 days we know we’re going to lose one and in 90 days we’re going to lose other one? We’ve got to fix this. This is crazy.”
O’Niell asked that the board extend McPherson and Tesi’s current contracts for at least 90 days while negotiations continue.
“They need 90 days to put their lives in order,” he said. “Their patients need 90 days.”
McPherson said he has asked for a 90-day termination clause but was told by the mediator that he could “get no traction,” from the board on that issue. “This was also something that was a pre-condition going in the mediation,” he said.
Board attorney Russel Cremaldi then reminded commissioners that they have signed confidentiality agreements to not discuss the mediation in public.
“The whole notion that there was some discussion with Dr. Tesi or myself before the termination of the contracts is bogus,” McPherson said.
“If my doctors walk, I’m walking and I spend damn good money at this hospital,” said Franklin resident and St. Mary Library Executive Director Julie Vidos. “And I think there’s a whole lot of people with me.”
Resident Susan Guidry said she had recently seen a presentation by the newly appointed marketing director Dawn Kaiser that painted a “beautiful picture,” but added, “That’s what we had till you all started this mess.”
Other discussion in the meeting focused on public comment procedure.
The board’s regular meeting is next Thursday some six days prior to McPherson and Tesi’s contracts expire.