Two physicians’ contracts terminated by FFH board

Drs. Steven McPherson and Donna Tesi’s contracts with Franklin Foundation Hospital were terminated Wednesday by the board that regulates the hospital.
The physicians were each given a 90-day notice without cause in which time the board instructed hospital chief Executive Officer Claudia Eisenmann to renegotiate their contracts.
The action came in a special meeting of the Hospital Service District 1 board in front of a standing room only crowd that spilled out from the hospital board room into the hallway.
Board chairman Allan Von Werder explained that the actions do not terminate the physicians’ hospital privileges nor their rights to practice medicine in the community. As employees of the hospital, McPherson, an internist, and surgeon Tesi’s practices are housed in its medical office building adjacent to the hospital.
The contracts “are being renegotiated, we hope,” Von Werder said.
Of the 12 people who offered public comment prior to the votes, all offered support for the doctors and most admitted being confused as to why the actions were being taken.
The board did not offer any answers before or after going into executive session for more than an hour.
The only thing close to an explanation came from Dr. Brent Allain who said Tesi and McPherson are “two outstanding physicians.”
In his written speech to the board Allain said, “The medical staff overwhelmingly voted no confidence in the Quorum Health Resources CEO (Eisenmann) and recommended to the board for her replacement.
“That was done after the Quorum Health Resources CEO willfully harassed an employed physician (McPherson), concerning his treatment of a patient that was later deemed appropriate by an outside review.
“This physician was not allowed peer review as set forth by the medical staff bylaws. He was denied his due process.
“By not following the recommendation from the medical staff your actions now have caused a quagmire, and the witch hunt continues your disruptive behavior. It will take a conscious execution of power of the good citizens and council of the parish to right this injustice.”
Others speaking in support of McPherson and Tesi were Pam Heffner, retired physician Dr. Thomas Kramer and his wife Glenna, Maryann Martin, Gary Blum, Julie Vidos, John O’Niell, Craig Mathews, parish President Paul Naquin, parish councilman David Hanagriff and attorney Bill Bourgeois representing McPherson and Tesi.
Dr. Kramer reminded the crowd of an earlier time when a similar situation took place “that came within an inch of closing the hospital.”
He added that this time, unless resolved, “the toll it will take on this hospital, this community, this parish and even this state is inestimable.”
Blum claimed that the board was not doing its job.
“This is what your chief executive should be doing, not this board,” he said. “This should be a policy making board and not dealing with this.”
He added that he “would still like to hear some type of explanation as to what is going on.”
Both he, Glenna Kramer and Hanagriff pointed out that the public and taxpayers are the stockholders of the hospital.
Others questioned how the actions taken would influence other physicians’’ decision to move to the area.
“Has the board made a study on what impact the departure of any income producing physicians would make on this facility?” Kramer asked. “If you have a plan going forward to make up the difference in the financial loss … I think it would be good to let the public know how you plan to go forward.”
“What is this going to do to the rest of us who have to try to recruit professionals to our own fields if this is how we handle things —that boards just dismiss people without cause?” asked Vidos, executive director of the St. Mary Library system.
Hanagriff said just the fact that the meeting was being held was harmful.
“We’re already in a situation right now to where I think the hospital’s integrity has been damaged. It’s been tarnished,” he said. “Let’s all pull together, let’s iron this out and let the board and the CEO, Ms. Claudia, do their job.”
He said he agreed with Blum that the issue should have been worked out between the CEO and medical staff.
“These two doctors … have invested in this community, McPherson’s wife is the den leader of the local Cub Scouts,” he said. “They’re part of the fabric of this community. We are all stockholders of this hospital … and we’re here to tell you to step back and work this out.”
O’Niell, too, asked that the board “backoff, give it 6 months, 90 days at least hire a third party mediator to come in and discuss.”
He also urged the board to inform the public of what the problem is.
“I’m asking you from the bottom of my heart, give it time,” he said.
The board’s motions to terminate the contracts were made by Clegg Caffery with seconds from Eugene Foulcard. Roll call votes were not taken but there were no votes in opposition. Board member Didi Battle abstained from voting. Others on the board include Dr. Roland Degeyter, Ann Luke and Dr. Nick Accardo (retired).
The board also voted to extend Dr. Rebecca Accardo’s contract for 90 days for renegotiation. Nick Accardo, her husband, recused himself from that vote.