Interim CEO makes first FFH meeting

Craig Cudworth sat in on his first board meeting Thursday as the new interim chief executive officer of Franklin Foundation Hospital.
With only two of the seven members of the Hospital Service District 1 Board of Commissioners present, there was no business conducted other than presentation of the finance report by Chief Financial Officer Ron Bailey.
Afterward, Cudworth spoke briefly with the media to outline his plans with the hospital.
The Quorum Health Resources employee said he has served as CEO of hospitals ranging in size from 22 beds to 250 beds for the past 40 years. He has been with QHR for 18 years and spent the last three to four years in temporary capacities. He is a Virginia native and currently resides in Dallas.
“What I want to concentrate on is working with the hospital in preparation for the changes that will be coming in as a part of the Affordable Health Care Act which is going to impact all hospitals,” he said. “We will be moving the reimbursement for hospitals from episodic care into community care and as we start working with other institutions within the parish we need to start networking in together to be able to form a consortium and to be able to form a continuum for the care of patients as healthcare changes.”
In regard to the hospital staff, he said, they are well qualified.
“They are an impressive group. They care about their patients and I am pleased to have the ability to work with them,” he said. “There’s a little bit of what I would call apprehension, but there is also a firm belief that things will work out and a confidence in both the medical staff and the need of the community for the institution.”
He said the apprehension is based on the current “temporary” situation involving the negotiation of physician contracts as well as what is to come as a result of the new healthcare legislation.
He would not answer questions on the status of the mediation process between the hospital administration, board of commissioners and the medical staff over the negotiation of contracts with Drs. Steven McPherson and Donna Tesi.
“I’m under confidentiality statement,” he said.
In December, the St. Mary Parish Council retained the services of Gary McGoffin of the Durio, McGoffin, Stagg & Ackermann law firm for the mediation in lieu of considering removal of the members of the Board of Commissioners.
Under the past hospital CEO Claudia Eisenmann’s administration in meetings over the last three months, the board had terminated without cause, reinstated and then extended the current McPherson and Tesi contracts. Amid public outcry, the board eventually voted to honor both contracts until March 31 and asked Eisenmann to begin new contract negotiations.
Eisenmann resigned on Jan. 12.
The only board members present Thursday were Nick Accardo and Eugene Foulcard. Those absent were Didi Battle, Clegg Caffery, Dr. Roland Degeyter and Allan Von Werder. The resignation of Ann Luke earlier this month leaves one vacancy on the board which is being advertised by the parish council.