May 28, 2010
1:10 A.M. — There will be no more free lunches for Lee Memorial Health System's board of directors.
Or breakfasts or dinners or mid-day snacks for that matter.
A long-standing perk for the 10-person elected board that oversees this county's predominant health care provider was abolished Thursday following a divided 5-3 board vote.
Until Thursday, board members could pick up their meals and, in practice, those for others while getting waved past the cash registers at hospital cafeterias.
But abuse of that privilege necessitated a review of the benefit, said board attorney Jim Humphrey.
"They were getting free meals when they were not on board business," Humphrey said. "Frankly, they were feeding others, too."
The discussion was an unusual diversion for a board that oversees a $1 billion budget and, most often, debates medical expenditures and internal health care policy.
Humphrey specifically singled out board member James Green, who has also come under fire for his attendance record.
Green, a board member since 2000, did not show up for Thursday's meeting. Reached afterward, Green said he was simply taking advantage of a longstanding benefit in board compensation packages.
He said he did get some of those meals for others "from time to time" - usually for families visiting patients and, shortly before the extra food is thrown out at the end of the day, to the homeless.
"It's not like I'm taking my buddies over there and partying," Green said.
The system does not keep a detailed record of board members' comped meals, officials said.
Board members, as system employees, still qualify for a 30 percent discount on meals. Volunteers receive a maximum $5 meal discount after working four hours.
Board members Richard Akin, Frank LaRosa and Jason Moon voted against abolishing the free meals.
Stephen Brown, Linda Brown, Marilyn Stout, Nancy McGovern and Dawson McDaniel voted for it.
Lois Barrett, as well as Green, was not at the meeting.
LaRosa said he understands belt-tightening but took offense at the proposal, in part, because the board is the top decision-making body in the system.
Board members have other duties beyond meetings, such as board-related speaking engagements and constituent services, he said.
Said LaRosa: "No matter how many hours we put in we don't get a cup a coffee."
In other business The Lee Memorial Health System board of directors delayed a vote on a plan to require members to attend weekly meetings or face a pay reduction.
The measure seems to have strong board support. But board attorney Jim Humphrey recommended a delay for procedural reasons.
It will likely come up for a vote next month.
Board members, who are elected by Lee County voters, earn $13,055 per year and typically have four to six scheduled meetings a month to consider and vote on policy and spending. Each usually lasts two to four hours.
Under the proposed policy, board members would lose a month’s pay if they miss more than a third of scheduled meetings in a given month.
