FRANK GLUCK • fgluck@news-press.com • May
27, 2010
9:25 A.M. — Lee Memorial Health System’s 10 elected board of directors oversee a $1 billion budget and medical institutions that house 95 percent of the county’s hospital beds.
But attendance to the board’s weekly policy meetings is optional, and records show meetings are routinely missed by some of the elected board members.
The board will consider a proposal this afternoon to hit these chronic no-shows where it hurts — in the pocketbook.
If adopted, members who miss more than a third of scheduled meetings in any given month would forfeit their pay — which amounts to a little more than $1,000 — the following month.
“I feel a little uneasy talking about my fellow board members,” said Richard Akin, board chairman. “But my attitude is you should attend unless there’s a major problem.”
Board members serve four-year terms and earn $13,055 a year from the system. There are about 50 board and committee meetings a year. Meetings usually last two to four hours.
The board usually holds four to six meetings per month. So, missing one or two of those during that time could cost a member a month’s pay.
One member, James Green, formerly a self-employed grant writer and current substitute teacher for Lee County schools, has faced the most board criticism for missing meetings. Green did not attend 42 of 79 scheduled meetings between January 2009 and May 20, 2010, a review of meeting minutes shows.
The reviewed records do not state the reasons a member did not attend meetings. Green, whose term ends in 2012, defended his record, saying his work schedule does not allow him to make many of the daytime board meetings.
He also complained that having weekly meetings is a schedule on par with, say, the Lee County commission, the members of which earn more than $80,000.
“Our meeting schedules are prejudicial to working people,” Green said, adding later, “I get calls three or four times a day from people in the community (needing board assistance). Board member responsibilities aren’t just sitting up there counting heads in a meeting.”
The board schedule is likely to dissuade other working people — especially those not in the medical field — from running, and also limits public participation, he said.
Green said he will likely not attend today’s meeting because of work.
Board attendance is not enforced, nor are members required to stay for the entire meeting.
Historically, attendance is higher during the formal monthly meetings, when policy matters are up for final votes.
But between those full-board meetings are committee meetings, during which much of the actual debate and analysis of those matters takes place.
Not all members reached Wednesday revealed how they would vote today, but — with the exception of Green himself — they were critical of Green’s attendance record.
“I like James Green personally. This is not a personal issue,” said board member Marilyn Stout, who has nine board absences since January 2009.
“But if you raise your hand and say you’re going to represent your constituents, then do it or don’t run.”
Green has served on the board since 2000, when he was appointed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush. He has been re-elected three times.
Lois Barrett, a seven-term member of the board, has had the second-highest absentee rate during the period The News-Press reviewed, missing 26 of 79 scheduled meetings since January 2009. Her term also ends in 2012.
Barrett could not be reached Wednesday. She has said that illness keeps her from some meetings.
Board member Steve Brown, a retired radiologist, said absences for illness or family emergencies are fine.
Brown missed 11 meetings during the review period, many of which were spent dealing with a family emergency in early 2009, he said.
Other than extenuating circumstances, Brown believes board members have an obligation to attend meetings, which can determine significant health care policies in Lee County, he said.
“When you run, you know what the meeting times are and you know what the time commitments are going to be,” Brown said. “To me, it has some significant obligations.”
