Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Board. by the details (cont.)

Today's Star editorial on the RMC hospital board concerns a bill sponsored by state Rep. Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia.
HB245 reads, in part:
Under existing law, a county or municipality may establish a public corporate body for the operation of a hospital. This bill would provide that any such corporation may exercise all powers granted to any health care authority without amending its articles of incorporation.

What that means, according to a story in The Star is:
In short, that means RMC’s board would be able to change how its members are appointed, legislators say.
Currently, city councils in Anniston, Jacksonville and Oxford and the Calhoun County Commission make board appointments. Under the proposed legislation, RMC’s board could change that unilaterally by passing a resolution giving itself the power to nominate a slate of candidates from which each city council or commission would select its appointee.
The process essentially would set up a self-perpetuating board.