Petition for Open Hearings At Grady Hospital

Ron Marshall, of the New Grady Coalition has started a petition to hold open and urgent hearing about Grady Hospital in the state legislature. Here is the petition...

Dear friends,

New revelations make urgent the need for state hearings regarding Grady Hospital. We hope that all citizens and officials will sign this bipartisan petition. For the sake of our patients and taxpayers, we need to know the real story.

If you would like to sign on, just send an email and I will add your name. We will also distribute this at public events, and we will send to all legislators.

Yours for Grady,

Ron



Petition for State Hearings Regarding Grady Hospital
Dear Georgia Legislators,
We, the citizens and taxpayers of Georgia, along with the patients and staff of Grady, are alarmed regarding recent revelations of continued conflict of interest at Grady, and Grady's failure to abide by open records laws, and false information regarding potential donations, and ask that emergency state hearings be held to get to the truth.

For months, media has claimed that an unnamed donor has pledged to donate $300 Million dollars. Now, reports are circulating that this donor does not exist. The public deserves the right to know.

We are also alarmed that huge contracts have been given to friends of Grady officials, including a potential $250 Million contract. As the AJC and other media state today, "No Cronyism allowed."
Many state and county laws have been rushed through and passed without the truth being told. We do not believe that it is appropriate to pass laws based on unfounded promises of donations. Basic services such as the public hospital must be managed solely for the benefit of the patients and taxpayers.
Unless all the facts concerning Grady's real status are known, it is impossible for the public to make an informed decision. We are concerned that JCAHO has recently threatened to deny Grady accreditation because of substandard patient care. It is an emergency for all the facts to be known.
We are concerned about reports of retaliation by Grady against Grady staff. They have attempted to let the public know important truths. We hope you will move swiftly to restore public confidence.

We are also scheduling a Congressional forum on May 12, 2008 in Washington DC on "Saving Grady." We encourage all officials and citizens to consider the national implications of events at Grady, the largest public hospital in the South. Access to medical care is critical both to Georgia, and to the Nation.

Only the state legislature can get to the bottom of these problems. Grady is a historic institution, and we ask persons on a bipartisan basis, regardless of background, to sign this petition so that Georgians can know the true status of proposed deals.

See: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2008/03/11/gradyed0311.html
and also: http://www.newgradycoalition.com/
Signed:Mike McCrayNational Judicial Conduct and Disability Law Project, Inc.

Jack JersawitzGrady Coalition
Ron Marshall, ChairmanThe New Grady Coalition
Gwen MarshallGeorgians for Open Government
Günther RücklThe New Grady Coalition
Steve CarsonThe New Grady Coalition
Denise Sorino, EsqGeorgians for Open Government
Viola Davis, BSN, RN (Nurse),Member, VA Whistleblowers Coalition, Atlanta GA
Gloria C. Lee

This would be nice and if it is held there are a few questions I would like to see asked.

1) If the Grady Task Force is so well respected and it was created to figure out how to save Grady Hospital, why is Grady Hospital already planning to hire another, by my count fifth, outside consulting firm to figure out how to fix Grady Hospital.

2) Given that conflict of interest played such a crucial role in the scandal surrounding State Senator Charles Walker why is Pam Stephenson simultaneously holding onto the board chairmanship, the CEO position, and a member of the legislature.

3) Why was Otis Story Jr. removed from his position as CEO recently?

4) What are the contents and specifics of the JCAHO report about Grady in which JCAHO threatened to remove its accreditation?

4) Why is the entire make up of the Grady Task Force folks that have financial, legislative, or professional interest in Grady Hospital? Why were no whistle blowers or community activists added to the Task Force?

5) Is it true that Pete Correll will head up the new 501(3)C? If so, is this really the best choice given his ties to Emory University?

6) Is it true that the 200 million dollars being pledged to fund Grady is coming from the
Woodruff Foundation? If so, is it wise to have a group so tied to Emory University funding Grady Hospital?

7) What is the purpose of the new 501(3)C? Why is everyone so convinced that this is the only chance to save Grady Hospital, and how will it interact with the current board?

8) What is Grady Hospital doing to improve transparency and to protect whistleblowers?

Those would be my first eight.