The board of trustees of Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital voted unanimously Monday to establish a nonprofit governing board for the troubled public hospital. The move is intended to attract $300 million in funding.
Dozens of activists, doctors, clergy, lawmakers and citizens packed an auditorium across from Grady and demanded to be heard before the board made its decision.
The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in July proposed that Grady change its governing structure to create a nonprofit board to control daily operations, though the current board will retain ownership of the health system. The plan has been met with skepticism from activists and citizens who fear the change would threaten the hospital's mission as a safety net hospital that cares primarily for the city's poor.
Under the resolution adopted, the Fulton Dekalb Hospital Authority -- Grady's current ten-member board -- will create the Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation composed of 17 members. Four of them will be members of the current board.
The nonprofit board will have a lease agreement with the current board. Several conditions of the proposal hinge on that agreement, including a $200 million four-year commitment from the business, charitable and philanthropic communities -- including $50 million in cash or in escrow before the lease agreement is executed.
There also must be a commitment to raise $100 million in private donations over three years by the same groups, plus $30 million from the state.
Labels: Grady Memorial Hospital. Atlanta
# posted by
Brian Vanderhoff @ 8:59 AM
