Klemm asks board to hear BCMC employees' opinions on merger | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Beaufort County Commissioner Al Klemm is considering a reversal on his position that the Beaufort County Medical Center Board of Trustees should aggressively pursue cost-cutting measures and a two-year business plan for the financially insolvent, county-owned hospital, alongside research on affiliation with a larger institution.

    The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 at their May 25 budget workshop to call for the BCMC Board of Trustees to pursue solvency as aggressively as affiliation, with Commissioner Jay McRoy casting the dissenting vote.

    At today’s county board meeting, however, Commissioner Klemm publicly second-guessed his May 25 vote affirming said dual process, on the grounds that he had not read a May 20 letter from the BCMC Executive Committee and medical staff, which stated, “We currently believe that further cost reduction will have dire consequences on the ability of this medical staff to provide quality care at Beaufort County Medical Center and its associate practices.”

    Klemm made a motion to bring before the county board the medical professionals of BCMC so they could air their grievances relating to the county’s desire to pursue cost-cutting at the hospital. Many BCMC employees have already begun an informal public-relations campaign, by calling and writing elected officials and news publications with the collective opinion that there are no cuts to be made, and that catastrophe is imminent if BCMC doesn’t move quickly to merge.

    Commissioner Hood Richardson, who, as the county’s representative on the BCMC board, is in charge of the Cost/Containment Committee, took exception with Klemm’s motion. He said that the process is working, and getting the hospital staff involved with the commissioners’ decision would be counterproductive.

    “This has become a terrible political issue for the public, and the commissioners don’t need to be divisive on this issue by making motions for second studies,” he said.



    Richardson believes that the medical professionals would only confuse things by stating their opinions, which are clouded by a lack of information and personal interest.

    “The doctors at the hospital have not seen the books, they have not been involved in the books,” he said. “They have their opinion based upon what some staff at the hospital is steering them into, as to what they should be doing… There are some political groups that are trying to steer it in the direction of let’s merge with someone else. I would advise the public—look at the pocketbook of the person who’s talking, because, for the most part, these people are trying to look after their own personal interest.”

    Richardson emphasized that the county’s job is to look out for the public good—not specifically the good of the hospital employees.

    “The whole issue of the hospital is a lot bigger than any doctor that’s out there today,” said Richardson. “It’s bigger than any employee that’s out at the hospital today, because it affects the future of all the citizens of Beaufort County. We own the hospital.”

    Though he wasn’t specific, Chairman Jerry Langley agreed that certain people are spreading “propaganda.” Langley said that more research was necessary for an informed decision to be made, and he implored those with an agenda to back off and “stop their madness” and let the commissioners and hospital board do their job.

    “We’re going down this dual avenue, and the best thing in the world that could possibly happen is for people to leave it alone and let the process work,” said Langley. “And, at the end of the process, we’re going to do what’s best for Beaufort County…We’re going to see this process through to the end, and then we will make an informed decision. And if that informed decision is leasing the hospital, then that’s what it’ll be. If the best decision for the hospital is to stay independent, then that’s what we will do.”

    Commissioner Stan Deatherage also reported being contacted by several BCMC employees, and agreed that it is not the right time to provide them with a public platform.

    “I’ve had a number of people contact me, as well…They are disseminating to me misinformation—and I’m hearing a lot of it,” he said. “So, I concur, we don’t need to be bringing in people, having them make their opinion to us now, because right now is not when we’re going to make the decision.”

    Richardson said that he’d received an e-mail just this morning, stating that the BCMC Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet with the medical community on June 17.

    McRoy seconded Klemm’s motion on the basis that such a meeting was scheduled, and Klemm withdrew his motion, though it’s unsure whether or not they realized that Richardson was referring to a meeting between the hospital board and BCMC employees, rather than one between the county board and the employees.

    “As long as you’re going to have a meeting, I don’t care,” said Klemm. “And I withdraw my motion.”