St. Mary doctor seeking answers

Published 12:15 am Tuesday, September 25, 2018

CENTERVILLE — A St. Mary Parish surgeon is calling for more transparency from the parish’s hospital district regarding the future of the parish’s largest hospital.

Nearly eight years ago, Dr. Kristi Prejeant joined the staff of Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City. Three years ago she moved to Franklin Foundation Hospital.

“I was recruited here by LifePoint Health to work at Teche Regional originally, and I’ve fallen in love with this parish, from the east to the west,” Prejeant, a native of Westwego, said.

Prejeant’s credentials include graduating at the top of her class, first with a unique undergraduate B.S. M.D. in three years at the Louisiana School for Math Science and the Arts in Natchitoches, then finishing medical school at LSU in Shreveport.

Prejeant has a practice in both Franklin and in Morgan City, which is also where she has served as the non-paid chief of staff for a year at Teche Regional Medical Center, and as a member of the hospital’s advisory board for four years.

Earlier this month however, Prejeant said she has found herself engaged in public advocacy to demand answers on the future of Teche Regional Medical Center. The hospital’s management company would like to exit Louisiana, and Teche Regional is the last hospital it manages.

The company issued a press release Sept. 5 which said it had reached an agreement with the St. Mary Parish Hospital District 2 Board of Commissioners to terminate its lease with the hospital effective Dec. 31, 2018.

The press release read, “As part of the agreement, PHC-Morgan City’s lease for Teche Regional will be terminated, effective Dec. 31, 2018, and the operations and ownership of the hospital assets will transfer from PHC-Morgan City to the St. Mary Parish HSD or the owner of the HSD’s choice.”

The release also has a quote from one of the HSD2 Board of Commissioners, Dr. Natchez “Trey” Morice, who is quoted as saying, “We are pleased to have reached this agreement.”

“Our top priority is ensuring that our residents have access to the health care they need when and where they need it. We look forward to working with the Teche Regional team to explore ownership options to secure the long-term success of the hospital,” Morice said.

Prejeant appeared before the St. Mary Parish Council on Sept. 12 with a number of Teche Regional employees to ask for support in how the administrative change will occur.

“These people trust me, but they do not trust the members of the HSD2,” Prejeant told the council.

Part of the mistrust lies in the fact that Morice is no longer practicing at Teche Regional, according to a few employees who wished to remain anonymous. His non-working presence at the hospital was later confirmed by Teche CEO Aphreikah Duhaney-West. Also, Morice has never commented publicly why he has chosen to remain on the board, which has many of the employees curious.

Prejeant said during the Sept. 12 council meeting the board agreed to appoint an ad hoc committee to work with the HSD2 to find a new management company. The council named Prejeant and West as two of the members of the committee.

West, who is the Teche CEO, told the council she could offer no public details on the transition because of confidentiality issues.

Nonetheless, the council also cautioned committee members they will have no vote and their presence in executive sessions with the hospital district would be strictly to offer information.

Furthermore, the council also ordered the HSD2 to meet to implement the committee into its plans for transitioning the hospital from LifePoint Health to another company.

Prejeant said they were reassured, but at the same time still very nervous because of the time span being very short, to transition the hospital.

She said things changed though when the HSD2 called a meeting Sept. 20.

That’s when Heath Hoffpauir, the chairman, and the district’s attorneys released new information that contradicted the press release issued Sept. 5 by LifePoint Health.

There were three changes to the previous press release: 1) There is no signed agreement between the HS2D and Lifepoint Health, and Hoffpauir said LifePoint could operating the hospital for the next 20 years; 2) There is a proposed agreement for LifePoint to consider, and if the deal is signed, HDS2 will get an extra 90 days to find a new management company to operate the 167-bed facility; and, 3) attorneys for HSD2 are waiting for the proposed agreement to be approved by the attorney general.

Also, the HS2 agreed to honor the St. Mary Parish Council’s request for an ad hoc committee, but did not agree to the candidates requested, including Prejeant. Hoffpauir said the HSD2 needed to properly vet the committee members, but felt if West and Prejeant served, it would be a conflict of interest.

“West is the current CEO, a brilliant person, but she would be considered a conflict,” Hoffpauir said.

“But she will be necessary during this transition,” another attorney said.

West immediately pulled her name from consideration.

They also said Prejeant was a full-time employee of the hospital and, for that reason, they did not want her on the committee. Prejeant then corrected them and said she was an independent contractor.

Hoffpauir said they want to work with people who will give them good, rational, constructive input. Morice said they wanted someone who wasn’t a “Facebook troll.”

Prejeant admitted she dominated the public speaking on that night.

“I felt like they were talking about me,” Prejeant said.

“It’s just so unclear as to what is on going on here. I’m just passionate because this community has become my family away from home. Whatever has to happen, needs to be done as soon as possible.”

Councilman the Rev. Craig Matthews, who represents the Four Corners-Baldwin area, also was present at the Sept. 20 meeting.

“I can go home tonight having a commitment from this public body, that they are going to do everything in their power to make this more inclusive,” Matthews said. “Now whatever that means stands to be seen beyond tonight. But I am going to hold this board to do what they said they will and I will hold them accountable.”