IPC seeks clarification

Published 8:00 am Thursday, February 14, 2019

The Iberia Parish Council passed a resolution Wednesday night to request the Louisiana Legislature amend the state statute governing Iberia Parish Hospital District No. 1 to clarify the makeup of the Iberia Medical Center Board of Commissioners and allowing the IMC Executive Medical Committee more control over the medical staff appointments to the board.

The council passed the resolution in a 9-2 vote, with three members absent. One of the absent members, District 10 Councilman Eugene Olivier, sent in a memorandum of support for the move although he was not present to vote.

“I feel the changes introduced tonight are in the best interest of Iberia Parish and its citizens,” Olivier wrote in the memo, which was read into the meeting record. “I will also contact the Iberia Parish Legislative Delegation showing my support for the proposed changes.”

The proposed changes include spelling out the makeup of the hospital’s nine-member board, with the parish council appointing seven members and the executive medical committee of IMC appointing two members from the hospital’s medical staff. Previously, the medical staff board representatives were recommended to the council, which made the actual appointment. 

The suggested language the council will send to the legislature also specifies that board members will be limited to three four-year terms.

After the council suspended its rules to allow the resolution to be voted on without first going to committee, District 9 Councilman Joel Dugas asked why there was a rush.

“If statute is vague, why can’t we develop something locally to clear this up?” Dugas asked. “I’m just concerned that you have two different factions pushing hard and I want to make sure we are doing what is best for the community.”

Parish Legal Counsel Andy Shealy said the suggested changes came about through input from the medical staff and members of the council.

“When you come to a compromise, it doesn’t look like you have two sides,” Shealy said. “It looks like you have people coming together to say, ‘Let’s fix this appointment ambiguity and make Iberia’s hospital the best it can be. You have two sides coming together.”

Dugas responded that he had received pushback from members of the IMC board.

“You are apparently getting pushback from members of a board who really don’t have a dog in this fight,” Shealy replied. “You need to refer to the methodology by which physicians select the two representatives for the two physician seats that represent the hospital medical staff on this board.”

The board selection process for medical staff representatives became an issue in the fall when one of the medical staff’s board representatives, incumbent Larry Nelson, was up for reappointment. Two other physicians, Dr. Jose Mata and Dr. David Benson, said they did not have an opportunity to apply. The council asked the Executive Medical Committee to reopen its nominating process, but discovered in the interim that  Nelson had already exceeded the allowed number of terms and was not eligible to be reappointed. The medical staff then forwarded the resumes for Mata, the committee’s unanimous recommendation, and Dr. David Benson. 

Last month, the council appointed Benson in a 9-3 vote, with District 13 Councilman Marty Trahan abstaining.

Three council members — Olivier, Trahan and District 12 Councilman Berwick Francis — were absent Wednesday night. District 3 Councilman Thomas Landry and Dugas voted against the measure.