Local media outlets are fighting to get access to more information regarding the Haywood Regional Medical Center debacle, but they’ve not been aggressive enough. At least the Smoky Mountain News is writing about it, and WLOSers had a short blurb about it earlier this week, crammed in between news about an Asian massage parlor rubbing more than just sore muscles and some sketchy book seller who enter old ladies’ houses and try and steal their meds:
Haywood County commissioners told hospital administration to be transparent with the public and the media last week — marking the third such request since the crisis at Haywood Regional Medical Center exploded.
The hospital has refused to release the total salary and compensation of its former CEO David Rice contrary to the N.C. Public Records Law. The hospital reported Rice’s base salary — $199,999 — but has refused to share his total compensation, including bonuses and perks.
The Smoky Mountain News, The Mountaineer, The Asheville Citizen-Times and WLOS have all requested the information but been denied. At a commissioners’ meeting last Friday, The Smoky Mountain News appealed to the county commissioners for help getting the request met.
“I just wanted to reiterate the word transparency. I am sure that some of the staff of the hospital would rather not hear that word anymore, but you are going to hear it,” Commissioner Mary Ann Enloe told hospital officials seated in the audience.
Enloe said the public wants to know what Rice was making, and when his severance package gets settled, they want to know that, too. Enloe said she just got a phone call from someone that morning with the same question.
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The hospital released this statement Friday afternoon following the commissioner’s meeting:
“The hospital has provided the media with the current salary of former and present employees identified by the media. Beginning at the end of the hospital’s fiscal year in 2008, which is in September, other forms of compensation are authorized to be made public such as bonus compensation and other personal benefits. In an effort to be responsive to media requests and yet protect the privacy of employee personnel records, HRMC will ask executive employees identified by the media to allow the hospital to make public other forms of compensation they are being paid,” said Alton Byers, interim CEO.