$50,000 EARMARKED FOR LAWYERS QUESTIONS RAISED ON SPENDING.Byline: Marci Wormser Staff Writer LANCASTER - Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Hospital directors on Thursday voted officially to spend $50,000 to retain additional attorneys after employees raised questions about board spending on trips and the board chairman's former part ownership of a surgery center. Board members voted 4-1 Thursday in favor of hiring the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. law firm Fulbright & Jaworski LLP LLP - Lower Layer Protocol . Board member Steve Fox Steve Fox may refer to:
Board members did not explain the firm's duties, but trustee Deborah Rice said the firm was needed to provide a ``check and balance'' and ``compliance,'' but did not elaborate. Board chairman Dr. Abdallah Farrukh said the firm can provide guidance on union issues. Fox charged last week that the additional counsel is being hired to help oust Chief Executive Officer Mathew Abraham amid internal strife and conflicts about bringing in a nurses union. Rice said last week that the board voted in closed session Dec. 18 to hire the law firm. Farrukh said the Dec. 18 vote was an unofficial ``straw vote straw vote n. An unofficial vote or poll indicating the trend of opinion on a candidate or issue. Also called straw poll. Noun 1. ,'' requiring Thursday's public action. At Thursday's meeting, hospital employee David Staudenraus meeting accused Rice of overspending on hospital credit cards and hospital-financed trips. He also accused Farrukh of a conflict of interest, connected to his former part ownership of a outpatient surgery Outpatient Surgery, also referred to as ambulatory surgery or same-day surgery, is surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay. The term “outpatient” arises from the fact that surgery patients may go home do not need an overnight hospital center the hospital bought out early this year. ``There is no misuse of funds,'' Farrukh said after the meeting, adding that he does not believe he had any conflict in the surgery center partnership. Board members said the $50,000 fee is a retainer. They said it might not be necessary to spend it all. About a dozen people were in the audience for the noontime noon·time n. See noon. meeting and several expressed opposition to the plan. A longtime Lancaster resident at the meeting warned trustees that recent dissension among board members will hurt the hospital and called the vote to hire the attorney hasty. ``This garbage is going to destroy us,'' Gerald Bigalk said. ``It's going to bring this hospital down. Let's not go through a whole new year of garbage on top of garbage. It hurts the community. We're all tired of it.'' A former employee also reiterated suspicion that the law firm might be used to target the CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , whose contract was revised before the Nov. 5 election ousted two of his supporters from the board. ``Why couldn't you make a statement you weren't after Mathew Abraham's contract?'' asked Joyce Choice, a retired hospital worker who attended Thursday's meeting. |
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