HOSPITAL SUSPENDS TOP BOSS; BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HOLDS CLOSED-DOOR SESSION OVER AUDIT.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer A top administrator and former official at High Desert Hospital have been suspended as 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. County officials investigate allegations that policies have been violated. The Board of Supervisors has reviewed a confidential audit into the hospital's contract with a Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. consulting firm Noun 1. consulting firm - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting company business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a , which it hired in 1996 to help run High Desert's rehabilitation ward. Supervisors were briefed on the audit during a closed-door session two weeks ago, officials said. ``An audit has been done. We are doing follow-up, and personnel have been suspended pending completion of the investigation,'' Supervisor Michael Antonovich said Wednesday. Antonovich confirmed the suspended employees were High Desert Administrator Mel Grussing, who has held the hospital's top post since January 1996, and former associate administrator Jerry Harris. Harris left High Desert last year and is now administrator of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services' consolidated laboratory. Neither Grussing nor Harris could be reached for comment. Officials with the county Auditor Controller's Office said they had turned over information to the County Counsel's Office regarding a contract with Las Vegas-based consulting firm Altila Rehabilitation Inc. County Counsel Lloyd W. Pellman said he would not release the audit. Officials at the Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
In Las Vegas, Altila principal Jeff Klein said he was unaware of an audit involving his firm. ``No one has contacted us from the county,'' Klein said. In October 1996, county officials announced a public-private partnership Public-private partnership (PPP) describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies. These schemes are sometimes referred to as PPP or P3. to operate High Desert's rehabilitation services. Altila was hired to help the hospital manage, market and expand its rehabilitation program Noun 1. rehabilitation program - a program for restoring someone to good health program, programme - a system of projects or services intended to meet a public need; "he proposed an elaborate program of public works"; "working mothers rely on the day care to bring in mo`re patients and offset costs Costs for which funds have been appropriated but will not be obligated because of a contingency operation. See also contingency operation. for indigent indigent 1) n. a person so poor and needy that he/she cannot provide the necessities of life (food, clothing, decent shelter) for himself/herself. 2) n. one without sufficient income to afford a lawyer for defense in a criminal case. care. At the time, officials said the consultant agreement would not cost the county anything and was expected to generate an estimated $3.7 million in revenue through the remainder of the 1996-97 fiscal year. Patients in the rehabilitation program are generally those suffering from strokes or head trauma. Under the contract, Altila was to have been paid a set fee per patient, the amount depending on the type of patient, records show. The consulting firm was to have been paid based on the number of patients it was able to bring in. |
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