New details of the bitter dispute between the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and its former chief executive officer have been opened to public view.
New details of the bitter dispute between the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and its former chief executive officer over his sudden ouster last summer have been opened to public view as a consequence of a legal action filed by the hospital in Dukes County superior court earlier this month.
Joe Woodin was abruptly fired on June 5, 2017, after just 13 months on the job, touching off a summer-long controversy in the Island community. The reasons for his termination were never fully explained.
But dozens of pages of documents filed in court this month — including correspondence between attorneys for the hospital and Mr. Woodin, legal claims and counterclaims and other materials — paint two very different pictures of Mr. Woodin’s short tenure as head of the hospital and the events that led up to his firing, and highlight an increasingly acrimonious conflict over the terms of his severance, which remains unsettled today.
After months of back-and-forth letters and emails between attorneys for Mr. Woodin and the hospital, Mr. Woodin filed a breach of contract claim in October with the American Arbitration Association. In his employment agreement, Mr. Woodin and the hospital had agreed to settle any disputes by arbitration.
But on March 5, the hospital filed an action in Dukes County superior court seeking a real estate attachment that would have guaranteed repayment of $250,000 the hospital loaned him to buy a home after he was hired. Noting that Mr. Woodin had taken a job in Alaska and put his Vineyard home on the market, the hospital said it needed to protect its ability to get its money back in advance of any decision by the arbitrator.
Last week, after a hearing, the Hon. Cornelius Moriarty denied the hospital’s request, saying he was “not persuaded” that the hospital would win in arbitration.
Dozens of documents, including letters and emails between attorneys, that accompanied the complaint were obtained by the Gazette from the Edgartown courthouse this week. Although the hospital had moved to have some of the documents sealed, Judge Moriarty noted in writing that its request to prevent the documents from becoming public had been withdrawn in open court.
They include copies of a glowing letter offering employment to Mr. Woodin in February 2016, his five-year contract executed in May 2016 that included generous housing terms and bonus incentives, a description of a double-bonus paid to him for “stellar” performance in November 2016 — and five months later, a terse letter terminating him. (View timeline of events.)
In a formal complaint with the American Arbitration Association, Mr. Woodin’s attorney, Laura Studen, a partner at Burns and Levinson in Boston, among other things takes sharp aim at hospital board chairman Timothy Sweet and vice chairman Edward Miller for what she describes as “a complete ambush” the day Mr. Woodin was terminated. She alleges they acted without the knowledge and authority of the full board which met two days later to confirm the termination, in apparent violation of hospital bylaws.
Joe Woodin was abruptly fired last June, triggering a summer-long controversy on the Island.
Joe Woodin was abruptly fired last June, triggering a summer-long controversy on the Island.
And she details allegations that Mr. Sweet acted out of personal interest to protect his wife, Rachel Vanderhoop — the director of development at the hospital who reported to Mr. Woodin. In specific detail, Ms. Studen described how Ms. Vanderhoop had come under scrutiny for poor job performance and that Mr. Woodin had begun to take steps to address the problem.
“Mr. Woodin considered reassigning her or bringing about some other serious intervention in her employment,” Ms. Studen wrote. “Appreciative of the sensitive nature of the relationships, Mr. Woodin attempted to raise the topic indirectly with Mr. Miller, who . . . defended Ms. Vanderhoop.” She continued:
“It became clear that Mr. Miller and Mr. Sweet were both motivated to remove Mr. Woodin before allowing Mr. Woodin to affect Mr. Sweet’s wife’s employment. Mr. Sweet, as [chairman], was purely in pursuit of personal interests in conflict with the best interest of the hospital while taking steps to preserve his wife’s employment by facilitating Mr. Woodin’s termination.”
In their formal answer to the complaint, hospital attorneys take equally sharp aim at Mr. Woodin, describing him as difficult, disruptive and out of control. “Mr. Woodin was a micro-manager and a bully,” hospital attorney Eugene Sullivan, a partner at Holtz & Reed in Boston, wrote. “He was loudly dismissive of the prior administration. He disparaged MVH’s relationship with MGH and Partners. He encouraged staff to ignore or defy MVH’s obligations to MGH and Partners.”
Mr. Sullivan also claimed that Mr. Woodin had begun to take steps to end the hospital’s relationship with MGH and Partners system and possibly turn the Vineyard hospital into a federally qualified health center, a special designation held by the previous hospital he had headed in Randolph, Vt.
“The problems with Mr. Woodin’s vision were legion and fundamental,” the hospital attorney wrote.
Vision, Integrity, Commitment
On Feb. 16, 2016, Mr. Woodin received a formal offer of employment in a letter from Mr. Sweet, chairman of the hospital board, and Dr. Peter L. Slavin, president of Massachusetts General Hospital, the parent company for the Island hospital which is owned by Partners Healthcare. At the time Mr. Woodin was CEO of the Gifford Medical Center, a rural health care facility in central Vermont.
“As we have come to know you, your competency, vision, integrity and commitment have come shining through. We are confident that you are a perfect fit for MVH and equally important, MVH will be a perfect fit for you,” the letter said.
Three months later, on May 13, 2016, a letter was sent to Mr. Woodin formalizing a five-year contract. The terms included base pay of $400,000, an opportunity to receive an annual bonus of up to 15 per cent of salary, moving costs up to $10,000, a rental house for 12 months and a commitment for a $250,000 loan to help Mr. Woodin buy a house on the Island. The hospital agreed to pay Mr. Woodin an additional annual bonus of $50,000, plus interest, every year for five years to offset the cost of repaying the loan.
Mr. Woodin began work in late May that year.
That November, according to Mr. Woodin’s attorney, he was given a double bonus for “stellar” performance.
In January 2017 the hospital signed a promissory note for the $250,000 loan. The same month, Mr. Woodin bought a house in the East Chop section of Oak Bluffs for just under $1.2 million.
On June 5, Mr. Woodin was terminated in a meeting with Mr. Sweet and Mr. Miller.
“This letter confirms the discussion at our meeting today at which we informed you that Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has decided to terminate your employment,” a letter signed by Mr. Sweet said in part. Citing a clause in Mr. Woodin’s employment agreement that concerned termination other than “for cause,” the letter continued, “You will be entitled to the severance benefits described in your [contract]. . . . I am sorry that this relationship was not as successful as we both had hoped, but I wish you well in your future endeavors.”
Two days later, on June 7, the full hospital board met and confirmed the firing in a 14-1 vote, with Mr. Woodin present.
Settlement Negotiations
Mr. Woodin’s employment agreement provided for a lump sum severance of one year’s salary in the event of termination, and after the ouster, he and the hospital immediately began negotiating additional terms, including a non-compete clause to prevent him from taking another job in the region. One of the sticking points was whether the non-compete should cover Cape Cod as well as Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Between June and September 2017, documents show, Mr. Woodin and the hospital nearly reached settlement over his severance terms more than once, only to see it fall apart at the last minute.
Email exchanges between attorneys for the two sides were testy and peppered with claims of bad faith on both sides. Early on in the talks, hospital attorneys expressed pique over press coverage and sought to silence Mr. Woodin.
“Mr. Woodin is kidding himself if he thinks he can hold press conferences . . . and then present himself to sign a severance agreement premised on his cooperation and confidentiality . . .” attorney Herb Holtz said in an email to Ms. Studen in July. “He has a choice: he can pursue informal resolution, as you put it, in good faith (where he will find a willing partner); or he can pay for the privilege of satiating the frequent and intense press interest . . .”
In late September, it appeared that both sides had reached a final severance agreement that would have given Mr. Woodin a year’s pay plus $90,000 and forgiveness on the $250,000 loan, but again it fell apart, this time following the discovery by the hospital that it had mistakenly been paying Mr. Woodin his regular salary since he was fired.
The compensation amounted to $130,750.24. Calling it “an administrative error,” hospital attorneys demanded that Mr. Woodin return the money through an offset as part of the severance. His attorney refused, saying that Mr. Woodin had believed the payments were part of a good faith effort by the hospital to help both sides arrive at a settlement.
Hospital attorneys bristled, outlining additional details in connection with what they called “malfeasance” by Mr. Woodin and what they termed “the fundamental shortcomings of Mr. Woodin’s performance during his short time at the hospital; a reckless intractability; the refusal to cooperate with or even listen to experts and advisors in a complicated field; and a general unwillingness, or inability, to steward a small hospital as part of a sophisticated medical system.”
The hospital’s counterclaim asked that Mr. Woodin be ordered to repay the $250,000 loan with interest, plus the $130,750 he was mistakenly paid, immediately.
Mr. Woodin’s lawyer called the characterization “sound and fury,” adding that “there will be no evidence that anyone ever indicated to Mr. Woodin (in writing or otherwise) that there were any serious issues with his performance on behalf of MVH.”
By January, both sides had agreed to arbitrate their claims with the Hon. Bonnie McLeod, a retired superior court judge with Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS).
In the same month, the hospital announced that it had hired a new CEO. Denise Schepici took the helm at the hospital in mid-January.
In mid-February Mr. Woodin confirmed that he had taken a job as CEO of a hospital in Homer, Alaska, and that he would leave the Island.
On March 5, the hospital filed the motion in superior court to place a real estate attachment of $250,000 on Mr. Woodin’s home to guarantee repayment of its loan.
On March 9, the motion was denied by Judge Moriarty, who scrawled his decision longhand on court documents.
“After hearing, upon consideration of the arguments of counsel, I am not persuaded that the plaintiffs will prevail in the arbitration proceeding,” the judge wrote, “and accordingly there is no reasonable likelihood that the plaintiffs herein will recover judgment. Accordingly the motion for a real estate attachment is denied.”
Sara Brown contributed reporting.
Comments
Good reporting. Seems like a
Greg BostonGood reporting. Seems like a lot of missteps in the hiring and termination process by MVH HR or council, not to mention the admin error for paying him while terminated. It does raise question about what other missteps or errors are going on there, whether relationship with Partners and others was properly executed. A small hospital can’t afford the luxury of this, so I hope the new leader can do a sanity check to validate the work and competency of those working there.
Mr.Sweet's wife's job
Islander Martha's Vineyard, MassachusettsMr. Sweet's wife's job description at the hospital never warranted the exorbitant salary she was paid. Moreover, her job performance was far less than "stellar". Mr. Sweet should have recused himself from the matter once it became known that his wife's employment status was in jeopardy.
Oh what a web we weave when
John Gault Oak BluffsOh what a web we weave when we first practice to deceive. "Last week, after a hearing, the Hon. Cornelius Moriarty denied the hospital’s request to get $250,000.00, saying he was “not persuaded” that the hospital would win in arbitration" Great article that deals with the facts in this case.
I agree, good reporting and
John Aldeborgh Edgartown, MAI agree, good reporting and fascinating insight into downside of nepotism in the workplace. One can't help being cynical about Mr. Sweet's wife being a key player in the saga. I seriously doubt that Mr. Woodin, or any rational individual, would wrongly implement a corrective action program on the wife of the Board Chairman, without sound reason, as there is absolutely no upside in doing so. The failure to stop paying Mr. Woodin is utterly mind-blowing. This was a ultra high profile dismissal and yet no one bothered to give any instruction to the payroll department, really, to the tune of $130K. It's like, hello, anyone home? What other massive leaks are on-going. Does the hospital employ an audit firm, this is maybe the first thing an audit firm checks, are your employees real. Good lord! The lack of professionalism at every level is frightening.
Yes the payroll department
gina Menemsha/nycYes the payroll department issue is very alarming especially when the firing was a high profile event & the B of D appear to Micro Manage the Hospital"s day to day operations.. Who signed those checks?? Incredible..
The core issue , it seens to
David Jordan, DHA, MPA Oak Bluffs & WorcesterThe core issue , it seens to me, is the ineptness of the governing board of MVH and oversight of its fiduciary obligations to the institution and the community by its parent- Partners Healthcare / MGH. The artifice which this failure in goverance points to is a conflict of interest between the Board Chair of MVH and the fact that his wife held an executive position at the hospital. That alone should never have been allowed by either the MVH or Partners Boards unless there was a clear and certain understanding that seperated Board Chair from his relative. Either The Chairs wife should have resigned her position when her husband was elevated to head the Board or The Board Chair should never have accepted the role. Hospitals, and most nonprofit organizations, are required to have their governing members sign Conflict of Interest agreements, either by their regulatory ( the State, Medicaid, etc) or credentiling bodies ( eg JCAHO , COA, etc). This is a fundamental aspect for any governing entity which MVH and Partners failed to fulfill. No matter how strenuous the objection, it would seem obvious to any prudent individual that the MVH Board Chair may have violated his fiduciary responsibiliyy to first honor his duty to the hospital and community above any personal interests; including an attempt to preserve a relatives position at the hospital. The Board of MVH and Partners failed in their duty to protect MVH from personal conflict of interest considerations between the Board chair- an employee / relative working for the hospital - and the CEO hired by the Board to manage the hospital. This could- and perhaps should- be written up as a case study for colleges and universities to use in Board Governance / Conflict of Interest studies. Partners / MGH holds the ultimate obligation to ensure this never happens again at MVH or any of their other healthcare organizations and the current MVH Board needs to enact similar Conflict of Interest measures involving Board members and employees of the hospital. The community acrimony and financial cost to MVH could all have been avoided. Lets hope that each of the Boards use this as a learning experience and enact conflict of interest measures going forward which protect the community and MVH.
Dr. Jordan's comments are
Douglas Rich (retired healthcare consultant) Oak Bluffs and Louisville, KYDr. Jordan's comments are spot on. I consulted to hospital boards and executives for forty years and I always tried to drill into them their fiduciary responsibilities to the organization and the community. If the facts presented in the Gazette article are complete, then it is clear that the MVH and Partners Boards failed in their duties. I have seen cases where "pre-existing" conflicts of interest were allowed, but typically the nature of the conflict is clearly enumerated and the means by which the conflict is avoided are described in writing. Even if such a situation existed relative to Mr. Sweet's Board position and Ms. Vanderhoop's employment at the hospital, I cannot imagine a scenario where the actions taken would have been allowable. At this point, the community's trust in MVH leadership has been severely damaged. As an act of good faith with the community, the hospital Board should request that Mr. Sweet step down from not only the Chairmanship but from the Board, as well. The director of development position held by Ms. Vanderhoop is typically a critical position in the fund raising activities of a not-for-profit organization like MVH. I can certainly not judge her competency from what I have read in the Gazette article, but it is hard to imagine that her abilities to fulfill her job requirements haven't been compromised by her husband's actions. Ms. Vanderhoop, the new CEO and the MVH Board should carefully consider her abilities to perform and take whatever corrective steps are necessary. Finally, I would like to comment on the hospital attorney's statement that the former CEO was "micromanaging" the organization. If the chief executive of a 25-bed hospital isn't micromanaging the organization, then the organization is probably over-staffed.
Finally the truth comes out.
Barb FloridaFinally the truth comes out. Good luck to Joe in his new job in Homer, Alaska. I don't think he could get any farther away from MV.
O the dirty laundry: Quick
lost poetO the dirty laundry: Quick Bleach, Tide pens, more Bleach
Mr. Sweet, and Ms. Vanderhoop
Shocked ChilmarkMr. Sweet, and Ms. Vanderhoop should resign if the reporting here is accurate. It appears Mr. Woodin was only acting in the best interest of both the hospital and Ms. Vanderhoop, and was fired as a result. Let’s keep in mind that little has changed at MVH,as even after the hospital said to the community “we here you”, and started a pretty social media campaign, long time employees were fired for speaking out on behalf of Woodin, and speaking about him even today in some circles at the hospital is frowned upon. Lastly, while I initially stated that Sweet and Vanderhoop should resign, this should also include long time board member Edward Miller, and further, why would be other board members go along with this, what were they told as cause(didn’t Mr. Rappaport resign?), perhaps we need to step up those term limits, and bring in new board members earlier that proposed. The new CEO deserves to worked with unsullied partners in running a great hospital.
The hospital's attempts to
Islander TooThe hospital's attempts to obstruct transparency on the part of both Joe Woodin and the hospital administration and board already speak volumes. That said, this report only confirms the scuttlebutt one had already heard, with the added info concerning the failure to terminate pay. Unbelievable sloppiness.
By the way, I was cruising
Sara Oak BluffsBy the way, I was cruising the MVH website (which is a little disorganized) that does not list the name of a second dermatologist (my original search) but does continue to list doctors who no longer are employed by the hospital, one for nearly a year, among other errata. What department is in charge of the website? Does that come from the Development Office? Probably not an enormous problem, given this report about Mr. Woodin v. Hospital, but only an indication of a lack of attention to detail.
Please stop with these
BW EdgartownPlease stop with these stories. this is old news.
No, not old news. Current
Jim OBNo, not old news. Current news. And the hospital needs to make serious changes.
Stunning. The nepotism
Disgusted Vineyard HavenStunning. The nepotism rampant on this island is extraordinary. Ed Miller, Tim Sweet, and Rachel Vanderhoop should resign, and Ron Rappaport was wise, per usual, to exempt himself when the going got dirty. Just in time though, of course.
On the contrary, continue
Christopher Oak BluffsOn the contrary, continue with these stories and the excellent reporting. It seems as if the entire board was complicit in this clear conflict of interest and should be reconsidered as stewards of the community's hospital. Thank you for shining the light on this situation.
Sort of knew when this news
JS EDGSort of knew when this news broke last year that petty island behavior was behind the firing of Wooden. All to protect one employee. And to drag out the severance is even more ridiculous. Look in the mirror MVH.
Board members should never be
Vanessa EdgartownBoard members should never be allowed to employ family in the company they oversee, particularly in high profile positions. Mr. Sweet should resign for his own poor judgement and later suspicious activity.
New CEO needs new Board and professional audit with Published! results.
Tim Sweet did a great job
Bob EdgartownTim Sweet did a great job getting the hospital to where it is and time for new people to take over. Nothing is going to change with the same characters in place. All the good work he did is going to be for nothing if he hangs around. Winston Churchill once said those who can win a war can never keep the peace and those who can keep the peace can never win a war. Tim time to leave.
If the hospital was a private
JR MVNYIf the hospital was a private company the entire board, Ms Vanderhoop, whoever was in charge of payroll and possibly other corrupt and/or incompetent people would be fired or the company would likely go bankrupt. But in the world of non-accountability that the hospital resides upward failure will continue.
We need to know who is at
TAD ChappyWe need to know who is at fault for the "administrative error" of paying a a former employee the sum of $130,000.00 in the form of continued salary. Talk about mismanagement!
What the Vineyard community
FishcrowWhat the Vineyard community could use right now is another GP and some circuit- rider specialists (like a neurologist). Instead , between the board and the Boston folk, we are offered a tawdry display of Sweet/Vanderhoop/Miller leading us into a slough of fiscal waste.
I feel badly for Joe Woodin and what this group has done to him. Will the new CEO let us know how much money has been wasted on all this?
Stunning and disturbing. Both
Dean Rosenthal EdgartownStunning and disturbing. Both the Board Chairman and his wife must step down/resign, if these reported details are true. There is no other future for the integrity of both the Board and the hospital. Whatever oversight may be granted until this occurs must indeed occur. Even though Joe Woodin is gone, fairness must not be – the backstory appears clear. Those who failed this Island — and failed it they did – must relinquish their conflict by leaving. We all know their names now. I, for one, can never go to the hospital and appear before Ms. Vanderhoop without disgust, nor Mr. Sweet. The rest of our community no doubt feels this way, should Mr. Woodin not have been fired in such a cavalier and ignominious way. The Board that approved his termination, all but one vote, is complicit. It’s not unlike the catastrophe with the Airport and Sean Flynn and also the Airport Mobile. What is causing these local problems? Is it generational?
Let us let the legal system
citizenLet us let the legal system figure this one out before we roast individuals in the court of public opinion. There is always more to the story...
Yes, but the more to the
Claire R. OBYes, but the more to the story is just as bad, if not worse for the Board and the those in positions of authority at the hospital.
Gazette - excellent reporting
John Rowland WTGazette - excellent reporting. As we suspected, all along, nepotism at the top and board members who should have been replaced ages ago, stayed on, notwithstanding all the pressure brought to bear by the community last year.
Last year, The community had a petition and over 500 names as well as reams of letters to the press were sent about hearing our voices. A committee was formed and got exactly nowhere. MGH and this board could not give a hoot about us. All the worry about is the bottom line.
So, we have a new scapegoat (sorry - i meant CEO), the 5th or 6th, since I've been a resident, who will either do exactly what the board tells her to, or she too will be unceremoniously dumped.
So Ms Schepici - what are your plans? We hear you are nice, we hear you are listening, but what will you do to replace the incompentents that still run the administration, and how will you stand up to a board that brooks no criticism and does not want to hear from our community?
I must say, after reading the
Ben VTI must say, after reading the Times article, I was a little confused. Thank goodness the Gazette actually reported all the facts. I'm just curious how one gets a "double bonus" for a "stellar" performance in January, and then gets fired without so much as a discussion, review, or warning (not to mention a vote by the full board) 5 months later.
Yep, total joke.
Sav Vineyard HavenYep, total joke.
Terrific reporting, Julia.
Embarrassed Washington, DCTerrific reporting, Julia. It is
Joe was not someone you
OB RNJoe was not someone you wanted to work for. He always was the "smartest man in the room" and didn't like people telling him what to do. But beyond that point, Joe was trying to sell out Partners and go into collusion with other hospitals that weren't Partners , without the okay of the board. That is the long and short of it.
Then why didn't the board
Ben VTThen why didn't the board take him aside and say, "Hey Joe, stop doing that."
Go talk to the doctors.
OB RNGo talk to the doctors.
Seriously? Where in the
Claire R. OBSeriously? Where in the hospital do you work? Joe was certainly a “take charge” kind of guy, but he was also genuinely interested in ALL employees - their concerns and opinions; historically, the people in charge at MVH might as well have been in the Witness Protection Program for all the time they spent amongst their employees. I want my leader to be the “smartest” person in the room. Even if what you say is true, - and it’s not - that is not grounds for firing him. They gave him a bonus, so clearly they thought he was doing a better than passable job. The people who had a problem with Joe - a few doctors and many department heads - were upset because he was holding them accountable and doing away with the status quo, namely maximum compensation for minimum effort.
Anytime a new CEO comes into
Really? VHAnytime a new CEO comes into an organization he/she does some surveillance, then digs and asks the hard and challenging questions. Once he/she has a handle on things, he/she sets out a strategic plan. A few people are cleared out because that is how it is done. Not everyone likes it. But it is called having a new “Boss”. Unless you own the place, you all have one and serve at their fancy. Massachusetts is an at will employment state. If you don’t like your employer. Let your feet do the talking or be part of the change even if it is uncomfortable.
I expect the new CEO will do the same.
Thank you Claire for putting
Been There Oak BluffsThank you Claire for putting it the way it was. The good old boys and girls didn't like this Joe guy upsetting the cream jobs they have. You mean we have to
work to earn our GREAT pay ! Lets get ride of this guy as fast as we can. And they did. Good luck and God Bless to the new CEO. How many surgeons do we have at M.V.H (3?) Do they all work at least a 40 hour week? Is the O.R busy all the time ? At this point and time i'll take a boat ride for non- emergency care.
Thank God for or great island nurses!!!!!!!!!!
So, let me understand this .
Dave Silver Spring, MDSo, let me understand this . . . Mr. Woodin was terminated without cause. He had a contract, which stated that he would be paid for one year if he was terminated (probably only if it was without cause and it appears it was). He was terminated by Sweet/Miller as an act without Board approval and on their own and then later obtained Board approval for termination, which probably violated Mr. Woodin's contract as he works for the full Board, so now he is wrongfully discharged and has a wrongful termination lawsuit. Yet no one took responsibility to inform payroll to stop paying the man . . . then they actually get to a settlement agreement (which is probably being paid by the Hospital's D&O Insurance carrier) which is going to cost $740K and someone realizes they paid him $130K extra for a few months, yet the Hospital leadership blows up the settlement agreement because of it and is back in court? The complete stupidity and ignorance is amazing. You eat that mistake (because it is one the hospital made) and get this issue settled so that you can begin to build trust again in the hospital administration. The entire Board should be ashamed and resign. Someone with common sense please take charge!
Well said, Dave. That says it
John Rowland WTWell said, Dave. That says it. And the new CEO, who was hired by these same idiots, is sure as heck not going to rock the boat, because if she does, she too is history.
OMG as the kids say, or my,
Joan Wise DC lawyerOMG as the kids say, or my, my, my as this old lady says!!! Love this governance stuff. This is textbook conflict of interest. fascinating, as avoiding same for my board was a large part of my job. I always said so much of governance is nothing more than common sense, good judgment, and transparency.
Who is Mr. Sweet that he could wield so much power. Why was the rest of the board asleep at the switch. Didn’t you say one of the members had been on the board for 30 years(what is it about term limits they didn't understand.
Not dissimilar from UVA case a couple of years ago when chair of the board unilaterally fired president of university AND in this case the president got reinstated!!!
You certainly smelled a rat early on. Any chance of a clean sweep of the board, would be very interested in what nominating process is?
Can’t wait to forward this to Art, as I told him at a Christmas party things seemed to have quieted down a bit.
please go back and read OB RN
two sides edgartownplease go back and read OB RN's version of events.....the gazette has a history of wanting to trash the hospital and sensationalize certain things. if woodin was going to try and separate MVH from partners, this would have been a very serious action on his part. unfortunately, i think the hospital cannot come out with their "side" of events as it could probably face a defamation law suit from wooden and his lawyers. all that being said, it is unfathomable that the payroll department continued to pay him to the tune of $130,000. unbelievable!
If you follow all the events
John Rowland WtIf you follow all the events and reporting of last summer, you will see that the board shut down all communication with everyone except their lawyers. They had acted so utterly incompetently that they faced serious jeopardy if the word got out about how they had acted. They are a disgrace to this community and shame on Mass General, who are the ultimate arbiters for keeping them in place
The Gazette has fairly and
Disgusted VHThe Gazette has fairly and judiciously informed the community all along. The articles the Gazette has produced show the many sides of the issue. Looking for the needle in the haystack accounts that counter the overwhelmingly disgusted populace here is really naive at best, and short-sighted at worst.
Thanks Julia for digging out,
island girlThanks Julia for digging out, reading through and outlining what has happened in the hospital's latest debacle. We who live here year round and who depend on the hospital for care have come to depend upon having an exceptional health facility locally so that we do not have to travel to the mainland for routine, and even some fairly sophisticated testing and treatment. A family member has just had some diagnostic testing. The wait and the lead up was very stressful and a bit complicated even though done locally here on the island with the testing and results being sent back and forth between MGH and MVH over the course of several hours. There was no trip off-island with even more stress and considerable expense and there were no hassles of city driving or an unfamiliar facility. The family member received exceptional service on state of the art equipment by a very skilled and compassionate professional and was given the results (everything normal and no further tests or treatment required) before driving home. There are plenty of similar stories. For us to have such services available here is fabulous; the fact that we have this extraordinary facility (despite the management and board mess) has saved many islanders untold stress, anxiety, expense, and yes, terror. I hope that the whole situation can be resolved and put behind us because virtually all of us may need the hospital at some point in our lives. And we need it to be strong, viable, and on a par (or better) than it is now because no one wants, or should have to, leave the island for routine tests and treatment.
It is incredible that only recently did someone discover that Mr. Woodin was still being paid. Ethically he should probably pay it back but after the mess described I think he deserves to keep it.
thanks for walking over to
anne sylvester obthanks for walking over to the courthouse and rummaging through the relevant papers -- a treasure trove for the reader if only the reporter can bestir themselves. shows your background as a beat reporter back in the day, over on the Cape. The Gazette is lucky to have you!
Took me awhile to sift
Employee #63 EDGTook me awhile to sift through a fair amount of conjecture, the standard amount of gossip and some actual facts. I hope that your readership isn’t naive enough to think that Mr. Woodin is completely blameless in this island docu-drama/comedy of errors. He was actively trying to be a cowboy and move to separate from Partners. This would be fine if there wasn’t a board to answer to but reality is that there is. The other reality is that a good amount of the members are actually from Partners. Once his plan became clear, he was terminated. The Board and MVH made loads of mistakes to this end from allowing the Sweet/Vanderhoop conflict of interest to continue, to not giving the rogue CEO the proper amount of oversight, to bumbling the firing of said CEO to the embarrassing mistake by the payroll department. All of these things does not take away from the fact that the decision to sever the relationship was absolutely legitimate. Hopefully there will be changes to the board and other departments and processes. Ms. Schepici is definitely on the right track. I’m going to let this play out and finish in the courts and am looking forward to putting this behind us and going back to focusing on positive patient experiences and the excellent medical care that is our standard here at MVH.
All the board had to do is
Islander WTAll the board had to do is say no, we are staying with Partners, and that would be the end of it, instead they fired him. While I understand the Partners board members would go along with the firing, Sweet and Miller most likely used that as a pretense to fire him when the real reason was the Vanderhoop situation.
The whole concept of a
FishcrowThe whole concept of a "cowboy" approach is new on the scene and one worthy of examining. I have been pleased by the immediate results of internet consultation with Mass Gen, and have heard nothing against that. Now, in the intervening story of the Sweet/Vanderhoop involvement, I am not convinced the board )(numb as hake and deaf as haddock)knows how to protect themselves and is falling behind some sort of Boston law firm on behalf of Boston folk who don't have to go to Park and Ride, catch the ferry, wait for the Bonanza bus and board the urine-soaked Red Line to Mass Gen? Thanks to the Gazette for laying out the latest info, and I guess we can look forward to more "cowboy" stories
Cowboy? Perhaps Mr. Woodin
Ex-employee VHCowboy? Perhaps Mr. Woodin was simply holding MGH/Partners accountable for their exorbitant fees and expenses laden upon this small community hospital. Perhaps he really understood the clinical benefits of the relationship but wanted to make sure we were not paying for the excessive overhead at Fruit Street, wanting to keep more money and services in the community. Perhaps he wanted to keep the relationship, was working with the board, and was holding the parent accountable. I’m sure all these details will come out and I can’t wait to hear about them...
John 8:32
Emma Oak bluffsJohn 8:32
Then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
If wooden was still in charge
Jason Oak Bluffs - South DartmouthIf Wooden was still in charge and micro managing (agreeing with the comment above that he should for the size of MVH) the $130k would have never been paid out. Food for thought.
Now THAT'S a great point...
Disgusted VHNow THAT'S a great point...
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