By DELANIA TRIGG, Register Staff Writer
North Texas Medical Center is without an administator today after the NTMC board of directors voted to fire Chief Executive Officer Steve Porter at a special called meeting Monday.
The decision came after a 4 1/2 hour executive session.
Porter is set receive a severance package that includes his normal salary payable for the full 18 months or until he finds another job.
His monthly salary is approximately $15,000 per month.
The move to relieve Porter of his duties is the culmination of several months of controversy at the hospital during which relations between a group of the hospital’s physicians and the facility’s administration grew increasingly contentious.
In September, a group of doctors drafted a letter outlining their complaints against the administration.
The board held a special meeting in early December during which director Derrell Comer said the group planned “to work diligently to improve medical staff relations.”
The board also voted to hire Dr. John Anderson as a mediator between the doctors and the administration.
During Monday’s meeting several residents addressed the board.
Michael Dennis, a former chief operating officer at Denton Regional Medical Center, spoke first.
He had nothing but praise for Porter.
“He is a genius,” he said.
He asked the board to keep Porter as CEO, pointing out that the hospital is facing a tough economic climate including reimbursement cuts from managed care organizations.
“We’ll need him (Porter),” he said.
Jerry Parr, who served 10 years on the NTMC board of directors, said hiring Porter three years ago was a positive thing.
“I think we did a good job then,” Parr said.
The doctors’ dissatifaction is a problem Parr said the board must address because, “without doctors, a hospital cannot exist.”
“It’s our job as administrators and board members to make it work,” he concluded.
Steve Gaylord, a staunch critic of Porter’s, also addressed the board.
Most of Gaylord’s concerns center on public record requests.
Reading from a prepared statement, Gaylord said, “Is there any doubt that Mr. Porter violated one or more criminal provisions of the Texas Public Information Act?”
Gaylord has apparently submitted over two dozen public information requests.
During a December meeting, Porter reported the cost of Gaylord’s 25 record requests is approximately $35,000.
At last nights’ meeting, Gaylord provided copies of the Texas Local Government Code Chapter 87 which details legal procedures for removing officers from office.
He added that he has filed “civil and criminal complaints against Porter” as well as several NTMC employees and a handful of board members.
Finally, physician Amy Klein spoke briefly.
Asking the board to excuse her casual attire, Klein admitted she believes Porter “has done some good things at NTMC.”
However, she advised the board to consider “change” to solve the trouble between the administration and the facility’s physicians.
The board then went into an executive session that lasted until 10 p.m.
When the directors finally reconvened in open session Diana Eichenberger made the motion to terminate Porter.
The vote was 5-3 with director Jerry Metzler abstaining.
Directors Ken Arterbury, Stephen Harlow, Diana Eichenberger, Gloria Parrish and Derrell Comer voted to fire Porter.
Directors Don Wallace, Jim Lovett and Janice Call voted against terminating the administrator.
After the vote, board chairman Don Wallace asked Metzler why he abstained.
“I’m not in favor of the motion,” Metlzer replied.
The board voted to name Chief Financial Officer Kelly Haines acting director until an interim administrator is hired.
