Kennon: Equipment still needs to be thoroughly inventoried as part of potential deal.
The Lake Shore campus is still waiting to hear back from one of its potential future tenets.
Emergency Medical Physicians at Lake Shore (EMPALS), run by Drs. Molly and Michael White, are still reviewing a proposed lease agreement with the Lake Shore Hospital Authority to occupy the two-story women’s center. LSHA Executive Director Dale Williams said the Whites are still discussing the proposal with their legal counsel.
“Needless to say, they had not gotten far enough along to say, ‘I’m good with it,’ or ‘I’m having issues with it,’” Williams said at Monday’s LSHA meeting. “They are taking it under advisement.”
Williams did say that there were additional steps to take as the White look over the proposed agreement. Mainly, he said LSHA attorney Todd Kennon should link up with the Whites’ counsel whenever their schedule allows.
“There are some legal issues that only they can discuss and address,” Williams said. “It’s beyond the administrative level. It’s beyond me. Those things, we need to get into discussion about ASAP.”
For his part, Kennon said while the financial assistance the White have requested are still being taken into consideration separately, the medical equipment still left over from previous operations still needs to be thoroughly inventoried and priced should the Whites want to include that in any financial assistance.
“The lease is going to be separate from any financial services or assistance agreement,” Kennon said. “We don’t yet have an up-to-date, good inventory of what we have in the hospital that we can bring over and certainly haven’t gone out to price the other equipment they’ve requested.””
Kennon also said that the next steps with EMPALS would consist of speaking with the Whites and their counsel about specifics within the lease agreement. He said by the board’s next meeting on May 8, he should have a much clearer picture on what language should or shouldn’t be included in that as well as a financial assistance agreement.
“I think it’s going to be easier to say what we can do and all the things we can’t do relative to what their requests were,” Kennon said. “And then obviously, by then, we should have a revised draft of a lease. BY then, they should know kind of what our parameters are on the second aspect of it. That may cause them to make a decision on the lease.”
LSHA COULD GO GUN-FREE
In talking over the authority’s general liability insurance for its land and buildings, trustee Don Kennedy brought up a point about a lack of signs indicating the LSHA campus is gun-free. Williams had earlier told the board that with rising insurance premiums and shrinking coverage, the possibility existed that any new insurance policy the board picks up may not cover incidents relating to firearms.
“Our carrier did find one (policy) that would insure firearm-related incidents,” Williams said. “The problem is the premium goes up — not terribly bad — but it does go up. The deductibles go up, and then other coverages drop off.
“If you just do it in a package policy, you’re giving up something to get the one that will give you the firearms coverage, so I can’t see that that’s putting us in any better position.”
When Kennedy asked Kennon whether all entrances to LSHA property ought to have gun-free signs, Kennon said it’d likely alleviate the board in terms of insurance coverage.
“It would help,” Kennon said. “It’s probably not going to reduce your exposure, but it at least puts the public on notice, especially with the new concealed carry (law).”
The Florida Legislature recently passed a permitless carry bill that will take effect on July 1.
Williams informed the board that while that idea had been discussed previously, the board was under no legal obligation to follow through on putting up gun-free signs.
“But obviously, if it gives attention, reminds people with the new changes in the law, it might be a good idea to do that,” Williams said. “Nobody can have an excuse.”
LSHA Secretary/Treasurer Lory Chancy then made a motion to renew the current insurance policy — which is slated to have its premiums rise from $22,775 per year to $23,450 — without the coverage for firearms-related incidents. The motion passed unanimously.
MERIDIAN CONTRACT COMING ALONG
Williams also updated the board on continued negotiations with Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, which would occupy the main hospital building with the intent to run a mental health clinic. Williams said he’d been in discussions with Meridian CEO Don Savoie and his legal team regarding how any potential contract would look.
“We talked about the lease, we talked about restrictions,” Williams said. “We talked about dedication by deed, we talked about those things, services to be provided, limitations of those services. All that’s out on the table.”
While he said there was still a ways to go before any final agreements would be made between the two entities, Williams said the LSHA was in decent shape regarding Meridian’s future at the campus.
“I hope these weekly meetings keep it fresh in everybody’s mind,” Williams said.
BOARD READY FOR BEDOYA BIDS
Bidding wars for the demolition of the LSHA campus’s Bedoya Building are ready to commence. Williams said he’d received the contract ahead of Monday’s meeting, with just a few things that needed to be changed in the specifications ahead of doling it out to the winner.
“Just a couple of tweaks,” Williams said. “But it doesn’t change anything material.”
Even with those needed changes, Williams said the pre-bid process should be good to go by April 21 with final bids due by May 2.
“That allows us time to get them on your next agenda, your meeting in May on the 8th,” Williams said. “Unless we run into unanticipated obstacles, you will have this on your May 8 agenda for award.”