So let me see if I got this right....Landmark Medical Center is located in poverty stricken Woonsocket, it provides millions of dollars a year in charity care, and is facing a financial crisis. But the Attorney General is concerned about the expenditure of Landmark's charitable donations. Who the hell does he think is giving the hospital donations? If the hospital has all these huge charitable donations, they wouldn't be facing a financial crisis. I have four words for the AG....DON'T LET LANDMARK CLOSE.

This is becoming an all to familiar story... smaller community hospitals on the brink of receivership. Hospital budgets are not wells springing unending foutains of cash. What is killing these facilities is that they have to provide services regardless of the patient's ability to pay. Emergency triage and care...ok but, using ER's as primary care providers must stop, or else all hospitals like Landmark will disappear from the landscape forever.

Landmark has been particularly ill managed by its incumbent executives. Their disastrous decision to waste money on a flashy heart program there was no need for, at the expense of a surgery program that was making them money and winning renown, was virtually criminal. And the heart program chief (who also became chief of the surgery department, short-circuiting hospital by-laws and procedures) will continue to be paid for years, even if the hospital goes under! The Landmark CEO and CFO should be investigated, not allowed to circumbent the Law.

Stewart
The AG is trying to protect the donors to Landmark Hospital. Although the hospital is in a net negative financial position it still owns millions of dollars in assest donated through charity. If another hospital takes Landmark over it could, unless adequately supervised, use Landmarks charitable assest for its own purposes ie: use the donations intended for the Woonsocket community to support new programs or buildings in another community.

This is nothing more than a sham buyout for Gary Gaube and his double dealing board. Gary and his board have failed Woonsocket and the employees of Landmark for the last ten years. The time to sell was ten years ago to another non-profit. Gary's salary over the last ten years almost equals the debt. Mismanagement should not equal a golden retirement for a failed team. Ask Gary if he's willing to forgo any benefit from the sale and you will see very quickly what the real interest in selling the hospital without a review is all about.

Sorry Gary not on our watch!

Prior to making a decision about this, shouldn't someone ask Memorial Hospital what their intention is? Keep the hospital as it is, with programs intact? Close their cancer program? Shut down cardiac? Chop the hospital into half of itself? Who will run the hospital? This bum's rush needs to have full disclosure or you could sell the hospital and basically lose the services anyway? If I were on the board of Memorial I would want to know why do I want to buy a big black hole to stuff my money down a drain? What is in it for Memorial? And I thought Memorial wasn't in great shape, eiher. Is that in Woonsocket/s interests? Receivership seems to be the best short term solution - bring in some people who know what they are doing and can try to turn it around. If something isn't working, then it's time for a change, not a jump down a road we know too little about - this is what got the hospital right where it is.

My intention is not to appear stupid but if Landmark has millions of dollars from charitable donations then these donations would be considered an asset; right? So why is Landmark in a negative debt asset position of $7.2 million. I agree with Stewart and I think Mark is wrong, Landmark cannot have millions of dollars in donations. However, one would think that this would be public information. Regardless the first priority should be to the employees of Landmark Medical Center; all of their jobs could be lost if something is not done to keep Landmark afloat. Every effort possible should be made to ensure 1,100 people do not lose their jobs.

What is the severance packages of the CEOs? How will we be assured that they will not be paid out? There are two, not one, making hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars - with probalby over a million buyout. This must not happen. Mismanagement continues to get rewarded - follow the MONEY - that's all tht this is about and no one is watching out for the interests of northern ri, certainly not the administrators who are responsible for this, and still spend money hiring fisher, a professional spokesperson - where's the money for that> can't they even manage to speak for themselves? how many have already been lost from what was once a fine hospital but stil is a necessary one protecting everyone north of providence and west of pawt - to what to circumvent? horrors - and shame on them and shame on any legislator who is dumb enough not to see what is going on. disclosure! now! investigate! now!