City of North Kansas City Reveals Latest Self Dealing by Entrenched Legacy Members of the North Kansas City Hospital Board

NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of North Kansas City has learned that the legacy members of the North Kansas City Hospital Board of Trustees, led by Board Chair Dr. Michael Montgomery, tried to rush through secret changes to the Board's bylaws the night before the Clay County Court reaffirmed the City's authority to appoint new Board members. 

In so doing, the Board circumvented six decades of practice by attempting to change the voting requirements from a simple majority to a super majority on select matters, including the Hospital's litigation against the City, preservation of the Board Chair's and Hospital CEO's jobs, and the retention of the Hospital Board's legal counsel. These purported changes are clearly designed to disenfranchise the newly-appointed Board members on important matters facing the Hospital and further protect the narrow self-interests of the Board Chair and Hospital CEO. 

This action was an explicit affront not only to the citizens of North Kansas City, but also to the Court, which the very next day affirmed in strong terms the City's right to approve new Board members which would create a new majority.

Repeatedly, Dr. Montgomery, other entrenched legacy members of the Hospital Board and Hospital CEO Peggy Schmitt have attempted to circumvent due process and obstruct any meaningful discussion about protecting the Hospital's future.  They have repeatedly filed wasteful litigation, taken action to insulate themselves from the objective opinions of other Board members, allowed the spread of misinformation throughout our community and continued to advocate for misguided legislation that would unilaterally disregard the City's local authority and strip ownership of the Hospital from the citizens of North Kansas City.

It is time for these disingenuous and damaging actions to stop.  Every day this goes on, Dr. Montgomery and other entrenched legacy members of the Hospital Board are putting the future of the Hospital at risk and are harming our community. As another recent example, under legislation introduced at their behest, the Hospital, an unquestionably valuable asset, would be removed from City and all oversight, with no due process and no acknowledgment whatsoever of the City's decades-long standing ownership.  

As the Hospital's owner, the City of North Kansas City again calls on the legacy Trustees and management to put aside their self interests and engage in serious, thoughtful dialogue with the City so that together we can ensure the Hospital remains a vibrant part of our community for years to come.

Ultimately, the City's hope is that by appointing new members to the North Kansas City Hospital Board of Trustees, a more rational, thoughtful, objective evaluation of the Hospital's future can be achieved and the interests of the Hospital and our community can be better protected.  This will only happen if the Hospital Board ceases its obstruction tactics and agrees the time and resources being wasted on protecting their self interests will be better used to protect this valuable community asset and ensure our residents have access to the quality care they've come to know for years to come.

Contact:  Megan Hakes, 414-788-6599

SOURCE City of North Kansas City