How do we provide the best health care to the underserved?
A few days after this Policy Blog, County Attorney Mike O’Connell, the Courier-Journal and others called for an audit of the Quality & Community Care Trust (QCCT) that funds indigent care at University Hospital, President Ramsey responded in acquiescence. He had no other reasonable choice. Given increasing criticism over its habit of secrecy, any dragging of feet would have had a devastating effect on the University’s tarnishing reputation. The “Unsubstantiated C**p Defense” is no longer feasible. A better course for the University would have been to be out in front with such an offer weeks ago when it was becoming clear that the Louisville Metro Council and others were having concerns about how this particular package of public money was being used. Now we know that there was a good reason for that concern. Nonetheless, better late to the table than never.
To their credit, the University is not using its “Private Organization” defense to limit scrutiny, despite the fact that the initial results of outside scrutiny were not good. Board meetings have not been held for several years, and required records were not kept even as the University complained that it needed more money. The University of Louisville has given away its best defense against criticisms of acting secretly or even irresponsibly. The fact that this University-led Board was so careless in its management of such an important public function adds urgency to the many other calls for the University of Louisville to stop the secret internal shell game it plays with its many component foundations, corporations, institutes, and other entities. Continue reading “UofL President Ramsey Calls for Evaluation of Indigent Care Fund”