Or are they really that secret?

It is hard to give an update for process that is secret, but the very fact of the secrecy is the whole point. Yesterday, March 29, the University of Louisville review committee for submissions to its Request for Proposal for a new medical center partner was supposed to have been held. Perhaps it even was. Claiming a magic invisibility cloak granted by the Commonwealth, very little information related to the RFP has been made available, and none promised until a deal with the preferred partner is finalized and signed. The lesson the University chose not to learn following its failed merger debacle last Fall (and several scandals) is that secrecy, changing stories, and lack of accountability are not the way to gain the trust of the community. If anything, University leadership has chosen now to double down on their bet that secrecy will win the day. That would be sad. Are these the lessons we want taught to our children? Continue reading “Secret UofL RFP Negotiations Continue.”

Will the public have any input? Perhaps not.

The deadline for responses to the University’s search for a new partner was Friday, March 23.  It may not be knowable, now or ever, how many responses were received, or from whom. I called the University purchasing agent responsible for the process and learned that the deadline had indeed passed and that no further submissions would be accepted at this time. I did learn that at least one response had been received and that a meeting of the Review Committee would be held on Thursday to determine the next steps. I was told that state regulations surrounding the RFP process require that no information can be released until an agreement is signed. It was also pointed out to me that a Request for Proposal is different than a request for a Bid. The former implies more of a request for new ideas. This definition is certainly compatible with what we have seen so far.

I called the one institution other than Catholic Health Initiatives that I know made a serious effort to respond. I do not know if state regulations impose a reciprocal blackout on responders, but the institution preferred that the University speak for itself. I cannot fault them for this position.

The University of Louisville has chosen a path that it believes allows it to proceed in absolute secrecy until it has finalized its plans– a fait accompli. Why am I not surprised?  Is it too much to expect that the officials of this public university might have learned some lessons about the value of accountability and transparency during last Fall’s iteration of this merger?   Is the University being too clever for its own good?  Or is the arrogance all mine?

The University of Louisville has courted and lost numerous partners before.  Many bridges have been closed if not burned. I propose that some community buy-in at the altar will enhance the prospects of a long and fruitful marriage. Sadly, what I perceive instead is a falling away of trust and support.

Peter Hasselbacher, MD
March 27, 2012