The Ascension Parish Council voted to replace the board of Donaldsonville, La.-based Prevost Memorial Hospital on Nov. 21 after raising concerns about the board's activity over the last 10 years, according to The Advocate.
The board had faced pressure in recent months to provide detail on the hospital's finances and vision; the hospital has a $28 million surplus and activists lobbied for a new hospital building. Hospital leadership instead wanted to undergo a physician office expansion, but the Ascension Parish Council blocked the move, according to the report.
One of the issues under scrutiny was the hospital's 2020 acquisition of a medical clinic building for $900,000, which was purchased from two of its board members.
The removed board members sued the Parish Council on Nov. 20 to temporarily block the vote from occurring, but were unsuccessful. The former board members aim to keep fighting to maintain control of the board, according to the report.
Five new board members have been appointed to temporarily lead the hospital amid a search for a permanent board.