A trial in a lawsuit alleging Sunshine Law violations during the merger of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.-based Bert Fish Medical Center with Adventist Health's Florida Hospital in Orlando beings today, according to a Daytona Beach News-Journal report.
The lawsuit, which was filed against the health systems by the Bert Fish Foundation and has been partially funded by spurned Bert Fish suitor Halifax Health, alleges Bert Fish and Adventist violated Florida's Sunshine Law, which establishes a basic right of access to most meetings of boards, commissions and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies or authorities.
After the suit was filed, Bert Fish reheld its merger meetings, again selecting Adventist Health as a partner. Last year, a judge ruled that some of the meetings did violate the Sunshine law, but since some meetings had already been reheld, the judge ruled another hearing was needed to determine if the new meetings remedied the violations. The suit against Adventist and Bert Fish seeks to unravel the merger, but in order for that to occur, it must be determined that reholding the meetings did not adequately remedy to the violations.
Read the Daytona Beach News-Journal report on Bert Fish Medical Center.
Read more coverage on Bert Fish Medical Center:
- Bert Fish's Sunshine Violation During Merger Ruled Unintentional
- Bert Fish Medical Center's Spurned Suitor Covering Legal Fees in Suit Against Florida Hospital Merger
The lawsuit, which was filed against the health systems by the Bert Fish Foundation and has been partially funded by spurned Bert Fish suitor Halifax Health, alleges Bert Fish and Adventist violated Florida's Sunshine Law, which establishes a basic right of access to most meetings of boards, commissions and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies or authorities.
After the suit was filed, Bert Fish reheld its merger meetings, again selecting Adventist Health as a partner. Last year, a judge ruled that some of the meetings did violate the Sunshine law, but since some meetings had already been reheld, the judge ruled another hearing was needed to determine if the new meetings remedied the violations. The suit against Adventist and Bert Fish seeks to unravel the merger, but in order for that to occur, it must be determined that reholding the meetings did not adequately remedy to the violations.
Read the Daytona Beach News-Journal report on Bert Fish Medical Center.
Read more coverage on Bert Fish Medical Center:
- Bert Fish's Sunshine Violation During Merger Ruled Unintentional
- Bert Fish Medical Center's Spurned Suitor Covering Legal Fees in Suit Against Florida Hospital Merger