A member of the advisory board of The Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, part of Fort Myers-based Lee Memorial Health System, has resigned due to a possible conflict of interest with a construction contract, according to a News-Press report.
Lee Memorial Health System plans to begin work on a 292,000-square-foot hospital tower in Fort Myers next year. A special health system committee ranked the firm Skanska USA, which is partnered with the construction firm Gates, as its top choice for the building contract, which would include $145 million for the tower and an additional $46 million in related work, according to the report.
Lee Memorial Health System's elected board of directors delayed a vote on the construction contract, however, due to concerns that there was a conflict of interest. Todd Gates, chairman of Gates, was a member of the children's hospital's advisory board. He has resigned from that position.
While Mr. Gates was not a member of the committee that ranked the construction firms, two other members of the advisory board did participate in the special committee. However, a review of the committee's scores showed Skanska would still have ranked first without those participants' scores, according to the report.
The health system will vote on a construction contract today.
Public Hospital District in Washington May Take Legal Action Over Alliance With UW Medicine
Rush Oak Park Hospital Controller Allegedly Embezzled $300k
Lee Memorial Health System plans to begin work on a 292,000-square-foot hospital tower in Fort Myers next year. A special health system committee ranked the firm Skanska USA, which is partnered with the construction firm Gates, as its top choice for the building contract, which would include $145 million for the tower and an additional $46 million in related work, according to the report.
Lee Memorial Health System's elected board of directors delayed a vote on the construction contract, however, due to concerns that there was a conflict of interest. Todd Gates, chairman of Gates, was a member of the children's hospital's advisory board. He has resigned from that position.
While Mr. Gates was not a member of the committee that ranked the construction firms, two other members of the advisory board did participate in the special committee. However, a review of the committee's scores showed Skanska would still have ranked first without those participants' scores, according to the report.
The health system will vote on a construction contract today.
More Articles on Healthcare Legal Issues:
Physician Sues Memorial Hermann in Houston for Retaliation, DefamationPublic Hospital District in Washington May Take Legal Action Over Alliance With UW Medicine
Rush Oak Park Hospital Controller Allegedly Embezzled $300k