State Legislators Discuss Strategies at CPA Issue Forum
Discussion of how to undertake non-profit hospital
conversion while maintaining the quality of care and protecting community
assets was the focus of an April issue forum on "the Sale and Conversion
of Non-Profit Hospitals," co-sponsored
by CPA and the Volunteer Trustees Foundation for Research and
Education.
Currently, 14 states have enacted guidelines for non-profit hospital
conversion and over 30 states are working on this issue, which represents the largest
deployment of charitable assets ever.
The forum, held in conjunction with the National Conference of
State Legislatures meeting, featured conversion experts, state legislators and
community advocates.
Ohio Assistant Attorney General Craig Mayton
presented a proposal for model state oversight legislation
on
health care conversions. The model legislation outlines obligations
converting health care entities must meet and penalties that can be imposed on
privatizing entities that fail to comply with state guidelines.
Mayton noted that the onslaught of non-profit hospitals seeking to
privatize in the past few years was not anticipated by most states. In many
cases, state legislation now on the books provides little guidance in how to
safeguard public assets and resources in hospitals.
The event was part of CPA’s 1997-98 Issue Forum series. A summary
of the Hospital Conversion Issue Forum will be available soon.
