A union representing Jackson Health System has asked for a state grand jury investigation into gross mismanagement that has caused the public hospital to teeter on financial ruin, putting patients at risk.
President of the union, SEIU Local 1991, Martha Baker said the grand jury investigation request letter was delivered to Katherine Fernandez-Rundle, the Miami-Dade state attorney.
Florida law empowers state attorneys to initiate grand jury investigations of public agencies and officials and then findings and recommendations concerning mismanagement, misconduct or misuse of public funds can be reported.
SEIU 1991 will assist the state attorney’s office in conducting its investigation.
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The request was initiated shortly after it was revealed that Jackson executives announced last fiscal year’s losses totalled $203m instead of the $45m initially reported. Additionally, Jackson executives predicted that losses for the current fiscal year, which ends this September, will reach $229m instead of the previously estimated $87m.
Baker said that to really find out the true extent of Jackson’s mismanagement and financial problems, the state attorney’s office will follow the money and find out who knew what, and when.
“We should not squander this opportunity to uncover what went wrong, fix the problems, and reform Jackson to make it the crown jewel of public hospitals nationwide,” Baker said.
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