After a failed (and illegal) merger with Adventist Health System five months ago, the former CEO of Florida's Bert Fish Medical Center is on track to receive $1 million in buyout payments, a board member told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Former Bert Fish Medical Center CEO Bob Williams steered the board into an illegal deal with nonprofit Adventist Health System in 2010, according to the article. The Bert Fish Foundation filed suit against the merger, arguing that the meetings were closed to the public and therefore violated the law. In February, a circuit judge agreed, and the merger was thrown out.
However, Williams is due receive his $289,000-a-year salary until 2014, as well as benefits via a buyout clause in his contract, according to board member Joe Benedict. Under the Adventist agreement, Williams received three years' salary, as required by contract, and other benefits, worth $1 million, according to the article.
"That man has got away with a lot more than he should have," said Benedict, who is hopeful he can undo the buyout clauses in hospital contracts that were executed on June 30. On July 1, a new Florida law limited the buyout of public employees to 20 months.
For more information:
- read the Daytona Beach News-Journal article
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