We don’t yet know all the details of a settlement between former CEO Seth Whitmer and Morton General Hospital.
What we do know speaks much louder than the relative silence from the rural hospital district’s board of directors, who never came forward to explain why they abruptly fired Whitmer in March.
Under terms of the agreement — announced on the hospital’s website Monday — the record will show that Whitmer resigned from his post and was not fired.
Of course, in reality, this is selective altering of history as a means of escaping a drawn-out battle in the court system.
Whitmer also had demanded $987,000 in damages for a termination he characterized as being due to his religious beliefs as a Mormon and his decision to hire a gay man as the hospital’s CFO.
The hospital has not announced how much of that amount will be paid out to Whitmer under the terms of a settlement reached late last Friday after rounds of negotiations with a mediator.
The information is, of course, public record upon finalization, and The Chronicle has already filed a request for the documents involved with the settlement.
The development has brought forth something many have called for in the months since Whitmer was terminated in front of the public following an executive session — an official comment from the elected members of the board of directors.
“In regard to the termination of Seth Whitmer as CEO of Morton General hospital (MGH) the Board of Commissioners wishes to clarify to the community and any other interested parties that MGH has allowed Mr. Whitmer to resign as CEO of MGH,” the statement reads. “Mr. Whitmer had a number of successes during his time as CEO of MGH, but ultimately the parties agreed that the direction Mr. Whitmer envisioned for the hospital was not consistent with the Board of Commissioners’ goals for and views of what was in the best long-term interests of MGH. The Board of Commissioners believes that Mr. Whitmer has skills and experience that will serve him well in a leadership position with a different organization.”
The settlement brings the community closer to moving past the turmoil that has enveloped the hospital this past year, but more struggles remain.
A former CFO is pursuing legal action, saying he was fired for being gay.
Meanwhile, the board recently passed on two finalists for the open CEO position.
The costs are piling up, but it’s nice to finally hear from the people racking up the bill. Here’s hoping a dynamic leader will emerge to lead an otherwise professional and effective hospital forward.
