Joe Truhe, former associate general counsel of the North Broward Hospital District, who was fired along with the district's general counsel May 15, has sent a letter to hospital commissioners demanding that they investigate Sam Goren, the attorney who became the interim general counsel.In a letter dated June 1, Truhe points to how he and the former general counsel, Marc Goldstone, were both dismissed in an "emergency" action just before Goldstone could give the board legal advice as to how to pr
browardhealth.orgGoldstoneJudging by Marc Goldstone's email inbox, the week of May 11 began like any other. That was a Monday, and the general counsel for the North Broward Hospital District exchanged emails with CEO Frank Nask about attending a health care convention the first week of June. But by Tuesday May 12 Commissioner Robert Bernstein had called Nask to report concerns about whether Goldstone had followed proper procedures for being licensed to practice law in Florida. As Goldstone's own
Tension nearly boiled over at this morning's meeting of the North Broward Hospital District's Board as commissioners broached the touchy topic of the district's next general counsel. The seven-member panel appears divided over whether to speed that process or slow it down, given the flux at the position over the past several years.Since the district fired general counsel Marc Goldstone in mid-May, the Fort Lauderdale law firm of Sam Goren has filled in. But commissioners want to move fast in fin
browardhealth.orgMike FernandezDocuments recently released by the North Broward Hospital District' show that its chairman decided his board didn't have a corruption problem so much as a Martin Goldberg problem. That's the name of the former assistant U.S. Attorney who was hired by the district's Board of Commissioners to investigate allegations that one of their own, Commissioner Joseph Cobo, had improperly used his public position to boost business in his private work as a health care consultan
Flickr User: FrogMillerMidway through this morning's meeting of the North Broward Hospital District's board, Commissioner Robert Bernstein decided it was time to acknowledge the "white elephant in the room."A tantalizing prospect, because this room was positively teeming with white elephants. There was the pending criminal investigation of the commissioner seated a several seats to Bernstein's left, Joseph Cobo. A few seats closer was the white elephant issue of whether Chairman Mike Fernandez a
browardhealth.orgBernsteinJust two business days before the North Broward Hospital District board was to consider spending $2 million to sponsor an exhibit at Fort Lauderdale's Museum of Discovery and Science, one commissioner was vowing to embarrass museum staff. This based on his obligation to "protect taxpayers" against a potentially foolhardy investment.It comes from an email that Commissioner Robert Bernstein wrote to district CEO Frank Nask, in reaction to the answers museum staff gave
Flickr: presidential_predictionsBush and Bernstein had a mutual friend at Gray-Robinson.Broward Health Commissioner Robert Bernstein has cast himself as a watchdog for waste at the county's public health-care district. But in the months since he led the charge to terminate the hospital district's two lead attorneys, questions remain about whether his motives were complicated by Republican special interests, such as a law firm that wields influence in the state capital.The North Broward Hospit
photo: 4dca.orgSpencer LevineAttorneys at Scott Rothstein's firm landed a highly privileged meeting with the executive leadership of the North Broward Hospital District in September 2008, the month after Rothstein was appointed by his friend, Gov. Charlie Crist, to the nominating committee for Florida's 4th District Court of Appeals, according to documents that were part of an internal investigation at the district. Also, at that meeting: Broward Health Chief Operating Officer Spencer Levine,
