Closed meetings at Louisiana hospital rapped

New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 2, 2008

Marrero, LA-based West Jefferson Medical Center recently joined East Jefferson General Hospital in conducting nearly all board of directors' discussions behind closed doors. Louisiana law provides hospital service districts an exception to the open meetings law when they discuss matters of marketing and strategy, on the rationale that it might create a competitive disadvantage. In April, West Jefferson's directors lumped 23 of 25 agenda items into executive session, including discussions about board officers and their 2008 meeting schedule. West Jefferson board members who support the longer executive sessions said they want to protect the hospital in an increasingly unstable and competitive time for the industry.