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150 Days of Hell, Legal Fees & Standing Ground - James A. Brown

As one of the Northern Nine, sued by the MIC’s Group of Health Services, Anson General Hospital, and 2 MIC’s Executive’s on March 6, 2013 we counted the days until the suit was dropped, or we dueled in Court.

As one of the Northern Nine, sued by the MIC’s Group of Health Services, Anson General Hospital, and 2 MIC’s Executive’s on March 6, 2013 we counted the days until the suit was dropped, or we dueled in Court. Fortunately it was the former, 150 days, exactly!

What happened during those days? We huddled, hired lawyers, planned, waited and paid legal fees. It was hell! We stood our ground for freedom of speech, innocence, professing the fact there were major Health Care issues like Doctors leaving, staff resigning and being fired, moral problems, bullying and harassment issues, and plenty more. On February 6th we rallied with our fellow community members, to voice our concerns to say “no more”. A month later we were sued!

We were called “the troublemakers”! The naysayers twisted matters, obviously! Along with the IF Health Coalition, we were labeled the bad guys in town! With the support of the community, we stood fast, dug in our heels and believed in the right of Health Care, the truth for our community, and ourselves.

We gained a foothold with a KPMG review, and then the AGH Investigator was appointed, and as a result of his report, a Supervisor was approved to oversee AGH operations. Then on August 2nd, 150 days from the commencement of the lawsuit, we received the ‘Notice of Discontinuance’, … finally! But bigger yet, the long awaited release of the ‘AGH/Gagnon Report’ which reaffirmed much of what we said. The media claimed it a ‘Damming / Scathing Report’, and it was! We did not fight in vain!

The investigator instructed AGH to publish the minutes of all special board meetings, which were previously withheld. Oddly enough, when published, there is no motion or resolution approving the lawsuit action in the AGH or MIC’s Board Minutes. So who made the decision to launch the lawsuit against the N9, and why wasn’t it documented? It appears there was no appropriate approval from all three boards, or their membership? So who tabled the instructions to sue? Basically, ‘they acted without corporate authorization’! Furthermore, who gave them the right to use Provincial health care dollars to leverage their legal fees?

AGH By-Law 5.5 (b) The Secretary (of the Corporation - Mr. Peterkin) shall; keep a record of the minutes of all meetings … so, why wasn’t this action recorded in board minutes by the CEO? To verify visit; http://www.micsgroup.com/Site_Published/Micsgroup/anson_minutes.aspx

Who gave them the power to toy with people’s lives, families, children, friendships and relationships? Who gave them the right to impose emotional anxieties and stress, tear apart a community, issue tainted communications, all without discussion, decision, documentation and … authority?

Many questions may go unanswered, but I propose, all three Hospital Board Members (AGH, BMH & LMH) and Management Executive, who held Board positions on March 6, 2013, pay the Province’s taxpayers share of their legal bill, along with our N9 legal costs. So that at the end of the day, the next 150 days of hell & legal fees are on the shoulders of / or are the responsibility of those who started something without authorization, and only hurtful intent from our health care institutions!

James A.  Brown - One of Nine