Perdue: Georgia 'Won't Be Held Hostage' By Grady Board

(12/5/07) Gov. Sonny Perdue said Tuesday he still hopes the state can play a role in saving Grady Hospital but declared the state “won’t be held hostage” to conditions imposed by the hospital’s trustees for converting to nonprofit status.

Last week, the board of the financially-struggling hospital bowed to pressure from the business community and a number of top political leaders in taking steps towards turning oversight of day-to-day operations of the hospital over to a nonprofit group.

But the resolution adopted by the board demanded personal guarantees of increased state funding levels from the governor, the lieutenant governor and the House speaker, and sought to impose additional conditions on the business community and on Emory University medical school, which supplies most of Grady’s doctors.

“I think putting the contingencies into that was not the right idea. I think the board is understanding that,” Perdue said in answer to a question from a reporter after speaking at the University of Georgia’s annual economic luncheon.

“I think all of us in Georgia in public office want to help Grady succeed. We won’t be held hostage over contingencies. They are signing documents that are essentially unenforceable,” he said.

“But nevertheless, the need remains and we’ll continue to work with Grady. Hopefully, they will take the steps they need, first of all to make good sense for their future in that effort, and hopefully we can come to some resolution about what part is the local governments’ and what part is the private community’s and what part the state plays in that,” he said.

The proposal was quickly rejected last week by Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Speaker Glenn Richardson.