That didn’t take long. Within days of news that Tampa General Hospital’s governing board had voted to pay themselves for their civic services, the board abandoned the controversial plan. In a brief statement, board chairman John A. Brabson Jr. said that “the board believes this is not the right time to move in that direction.”
Two points. First, a paid board for Tampa’s not-for-profit, safety-net hospital was unconscionably poor form. The blow-back was immediate and scathing. Second, the face-saving could have been better. When would the “right time” be?