By:Nick Buglione
The group, which includes NHCC Corporation President and CEO Richard Turan, agreed to pay over $12,000 to the state Ethics Commission after they had been charged with accepting gifts from companies seeking contracts with the corporation.
The charges dealt with violations of the public officers law, which prohibits public employees from accepting gifts over $75 from anyone seeking to do business with that entity. Administrators of the quasi-public Nassau Health Care Corporation are bound to the law.
According to the Ethics Commission, the charges mostly involved gifts health care corporation employees received from several vendors vying for a multi-million dollar information technology contract.
Turan was charged with three infractions, including flying to Kansas City, Mo., at the expense of the Cerner Corporation and receiving an $85 ticket to an Islanders game from Siemens.
Proceedings began in Albany Oct. 20 and concluded Monday, Dec. 8. Charged along with Turan were Christine Forman, NHCC vice president, Gary Bie, chief financial officer, Dr. Paul Moh, head of radiology, Judith Eisele, a registered nurse, Dr. Joan McInerney, head of emergency medicine, and Lawrence Honold, director of information systems.
For each gift over $75, Turan and his colleagues faced a possible $10,000 fine. Instead each will pay the following: Turan, $2,250; Forman, $883.02; Moh, $2,005.86; Eisele, $1,094.03; McInerney, $1,375.72; Honold, $216.55.
In settling, Turan has agreed to terminate the Supreme Court suit he filed against the Ethics Commission on Nov. 26, 2003 to have the charges thrown out.
He stressed, however, that the settlement did not constitute an admission or finding of guilt. "I'm very pleased that it's behind us," he said. "I'm sorry it wasn't settled a year and a half ago."
During the proceedings, Turan's lawyers vehemently argued that he was unaware state ethics law applied to him and the other Nassau Health Care Corporation officers.
Turan insisted he paid for the gifts and that the corporation even notified the commission of the transactions.
The Ethics Commission, however, maintained that the corporation only reported the violations after it learned the commission had launched an investigation, said Walter Ayres, spokesman.
The ethics charges were just another chapter in the story of the beleaguered Nassau Health Care Corporation, which has lost millions of dollars each year since its creation in 1999.
"Now we need to give our full attention to solving the problems of the health care corporation," Turan said.
To help close its $18 million financial gap, the corporation recently announced the planned layoff of 200 more workers. At the end of 2003, Nassau Health Care Corporation eliminated 250 positions.
The corporation runs Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale and seven community health clinics.
