University of Maryland Medical System Bills Advance; More Bad News Is Coming, Leaders Agree
The Maryland legislature continues to put the finishing touches on a measure that would restore public confidence in the University of Maryland Medical System by instituting new disclosure requirements for board members, cracking down on board conflicts of interest and restocking the board with new members.
The state Senate voted unanimously Thursday to adopt its version of the bill, with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) praising Sen. Jill P. Carter (D-Baltimore). It was Carter who introduced legislation early in the session to tackle “self-dealing” by UMMS board members.
That bill prompted a Baltimore Sun investigation that ultimately led Mayor Catherine E. Pugh, a longtime UMMS board member, to take an “indefinite leave of absence” from her post following allegations the system purchased more than 100,000 copies of her self-published children’s book, netting her more than half a million dollars, money she did not disclose.
The system’s long-serving CEO was forced to take a leave of absence after the “Healthy Holly” scandal broke. And several UMMS board members — including Pugh — either quit the panel or took a leave of absence.
Read more: https://www.marylandmatters.org/2019/04/04/umms-bills-advance-more-bad-news-is-coming-leaders-agree/