By Buddy Nevins and Dan Christensen, FloridaBulldog.org
Zimmerman Advertising’s Cypress Creek offices
A politically connected advertising firm repeatedly pressured Broward Health staff to complete a no-bid, multi-million dollar contract despite the suicide of CEO Dr. Nabil El Sanadi, the deal’s chief proponent.
Numerous Broward Health e-mails obtained by the FloridaBulldog.org show Zimmerman Advertising kept lobbying even the day of El Sanadi’s memorial service, when the hospital district’s staff was in mourning.
At least one Zimmerman executive allegedly sought to apply political pressure by dropping the name of a Broward Health commissioner in an effort to sway the staff into signing the contract.
Among those reported in the same e-mail to be applying that pressure: Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca, a Zimmerman employee and former chairman of the Republican Party of Broward County.
Doris Peek is Broward Health’s Information Technology chief and the staff member appointed to negotiate with Zimmerman. The day after El Sanadi’s funeral, she explained the tactics being used in an e-mail to Broward Health’s then-acting CEO Kevin Fusco and General Counsel Lynn Barrett.
“Am I to assume you have spoken to the board member whose name is being used by Zimmerman to press us to move forward? You had planned to call the person on Thursday/Friday after Chip LaMarca told (Zimmerman Senior Vice President) Bert (Sutcliffe) to proceed based on an alleged conversation with this board member. Did you speak to the board member?” Peek wrote on Jan. 30.
“Until we get all the parties on the same call/meeting, this sort of push/pull/full court press will continue. If you did not connect with the board member, I would like to be present to hear the conversation first hand. This ‘hearsay’ and ‘third party’ interference is wearing all of us down.”
In an e-mail statement, LaMarca vehemently denied pressuring or interfering with the Broward Health staff.
“These allegations are categorically untrue, full stop. I have never done this and any allegation to the contrary is unequivocally false,” LaMarca wrote.
Zimmerman: No pressure
In response to a request for a comment to Jordan Zimmerman, the advertising agency’s founder, the company released a statement:
“At no time did Zimmerman Advertising pressure any staff member of Broward Health to complete a pending advertising contract after Dr. El Sanadi’s death.”
Republican Gov. Rick Scott appointed each of the volunteer commissioners who oversee Broward Health.
Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca
The e-mails don’t name the board member LaMarca allegedly mentioned. But LaMarca is close to David Di Pietro, the Broward Health board chairman who was suspended last week by Gov. Scott. (Di Pietro sued the governor this week, contending Scott lacked the authority to suspend him.)
In addition to being personal friends with him, attorney Di Pietro has represented LaMarca and raised money and helped with strategy for LaMarca’s re-election effort.
“David DiPietro is a loyal friend and a volunteer who supports my campaign,” LaMarca said.
Broward’s Code of Ethics for Elected Officials forbids county commissioners from lobbying other governments in the county, including the North Broward Hospital District – Broward Health’s legal name. Here’s how the code is worded: “elected officials shall not be employed as a lobbyist or engage in lobbying activities…”
LaMarca, however, denied promoting Zimmerman to Broward Health’s commissioners or staff. He also said he doesn’t fit the ethics code’s definition of a lobbyist because his principal work for Zimmerman is as a community “liaison,” not as a lobbyist. The code narrowly defines a lobbyist as someone who is “principally” employed to lobby on behalf of a person or entity.
“Any allegation that I lobbied Broward Health is not supported by the facts and is a completely false characterization of my position and activities,” he said.
Before accepting employment at the advertising firm, LaMarca asked the county attorney whether his work would be legal under the county’s ethics code. Basing their opinion on what LaMarca told them about his new job, the opinion stated, “It is our understanding that your offer of employment is not for the principal purpose of you lobbying on behalf of Zimmerman. Accordingly, your employment by Zimmerman is permissible.”
‘A sounding board’
LaMarca did concede that he spoke occasionally about marketing with Broward Health’s chief executive, the late Dr. El Sanadi.
“From time to time, Dr. El Sanadi would contact me as a sounding board to discuss various county and community issues. At times, he invited me to discuss Broward Health’s marketing plan as he was personally interested in having a successful ad campaign for Broward Health,” LaMarca said in his written statement.
“On two occasions, Dr. El Sanadi invited Doris Peek (whom I did not know prior and was not aware of her attendance at our first meeting) into our conversation regarding Broward Health’s marketing plan.”
The Broward Health e-mails, however, indicate LaMarca played a more vital role in the district’s negotiations with Zimmerman Advertising.
The public health care system awarded Zimmerman a contract to handle its advertising and marketing business last May. No other firms were considered other than Zimmerman, whose founder and chief executive Jordan Zimmerman is a generous contributor to Republican candidates.
In December, the firm sought to expand its work to a $71.4-million, six-year agreement. Despite a warning from Broward Health’s then-chief financial officer that the deal was based on phony statistics, Broward Health commissioners agreed to begin the new wider relationship but demanded that measures to judge the effectiveness of the work be incorporated in a new contract to be approved a month later in January.
Commissioners were to vote Jan. 27 to authorize El Sanadi to sign the amended contract, but the vote was canceled after El Sanadi’s suicide four days earlier.
As the January meeting date approached, the e-mails indicate that Zimmerman Advertising was balking at signing any contract tied to its performance.
“Jordan Zimmerman and Chip LaMarca have refused to agree to a performance based contract and I now have to go back to the board for different instructions,” Peek wrote to attorney Barrett on Jan. 15.
Four days later, Peek wrote Barrett again, “The problem is z (Zimmerman) refuses to go at risk with the retainer.”
Zimmerman Advertising’s statement, released by General Manager of Agency Operations Ronnie Haligman, denied Peek’s account.
“Zimmerman did not refuse to sign a performance-based amendment; rather, Broward Health’s outside counsel, David Ashburn, advised Broward Health from entering into a performance-based amendment due to concerns that it would be illegal,” the statement said.
El-Sanadi shot himself in a men’s room in his condominium building on Saturday, Jan. 23. Three days later, while Broward Health’s staff was in mourning, a Zimmerman account supervisor e-mailed a copy of a new Broward Health television ad to Sharn Kee, a Broward Health marketing manager.
Peek’s curt reply, “As you know, the BH leadership has asked Z to hold/cancel all production and distribution of media channels…”
Not giving up
But Zimmerman wasn’t giving up. At 8:42 a.m. on Jan. 29, just hours before El Sanadi’s memorial service, Zimmerman Senior Vice President Bert Sutcliffe wrote to Kee.
“It’s critically important that this spot is approved to release immediately,” Sutcliffe said.
Kee forwarded the Zimmerman e-mail to superiors Fusco, Peek and Barrett with the following note: “Please forgive me for requesting this on such a sad day. But Zimmerman are (sic) pushing us to release this TV spot today.”
Fusco replied the next day, “We can’t authorize spend that exceeds the current contract.” (Fusco was removed as chief executive on March 16.)
Peek e-mailed back to Fusco, “Thank you Kevin for validation of what we concluded over a week ago. “
But Zimmerman continued to push.
On the morning of Feb. 4, LaMarca e-mailed David Ashburn, a Tallahassee lawyer who represents Broward Health. “I’m in Tallahassee on county business and wanted to see if you had a minute to chat. I’m near your office most of the day so just let me know if you have a few minutes. Regards, Chip LaMarca.”
While LaMarca was in Tallahassee, Zimmerman’s Bert Sutcliffe was trying to persuade Broward Health staff to “get aligned” on future advertising for the hospital district, according to a Feb. 4 e-mail.
By now, however, negotiator Peek, under pressure for the past month, seemed to have cooled on Zimmerman.
“My recommendation is to bring BACK IN HOUSE all bill board contracts. That way we have flexibility… and based on previous payment review, Zimmerman rates are greater than the rates we were getting when we negotiated the contracts … correct?” she wrote to Barrett, Ashburn and Fusco on Feb. 16.
Broward Health’s advertising contract remains on hold.
Raindancer / March 24, 2016 12:30 pm
Well, I guess Chaz is going to have to amend that ethics complaint. Community liason my ass. Thank you Dan and Buddy for some terrific journalism. Look at all of them scurrying like rats from a sinking ship.
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qui tam / March 24, 2016 12:43 pm
Chip must be fond of orange and steel bars.
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anonymous / March 24, 2016 1:05 pm
Thank you Doris without putting this type of information in email there would be no story.
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Awkward Moment / March 24, 2016 1:42 pm
What a thoughtful bunch of greedy and unethical politicians attempting to push through an illegal contract while the body still almost warm, and before the shady deal would become exposed as a result of the death. You may think you’re friends now, but let NES set the example of what really happens when you are a friend of Mr. Scott. You may think you’re one up now, but I’m pretty confident the pied piper will eventually ask something in return from you that may take its toll on you, as it did for NES who got caught up with this Zimmerman contract and then tried to back out. By the way, I still think it odd that you can shoot yourself through the chest yet put your gun in your pocket before you fall. Especially after open heart surgery where the structure of your sternum and ribs is u healed and unstable. There is a reason they ask you not to drive after open heart surgery after all.
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Ineed / March 24, 2016 4:07 pm
Dear fellow employees,
I urge you to pass these comments along to any employees on your floors, departments and work areas. Unless this madness stops hundreds, possibly thousands of us will be out of work.
We will have no longer have access to the same health care we provide patients each day.
We will qualify for a few hundred dollars per week in unemployment.
We will NOT be given a years salary as severance w/benefits like executives and directors.
We will, according to the policy I read get up to 6 weeks. NO BENEFITS
We will depending on your age, job classification be unemployable
Fellow employees, now is the time to pressure the board. These board members along with greedy executives have put us in the predicament. We need to band together, picket thier places of business, flood them with letters and pictures of your families, show them that the WE MATTER, we are people not pawns. We have families to feed, children to clothe and educate, sick spouses or children dependent on health insurance.
Commissioner Ure, you stated in the Sun Sentinel that you were the lone voice on the board. If you really care about the 8,000 employees of Broward Health you will work to stop this madness. You work for a very large company, is this how they do business?
Fellow employees, WE need to put pressure on this board and Mrs. Grant to lead us back to a place where we did not come to work every day wondering if it will be out last.
Don’t be afraid, write all the commissioners, write your congress and senate representatives asking for federal oversight. Let’s fight for our jobs and hopefully a whole new executive team. We can not sit by and do nothing like lambs led to slaughter.
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What Story? / March 24, 2016 5:47 pm
There is no story here, reading the article and comments it appears the check and balances worked. The Board and Senior Staff (GO DORIS!) what metics to demonstrate worth, only the vendor bulked and showed poor taste as a result no contract was executed.
Seems to meet the only story is why General Counsel paid an outside attorney to write an opinion that the vendor should be held harmless with no accountability. Um let me see, Lynn Barrett strikes again but Commissioners with the exception of Canada love her.
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qui tam / March 24, 2016 10:35 pm
There is still far more to the entire story
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Old Soul / March 24, 2016 11:09 pm
i’m with you qui tam. Where is Matlock when you need him?
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qui tam / March 25, 2016 1:03 pm
Hopefully this won’t be a new novel titled “Crime And No Punishment!”
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RickyBobby / March 25, 2016 4:05 pm
Dear What Story, WTF, no story? Right. The only reason they didn’t proceed wasn’t out of reverence, but fear. Those were scared shitless.they didn’t no wether to shit or go blind, so they went blind, and deaf and dumb. Go Doris, Go to hell Doris. This acted out of self preservation. And Kevin Fusco acted out of, well stupidity. As always because he is one dumb MOFO. I’ll say it again please stop the cheerleading for these animals, OR SHUT THE UP. Thank you.
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RickyBobby / March 25, 2016 4:22 pm
Dear Ineed, unfortunately a lot of employees don’t or can’t read the news. They are oblivious to what you or I consider important as regards to these issues. Many employees don’t even know that any things happening. Never mind think there is disaster looming, because they are feed and swallow the constant tories from management. Most of whom are complicit with the lying trash downtown. Right now the theme is to Focus on what’s important, patient care and ignore the rest. How convenient is that. Distract and Divert. If these thieves had any decency they would all meet in the jungle and sip Jim Joneses Kool Aid. Instead of expecting the employees to do so. Don’t count on that sniveling cretin Ure to help. He had an opportunity to do so and didn’t. He kept his one voice SILENT.
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Ineed / March 25, 2016 6:03 pm
I agree. Very sad indeed. Oh well, they warning cry went out..let them follow each other through the chute to slaughter. I am getting out while I can.
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Old Soul / March 25, 2016 6:39 pm
Dear Indeed,
What will become of vested employees pensions?
If the District becomes privatized, will the rule of 80 still stand for employees who have the letter of qualification tucked away?
This entire saga is depressing.
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Ineed / March 25, 2016 7:29 pm
Old soul .. I have no idea. They are bleeding red, anyone who has been here for awhile knows lay-offs are going to happen. It’s a given.
My child is very ill, with a chronic illness and I can’t do without health insurance. I hate to leave but I feel like I must to keep him insured. I am a single mom. No one cares, they only care about their 6 figure salaries. I hope the good Lord judges them harshly.
Thank God I am a RN and I can get a job a Memorial or somewhere else. I feel sorry for others that will not be readily employable but I guess it’s there choice to remain ignorant.
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qui tam / March 25, 2016 7:58 pm
It’s is their mental pathology. They have no conscience. They are extremely sick individuals. They are sociopathic, if not psychopathic. They have personality disorders which have poor prognoses. They are twisted, perverted individuals. Asking them to change or care about your real human stories is like asking a serial killer not to kill again. They have no insight into how sick they are. They think the problem is you. So your attempts to appeal to their emotions is moot. It won’t go anywhere. Therefore, you all should take care of the things you can; yourselves. Forget what you must let go of and instead be courageous and strong. Seek new employment with an employer who has ethics and values. Start anew if you must, but start! What you let go of will be replaced by what you gain though you may not yet see it. You will be ok in the end. Fortunately, this BS has finally made it to a national blog so there is is increasing exposure now, therefore there will be increasing scrutiny. But regardless, find good jobs elsewhere if you can. Your spirits will be uplifted again. You will regain what you think you lost. You won’t have to bathe at night with a Brillo pad to scrub their filth off. Stand strong!
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qui tam / March 25, 2016 8:25 pm
PS. The board is discussing the pension plan right now. Given they are appointed by Scott, I think they are up to no good.
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Now is the time to save Broward Health / March 26, 2016 8:01 am
Broward Health cannot survive without loyal employees.
By loyal I mean Broward Health needs to get rid of the negative nasty employees who are blogging on this site.
There are NO CHANGES to the pension plan! There are no plans for Lay-offs. Do your job and try improving your departments service scores and do what you’re paid to do and stop gossiping like little 7th grade girls.
Board politics have always existed, Broward Health has always and will continue to flourish as long as all remember to actually put their efforts towards patients.
qui tam: You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Do your real job! Or, are you a union rep looking to get rich off of negative employees and their dues so you can live on Star Island.
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Now is the time to save Broward Health / March 26, 2016 8:02 am
Also, the new Board Chair announced publicly that Broward Health is not for sale and not privatizing.
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Awkward Moment / March 26, 2016 8:40 am
Any employee can access the board meeting schedule, agendas and minutes by just searching the Internet for Broward Health’s 2016 board meeting schedule. There are hyperlinks to the attachments. You can access previous years too. By taking the time to inform yourselves, you will be able to follow the bouncing ball as to who voted for what, said what, etc. if you annually support the district through your property tax, you have the right to attend every meeting, and you have the right to speak for 3 minutes at each meeting. That may apy to each agenda item tho the board historically has denied this right. If verbal sticks and stones on blogs don’t influence, perhaps seeing all of your faces, en mass, at each meeting, whether you speak or not, will break them down. If it were me, I’d make sure to bring my sick child and sit front row.
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Awkward Moment / March 26, 2016 9:03 am
Although I would like to thank Dr. Sizemore Ruiz for her article in the Sun Sentinel, I would also like to clarify for her that when she says BH must be built from the bottom up, not the top down, that she failed miserably to include the nurses, RTs, RDs, PTs, OTs, MSWs, housekeeping staff, lab and imaging techs, etc. You see doctor, without them patients will not receive the absolute needed care, unless you can wave a magic wand and miraculously accomplish that by yourself and with the remaining doctors, c-suiters, and board members. You, every physician, every administrator and board member at BH still fail to recognize the REAL “bottom” needed to keep your doors open and functioning. It is these dedicated, hard working, under appreciated, and clearly unrecognized individuals who keep those doors open and provide the essentially needed patient care each and every day!
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Ineed / March 26, 2016 9:53 am
Dr. Sizemore…get over yourself please. I almost gagged while reading the article. Two words.self serving.
Employees would never go to a board meeting unless forced to like the compliance dept. Donna Lewis forced her staff to go, that’s what my friend who works at Corp. said. If I went I would be retaliated against immediately.
I agree with qui tam,no one cares about the employees.
Two interviews next week. Should be out soon.
They don’t realize that we are looking for jobs elsewhere, meanwhile no clinician worth anything will come to work here..between the two, it’s the perfect storm. I hope those fancy Executives are ready to join the bedside. May have to trade those loubutains and prada in for more sensible shoes. I recommend crocs ladies.
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RickyBobby / March 26, 2016 10:09 am
Thank you AM for your cogent reply to Dr Ruiz. Like most MD’s she fail to grasp the big picture. Being self centered as to too their needs. Too think that the medical staff is the bottom is short sighted and completely unrealistic. The MD’s are part of the problem. Lack of regard for staffing, scheduling non emergent on weekends and holidays necessitating the need for extra staff at greater cost. Duplicating expensive exams. Ordering inappropriate exams. Requiring special products for personal use rather than the bulk products everyone else uses. This is all part of the culture of corruption that is driven by the sense of entitlement the MD’s have. So as you have so rightly pointed out the BOTTOM is the workers, the employees that make things go. Why do you think they want us to focus on WORK. Because if the workers stop working Broward Wealth sinks like a rock.
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Loyal employee / March 26, 2016 8:56 pm
Thank you sun sentinel for your most eloquent and precise editorial today. We are dealing with the perils of Broward health today not because there is wrongdoing by the GC, or Fusco, or other executives. We are in distress because when there is incompetence or folks try to pursue or be influenced by individual agendas that are not in the best interest of Broward Health, the politics are allowed to take over and bad decisions are made- with disastrous results.
The bottom line is that we need competent leaders who will not be influenced by calls from commissioners, or politicians, or friends of influential individuals in order to grant favors and reverse decisions made by the middle management.
I am not an angry blogger, just a loyal employee who has witnessed the “special” calls to make decisions to favor commissioners, colleagues of commissioners, political individuals, etc. for 20 years, and this is the climax of bad, bad decisions.
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qui tam / March 26, 2016 8:59 pm
Interesting additional article in Sun Sentinel online today. Great indepth overview of the BS with board, Scott, that idiot Barrett, the Fl IG, etc. Keep digging. The dirt is surfacing. Hopefully this will blow wide open and the house of cards will fall.
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RickyBobby / March 26, 2016 11:38 pm
Dear Loyal Employee, WTF, are you serious ? You have to be shitting me. No wrong doing? What the do you call bad decisions? These need to be held accountable. Just like they hold every loyal employee accountable . Only for a lot less bullshit than they have done. And not one of these entitled has been fired, or much less reprimanded. It’s a sham. Hopefully the Feds will dig up the truth and expose each one of these bastards. Please, I know you are loyal and obviously care about BH. But if your not angry then your dead. It’s ok to be ANGRY. In light of all the thrown at you, your anger is deserved. Own it, as for the Sun Sentinel, they too have a strong business relationship with BH. Hard to be completely objective when money is on the line. Bloggers are the light in this p tunnel.
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Dear Loyal Employee / March 27, 2016 1:09 am
You are incorrect about the “not so wrong doings” of General Counsel. You are absolutely, 100% wrong!! The incompetent Bitch Barrett came in like a force, had NES wrapped around her fingers, and possibly more. She put a HALT to every single contract, including Physicians, Physicians, and more Physicians, She made it clear to Executives and CEO’s that it wasn’t her problem if units closed, and doctors left. She has 5-6 dwarfs who need permission to go to the bathroom and a hallway pass to come talk to mama!!! They walk around like a bunch of high schools seniors, waiting for the bell to ring. They are clearly as inept as she is and all together they can’t answer the ‘simple stuff’. Bitch Barrett can blame all she want’s on coming into a “mess”. She CLEARLY DID NOT!!! The mess had started the day NES walked in the door, however, she followed suit, took control, is celebrating DDP departure. She is destroying everything in her path, including peoples lives. She is an evil and pathetic soul that deserves to be FIRED. What the hell are you dumbasses waiting for???
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Awkward Moment / March 27, 2016 9:42 am
Im going to guess Loyal Employee is at least a director, an employed physician making out like a bandit, or higher. If not, then very naive. The PI uncovered considerable concerns, extending beyond the initial scope of his investigation. Apparently, El Sanadi decided to take his own life rather than face something that was uncovered and that implicated him. My dear, the FBI investigation and Federal Grand Jury have yet to come forth but I’ll bet you will then see exactly how the GC et al were, or are now involved. They are not innocent kind people. They are pilfering hundreds of millions of dollars from BH, and pushing forward a disdained governors agenda that I’m sure is in his best financial interest, and that he will hide behind via blind trust as he has done with the outrageously long s d I appreciate radiation oncology group who also paid a fine recently to the DOJ/OIG for fraud.
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Awkward Moment / March 27, 2016 9:44 am
That was long and inappropriate
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Concerned Citizen / March 27, 2016 8:13 pm
Broward Health, an instruction which was once stand for something, has become and will continue to be a total joke unless people like Doris Peek, Ronaldo Montman, Donna Lewis , Richie Persaud got fired. I do hope Ms. Grant does the right thing… these cancers cannot be treated with chemotherapy, they have to be surgically removed….
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RickyBobby / March 27, 2016 10:10 pm
Please stop with the Pauline grant bullshit. She’s ass deep in this pile of shit too. She couldn’t walk her way. Out of a wet paper bag with a flashlight and a seeing eye dog. In fact her name needs to be on your list. Nothin will change, business as usual, until they wipe the slate clean. Prep walk all these assholes out
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Broward Truth / March 28, 2016 8:21 am
So Buddy Nevins and Dan Christensen, the owners of this so-called “not for profit” blog of high quality journalistic integrity. By the way, don’t you guys take “contributions” from people who everyone views as opportunistic snakes aka “powerbrokers” like Bill Scherer that don’t want to be written about in a negative light? Funny that we hear that you took a $10,000 “contribution from old Billy Boy Scherer and his filthy butt is nowhere to be found in these stories, even though he brags to everyone that he “got Sheela, Maureen, David, Rocky and Daryl appointed by my friend Gov Scott”. It just looks bad if you’re taking cash to shield the real dangerous people in BroCo from these “breaking stories”.
On to my point…
With the Sun Sentinel’s perfectly spot on editorial about some of the real fraud, waste and corruption at the North Broward Hospital District, it looks like you guys really made a complete mess of the facts with this one. Maybe you should go back to writing about Bob Runcie and the $800M school board fiasco or bus problems?
Do you have any remorse for the ridiculous articles and rabbit hole that you decided to take with this story? DiPietro’s reputation was trashed and it looks like he will come out smelling like a rose. Never mind Lt COL Darryl Wright, who served our country in the U.S. ARMY With distinction for 22 years. They will be reinstated and maybe Slick Rick will realize that the three he needs to shitcan are his former staffer Sheela VanHoose (dirty as hell and connected to that filthy piglet Billy Rubin), Rocky Rodriguez (Broward’s biggest IDIOT, wait-wasn’t he the property appraiser for a minute-until veteran pol Lori Parrish kicked his fat ass?!), and not to mention another Billy Rubin secret pick to poach the pension fund through UBS Financial: Christopher Ure. That pig showed his ass and political immaturity by wanting to be the boss from day one without reading the rules of the game. He used public funds to have Fusco (joke and a total footnote) hire a PR firm (because Outside Eyes, already on the payroll for $500K, wasn’t able to write a 700 word statement), so that he could write a column attacking the guys that were removed and defending this deceitful board’s desire to meet in the shade-out of the sunshine. He’s a real cancer, but when you have Rick Scott on your side, why not go for it all?
What about the remaining commissioners? Canada seems to be doing this for the right reasons and only slightly joked about what might be her future: “I guess I’ll be next for speaking the truth.” She’s really letting it fly in these meetings, but hey someone has to speak the truth. We would have thought that Joel Gustafson would be as honest as the day is long because he used to work for Clay Shaw, but he vacillates and voted with both sides, the sign of a true politician (and maybe survivor?) We are also looking into this advertising contract because so much as been made of the $71.4M deal that the late CEO Nabil Elsanadi was said to be pushing. I can’t find where the NBHD ever voted on anything for Zimmerman, yet they have been on the agenda five times since last September? Did Elsanadi push this through or was is a replacement for the former agency? There is a comment somewhere about them cleaning house inside NBHD with people like Sarah Howley and replacing her with this Doris Peak witch (she’s a real bad person, but she’s on the run and doesn’t want anyone to know what her late boyfriend Elsanadi knew about her and this deal). Isn’t this lady an IT guru? Why is the Microsoft Certified Specialist running the marketing for a $1.3B enterprise? Rumor has it that Nabil was playing Egyptian Magician with her in the broom closet way back when he was in the ER and she was a devout Nask follower and decided she could be trusted in his illegal scheme. Trust me, that scheme will be uncovered, but not by the OIG because she’s not looking for corruption and fraud. She is looking only to bury the people that the Guv asked her to bury. Too many bodies make for a crowded graveyard and too many lies to cover up.
How about Lamarca? What influence did that guy really have if Elsanadi already swapped the ad agencies out after meeting Zimmerman through Sen George Lemieux? It seems like there always has to be a fall guy or a scapegoat and that republican gets thrown in every game of “F-the Politician” that gets played in BroCo! If I were him, I would have quit the commission and public life and just stayed at Zimmerman. This guy gets hammered for issues that seem to have nothing to do with this big conspiracy, issues that everyone else on the commission would call personal, but he just hangs in there like an old school fighter and keeps taking the punches. It seems that his testimony will be taken and we will find out what really happened, but he always seems to do the right thing (and still get whacked by the bloggers). I’m a 38 year registered democrat, but he gave me my beach back and I think he’s a decent guy. Keep fighting Lamarca – it will work out eventually.
In the end it seems that the attack on an otherwise stellar advertising agency is a diversion from the real issue. If Zimmerman does what they usually do – increase sales of a product and elevate a brand, then it will cost Gov Scott, Billy Rubin (architect of the 25 year illegal 21st Century Oncology contract that Rick Scott owns in his blind trust) and their investment partners (listed in the blind trust) more money to buy the hospital district when these remaining bard members privatize it. Good pick up Rosemary O’Hara: Why would the new Chairman bring up the issue of “not selling the district” if that was not even being talked about? They are clearly talking, if not directly, through that lying, over billing joke of a lawyer that was fired from Jackson and Memorial, Lynn Barrett. That is a total violation of the Government in the Sunshine Law: your next story Bulldog…maybe you’ll get that one right?
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qui tam / March 28, 2016 8:50 am
It’s a shame the Sun Sentinel wants $ just to blog in response to their articles. That said, the first two out of three comments in response to the most recent online article were succinct and insightful regarding the big picture of what is happening at BH. The 3rd blog was not, and was instead way off base. For those interested, take a look. And rest assured concerned citizen that there is a reason P Grant was put into the CEO role as DDP and DW were ushered out, and as RR was ushered in as Chairman of the BOC. Trust when I say, it was not to clean this mess up.
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Anonymous / March 29, 2016 10:57 pm
Dear save broward health…I regards to your statement below:
“There are NO CHANGES to the pension plan! There are no plans for Lay-offs. Do your job and try improving your departments service scores and do what you’re paid to do and stop gossiping like little 7th grade girls.”
Let me dumb it down for you.
Susie has 8,000 puppies but overspent her allowance and is severely in debt.
She only has enough money to take care of 7,000 puppies.
How many puppies will be sent to the pound?
I don’t know who you are but layoffs are coming. Read the financials. We did not have a balanced budget for THIS fiscal year, how do you think the budget will be balanced this year.
Hint: Without LIP funds, 1,000 puppies will be homeless.
I understand you lashing out at negative gossip however, numbers do not lie. Do the math. This is not gossip, it’s just simple accounting my dear. Now put your Pom poms down and educate yourself.
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@Broward Truth / March 30, 2016 11:43 am
Is that you Eddie? Way to have your buddies backs.
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RickyBobby / March 30, 2016 2:07 pm
Dear now is the time, A vote of confidence is always the kiss of death. Go back to your office , open the window, and express your self to the street. Dickweed
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qui tam / March 30, 2016 4:42 pm
Dear Now is the time to save Broward Health.
1) you say Broward Health cannot survive without loyal employees. You are correct. You get that without these hard working dedicated employees no matter how many doctors, administrators, or patients you have that BH could not function. Good. You get an A+.
2) you say By loyal I mean Broward Health needs to get rid of the negative nasty employees who are blogging on this site. I’m sorry that is what you hear. What I hear are frustrated and concerned employees who despite egregious working conditions continue to show up and do their work, but asking for change to an obviously hostile, unsupportive, and fraud infested work environment.
3) you say There are NO CHANGES to the pension plan! There are no plans for Lay-offs. Do your job and try improving your departments service scores and do what you’re paid to do and stop gossiping like little 7th grade girls. I will tell you to revisit my response to item #2 and take a good long look in the mirror.
4) you say Board politics have always existed, Broward Health has always and will continue to flourish as long as all remember to actually put their efforts towards patients. I say read the minutes of the past years board meetings, especially the finance report and Moody’s downgrading a of your bonds.
4) you say qui tam: You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Do your real job! Or, are you a union rep looking to get rich off of negative employees and their dues so you can live on Star Island. I say no, none of the above. I am expressing my opinions, I am sharing well known facts, and in the U.S. We have this thing called freedom of speech.
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qui tam / March 30, 2016 4:45 pm
Pardon. I believe, Now is time to save Broward Health, I addressed your 5 concerns. I am not a manager at BH but I would speculate that you are. As such, you should be setting an example for your employees. I am not here to tell you what I think of your exams but I do believe you spoke quite loud and clear all by yourself
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qui tam / March 30, 2016 4:46 pm
Example. Not exams.
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Awkward Moment / March 30, 2016 5:37 pm
Nice qui tam! Let me add to your response to Now is the Time to Save Briward Health. Aside of being an example of a horrible manager you, as a representative of BH, just tongue lashed the very community of concerned citizens who are attempting to save BH. You are unappreciative, grossly misguided, and quite frankly out of your league! It is you my dear who needs to resign. You have no ability to lead and inspire, and with staff morale in the tank for obvious reasons, you are assuredly on a staff level one excellent person to blame. I neither work for BH nor a union. I am a citizen in this county and my tax dollars pay your salary. You every person on this blog an apology!
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RickyBobby / March 31, 2016 8:21 am
Dear AM and QT, thank you for your steady measured response to what is obviously an admin. With Broward Wealth. I on the other had find it hard to contain my anger with narrow minded institutionalized bureaucrates. Whose every instinct is self preservation. They have to protect THEIR POSITION, THEIR PENSION, THEIR BONUS, THEIR PARACHUTE. At the expense of what they see as collateral damage, the EMPLOYEES. But I’m not sorry that my anger boils up. I believe it’s well earned, and if more people were outraged by the excess of these animals maybe that would be the saving of BH, and kick these to the curb . Again thank you, and NOW IS THE TIME, \
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Awkward Moment / March 31, 2016 10:55 am
RickyBobby. I appreciate your anger and trust me, I’m pretty ticked off too. We live in a sad society where there seems to be no accountability, financially or criminally, for grossly misguided and deceptive operational practices at BH. Then to read El Sanadi was wining and dining a Memorial board member behind their backs in an effort to help Dick Scott take over that highly functioning institution just burns me up. If the Feds turn a blind on a of this collusive, undermining, and questionably legal behavior then we, the citizens, will be screwed. I have always avoided receiving my healthcare within BH, Tenet, and HCA because of their well publicized fraudulent activities that directly and adversely impact patient care. So what I, and I believe most of the bloggers are fighting for is accountability, and safe quality care. Memorial, and possibly Holy Cross seem to be my best two options in this county. That is where I seek my care.
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Awkward Moment / March 31, 2016 11:00 am
Add: if the talented employees seek employment elsewhere, and if the consumers seek their healthcare elsewhere, perhaps then we can break Scott and his friends whether BH remain or privatize. I welcome all to join me at HCH and MHS for their care. It will send quite the message.
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