More Troubles at Provident Hospital

The Chicago Sun-Times reported more troubles at Provident Hospital, a part of the Cook County health care system. In one story, it reported how the hospital has been cited by the Illinois Department of Health for some severe patient safety problems, leading the Department to declare the hospital in "immediate jeopardy." It has until September to correct these deficiencies, or lose its Medicaid funding.
But even more interesting is the choice of Cook County Board President as the new chief operating officer of the hospital. The Sun-Times reported that John Fairman:

• was accused of conspiring to defraud the Houston public health system in the 1980s, and had liens filed against him by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS);
• was accused of excess spending personal spending using public money from the Denver public health system in the 1990s, and was fired from his job there; and
• was under criminal investigation in the District of Columbia for how he ran the Public Benefit Corp, which folded after Fairman was fired as its head.

Fairman's brother is Cook County's public safety director.
Provident Hospital got attention from Health Care Renewal late last year, after allegations were made that its security contract with Digby Security Services was politically motivated.
Another troubled health care organization with questionable leadership for our collection....