Editor’s Note: SRHS Watch published a story this week detailing the activities of SRHS, Chris Anderson, and the Mississippi Affiliated Network. Singing River Trustee Scott Taylor disputes our timeline. As the citizen owners of Singing River do not enjoy the unfettered access to board minutes that Mr. Taylor does, we rely upon his past frankness and credibility in dealing with these issues. Any necessary corrections, updates, and responses will be published tomorrow. Mr. Taylor writes:
I was appointed to the SRHS BOT in February 2015. Your post was the first time I heard of MAN. When I read it I started asking questions. What I have found out is that MAN was started as something of a lobbying group consisting of nine non-profit hospital systems across the state. I do not know what it turned into or what its function is now. Though MAN was incorporated on May 20, 2014, Chris Anderson started it long before his departure from SRHS, though I am not sure exactly when.
Because SRHS was a member at the time, Kevin Holland attended some meetings of MAN between March 2014, when he was appointed CEO, and September 2014, when SRHS ended any and all involvement with it. In September 2014 SRHS contributed $1000 to MAN, just before we pulled out. One reason that SRHS pulled out was that it was thought not to be in the best interest of the system to be involved in any organization headed by Chris Anderson. So if you have something other than unsubstantiated rumor to support your statement that any of our executives have any involvement with Anderson, I would love to hear it. From what I have been able to find out, nothing could be farther from the truth. We also got out of MAN because all attention needed to be on our struggling system. It did not make sense to expend time, energy or other resources on anything else, including lobbying organizations.
Your statement that we have been sending money to MAN for months is not accurate. Your statement that this was done with full knowledge of Holland, Bond and the BOT is not accurate. With the exception of one payment in the amount of $1000 a year ago, it did not happen. I never even heard of MAN until today. SRHS has no ties to Chris Anderson. Your statements to the contrary are not accurate. I ask that you correct these inaccurate statements.
I have done all that I can do to make sure that what I am telling you is correct. If you have information that proves that I am wrong about any of it I urge you to share it with me. Public dissemination of information, should at least, come with the obligation to make sure that the information disseminated is accurate. If, in the future, you care to contact me I will be happy to assist in checking the factual accuracy of anything that you wish to report. I have been, and will continue to be, more than willing to answer any question that you, or anybody else has, if I can.
Scott