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BUCHANAN GENERAL HOSPITAL Chief Financial Officer Kim Boyd, left and BGH Administrator Joan Jamison, right, stand with some of the boxes of documents returned by the federal government to the hospital earlier this month. (Staff photo/Cathy St. Clair.) |
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BGH Gets Records Back from Feds
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by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor |
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A federal investigation as it relates to Buchanan General Hospital appears to be over based on the fact that records previously taken from the hospital by investigators have now been returned.
BGH Administrator Joan Jamison said the hospital had been contacted by federal investigators earlier this month and asked to send someone to pick up the records which were originally obtained as part of a federal investigation in Buchanan County.
That investigation resulted in 18 individuals being indicted for their alleged roles in the case the federal government later dubbed "Operation Big Coon Dog." None of those indictments involved hospital activities or records.
One of the 18 indicted, however, was Kenneth Joseph Stephens, who had served for a period of time as chairman of the BGH hospital board. None of the charges filed against him by the federal government were related to his service on the hospital board.
The only indictment directly related to the hospital involved an administrative secretary, Kristina Griffey, who was charged with money laundering conspiracy related to funds she issued through a hospital education and scholarship/loan program. She is now serving a 10-month sentence in Alderson with a projected release date of June 16, 2006.
"We are very appreciative of the courtesy of returning those records to us," Jamison said of the return of hospital documents.
She noted the hospital had cooperated fully with federal investigators and at the same time, she said, the hospital had continued to pursue it mission of providing quality healthcare legally and ethically to and for the community.
Jamison said the records returned to the hospital March 9 included approximately 20 containers ranging in size from file boxes to banker’s boxes. Their return, she said, signaled to the hospital that apparently any investigation as it relates to the hospital is over. |
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For more of the
story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at
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School May Get Share of Surplus
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by
Cathy
St.
Clair
News
Editor |
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A
fund
balance
of
more
than
$16
million
in
the
Buchanan
County
budget
may
make
it
possible
for
the
board
of
supervisors
to
pass
on
additional
monies
for
needed
capital
improvements
in
the
Buchanan
County
School
System,
according
to
both
county
and
school
officials.
County Administrator W.J. Caudill said Tuesday after
obligated
portions
of
that
fund
balance
are
removed
--
including
$4.5
million
for
the
coal
haul
road
funds;
$1.7
million
for
E-911;
and
$1.4
million
for
debt
service
--
the
county
fund
balance
surplus
stands
at
some
$9
million.
Add
to
that
the
$1
million
the
county
recently
received
from
the
federal
government
as
a
result
of
its
losses
in
the
Operation
Big
Coon
Dog
case
and
another
$1.7
million
it
received
from
the
sale
of
the
Vansant
school
property
to
Food
City,
and
the
revenue
picture
for
the
county
for
the
current
year
is
a
little
brighter
than
usual,
Caudill
agreed.
He noted revenues have come in better than anticipated
and
the
price
of
coal
has
driven
up
revenues
received
related
to
coal
severance
taxes.
Some of the monies in the fund balance, he
suggested,
could
be
used
for
one-time
purchase
needs
in
the
county
and
last
week,
he
said,
that
representation
was
passed
on
to
school
administrators.
Not all of the fund balance can be spent.
The
county
is
required
to
maintain
a
10
percent
balance
for
debt
assurance,
but
Caudill
said
there
has
been
some
disagreement
in
the
past
as
to
whether
that
10
percent
includes
just
the
county
budget
or
the
combined
county
and
school
budget.
He
said
he
had
a
meeting
with
auditors
to
clarify
the
question
Wednesday.
At Monday night’s meeting of the Buchanan County
School
Board,
board
members
approved
a
$3
million
wish
list
for
improvements
that
they
indicated
was
developed
based
on
a
request
from
the
supervisors
for
the
list.
The supervisors have never publicly discussed requesting
a
list
from
the
school
board,
however,
what
both
school
and
county
officials
described
as
a
chance
meeting
at
the
school
board
office
Friday
resulted
in
the
development
of
the
list
approved
Monday.
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For more of the
story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at
newsstands now. To subscribe to the Mountaineer,
call 276-935-2123 today.
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