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General News: COVAC Officers' Resignations Raise Questions
November 25, 2009
The top three officers of the Cornwall Volunteer Ambulance Corps resigned last week amid concerns about a New York State Heath Department investigation into COVAC’s handling of requests for advanced life support. In addition, one of the officers, treasurer Stephan Wilkinson, expressed his concern about being held liable for expenditures made by COVAC with which he disagrees.
A spokesman for the New York state department of health confirms that COVAC is the subject of an on-going investigation with “a number of components.” “We have some concerns with the Cornwall Ambulance Corps,” Jeff Hammond of the health department told News from Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson, without providing details.
Resigning CEO Cites COVAC's Lack of Disciplinary Action
COVAC’s chief, Michael Bigg, said that the state is looking into what are called ALS intercepts, the way that COVAC requests assistance for advanced life support services from other ambulance services. COVAC is limited to providing basic life support. Bigg emphasized that the issues involved have nothing to do with the quality of service COVAC provides to patients in Cornwall.
At a COVAC executive board meeting last Thursday, COVAC CEO Karen Zuzek, vice president Charles Wipplinger and treasurer Stephen Wilkinson resigned from the ambulance corps. Zuzek wrote to the board that she is resigning after serving as president and CEO for 13 years “due to recent circumstances and lack of understanding of the gravity of the present situation on the part of the executive board.” She explained later that she resigned because of the lack of disciplinary action to members of COVAC’s executive board who have not been abiding by the executive board’s decisions regarding the department of health investigation.
Ex-Treasurer Calls Expenditures Not Legitimate
COVAC treasurer Stephan Wilkinson did not mention the investigation in his resignation letter, but pointed to financial concerns. He wrote that COVAC “is rapidly approaching a point of fiduaciary irresponsibility for which I dare not be held personally responsible.” He said that his move resulted from concern about certain expenses incurred by the corps, rather than with the department of health investigation. “I feel that expenditures are being made that are not legitimate or are something that I cannot support,” Wilkinson said in a phone interview.
Chief Bigg said that he had not read Wilkinson’s resignation letter and was unaware of his concerns about fiduciary matters. He did say that he understood that Wilkinson was giving up his driving responsibilities with COVAC and noted that personal demands may have contributed to the resignations of Zuzek and Wipplinger. He also said that the terms of all three officers were up at the end of the year. Wipplinger did not respond to a request for a comment on his resignation.
COVAC Chief Says Board's Actions are Accountable to Membership
Bigg said that the members of COVAC voted unanimously last Friday night to accept the resignations and appointed secretary Kerri Tulloch as acting CEO. He also explained that the members have voted on every expenditure over $300 made by COVAC, a system that he said guarantees accountability.
As for the state of affairs at COVAC, Chief Bigg said that he has the support of the members, who are focused on providing good service. “People are going to resign and quit but you can’t base your decisions on that, but on what is best,” he said.
Comments:
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Please ! No comments by members of COVAC -- Call me if you need to. -- Brian
posted by Brian T. Fiorio on 11/25/09 at 3:20 PM
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