JACKSON, Miss. — Just days after the State College Board decided not to renew the contract of Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones, the former Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs for the University of Mississippi Medical Center said it felt sometimes as if the hospital was being used as a scapegoat.
Dr. James Keeton said UMMC is financially sound. “So the financial concerns bothered me that they said that,” he told media at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. The hospital, he said is audited every year and has always passed. He added that over the last five years, UMMC has handled a budget of over $7 billion. “There has never been any malfeasance or fraud.”
Keeton,however, admitted that there were times when the hospital did not seek College Board approval for contracts as they are required too. “There were some contracts where one night we had some people on the heart-lungs machines, portable heart-lung machines. We had five of those where we put kids and adults on as an emergency. You are required to have one in, spare one, and we didn’t have it,” he explained. “So we called national and had one come down in a van. We signed the contract in the van. I was not going to sit here and wait to get approval from the board for an emergency situation like that.” But Keeton said no money was lost because of that decision.
Keeton said he was aware of times when College Board members were unhappy with him and decisions that were made. However, he said he had worked to address their concerns; and never imagined it would lead to a decision not to renew Jones’ contract. “I’m not happy,” Keeton said as he fought back tears. “He’s a hell of a physician, has great integrity and he cares about this place; and he cares about Ole Miss. But he practically cares about the citizens of Mississippi and partially involved health care.”
Listen to full Press Conference Here:
