Chair, More Members Resign From UMMS Board Of Directors

BALTIMORE, MD — The chair of the University of Maryland Medical System's board has resigned. So have two other members of the board, according to a statement from the medical system.

The resignation of University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) Board of Directors Chair Stephen Burch will take effect on July 1, the statement said. He will leave office after serving one year of his two-year term.

Gov. Larry Hogan will be responsible for appointing someone to take the open seat.

UMMS Board Member Kevin O’Connor will resign effective July 1 as well.

Effective immediately, officials said that UMMS Board Member Dr. Scott Rifkin has resigned too. His company Real Time Medical Systems, which specializes in health care analytics, provides software to UMMS as part of a pilot program to reduce unnecessary readmission after people are discharged to nursing homes.

The resignation of Rifkin "advances the effort to prevent conflicts and increase transparency," according to a statement from UMMS.

The announcements also follow the resignation of the UMMS CEO/President Robert A. Chrencik on Friday, April 26.

Three board members — Mayor Catherine Pugh, John Dillon and Robert Pevenstein — have also resigned from the UMMS since mid March, according to The Baltimore Sun, which published an expose on the issuing of no-bid contracts by UMMS to companies connected to board members.

“We thank Mr. Burch, Mr. O’Connor and Dr. Rifkin for their service and commitment to the HealthSystem,” UMMS Interim President and CEO John Ashworth said in a statement on Tuesday, May 7. “They brought invaluable experience and perspective to the Board in helping us shape the System for the future of health care.”

SEE ALSO: CEO Resigns From UMMS Amid Baltimore Mayor Scandal

The resignations also come after Gov. Larry Hogan signed a bill into law at the end of April that will require reform on the board to assure transparency and accountability, including adoption of a conflict of interest policy by May 31, 2019.

“UMMS is an institution near and dear to the hearts of many Marylanders, myself included," Hogan said upon signing the bill into law. "There cannot even be the appearance of impropriety from those connected with the hospital system, especially in positions of such importance."