Hogan appoints 8 to UMMS board, including panel leaders

Gov. Larry Hogan has named eight more members to the board of directors of the University of Maryland Medical System following the scandal that led to wholesale governance changes for the board.

Included in Hogan’s appointments Monday were James “Chip” DiPaula and Alexander Williams, Jr., currently serving as the board’s interim chair and interim vice-chair, respectively.

DiPaula and Williams were voted as interim chair and interim vice chair of the board in June.

An overhaul of the medical system’s board was one of the requirements of a reform law passed by the legislature this year.

A reform law enacted by the General Assembly and Hogan this year required all members of the board – which can have up to 30 members — to resign by the end of the year, leaving the board with a roster of almost entirely new members.

The board’s actions in allowing its members to profit from business arrangements with the system came under scrutiny after revelations that former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh had been paid $500,000 by the system for her “Healthy Holly” children’s books.

Reports released by the system have been critical of how the board allowed Pugh and other members to engage in these business dealings. One of those members, Robert Pevenstein, chaired the board’s audit and compliance committee and was able to rubber-stamp his own transactions with the system.

The scandal also led to an exodus of top leadership at UMMS, including the resignation of Chrencik, who was replaced last month by Mohan Suntha.

The new board members named Monday by Hogan include affiliate-nominated seats, seats on the board that represent the medical systems different affiliate hospitals and systems.

The members named Monday are:

• DiPaula, a former state budget secretary and chief of staff under former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.;
• Keary M. Nance, an administrative officer with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences;
• Edward P. Nevin, managing partner at Deloitte LLP;
• Brianna D. Bowling, nominated by University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center to serve as its representative on the board, and founder of Zekiah Technologies;
• R. Alan Butler, nominated by the University of Maryland Medical Center to serve as its representative on the board, and CEO of Erickson Living;
• James M. Harkins, nominated by University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health to serve as its representative on the board, a former Harford County Executive, state legislator and director of Maryland Environmental Service for three governors;
• R. Kent Schwab, nominated by the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center to serve as its representative board, and chair of the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Board.; and
• Williams, nominated by University of Maryland Capital Region Health to serve as its representative on the board, a retired judge and current attorney with the law firm Silverman Thompson Slutkin & White.