CONCORD — Hospital executives in Coos County would have their pay frozen with no bonuses or increases for 18 months if they lay off 10 or more workers in a department under a bill heard Feb. 18 by the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
State Sen. David Rochefort (R-Littleton) said Senate Bill 664 would ensure a bit of accountability for Medicaid funds which primarily pay for services there, but members of the board of North County Healthcare, which operates three hospitals that have authorized their CEO to make over $700,000 a year, said the bill would take away local control and could in fact impact health.
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