Did The Lakewood Hospital Foundation Commit Fraud?

[Bill Call]

?

[Bill Call]

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/locations ... n/trustees

From their website:

"For more than 50 years, generous people throughout our community have been instrumental in the evolving development of Lakewood Hospital into a strong community-based institution through their charitable contributions to Lakewood Hospital Foundation. Due in part to these generous gifts, Lakewood Hospital continues to provide the important medical and wellness efforts to all those who seek care.......

As you consider giving to Lakewood Hospital Foundation, remember that gifts, both large and small, have a significant impact on the scope and quality of care Lakewood Hospital can offer its patients. As you consider giving to Lakewood Hospital Foundation, remember that gifts, both large and small, have a significant impact on the scope and quality of care Lakewood Hospital can offer its patients. Your gift is used for the sole benefit of Lakewood Hospital

Now that it's too late we are hearing that the people on the Board and at the Foundation knew for years that the plan was to destroy the Hospital. Did they have a duty to fully inform donors?

[Stan Austin]

I would hate to think that all of the well meaning attendees to the Stary Night fundraisers were chumps who were duped.

[Bill Call]

I would hate to think that all of the well meaning attendees to the Stary Night fundraisers were chumps who were duped.

Perhaps W. F. Fields can explain why the Plain Dealer and our community "leaders" have been so silent all these years:

W.C. Fields: "Never wise-up a chump!"

[Jim O'Bryan]

Bill/Stan

You should look at the laws governing Foundations in the state of Ohio before saying fraud.

The Lakewood Foundation has been very upfront with their fund raising, and the Lakewood
Observer has been a happy supporter and sponsor. Where the fund have gone in the past
seem very legitimate, and I have no reason to think elsewhere.

The Foundation raised money for capital improvements in the property, and help to offset
other health programs around Lakewood.

However all it takes is a majority of the Board to change purpose and name, and then it gets
very tricky very quickly. And could range from them dissolving the foundation and funds, to
paying themselves whatever salaries to do whatever they decide to do.

This is what bothers me about this deal. The City of Lakewood loses $150 in benefits, and
the Foundation that helped move them along gets $100 million and City Hall nothing????

.

[Bill Call]

The Lakewood Foundation has been very upfront with their fund raising, and the Lakewood
Observer has been a happy supporter and sponsor. Where the fund have gone in the past
seem very legitimate, and I have no reason to think elsewhere.

When the Foundation was soliciting donations did they mention that the Hospital was going to be destroyed?

[Bill Call]

http://www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/OH/Lakew ... Compliance

The next target is the Lakewood Hospital Foundation.

Once the Hospital is destroyed the leadership of the Foundation will seek to have it repurposed as a permanent Foundation to serve the needs of "all of Northeast Ohio". The Foundation has $3 million in funds that were raised for the "Vision of Tomorrow".

What did the Foundation know about the decanting plan and when did they know it?

Will no one stand up for the City?

[Bridget Conant]

The Foundation continues to solicit funds. It has planned and advertised its annual ambulance chase run that raises money for the Foundation.

Where will that money go? Who will benefit? Do participants know where their money will go? Does the foundation have an obligation to disclose this information? If so, why aren't they?

[Michael Deneen]

Questions like this are why City Hall is so anxious to use terms like "healing" and "moving on". #noaccountability

[Bill Call]

I think some of the people at Build Lakewood were enthusiastic about the Hospitals destruction because they wanted to get their hands on the Foundations assets.

[Bill Call]

It's all about the money. The Mayor is not the one bit interested in health care in Lakewood.

The irony is that health care is the only real job generator in Northeast Ohio.

The LHA and Foundation trustees have failed their fiduciary duties. What price should they pay?

[Bill Call]

The poor kid that robs a liquor store and gets away with $500 goes to jail for 20 years.

The people who run the Foundation raised millions of dollars promising to spend the money on Lakewood Hospital while working secretly to dismantle the Hospital.

Is fraud a crime?

Which is worse, robbing a liquor store or robbing Hospital?

[Lori Allen _]

I believe we all already know the answer to this. I believe the answer to your question here would be yes.

[Bill Call]

Do laws matter anymore?

[cmager]

Do laws matter anymore?

Less so to corporations. Not when the corporatists (1) have co-opted so much of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, (2) have starved the expert, unelected base of career government/regulatory officials (typically via reduced funding), (3) have created or seized the mantle of community organizations (Chamber of Commerce, LHA, BL, etc), and (4) have neutered an already weakened 4th estate by co-opting their airwaves with thinly-veiled, paid-in-kind propaganda for their campaigns.

Vote accordingly.