Erickson, Vice Chairman James F. Pitts and eight board members left the 27-person board Wednesday during a meeting that attendees have described as a respectful exchange that ended with the realization that they could not overcome their differences. Erickson had spent nine years on the board and acknowledged insinuations that he had become too controversial.
The remaining board members chose as their interim chairman House of Delegates Speaker Michael E. Busch, who was on the board and has developed a reputation in Annapolis for his ability to corral strong coalitions in his 141-member legislative chamber. They also had to choose an interim chief executive officer after Edmond F. Notebaert retired a few weeks ago.
They picked Robert A. Chrencik, the medical system's chief financial officer, who has worked there since 1983. Under Maryland law, Chrencik also had to be approved by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents to serve as a vice president. The regents board voted unanimously yesterday for his appointment.
"There's a strong feeling that he has just the right kind of personality and skills that we need to build a strong relationship between the medical school and community hospitals," said University System of Maryland Chancellor William E. Kirwan.
O'Malley has made seven appointments to the board in rapid succession during the past month, including some nominees who had not been recommended by the board. Erickson said the direct appointments without board input jeopardized the body's independence, while others have raised questions about whether political cronies were installed.
Among the nominees was Stephen A. Burch, former president of Comcast Corp.'s Mid-Atlantic Division and an O'Malley donor, though he also has supported Republicans. O'Malley also nominated John P. Coale, an attorney who lent O'Malley $500,000 in the final days of last year's gubernatorial campaign. But the board had put, or planned to put, both on its preferred list of nominees, according to people familiar with the matter.
The medical system is the creation of legislation passed by the General Assembly 25 years ago to privatize the then-financially troubled university hospital. The idea was that a private institution would be free of bureaucratic restraints and therefore more efficient. Since then, several community hospitals have been added to the system.
