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City officials and attorneys address Levi Hospital closure and public comments, mayor disputes counsel's statements
Summary
Lawyers who appeared for Levi Hospital apologized for personal remarks made at a prior meeting; the mayor responded with detailed criticism of the hospital's leadership decisions and service changes, including the inpatient psychiatric program closure.
Attorneys who appeared on behalf of law firm Friday Eldridge Clark apologized to the City of Hot Springs board for personal remarks made at a prior meeting about Levi Hospital, while Mayor Pat McCabe and other directors publicly criticized the hospital’s recent decisions to curtail inpatient psychiatric services.
Price Gardner, managing partner at bridal Eldridge and Clark, told the board, “for that I apologize,” addressing comments made by another attorney at a previous meeting. Ryan Bowman, the firm’s municipal bond counsel, added personal remarks about long-term service to city bond projects and said he valued the relationship with the city and its staff.
Mayor Pat McCabe said the counsel’s prior statements were unacceptable and disputed an earlier claim by Levi’s counsel that the hospital’s decision “has nothing to do with your job as mayor.” McCabe said those remarks were “blatantly wrong when she stated that the decision of the board has nothing to do with your job as mayor,” and reviewed recent operational and leadership issues that he said affected community healthcare access. He described the hospital’s decision to curtail its inpatient psychiatric program and recounted an elevator fire incident that staff and first responders successfully managed.
The mayor also contrasted past collaboration between Levi leadership and other hospitals — citing an earlier arrangement that moved inpatient rehabilitation services to a neighboring hospital — with what he described as the current administration’s decision to make the psychiatric closure without coordinating stakeholders. He said prior leadership had leveraged partnerships to maintain or expand services.
Price Gardner and Ryan Bowman told the board their firm regrets the prior presentation’s tone; Gardner said the firm should have limited remarks to process and procedure and not make personal comments. Bowman reiterated his long-standing working relationship with the city, noting prior bond projects and saying he looked forward to continuing that work.
No formal board action was taken on Levi Hospital during the meeting; the item was a public discussion prompted by comments at a prior meeting and by requests for clarification and accountability from city officials.
