Joaquin del Cueto, secretary of the Jackson Health System board, has resigned abruptly in what appears to be a union-inspired maneuver to put a new person on the board.
Del Cueto, a retired Miami-Dade firefighter who announced his resignation Monday, was the union-named representative to the seven-member Financial Recovery Board, which sunsets at the end of May.
He did not respond to phone calls and emails Tuesday, but Martha Baker, president of SEUI Local 1991, which represents Jackson’s nurses and other healthcare professionals, issued a statement saying del Cueto’s resignation “was a mutual decision reached by Mr. Del Cueto and the union leadership. We are grateful for his honorable service over the past five years.
“Andy Madtes, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO, is responsible for designating a replacement to fill this vacancy. Following consultation with the union leadership, Mr. Madtes will notify the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of a chosen replacement by the end of the week,” Baker’s statement said.
Madtes did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Financial Recovery Board, created two years ago when Jackson was struggling with a deep financial crisis, has four members selected by Miami-Dade County Commissioners, one by the mayor, one by the head of the Miami-Dade legislative delegation and one selected by the AFL-CIO.
The process is beginning to select a new board that will take over in June. A new nine-member nominating committee, including one union representative, is scheduled to meet later this month. In essence, it will allow present board members to continue, with the committee selecting which members will serve staggered terms from one to three years.
Del Cueto, the most senior of present board members, often spoke out at meetings about how Jackson’s executives should pay attention to its talented labor force, and he consistently opposed management’s moves to explore out-sourcing services. He had been recently been appointed co-chair of the important strategy and growth committee, assigned to finding new sources of revenue to grow Jackson’s business.
Several sources in the gossipy healthcare community conjectured that his replacement will be Natacha Seijas, an ousted county commissioner who has been a strong union supporter.
“I’m not the one,” Seijas said Tuesday. She said she was on the board of the Penavler clinic, which was scheduled to meet Tuesday night to decide on a new contract with Jackson. “It would be a complete conflict for me to be on the Jackson board.”
Seijas praised del Cueto -- “he has my complete confidence.” She said Jackson Chief Executive Carlos Migoya “is doing a good job.”
Jackson Health System board member resigns abruptly
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Jackson Health System board member resigns abruptly
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Jackson Health System board member resigns abruptly
