VALDOSTA — The Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County is scheduled to review selection of a new chief executive officer next week.

The meeting will be held 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the executive boardroom inside South Georgia Medical Center, 2501 N. Patterson St., according to hospital officials.

The authority is expected to consult with its new legal counsel about pending or potential litigation brought against the authority or in which the hospital authority or employees may be directly involved, hospital officials said.

SGMC CEO Ross Berry is seeking a buyout of his contract from the hospital. 

Berry said the Hospital Authority did not allow him to do his job and thwarted his attempts to fix problems, enforce contracts and correct disruptive behavior among medical staff, according to a letter to the Hospital Authority from his attorney, Roy Barnes, a former Georgia governor.

The letter claims Berry was required to attend an authority meeting for which no public notice was given.

Berry is asking for three years of his base salary, a lump sum bonus payout of $325,000, his attorney fees and a non-disparagement agreement.

The letter states Berry’s situation at the hospital had become untenable.

Bill Forbes has been named interim SGMC chief executive officer. 

Also, the Hospital Authority recently replaced David P. Winkle, a partner at the Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough office in Atlanta, with the law firm of Morris, Manning and Martin as its legal counsel.

Sam Allen, hospital authority chairman, said Winkle was hired with the expectation it was temporary to give SGMC time to find a more permanent replacement.

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256