Meg Ryan voted permanent NUMC CEO, defying NYS Health Department's warning
Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The Nassau University Medical Center board of directors approved making the hospital's interim CEO permanent Thursday evening, defying New York State's top health official's warning to "immediately halt" the move.
The board voted to appoint the hospital’s former attorney and interim CEO, Meg Ryan, to the permanent position for the next five years and include retroactive salary payments as compensation for her time in 2024 as interim CEO, according to a resolution obtained by Newsday before Thursday's board meeting.
The move defies a request from the state health department to NUMC two hours before a scheduled board meeting. State Health Commissioner Dr. James V. McDonald wrote a letter to board chairman Matthew Bruderman warning the move would put the hospital’s state rescue funding at risk because it violated the department’s request in March to conduct a national search for a new CEO to the beleaguered hospital.
"These actions are deeply concerning and appear to contravene the conditions previously communicated by the Department as requirements for any state operating support in response to your application for Vital Access Provider Assurance Program (VAPAP) funding," McDonald said in the letter, referring to the state-only funding for distressed hospitals.
Bruderman called the state's letter "idiotic," and characterized state officials as idiots "who want a gimp with a ball in their mouth to do what they say. They don't want a strong woman." He described other candidates he interviewed for the CEO position as "fat old men."
Ryan was appointed to the interim role early this year, replacing Dr. Anthony Boutin, who served as NUMC’s CEO and medical director for four years at more than $700,000 annual salary. The board had a scheduled meeting last month to consider the same resolution but canceled the meeting because more than half the board did not attend.
The hospital board on Thursday offered Ryan an annual salary of $750,000, but she volunteered to earn $550,000, according to Bruderman.
The Department made clear that NHCC must conduct a professional, public, and
comprehensive external search for its next CEO. To date, you have not provided the
Department with any documentation...-- NYS Health Department
Bruderman and state officials have been at loggerheads over the future of the hospital, with talks between representatives of the Gov. Kathy Hochul and County Executive Bruce Blakeman on a plan to secure the hospital's finances beginning in early September.
The state’s health commissioner demanded in March that NUMC conduct a public search for its next CEO and create a detailed plan for reducing operating deficits in order to get $83 million in emergency funding to keep its doors open.
In addition to a national CEO search, McDonald asked the hospital to report its organizational chart and gross compensation for its 20 highest-paid medical and nonmedical staffers and create a multiyear plan.
CORRECTION: Dr. Anthony Boutin earned a salary of more than $700,000 a year when he was appointed CEO of Nassau University Medical Center in November 2020. A previous version of this story misstated Boutin’s first name and gave an incorrect salary.
Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
