Burbank Hospital Doctors Seek to Oust Administrator

Most of the active doctors at Burbank Community Hospital have signed a petition seeking to remove Jurral Rhee as the hospital’s chief administrator.

At an annual meeting of the hospital’s active medical staff, 26 of the 35 physicians cast no-confidence votes against Rhee, said Dr. William Cluff, who voted to oust the chief administrator. Five doctors voted in support of Rhee and four did not vote, Cluff said.

The petition was sent to James Corradi, chairman of the hospital’s board of trustees, two days after the May 25 meeting, Cluff said.

Corradi is required under hospital bylaws to call a meeting of the Burbank Community Hospital Foundation--made up of practicing physicians, some of whom voted to oust Rhee at the May meeting--to discuss the petition, Cluff said.

‘Good Chance’ of Removal

The foundation’s decision would be submitted to the hospital’s board, which would consider whether to fire Rhee.

Corradi, who could not be reached for comment, has promised to call a meeting after he returns from vacation in late June, Cluff said. “If the proper channels are followed . . . there is a very good chance he will be removed,” Cluff said of Rhee.

Rhee, 63, could not be reached for comment.

Cluff said doctors at the hospital are “not in agreement with recent, past or present administration policies, which have undermined the morale of employees.”

Cluff said Rhee has drastically cut personnel and patient services, which have undercut the quality of care offered at the hospital. As a result, he said, physicians have reduced the number of patients they refer to the hospital.

Meanwhile, at least one board member said he knew nothing about a petition.

‘Something out of Nothing’

“As far as I’m concerned, he is doing the job he was hired to do,” trustee Carl Princi said of Rhee. “It seems to me that somebody is trying to make something out of nothing.

“Somebody has got to show us he’s done something wrong,” Princi said. “Then, we’ll sit down and decide what we’ll have to do.”

Dr. Irwin Benowitz, the hospital’s chief of staff, who also voted to oust Rhee, said the petition is “not against an individual but a philosophy.”

Solving ‘Financial Problems’

“The physicians and patients don’t have the confidence they should have in the hospital,” he said.

Rhee is brilliant at solving hospital financial problems, “but he doesn’t know what to do after that,” Benowitz said.

Rhee, who is in his fifth year as chief administrator, has had his share of problems.

The hospital was investigated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services in September, 1987, following complaints that it was not administering proper emergency care to indigents. The investigation revealed problems in administration, staff procedures, emergency treatment and health-care monitoring.

County health officials said after the investigation that they were satisfied that Rhee was making efforts to correct the problems cited.

Dr. J.O. Sarkin, who has practiced at the hospital for 20 years and who voted against Rhee, said: “The majority of doctors feel Mr. Rhee should no longer be administrator. I believe he has outlived his usefulness at this facility.”