Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) has filed an opposition to local physician Greg Salard’s request asking the court to expedite his appeal process.
The WMC Board of Directors, acting as a separate WMC committee, met March 2 and decided not to allow Salard to continue working at the hospital.
A week later, Salard filed a civil appeal in Wrangell court to the WMC board’s decision. Salard and his attorney Lee Holen also filed a motion for “stay pending appeal,” which would allow the doctor to continue practicing at WMC pending his appeal. A motion for “expedited consideration” was also filed in court.
In WMC’s opposition, WMC attorney Stephen D. Rose states there is no reason for expedited consideration by the court in Salard’s case.
Rose argues Salard will not suffer immediate and irreparable harm, as the doctor claimed in his motions to the court, should the court not expedite his appeal process and allow him to continue to work at WMC in the meantime.
Salard filed his motions in court one week after the WMC board took its action to deny the doctor hospital privileges. This time lapse demonstrates the lack of immediacy in Salard’s case, Rose states in the court documents.
“If the alleged harm to Salard truly were immediate, then he would have immediately filed his motion for a stay,” Rose wrote. “Instead, he waited a full week and did not file until 4:37 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. Salard should not be permitted to turn his own failure to act in a timely manner into an emergency for the court.”
Rose also argues WMC should be allowed the necessary time to respond to Salard’s motions filed in court.
Rose, as well as Holen, Salard’s attorney, could not be reached for comment prior to the Sentinel’s deadline.
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