MEXICO IS NOW LOOKING
INTO IT.
U-N-M PAID FOR AN
EMPLOYEE TO GET AN
EDUCATION SOMEWHERE ELSE
--
LETTING ONE OF ITS
HIGHEST PAID EMPLOYEES
GET A DEGREE FROM U-S-
C... ON THE TAXPAYER )S
DIME.
ON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT,
NEWS 13 )S LYSEE MITRI
SHOWS YOU WHY THE THOSE
IN CHARGE OF THE
DECISION, SAY IT WAS A
GOOD
INVESTMENT.
...cu fountain nats...
WITH TALK OF TUITION
(HIKES... AND BUDGET
(CUTS, YEAR AFTER
YEAR...
SPENDING CAN BE A
SENSITIVE SUBJECT
...book nats...
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW
MEXICO.
AND A NEW COMPLAINT OVER
HOW THE U-N-M HEALTH
SCIENCES
CENTER USED (PUBLIC
MONEY IS RAISING
EYEBROWS.
...Sen. Mimi Stewart
"That just seems way out
of line and not fair"...
...Lysee: Do you think
it )s a misuse of public
money? Brandt: I do."...
AS STATE SENATORS, CRAIG
BRANDT AND
MIMI STEWART SERVE ON
THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
AND HELP DETERMINE
U-N-M )S BUDGET.
THEY WERE SURPRISED WHEN
WE TOLD THEM,
CHANCELLOR FOR HEALTH
SCIENCES, DR. PAUL ROTH,
SIGNED OFF ON A PLAN
THREE YEARS AGO, TO HAVE
THE UNIVERSITY PAY
NEARLY 60-THOUSAND
DOLLARS SO ONE OF HIS
EMPLOYEES COULD GET A
MASTER )S DEGREE FROM
(ANOTHER
UNIVERSITY --
...marching band USC
fight song music???...
THIS PRICEY PRIVATE
SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES:
THE UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
...Sen. Mimi Stewart "I
just wonder why we
are... spending this
money out of state when
we have good
universities here"...
THE MONEY PAID
FOR AVA LOVELL )S
EXECUTIVE MASTER OF
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
DEGREE.
...Lysee "She graduated
from the two-year online
program, last year.
but (this year --
someone sent an
anonymous letter to
u-n-m )s compliance
office -- calling it
"deeply troubling."..
THE LETTER POINTS OUT
THAT, AS THE SENIOR
EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR
FINANCE AND
ADMINISTRATION AT
U-N-M )S HEALTH
SCIENCES CENTER,
LOVELL IS ONE OF THE
HIGHEST PAID EMPLOYEES
AT U-N-M -- WITH A
SALARY OF 275- THOUSAND
DOLLARS.
...Sen. Craig Brandt
"Well that )s great that
you want to get a
master )s degree, but why
should the university
pay for it?"...
...Sen. Mimi Stewart
"The whole thing just
doesn )t make sense,
doesn )t make budgetary
sense"... WE TOOK THE
CONCERNS TO THE
CHANCELLOR... DR. ROTH.
...Dr. Paul Roth,
chancellor for health
sciences center "Any
time there )s any
question by the public
about our practices or
what we do or the use of
public funds, we take
that pretty
seriously"...
DR. ROTH SAYS
U-S-C OFFERED A UNIQUE
PROGRAM.
...Dr. Paul Roth,
chancellor for health
sciences center "There
was no comparable
program in new mexico
:24
it was clear to me that
having her obtain that
level of expertise would
bring great value to the
institution
and to the patients that
we serve"...
LOVELL TOLD US HERSELF,
THE PROGRAM ADDRESSED
CHANGING FINANCIAL
MODELS
IN
HEALTHCARE, IN THE FACE
OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT.
...Ava Lovell "My
background I )m a cpa and
have an accounting
degree from 35 years ago
:49 so I didn )t have
formal training in
healthcare
administration although
I )d been doing the job,
and my boss always
said I was doing a good
job :57
but I really felt like I
needed to know how other
places were going to
deal with this"... SHE
SAYS THE EDUCATION
TAUGHT HER HOW TO MAKE
THE HEALTH
SCIENCES CENTER RUN MORE
EFFICIENTLY WHILE
(AVOIDING LAYOFFS...
THEN, SHE SPREAD THAT
KNOWLEDGE TO THE HEADS
OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
...Ava Lovell "We )ve now
saved $400,000 on a
recurring basis. so yes,
my program cost, it was
an
investment. it was an
investment of the health
science center"...
INVESTMENT OR NOT, U-N-M
SAYS ITS INTERNAL AUDIT
DIRECTOR IS NOW
LOOKING INTO THE
ANONYMOUS TIPSTER )S
CLAIM, THAT USING PUBLIC
MONEY THIS WAY IS
ACTUALLY (AGAINST U-N-M
POLICY.
RULES SHOW EDUCATION
BENEFITS APPLY ONLY TO
CLASSES AT U-N-M, AND
SOMETIMES NEW MEXICO
STATE.
INSTEAD,
DR. ROTH POINTS TO
(ANOTHER POLICY ON
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
AND TRAINING COURSES.
...Dr. Paul Roth,
chancellor for health
sciences center "It was
my understanding that
what our practices were
in fact consistent with
our policies"...
WE LOOKED OVER THOSE
POLICIES WITH SENATOR
BRANDT.
...Lysee: Based on your
experience, which policy
do you believe applies?
:43 well I )m not sure
either policy allows
what they )ve done"...
EITHER WAY, HE )S
TROUBLED BY WHAT HE )S
SEEING.
...Sen. Craig Brandt "I
think they need to take
a serious look at how
we )re spending taxpayer
dollars"...
...NATS door closes...
ON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT,
LYSEE MITRI, KRQE NEWS
13.