Monte battle
THE leadership of the Montefiore Home looks set to be contested at the upcoming annual general meeting.
THE leadership of the Montefiore Home looks set to be contested at the upcoming annual general meeting.
David Freeman and the current board will be challenged by Millie Phillips, who has been running nursing homes for more than 30 years, and Ze’ev Bashan, who is the deputy chairman of Columbia Aged Care, which has more than 500 beds at three sites.
“We hope to take over the board,” Phillips told The AJN this week.
“The current board is not getting value for money.”
Phillips will not be able to run for the board herself because at 83 years of age, she’s over the 72-year age limit for contesting seats.
However, she is putting together the team, adding, “I expect to be seconded onto the board, hopefully as president, if we win the election. We will have financial people on the board and we will make the Montefiore more efficient.”
Phillips noted that you don’t need to look at the nitty gritty to see the savings that are possible because, according to a recent survey of aged care providers, an organisation should make between $7000 and $15,000 per annum per bed. As a result, at a minimum, she claimed Montefiore should be making a profit of nearly $5 million each year with its 700 beds.
In the 2010-11 annual report, the Montefiore returned a loss of more than $1 million, not including depreciation or donations.
Bashan, who has previously served on the Montefiore board, said he’s standing on a ticket against the current president because he wants to see the Montefiore run more efficiently.
“I will nominate because I want to create a situation where instead of having deficits, the Montefiore should have profits,” Bashan said.
He said the profits would be used to improve the Montefiore Home or for the benefit of the wider Jewish community. “I have been a part of the community, I care for the community and if I can contribute, then I would be happy to.
“It is going to be a big headache and challenge to take Monte and turn it around, but I think it can be done, and it should be done.”
When approached by The AJN, current Montefiore president Freeman declined to comment.
The Montefiore AGM will be held on December 9 and nominations will be open until November 9.
JOSHUA LEVI
Millie Phillips is challenging the current Montefiore board.
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