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Bush aide puts toe in job market

Florida's chief health care regulator is in the running for a South Florida post. More exits are expected.

By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published June 1, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Jeb Bush's chief health care regulator, Alan Levine, has applied for a high-paying job managing a group of South Florida hospitals that will be among the first to execute big changes to the Medicaid program in Florida.

Levine's application for the job of chief executive of the North Broward Hospital District could lead to his resignation as secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration. The AHCA doles out billions a year in Medicaid money, investigates complaints against hospitals and protects patients at hospitals and nursing homes during and after hurricanes.

The job of running the nation's fifth-largest public health care system, based in Fort Lauderdale, has been open since February. Outgoing CEO Wil Trower makes $523,000 a year, nearly five times as much as Levine makes as a state regulator.

The hospital board forced Trower out in February amid criticism of his leadership. Trower's replacement will be hired by a seven-member board of commissioners, all of whom were appointed by Bush.

Levine spent much of the past two years working on a revamp of Florida's Medicaid program, the first of its kind of any state. In an effort to control costs, the state will cap health benefits for some patients and shift patients into managed care plans or newly formed doctor networks.

The first stage of the Medicaid changes will begin July 1 in Duval and Broward counties.

In an e-mail to his staff Tuesday, Levine said: "I view this as an opportunity, if I am successful in the search process, to work for a premier health care system."

He also told the staff he was recusing himself from any decisions involving the North Broward Hospital District, or any of its competitors, to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest.

Levine may soon join an exodus of Bush administration officials moving to better-paying jobs. They are forced to consider new career prospects because Bush will leave office in January, and the next governor, regardless of his party, is expected to hire new agency directors.

Levine said he met with Bush a few days ago to reveal his interest in the job. He called it a tough conversation because he enjoys working for Bush.

"It's a tough decision," Levine said. "It really boiled down to what was best for my long-term career and the next best move for me."

Levine, 38, ran as a Republican candidate for a Pasco County House seat in 1996 and later served as a vice president of operations of Columbia Hospital at Bayonet Point.

He decided to apply for the North Broward post on the eve of the application deadline of Wednesday, and a day before the start of the hurricane season. He said the timing was a bit awkward but unavoidable because the hospital district set the application deadline.

The North Broward Hospital District is no stranger to controversy, having endured a string of problems, including no-bid contracts, cronyism and inadequate care at local clinics.

But Levine is no stranger to controversy, either. While serving as Bush's deputy chief of staff in 2003, during a prolonged political fight over medical malpractice insurance, Levine helped trigger a controversy after the release of e-mails he wrote.

Writing to the president of the Hospital Corporation of America's West Florida division, Levine criticized several Republican senators by name and suggested it was time to recruit candidates to run against them if they didn't support Bush's malpractice proposal.

As punishment, the Senate humiliated him by refusing to confirm his appointment for two years. Bush appointed Levine in May 2004, but he was not confirmed until April.

Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or 950 224-7263.

[Last modified June 1, 2006, 04:53:09]