MPTF To Hold Audio Press Conference Wednesday: All Bigwigs Participating

The announcement says the Motion Picture & Television Fund will hold an audio press conference from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM tomorrow “to address concerns and inaccuracies” regarding the upcoming closures of its hospital and acute care facilities.cial services organization, will be holding an audio press conference to address concerns about the recently announced closure of its hospital and acute care facilities. Among those participating are Frank Mancuso — Chairman, MPTF Corporate Board; Jeffrey Katzenberg — Chairman, MPTF Foundation; Joe Fischer — Chairman, MPTF Board of Trustees; Dr. David Tillman — President and CEO, MPTF; Ken Scherer — CEO, MPTF Foundation; Seth Ellis — COO, MPTF; Steve Valentine — CEO, The Camden Group; and Andy Garb — Loeb & Loeb (MPTF counsel). They plan a brief overview of the situation and responses to specific allegations, followed by questions-and-answers. An audio replay will be available for 7 days following the conference by calling 800-475-6701, access code: 986415.

UPDATE: Andrew Gumbel’s reporting about the MPTF closures concluded today with a claim that Dr. David Tillman, the MPTF’s chief executive, is earning a salary several times higher than is normal in the world of non-profit retirement homes — $502,200 in 2006 when, according to MPTF officials, the home was already aware of a looming financial crisis, and $596,957 in 2007, the last year for which figures are available. Gumbel also claims the MPTF’s chief financial officer, Frank Guarrera, saw his pay jump from $359,162 in 2006 to $411,153 in 2007. “That’s absolutely exorbitant,” Gumbel quoted nursing-home expert Betsy Hite of the California Association of Health Facilities assaying. “The average nursing home administrator makes maybe $100,000. This is clearly out of the norm.”