A trustee walked out of the meeting on Monday night while the finance committee of the Erlanger Hospital Board of Trustees was discussing a major shift in the hospital's information technology program.

Former Sen. Ray Albright said he did not have enough information to vote on the proposal to contract Erlanger's IT with PHNS of Dallas, Tex.

Jim Worthington, another board member, also said he was upset that the board had gotten inadequate information. He said, "This hospital is too important to have negligent people making important decisions."

Aldous McCrory, board member who was the only trustee on a hospital committee studying the proposal, asked what he was referring to. Mr. Worthington, a retired Baylor School official, said, "I'll get to that."

Mr. McCrory, who is an attorney for EPB, then left the meeting and did not return.

The committee discussed having a special session to discuss the matter further, but finally passed it to the full board for consideration on Thursday night.

Mr. Worthington said the board has been left out "on several big decisions."

He said in the protracted matter of hiring a new chief legal officer "the board had to finally step in and say 'enough is enough.'"

Dale Hetzler of Children's Health Care of Atlanta has been named to the post that was last held by David Lewis.

Mr. Worthington said he read the entire 135-page contract with PHNS and he said some necessary items were omitted, including the details on the effects it will have on the salaries and benefits for 60 IT employees who will shift from Erlanger to PHNS.

Laurene Vamprine, interim chief information officer, said employees are in favor of the move. She said no one will wind up with lower pay or benefits, and many will be better off.

She said PHNS will keep the 60 current Erlanger employees here and bring in some of their own workers.

Officials said PHNS is planning to set up a national service center in Chattanooga, and is looking at Eastgate Mall as a location. The firm is working on a partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, it was stated.

The contract is for eight years, and the cost to Erlanger over that period is $1,473,876, it was stated.

Ms. Vamprine said the hospital would have to spend much more than that if it remains an in-house operation.

Some of the hospital's main data center will be shifted to the firm's "world class subterranean data center" in Springfield, Mo., it was stated.

Board member Dr. Woody Kennedy said he worked on the proposal and favors it. He said he felt trustees with questions "will be more than satisfied with the answers you get."

Jim Brexler, the hospital's CEO, said an Erlanger team has been working for a year and a half analyzing the move.

He said after trustees have all questions answered "I absolutely believe in my heart you will believe this is the right decision."

The contract goes into effect July 1 if approved.

A request for information was sent out, and there were four semi-finalists. Then the list was narrowed to two - PHNS and Perot.