For the past three months, a performance audit measuring the response times of ambulances at Denver Health Medical Center has stalled while officials debate what records can be released.
Top hospital officials and officials in Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher’s office will meet Wednesday to try to resolve the dispute.”We believe we have the right to do this audit,” said Gallagher’s spokesman, Denis Berckefeldt.
“We’ve had interesting conversations with Denver Health is the way I’d characterize,” Berckefeldt said. He said the hospital has a contract with the city. Under the terms of the contract, the auditor’s office has the right to examine the records to judge the hospital’s performance, he added.
The meeting Wednesday follows a decision by Denver City Council president Michael Hancock to write a letter to Mayor John Hickenlooper requesting a review of the hospital’s ambulance-response system.
Denver Health’s spokesperson did not return telephone messages seeking comment.
