Mrs. Vrazel said she resigned after 20 years in the post when Dr. Frank Summers, Milam County Judge, issued a “resign or be fired” ultimatum last Monday.
Summers issued a press release Friday stating that an outside peer review by Mrs. Vrazel’s Tom Green County counterpart, Anita Dunlap, disclosed “non-compliance of the program because of inadequate management and total lack of required state reporting.”
Although an analysis has not been completed, preliminary reviews show that Milam County incurred substantial financial losses resulting from long-term mismanagement, Summers said.
County officials said Friday that benefits may have been granted to non-qualifying applicants, and the office did not file routine reports to the state comptroller’s office, which in instances of budget shortfalls would have reimbursed Milam County.
Summers said Monday that “I am not exactly sure how the term ‘missing money’ has been brought into the media reports of the recent resignation of the IHS coordinator. I want to make it perfectly clear that there have been absolutely no allegations whatsoever that money is missing. The review was a procedural review of the mandated process of Chapter 61 of the Health and Safety Code. There has been mismanagement that might have cost the county some extra dollars, but there is no ‘missing money.’”
Concerns relating to Milam County’s indigent health care operations arose when Mrs. Dunlap arrived to train Mrs. Box as a part-time employee to assist Mrs. Vrazel, who had been absent frequently from the office, Summers said. Mrs. Dunlap reviewed office operations and documents to prepare for training Mrs. Box, and found various management problems, he said.
Mrs. Vrazel stated that “I feel I have been made a scapegoat by the [sic] Judge Summers as well as Health Department Director Patsy Gaines.”
“During the past 20 years of employment with Milam County, my books have been audited by the outside county auditing firm yearly with no irregularities ever being found,” Mrs. Vrazel said in a prepared statement. “At least not until an ‘outside’ consultant brought in by Mr. Summers, were any problems ever found.”
She further stated that: “In my defense, I feel I must draw attention to the fact, that if there were indeed inconsistencies within the indigent program in Milam County, that the fault should lie squarely at the feet of Mr. Summers, who as leader of the county, is directly responsible for all programs and personnel.”
Mismanagement was not disclosed sooner because county judges “don’t have the time to stand over someone’s shoulder micromanaging everything,” Summers said. The judge said he felt confident that the department was operated efficiently, and was surprised when Mrs. Dunlap advised of problems in the department.
Mrs. Gaines said that a preliminary review of records indicates that of the 50-plus people currently enrolled in indigent health care, about 33 may not be eligible for benefits.
The office will reopen Monday, Nov. 5 with a new coordinator, Christine Box. Those enrolled in the program must reapply to receive benefits.
jwilliams@temple-telegram.com
