NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Tennessee officials are searching for a new Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA) monitor to oversee Ballad Health after the current monitor announced his retirement.

Larry Fitzgerald informed the state earlier this year that he would retire from the role effective Sept. 14, according to a spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office. He continues to handle all COPA monitor duties and will assist with the transition to a new monitor, according to the spokesperson.

FILE – Larry Fitzgerald during an interview with News Channel 11 in 2018 shortly after being appointed COPA monitor. Fitzgerald has announced his retirement from the role. (Photo: WJHL)

Fitzgerald has served as COPA monitor since the role was created in 2018 to monitor Ballad Health’s compliance with the COPA, which allowed the health system to form through the merger of Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System.

According to the attorney general’s office, the COPA monitor’s duties include:

  • Reviewing reports from Ballad for completeness and compliance with the COPA and the terms of certification
  • Reviewing semi-annual reports of the COPA compliance officer concerning complaints related to the COPA or the terms of certification;
  • Conducting audits to verify information provided in required reports and/or to determine compliance with the COPA and terms of certification;
  • Reviewing and making recommendations to the commissioner concerning any requests for modification of any provision of the COPA and the terms of certification submitted by Ballad;
  • Reporting on a regular basis to the department any findings of noncompliance or any areas where Ballad is not achieving target outcomes and/or is failing to meet the index scores needed to demonstrate continued public advantage, along with any recommendations of enforcement mechanisms; and
  • Providing an annual report to the department within 30 days of the local advisory council report that should include index scores, updates on compliance with the COPA and the terms of certification, the status of existing corrective actions, any recommended enforcement mechanisms, any additional findings of the COPA monitor and any other information requested by the department.

The COPA monitor serves as an independent consultant and is not an employee of the attorney general’s office or the Tennessee Department of Health.

The state is accepting applications and referrals for a new COPA monitor and has posted more information online.

Prior to becoming COPA monitor, Fitzgerald served as chief financial and business development officer for the University of Virginia Health System for nearly two decades.