The new board for North Carolina's largest regional mental health agency has adopted policies targeting the lavish spending found by a state audit last year.
The Charlotte Observer reports Cardinal Innovations Healthcare's new board of directors met Saturday and was handed control by the state. The board approved a corrective action plan, including seeking state approval to pay its CEO more than the set range, and barring board retreats at high-end venues, charter flights and using agency money to purchase alcohol.
A state audit released last May found the agency excessively spent on directors' pay, conferences and Christmas parties. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services fired the Cardinal board in November for approving a severance package of $3.8 million for ousted CEO Richard Topping and other executives.