Tens of thousands of Americans have relied on MD Anderson in Houston to care for their loved one, especially when a cancer diagnosis is made.
MD Anderson is one of the most globally respected cancer centers in the world, employing more than 25,000 people, including more than 1,900 faculty, at a sprawling complex of more than 25 buildings across Texas.
As its own website says, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is “one of the world’s most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.”
While so much valuable and life-saving work is done there on a daily basis, a recent development raises an interesting question about MD Anderson and its future.
In 2023, MD Anderson announced an integrated partnership with Cooper University Health Care in New Jersey.
At the time, the partnership was celebrated.
“Our partnership with MD Anderson started with our commitment to providing comprehensive care to our patients and a vision to transform cancer care across South Jersey by bringing one of the world’s premier cancer centers to Camden. In 10 short years, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper has become synonymous with advanced cancer treatment and care throughout the region,” said George E. Norcross III, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Cooper University Health Care and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. “The number of patients who choose MD Anderson at Cooper is growing year after year and has become the leading choice of cancer centers in consumer surveys because of the outstanding care and commitment of our entire cancer team. We look forward to continuing to change cancer outcomes for our patients for many years to come.”
Partnerships in health care are common, as MD Anderson has one with the University of Texas.
But what has changed recently is that serious allegations of wrongdoing have been made against Cooper Health, and their Board of Trustees, which threatens the hard-earned and solid reputation of MD Anderson.
Cooper Health’s behavior, including receiving disproportionately large state grants and using those funds for its own financial interests, damages the broader healthcare ecosystem. A partnership with a hospital system that engages in such corruption can tarnish the reputation of even the most respected institutions. MD Anderson, known for its commitment to ethical practices and patient care, must carefully consider the long-term consequences of maintaining ties with an organization that operates under a corrupt leadership structure.
Non-profit hospital systems play a pivotal role in communities by offering access to quality healthcare for residents. Leading organizations like MD Anderson understand the importance of strong, ethical partnerships to maintain trust and credibility.
Associating with Cooper Health risks MD Anderson’s reputation and the trust it has built within the healthcare community. The actions of Cooper Health’s leadership—particularly the indicted members of its Board—pose a significant threat to any organization that chooses to continue working with them. To protect their own integrity and reputation, MD Anderson and similar institutions must demand immediate leadership changes at Cooper Health and reconsider any ongoing partnerships.
Cooper Health’s problems are significant and growing.
A small sampling includes these examples.
Under pressure from a federal court suit, the management of Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center released an internal report that shows that the hospital has lost at least $18.8 million to fraud since 1987.
Cooper Health also agreed to pay the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey $12.5 million to resolve a kickback allegation that states it violated the federal False Claims Act and New Jersey False Claims Act by making improper payments to physicians under so-called “consulting” agreements.
Cooper Health shut down the maternity and obstetrics center at Cape Regional when it acquired the hospital system in order to consolidate costs.
Cooper Health has had multiple data security breaches that have compromised patient safety and privacy due to low-quality data protection packages.
Cooper Health has repeatedly tried to block Virtua health and other local hospitals from performing angioplasties in order to keep the lucrative practice for itself. Norcross leveraged his political connections to link two unrelated bills in Congress, preventing the expansion of angioplasties to other local hospitals.
Cooper Health’s current board is irreparably compromised, given Norcross and 2 fellow board members have been indicted on first-degree racketeering and various financial crimes charges. The indictment also charged Philip Norcross, George Norcross’s brother, and Sydney Brown, both of whom are members of the Cooper Health Board. Philip Norcross is the attorney, managing shareholder, and CEO of Parker McCay, a New Jersey law firm. He is also the registered agent for the groups that own buildings in Camden that are the subject of the criminal allegations.
Again, this kind of ethical baggage from a partner appears highly risky for MD Anderson.
MD Anderson has an otherwise sterling reputation; MD Anderson has the No. 1 ranking for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report, the No. 1 ranking in Safety on Vizient’s Quality and Safety Scorecard, and is the top hospital for oncology in Newsweek’s 2024 World’s Best Specialized Hospitals rankings.
The institution also ranks among the world’s best in nursing, earning continual recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition program since 2001.
So why should Texas’s gold-standard hospital associate with corrupt Jersey Democrat politics?
Two options seem clear right now.
First, MD Anderson should seriously consider ending its partnership with Cooper Health.
Short of that, they should demand Cooper Health rid itself of its corrupt board members to ensure that the system’s integrity does not become compromised beyond repair.
George Norcross took a leave of absence from Connor Strong & Buckelew, his insurance firm, while he fights this indictment but has thus far refused to step down from Cooper Health.
Other organizations have ousted board members for this same indictment; for example, William Tambussi – Norcross’s lawyer and fellow indictee – was removed from the Rutgers Board of Governors due to noncompliance with requirements. In June 2024, John O’Donnell took a leave of absence from his role as CEO of The Michaels Organization.
The removal of Tambussi from the Rutgers Board of Governors and O’Donnell and Norcross stepping down from Michels and Connor Strong establishes precedent for MD Anderson and other Cooper Health partners to demand that George Norcross and other fellow indictees be removed from the Cooper Health Board.
Should Cooper Health choose to maintain its current board, which includes multiple indicted members, MD Anderson, and other partner affiliates should sever ties with Cooper Health to preserve their own integrity.
Given its widespread and well-known corruption, Cooper Health – under its current board – is a political liability for MD Anderson that should be severed if dramatic changes aren’t made quickly.
Matt Mackowiak is the president of Potomac Strategy Group , served in the Bush administration, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, on the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, and was a senior communications aide to two U.S. Senators and a Governor.