Connie and Jim Alderson.

People who know Alderson and the case well also emphasize his whole-hearted commitment to ethics, as well as his dedication to work and his family.

Dan Weinberg, who represents Whitefish in the Montana Legislature, said Alderson was simply "committed to the principles of employers doing the right thing by their employees. He has a sense of social responsibility."

Weinberg and Alderson have been friends for about five years.

"Jim is very open and straightforward and easy to talk with," Weinberg said. "It becomes immediately evident he takes three things very seriously: his commitment to justice, his family and golf."

Leif Erickson, a retired federal judge, first got to know Jim and Connie in the mid-1970s, when the two men were working in Whitefish. Erickson happened to be serving on the board of directors of the hospital when Jim was fired, and though he doesn't recall any inkling that Quorum was operating illegally, he did question Quorum's explanation that Alderson was fired because he didn't understand the concepts of the work.

"Privately, I thought, 'I really don't believe that,'" Erickson said.

"Alderson's story is noteworthy," Erickson said, "because it highlights how important it is to act if something is wrong."

"Quorum and HCA were apparently doing the same thing in hospitals around the country," Erickson said. "Jim stepped forward. But how many other people in Jim's position were allowing two sets of books?"

As Alderson details how life changed for his family after he was fired, it's easy to be struck by how unfairly he was treated. But Alderson doesn't dwell on that point. For him, his story is proof that one person can bring about change through persistence and hard work, and that those qualities are of utmost importance.

Giving back

The Aldersons now split their time between La Quinta, Calif., near Palm Springs, and Whitefish, where they spend five months each year.

Smiling at his grandsons, Alderson says he feels at peace with the case, even with all the sacrifices it brought on.

"I have no bitterness," he said. "I don't harbor ill-will."

Instead, he's amazed that his side actually won. He said the money is phenomenal too, and he's proud of the things his family has done with the settlement, including charitable contributions to the MSU College of Business and a new aquatics center in Whitefish.

At Montana State, the Alderson Program in Entrepreneurship, which has been ranked among the top 10 in the nation by Entrepreneur Magazine, has had a tremendous impact on students' educational opportunities, according to Richard Semenik, dean of the College of Business. "Jim and Connie's gift offers the only entrepreneurship curriculum in the state for university students," he said. "For those students with the fire in their bellies to someday run their own businesses, the Alderson Program offers the chance to develop key skills."

This spring Alderson received an honorary doctorate from Montana State University for his contributions to his university, his state and his country.

Alderson is also heartened by the positive results he sees in the healthcare industry. Because HCA used to require a showing of net income for the administrator to collect a bonus, Alderson thinks that many honest people were motivated to cheat. That has all changed, he said.

Even more gratifying to Alderson are estimates that Medicare spending costs have been drastically reduced since his case exposed a fraudulent practice.

"It feels good to have been a big part of this change," Alderson said simply. "At the end of the day, this just seemed so wrong."

"He Blew the Whistle, And Health Giants Quaked"
by Kurt Eichenwald, The New York Times
Published Oct. 18, 1998

"For Some Whistle-Blowers, Big Risk Pays Off"
by The Associated Press
Published Nov. 29, 2004

Return to regular view	Text-only              Email this article	Published: 11/27/2007