South Broward Hospital District places Lubby Navarro on administrative leave, deactivates credit card
MIAMI - Former Miami-Dade public school board member Lubby Navarro was placed on administrative leave from her current job.
The South Broward Hospital District held an emergency meeting Friday afternoon regarding Navarro, who holds the position of registered lobbyist in the Government Affairs Department at Memorial Regional Hospital.
The ex-school board member is on administrative leave and her company credit card from Memorial Regional Hospital is deactivated.
"It's shocking. It's shocking," said board of commissioners members.
The South Broward Hospital District board has officially begun an investigation into Navarro.
At this point in the investigation, they say there are no great concerns, but there are questions surrounding things like lack of documentation on certain receipts.
"We're looking way back into the review mirror if there's something that we may have missed or maybe we didn't identify that we then have to bring forward," said Scott Wester, President and CEO at Memorial Healthcare System.
Hospital leaders say they have been monitoring the situation since Navarro was arrested for allegedly using her school board-issued credit card for personal use.
She's accused of spending around a hundred thousand dollars.
The board was notified the morning Navarro was arrested and they immediately removed her ID access, deactivated her credit card, and put her on unpaid administrative leave, all by 9 a.m.
"I'd like to make sure we get to full HR file with all recommendations. Who made the recommendations for Ms. Navarro to work in this district coming from Dade County to work in the South Broward Hospital District doing business for Memorial Health Care System. I'd like to also make sure that any activity whether it's money or policy that Ms. Navarro may have done in Tallahassee that we are made aware of it," said Douglas Harrison, Secretary Treasurer of South Broward Hospital District.
Navarro was one of only 8 people to have a corporate card with the hospital district.
Now, they want to make sure she wasn't double dipping during her time with the school board.
"I would imagine that we have the ability to reach out and let them know hey we found something or here's what it is. So not even a penny from the children and the school board of Miami-Dade County, Florida that they get back their money with interest. Whatever. I don't care if it's even a penny. That they get it back," said Harrison.
Navarro was not at the emergency meeting.
We reached out to her attorney regarding this meeting and have not heard back.
