Tuesday, April 28, 1998 | 9:49 a.m.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Aaron Russo said today he's dropping the University Medical Center as a co-sponsor of his alternative medicine conference in June.
Russo said he decided to organize the conference without UMC after the county-funded hospital insisted it could not participate in a forum run by a political candidate.
"We did have every right to use their name," Russo said. "But if they've since changed their mind, then we will not use them."
The decision was made following a meeting at UMC between Russo and Bill Hale, the hospital's chief executive officer.
"There was some miscommunication," Hale said.
Both Russo and Hale declined to discuss the outcome of their meeting in detail, saying they planned to put out a joint news release today.
Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren, who may run against Russo in the Republican primary, accompanied Russo to the meeting.
Russo said he ran into Hammargren, whom he described as a friend, at the hospital and asked him to attend the discussion with Hale.
Hammargren said it appeared to him that Russo had authority to use UMC's name on a brochure advertising the June 18-19 conference and that the controversy over the brochure seemed politically manufactured.
Russo is running against Las Vegas businessman Kenny Guinn, whose well-financed campaign has lined mainstream political support from Republicans and Democrats.
The brochure was sent to thousands of members of the medical profession throughout the state. Russo asks on the brochure that those attending make out checks directly to him. The cost is $550 for physicians and $350 for nonphysicians.
On the brochure, UMC was listed as offering Continuing Medical Education credits to those who attended the conference at the Flamingo Hilton.
There was no word on whether Russo planned to send out a new brochure without UMC's endorsement.
Russo said he's organizing the conference to try to find a way to merge alternative medicine with the traditional form of health care.
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