Advocates for Grady Memorial Hospital gathered outside the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday to protest the planned appointment of several prominent Atlanta businessmen to the new nonprofit hospital board.

The activist group the Grady Coalition said some proposed board members have conflicts of interest and are not concerned about the hospital's poor patients.

"These persons do not come to us untainted," said the Rev. Tim McDonald, a leader of the coalition. "Certainly we are worried about conflicts of interest."

The gathering of about 20 people marked the second time the group has protested at the Atlanta chamber. Members stood outside singing songs of protest in December. This time, chamber president Sam Williams greeted the protesters outside with coffee and doughnuts, which they declined.

The existing Grady board is expected to announce members of the new nonprofit board Friday. The nonprofit will have power over decisions regarding budget, policy and the hospital's top managers. In exchange, the business community and state legislators have promised hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding to stanch the hospital's financial hemorrhaging.

From a list of prospective appointments prepared by the chamber, McDonald objected to Tom Bell, head of Cousins Properties; Pete Correll, retired head of Georgia Pacific; Jim Stephenson, the head of Yancey Brothers; and Joe Rogers Jr., the head of Waffle House.

McDonald said Bell has a conflict of interest because his company owns part of a building associated with Emory Crawford Long hospital, nominally a Grady competitor. Noting that Correll has been discussed as a possible chairman of the nonprofit board, McDonald said his ties to Emory Medical School make him an inappropriate choice.

Correll said several prospective board member have stepped down, or agreed to step down, from the boards of other health centers to avoid a conflict with Grady. Correll said he has resigned from Emory's medical advisory board.

As for Bell, Correll said a business relationship with a competitor does not necessarily represent a conflict of interest.

"That's silly," Correll said. "He's just trying to fill up an office tower."

Correll said he believes the coalition is in some cases attacking people because their politics differ from the group's views.

A flier handed out by the coalition Tuesday criticized Stephenson for donating to a "swift boat" campaign that attacked the war record of former presidential candidate John Kerry.

Stephenson said such activities have nothing to do with whether he should serve on the Grady nonprofit board.

"I do care about the poor," he added, "otherwise why would I subject myself to this?"