BOSTON, Mass. (SHNS)--On the cusp of losing her power to appoint members to the Health Policy Commission board, Auditor Diana DiZoglio plans to fill a vacant spot next week. The auditor is appointing Karen Coughlin, the former vice president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, to the HPC board, DiZoglio's office told the News Service Friday. It would mark DiZoglio's first  -- and likely only -- appointment to the board.  Minority leadership unchanged in blue Massachusetts While commissioners are tapped to serve five-year terms, Coughlin's tenure could be short-lived due to a restructuring of the HPC board that's included in a hospital oversight bill (H 5159) awaiting Gov. Maura Healey's signature. DiZoglio contends the appointing authority change is retaliation from top lawmakers in response to the auditor's quest to probe the Legislature. DiZoglio, Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell each currently have the power to appoint three members to the board. With DiZoglio losing her seats under the HPC overhaul, Healey would instead appoint six members, including two nominated by House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka. Under the board changes, members "shall continue to serve until the expiration of the terms for which they were appointed or until June 30, 2025, whichever first occurs," according to the bill. That means the board essentially resets on July 1 for all appointees, not just commissioners tapped by the auditor's office, a spokesperson for Sen. Cindy Friedman, a lead bill negotiator, said. DiZoglio's selection of Coughlin would fill the vacancy left by Barbara Blakeney, whose term recently ended. Under current law, Coughlin's term would span through the end of 2029, the auditor's office said. DiZoglio's office said it plans to swear in Coughlin during a virtual ceremony next Friday. There aren't additional steps to confirm Coughlin to the board, an HPC spokesperson said. Former Auditor Bump had appointed Blakeney to the commission board, citing "demonstrated expertise in the development and utilization of innovative medical technologies and treatments for patient care," according to the HPC. Blakeney, a past president of the American Nurses Association, was sworn in on Feb. 13, 2019.  Bump's other appointees, Timothy Foley and Patricia Houpt, are still serving. Their terms are slated to end on Nov. 1, 2026 and Dec. 31, 2025, without the board changes under the pending law, according to the HPC. DiZoglio on Thursday called the loss of her appointing authority "pure unadulterated retaliation on the part of legislative leaders." A Mariano spokesperson said the restructuring "ensures that members of the HPC board or appointing authorities have active roles in the oversight of the state health care system." Friedman said the change was "purely a decision to shift appointment authority to experts with deep background in health policy."