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VAN DYKE -- The Board of Directors of the
Comanche County Consolidated Hospital District met in a special called
meeting on Monday, January 22, with only a single action item on their
agenda. The agenda item read, "Consider Contract for Interim
Administrator.”
Five of the six directors were present.
The meeting was conducted by Board president Charles Mazurek, with
members Joe Locke, Mary Jane Atkins, John Mack Weaver and Karen Carr
in attendance. Board secretary Gale Easley was not present.
Charles Mazurek noted that at the
previous Board meeting it was contemplated that TORCH (Texas
Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals) would be the
organization that would supply interim hospital management following
the dismissal of the hospital's Chief Executive Officer Evan Moore,
and Chief Operating Officer Mike Hare.
Since the last Board meeting, Mazurek
explained, the executive committee met with other organizations and
decided that another would be preferred. Mazurek said the executive
committee felt the full Board should consider and approve their
recommended change of direction.
Mazurek described having received quotes
for interim hospital management services ranging in cost from $7,500
to $20,000 per month. He indicated that he and others on the executive
committee, as well as acting administrator and Chief Nursing Officer
Shannon Steigleder and Chief Financial Officer Pam Rice all agreed
with the choice of PHNS, Inc. of Dallas.
The PHNS fee for a minimum 90 day term
(with automatically renewing one month increments unless cancelled by
either party) is $10,708 per month, for the first six months. PHNS
personnel would be available to begin service on the following Monday,
January 29.
Mazurek stated that PHNS would bring in a
company vice president, Curt Meyer, to serve as the hospital
administrator. Mazurek said that Meyer has had experience in small
hospitals in Texas and in "turnaround situations".
The proposals by other hospital
management alternatives were also reviewed. Mazurek referred at
various points in the discussion to consultations he had been in with
the hospital's accounting and legal advisors.
Mazurek then stated, "I feel like PHNS is
the one we probably should go with, and in my discussions with Joe
(Locke) and John (Weaver), they probably would concur on that." Both
men nodded their agreement. Mazurek then asked acting administrator
Shannon Steigleder for her opinion.
Steigleder said, "I feel that they are
the best choice."
Mazurek asked CFO Pam Rice for her
opinion and she responded that she was very impressed with the firm.
Mazurek noted that if the interim
administrator needed specialized assistance, that the resources of the
PHNS firm would be available at no additional charge.
He said that PHNS was a sizeable
organization and that he liked the fact that they would be placing an
employee already on staff into CCMC's situation, rather than hiring
someone looking for a short term job as some of the other management
services alternatives were going to have to do if selected. Mazurek
added that PHNS was, by far, the largest organization in terms of
personnel that they had talked to.
Shannon Steigleder was asked about the
restructuring that she had implemented and how it had been received by
the affected employees.
Steigleder responded that all but one
employee had received it well. The one employee that did object had
quit. She had demoted the heads of four departments from departmental
heads to departmental employees. A new employee is being brought in to
serve as departmental head over laundry, housekeeping, maintenance and
dietary departments, and to also serve as the safety and security
officer.
Charles Mazurek commented that as far as
the general public was concerned, 100% of the comments he had received
regarding the management changes had been favorable.
Steigleder said that there had been a
dramatic improvement in the hospital staff morale since the
administrative changes were announced. She said, "People are working
and doing their jobs. They have smiles on their faces. It went from a
really tough environment to a nice environment, a really good place to
work."
Steigleder indicated that she anticipated
some significant cost savings, in the hundreds of thousands, to flow
from restructuring steps already taken and others that are planned.
She added that Pam Rice has been helpful in coming up with
suggestions.
Various Board members expressed their
appreciation to the two ladies for the work that had already taken
place.
Joe Locke then offered a motion for the
hospital to enter into the agreement with PHNS for interim management
services. Karen Carr seconded and, without further discussion, the
motion was unanimously approved.
After a few other brief comments, Charles
Mazurek declared the meeting adjourned.
Correction
We were advised by acting administrator
Shannon Steigleder that Bill Moore was not terminated, as stated in an
article in the Free Press last week, but that he had signed a letter
of resignation.
We were further advised that Moore's
title at the hospital was not "Chief Information Officer", but that he
was the "Information Technology Director."
We believed at the time we had good
sources for our reporting of events and titles, however, are always
pleased to correct any misinformation or mistakes, and always endeavor
to maintain the highest standards of accuracy. |
