It was an historic night for the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital District Board. It was their final meeting as sole owner of the local hospital. CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Francis-Sulphur Springs will be governed by a 10 member board that will include three members of the Hospital District Board. This was also the last board meeting to be attended by hospital CEO Michael McAndrew and CFO Donna Wallace. They will now report to the new governing board.
According to Tim Kelty, Board President, the board has directed the life of Memorial Hospital since 1949. The board will continue to meet monthly during the transition of operations management and will later meet quarterly. In his comments last night Kelty said, “Tonight is a historical moment. Approximately 67 years ago, the Hospital District met for the first time. Tonight is the last official meeting of the District board as the hospital operations board.” The duties of the hospital district board will include tax decisions for the district, budget decisions for the district, and decisions regarding the four nursing homes owned by the district. Members called the new direction for the board a learning curve.
The Board will be employing an Operations Manager for the District. The Operations Manager will direct the day to day activities that are managed by the district board. Dr. Bill Dietz, Dr. Dan Roper, and Dr. David Black were appointed to a committee to review applicants for the manager’s position and to recommend a finalist to the district board.
Kerry Law was elected to the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital District Board by five members of the board Monday night. Law will take the seat previously held by Ralph Pruess, who did not seek reelection. Law will hold the seat for one year until the next board member election.
In other action the board approved the purchase of new computers and laptops for both the hospital and the clinic, new wheelchairs for the clinic, and a remodel of and new furniture for the residency program office. Four new beds were purchased for ICU.
Board members were introduced to Gayla Haley, a nursing home administrator for 35-years, who will serve as the consultant to the four nursing homes owned by the hospital. She gave a report on the activities at the two homes in Longview and the two in Tyler.
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