From the pages of
Sublette Examiner
Volume 6, Number 27 - September 28, 2006
brought to you online by Pinedale Online

RHCD replaces one with five

by Cat Urbigkit

The Sublette County Rural Health Care District Board met in regular session Monday night in Pinedale with a full board present.

RHCD Director Randy Johnson reported that the district is currently in the second round of interviews for the district administrator position, with about 30 candidates.

Board Member Walt Bousman noted that when seeking physicians, the board had to increase the salary package to the 75th percentile compared to the rest of the state in order to be competitive. Bousman suggested the board do the same with the administrator position.

Johnson said for the 75 percentile, the salary would be in the $90-100,000 range.

Board Member Jud Faler said in his view, the board should consider paying in the $110,000 range, which is about the 90th percentile.

After discussion, the board passed a motion stating its intent to move toward one clinic administrator position to administer both clinics in the county. The motion was approved unanimously.

Faler made a motion to set the administrator’s salary between $110,000 and $115,000, based on credentials. The board unanimously approved the motion.

After hearing an update on groundbreaking for the new clinic in Pinedale, Chairman Bill Budd broached the subject of proceeding with plans to construct a new clinic in Marbleton.

Schematics for the clinic are already in place, Johnson said, but Faler said that he felt the project should be put out to bid. The board has already spent about $500,000 on the design process. The board already has an architectural firm, the Davis Partnership, under contract for the project. Faler then suggested that it wouldn’t make any sense for the project to be bid out, since the district was so far along.

Board Member Garry Eiden Sr. said that the county commission has already agreed to purchase the land for the clinic, but was waiting word from the board as to which property the RHCD board wanted to be purchased. Faler said the process should be expedited as much as feasible. Johnson was instructed to research what the board needs to do to kick off the process.

The board discussed what to do with the manufactured house sitting on the Pinedale clinic property. The facility must be moved from the property. The board had previously submitted bids for the house, but apparently the bids came in after the deadline, so the board never reviewed the bids since they were out of compliance with procedure.

Although the board initially agreed to put the manufactured home out for bids again, when the board was reminded that the Marbleton emergency medical technicians would like the trailer for sleeping quarters, the board agreed to reconsider the feasibility of moving it to Marbleton.

The board discussed what action should be taken in the wake of RHCD Clerk Jauna McGinnis’ recent resignation. Johnson said McGinnis did an outstanding job, but actually held responsibility for five full-time jobs for the district. He suggested the board needed to restructure the position so that her replacement is not overloaded.

Johnson suggested the five positions involve: serving as secretary to the board, providing administrative support; chief financial officer in charge of the budget; payroll and benefits clerk; purchasing agent; and as a financial specialist.

Johnson said that all of these jobs were occurring at one desk, an item in need of correction.

Johnson suggested that the board divvy the tasks into three full-time positions, but Budd questioned if there are five positions, why not fill all of them. At Budd’s suggested, the board instructed Johnson to begin efforts to fill the five positions. Citing his dislike of not allowing the administrator to hire his or her own staff, Eiden opposed the motion, but he was the lone opposition.

Racich noted that an item not put on the agenda for discussion was the recent complaint against board member Eiden by Dr. Judy Boyle of the Pinedale clinic. Boyle alleged that Eiden leaked confidential information that the board had been given during executive session.

Racich said the board needed to take some action to follow up on the complaint.

“Garry’s been on the board for a long time and he knows the ins and outs of it,” Racich said, “but I would ask that he step down.”

Racich said, “There is no integrity on the board ... if executive sessions are going to be compromised.”

Budd said that according to the district’s legal counsel, the only way the board could seek to remove a board member would be through unanimous consent. Racich made the motion calling for a roll-call vote, which Bousman seconded.

Roll call began with Faler, who cast a nay vote, ending the issue.

“Okay, that one’s put to bed then,” Budd said, and continued on to other business.

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