RHCB to hire new doctor

by Bill Boender

The Sublette County Rural Health Care Board met in Pinedale Monday, April 10, with a brief agenda and all board members present. Director Randy Johnson advised the board that Dr. Jim Larsen has expressed a desire to join the Marbleton clinic staff. Larsen currently practices at Rawlins but resides in Billings, Mont. The board directed Johnson to pursue the hiring of Larsen, which would bring the number of physicians at Marbleton to three.

The newly formed Emergency Medical Services Council will meet later this week to organize, set agendas and establish policy and procedures. The council will report to the board as needed. In other EMS business, the hiring of five new employees was approved by the board. The board also approved $1,000 in expenses for materials for grade-school safety classesto be held during EMS Week in May.

Purchase authority limits were increased for the EMS and the administrative staff to match clinic limits. Those entities will now have a monthly limit of $2,000, with a single purchase limit of $750. Board Member Garry Eiden voted against that increase.

Governor David Freudenthal met with the Sand Draw Group regarding the proposed emergency facility and commended the group for its joint county/industry effort. Freudenthal urged the group to apply for possible matching-grant funds from the state.

As daylight hours are increasing, the board agreed to move meeting start times from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. through the summer months.

The board then went into executive session to address issues involving personnel, property purchase, Pinedale Medical Clinic changes and litigation.