Hospital board listens but does not comment on accusations

By Dylan Thompson
Burns Times-Herald

The Harney County Health District Board of Directors met on Wednesday Aug. 25, with the delicate situation in the Emergency Medical Services Department (EMS) and former emergency medical technician Ron Copeland in attendance to speak.

Many members of the community attended the meeting to show their support for Copeland, who had been terminated from his position as an EMT. All commentary concerning Copeland came from the public. The board and the administration declined to comment.

Copeland attended the meeting to deliver a message concerning the direction of the EMS. He expressed his worries about the upcoming September EMS schedule in which he singled-out the new EMS director for not being on call, or on the primary or secondary schedule throughout the entire month.

Copeland insisted that his concerns were more for the taxpayers and the public than for his own job. After giving the board a copy of the September schedule, Copeland pointed out that there are holes where the EMS is not fielding three technicians and that this compromises the 24/7 coverage paid for by the taxpayers.

Quickly, however, Copeland’s commentary turned to an attack on the new EMS director and the hospital administration responsible for hiring him. He claimed the administration failed to do a complete observation before the hire. He blamed the new director for low EMT morale, and a number of EMTs who have quit or been fired because of opposition to the director.

Copeland finished firmly, declaring that if the board didn’t think there was a problem with the hospital and EMS administration they needed to wake up. Board Member Buck Taylor thanked Copeland for speaking.

More members of the public made comments to express their support for Copeland, including Toby Cronin and Mike Fine, while others, also in support for Copeland, posed questions about hospital and department policies.

Board member Tim Smith answered these questions by explaining that each department has their own policies in which the board is not involved. He detailed the system in which complaints about policy should be issued, starting first with an employee’s immediate supervisor, or the head of that particular department.

Board member Bob Otley stated that all policies concerning the hospital are public information.

Smith also explained that the situation is currently in appeal, therefore disallowing the board to make any comments concerning the EMS issue, though he acknowledged the issue’s importance, stating that “untended wounds begin to fester.”

John Stinnett offered a presentation to the the board on the hospital’s switch to LS Networks for a new high speed connectivity. This switch could possibly cost the hospital $45,000 in installation and a recurring cost of $3,000 a month, but a Federal Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC) grant would pay 100 percent of the installation and 85 percent of the recurring costs.

The hospital would keep its current connectivity with Eastern Oregon Technology for patient usage.

In other business:

• Sam Caizza and Ann Vloedman met with Osters Professional Group, who were very complimentary of the job done by Chief Financial Officer Catherine White;

• Chief of Medical Staff, Dr. Holland Haynie informed the board that he was still having issues with the Veterans Administration. He has spoken with Steve Bull on how to give better local care to veterans, claiming that if the process is more difficult, those veterans won’t want to get care locally;

• CFO Catherine White and CEO Jim Bishop reported struggles with US Bank regarding the Hotchkiss Foundation. US Bank has offered to come again to speak with the board and administration;

• Chief Nursing Officer Barb Chambers reported that the staff experienced no preventable revenue losses and that the nursing staff had been very successful. She also stated that new manager, Bill Cross, would be here next week;

• the board reported that the $1,000 check to the 2009 4-H sale was never cashed, and that that check would be canceled and a new check would be issued. The hospital will donate another $1,000 to the 4-H sale this year to boost base price on all of the animals.

The next Harney District Hospital Board meeting will be on Sept. 22 in the hospital’s downstairs meeting room.