News: Business

Hospital Board of Controls discusses potential for merge

By Betty Chandler

June 19, 2008

At the conclusion of Monday night’s Unicoi County Memorial Hospital’s Board of Control’s meeting, one Erwin businessman addressed the board regarding any pending decisions or progress in molding a partnership with Wellmont or Mountain States Health Alliance.

Dr. J. W. Colinger, Jr., a member of the board, asked CEO Jim Pate if any progress had been made in working toward a potential merger, stating that he just didn’t want to “dillydally around.” Hospital CEO Jim Pate told the group that he had talked with one individual concerning input for a potential merger of some kind for Unicoi County Memorial Hospital and Wellmont or Mountain States Health Alliance.

Jerry O’Conner requested information concerning any decisions that might or might not have been made to date, telling the board that it owed a debt to the community to move decisively in making a decision as to whether or not to merge with another area medical facility.

The hospital CEO told O’Conner that he would provide him with comments collected from citizens on the hospital’s website, and that he would also be given questions raised by members of the hospital staff. Pate said during the coming week, he hoped to start working on some financial projections to bring back to the board. Board members mentioned a “retreat” to work on the issue, but no date had been selected as of Monday evening.

Pate told the group that Wellmont was interested in moving a facility as close to the Carter/Washington/Unicoi County lines as possible to pick up as much of the market as possible.

Board members agreed that the matter would be weighed fully before any decision would be made.
Among other items of business, the board approved a budget for the fiscal year 2009, in addition to minutes of the May 19, 2008 meeting, along with the reports of Jim Pate, CEO, and Chief of Staff Dr. Frank Wegman. Dr. Wegman thanked the group for the opportunity to serve as Chief of Staff as his term comes to an end. Dr. Charles Miller will next assume the duties as Chief of Staff.
A budget for the fiscal year 2009 was approved by the board of controls, in additional to raises for hospital employees.

Carol Hensley has moved from Emergency Services Director to Infection Control/Education Director and Pam Love is the new Director of Emergency Services at the hospital. Martha Barb is now the Director of Intensive Care Services. Sarah Buchanan is now the Director of Medical/Surgical Services.

Employee of the Month for June 2008 is Wanda Bailey. She is a CNA in Long Term Care and has been with the hospital since April, 1999.