Candidate Q&A: Eastern Rio Blanco Health Service District

MEEKER | Seven candidates are running for three seats on Meeker’s hospital board this election cycle. As an in-person forum was not possible due to scheduling conflicts, the HT provided an online survey for readers to submit questions and have included those here, as well.

Candidate responses are in no particular order below, laid out as space allows.

WHAT WE ASKED:

What do we need to know about you? (brief bio, board experience, potential conflicts of interest … e.g. current or past employment of self or family members, business connections, legal issues with the district, etc.)
In your opinion, is the district moving in the right direction or the wrong direction for the Meeker community and why?
What are the 3 biggest concerns you have for the district and what ideas would you bring to the board to address those concerns?

WHAT YOU ASKED:

These questions were submitted anonymously through an online survey in lieu of an in-person forum.

Are you in support of open bidding for building projects?
What are your feelings about sharing information from executive sessions?
Communication and transparency has been a major issue at PMC, how do you plan to improve it? This includes communication between board and hospital administration, hospital administration and PMC staff, PMC staff and board. Nearly a year ago two board members resigned.
The board and hospital CEO decided to not fill those positions. Where do you stand on a 7 vs 5 member board?
The current board has been very easily manipulated and controlled by the hospital CEO. How easily will it be for the current CEO to manipulate this newly elected board?
How will the newly elected board members address the constant need for additional construction and the money being spent on it?
How will you address the constant turnover that the hospital has seen the last 2 years?
Transparency and honesty are valued traits in this area. How can you as a board member exhibit both of those traits?
In years past, Pioneers Medical Center has been involved in the community in every event and assisted many organizations in Meeker. How can you as a board member bring the community involvement back to this organization that has been lost with this administration?

WADE BRADFIELD

After graduating from Meeker High School and Colorado Northwestern Community College, my wife and I spent about eleven years in the Portland, Oregon, area. I was an aircraft mechanic, and she worked at a level 1 Trauma center. We decided to move back home in 1996 to raise our son closer to family and start a business. We opened Carquest Auto Parts while my wife worked in Craig at The Memorial Hospital. After three years, we sold the store and opened Meeker Collision Center, which we still run today. My wife has worked at PMC twice, at both the old and new locations. She left last April. I served on the Meeker Fire Board for eight years until I was termed out four years ago. Six years as board chair and a volunteer EMT for the last seven years.
PMC appears to be moving in the right direction from what I can see. I need to look at financials and see what plans they have for the future to make a more informed opinion. I would also hope the aging population has been considered and how to diversify income sources.
I’m concerned about constant construction and rapid growth. I would like to see the hospital and community grow and prosper, but I have seen downturns in our town before and hope the current Board has taken that into account. I also have noticed a lot of turnover in staff. I interact most often with the ER, but people have shared that all departments have had a lot of turnovers. People leave for many reasons beyond an employer’s control but providing a good work environment with appropriate compensation is something PMC should strive to do.
Easy, the citizens of our community.
Generally yes, with a preference for local contractors if they can do the project. I was involved in the purchase and new construction of the office and training center for the Fire District. We used locals where possible and held them to our timeline.
Never. If it’s in an executive session, it can’t be shared. However, I have seen executive sessions abused, and they should be used minimally.
Communication is always vital, whether like me with nine employees or PMC with over 200. Hospital leadership must establish both internal and external lines of communication so staff and the public can be heard without unnecessary circular conversations that lead to gossip and poor morale.
I feel the drop to five was a mistake by the Board. It was perceived as sneaky and without input from the public. I’m sure PMC legal looked at and approved it, but that decision continues to be criticized.
The wording of this question makes me uncomfortable. I know four current board members, and I cannot see them bullied or manipulated—the CEO answers to the Board. I will value the CEO’s opinion and suggestions. If a person has made it to the CEO position, they should have a vast knowledge of healthcare and business for the Board to draw from. I also think the Board should educate themselves and stay apprised of state and federal changes affecting the hospital’s reimbursement rate. I will do what is best for our community’s health care while trying to provide the most cost-effective approach for the taxpayer.
As I previously stated, to justify additional construction, PMC needs to have a clear, strategic vision communicated and supported by the staff and our community. As a board member, I will need to see how future projects are funded and if they are truly beneficial to the community.
Turnover is not a problem that is isolated to the hospital. I see new faces at the lumber yard, bank, restaurants, etc. However, it is imperative to have a culture that supports and values the staff. I would support programs to “grow our own” and minimize the need to utilize traveling staff.
Minimize executive sessions and do what you say. As a board, we work for you.
The Board sets the tone for the organization and is ultimately responsible for its culture and reputation. Many organizations include community service as part of their performance evaluation process, including executive leadership. I think this would be a good place to start.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve, Wade Bradfield

JEFF ESKELSON

I was born and raised in Meeker. Attended college in Denver and Arizona State University. We own a small business in Meeker and I’m a Consultant Engineer for Rockwell Automation. My Dad (Dr. Eskelson) and Mother (Judy Eskelson) practiced medicine in Meeker, each for over 40 years. My wife (Kristen) is an RN and currently in charge of Infection Prevention for PMC. I have served on the Chamber of Commerce and was a County Commissioner from 2012 to 2016.
I believe financial growth and opportunity for our community are a positive thing. Our community has been fortunate that PMC developed and acquired expertise in specific markets in the medical industry that have allowed their employment and revenue numbers to increase steadily.
– Continuous, responsible growth. With growth come growing pains, finding or developing the necessary staff, ensuring we have the infrastructure, equipment and financial capacity for continued growth and opportunities.
- Employee acquisition and retention. This is a large issue as the responsibility lies not only with the hospital but the community at large. Exploring new internal skills and educational opportunities for the people that already live here is a start.
- Regulations and the agencies that enforce them. It seems to me that the smaller hospitals seem to bear more relative weight in some of the seemingly ridiculous rules and regulations that have inhibited PMC’s ability to provide high quality healthcare. One idea is address the legislators directly. We have Commissioners but who is better suited to carry an issue to an agency like AGNC than a member of the board of directors with intimate knowledge of the requirements and unnecessary pressure placed on personnel by these agencies?
I’m not only an advocate for open bidding, I’m a huge supporter of leveraging every resource possible in utilizing local contractors and businesses where feasible.
First my feelings about executive sessions in general. Executive sessions should be used as sparingly as possible and only when legal, personnel or other legal matters that have a necessary confidential component requiring board discussion. There are legal ramifications for publicly disclosing information discussed in these sessions. There is usually an honor based agreement between board members that information discussed within the framework of an executive session is kept private unless agreed upon by the members of the board.
I believe firmly in the chain of command. If a manager or supervisor cannot handle the tasks set forth for them by their managers or the board then changes need to be made. That being said I also believe in an open door policy for all personnel and management. It’s ludicrous to assume that an employee, patient or constituent cannot speak directly to a board member or any member of the management team with the caveat that all employees and managers have a clear understanding of their duties, responsibilities and reporting structure. I.E. I am happy to hear and discuss any pertinent issue but we will agree in the end that the chain of command will be followed.
Bench depth and the number of people that are willing or able to serve on all these community boards can be an issue. I personally think we can all have success with either number on the board.
Relationships are as varied as the people in them. The highest percentage of failure in any relationship generally boils down to one word, communication. Has the board convened, studied and developed a deep understanding of the goals and expectations of hospital leadership and effectively communicated these expectations?
Constantly emerging and developing markets need constantly moving and evolving infrastructure, equipment and personnel. As PMC continues to acquire and develop skills, technology and expertise, our responsibility is to analyze the short and long term costs and return on investment for these evolutions.
Employee retention in this area has always been an issue. Many factors come into play, cost of living, housing etc. The one area I believe we can make strides in is having a stable, challenging, pleasant place to work. This again boils down to ensuring an open dialogue between all employees, management and the board of directors but in my view, the most important factor is a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities.
In a word, trust. We need to earn the trust of the community and we need to earn the trust of the employees. In my opinion, communication is once again the key to obtaining this goal.
I believe we can accomplish this by reconnecting and collaborating with outstanding groups that already exist in the community, partnering and augmenting community events, scholarship opportunities and making a conscious effort to be involved in all the great summer and winter events.

KAI TURNER (incumbent)

I was born in Rangely, Colorado, in 1962, grew up in Meeker and lived here most of my life.
I have been on the PMC board for nearly six years. I have a sister-in-law who is a doctor at PMC but do not feel it is a conflict. I feel it is important to serve our community and have served on a few other boards in the area.

Pioneers Medical Center is moving in a positive direction and expanding departments and some services. PMC employs nearly 200 people and with failing rural hospitals around the state and country it’s fortunate we have staff that believe in providing personalized medical service we all want for our friends and family in a rural area.

Growing pains have been a challenge and even though it’s very exciting, being proactive is sometimes difficult to maintain. Trial and error from being reactive at times does provide valuable lessons as the organization moves forward in a positive direction.
Housing is and has been a big issue for not only the hospital but other entities.

The PMC board is a representation of the community and should try to make decisions for the majority of the people and be fiscally responsible.

Communication is paramount for any successful organization and sometimes needs re-prioritized as growing causes interruption, especially for newer staff.
Better strategic planning can resume now as everyone knows it has been difficult the past few years.

In rural communities where people are very busy it is often hard for organizations to recruit board members. A 5 or 7 member board is fine as long as the board can function well and be representative of the community.

Construction and expansion of our facility is important, with rural hospitals deteriorating we need to take advantage of this opportunity in our community for economics and continue to provide the best service we can as people from surrounding areas are using our services more and more.

Community involvement for the hospital is very important and has been challenging with the growth and changes at the hospital along with a pandemic. I feel we have made it through some tough times and more to come but are now in a position to be more proactive with the community restarting some of the programs that were successful in the past and hopefully some new community engagement activities.

BOBBY GUTIERREZ

Thank you in advance to the voters of eastern Rio Blanco County for the opportunity to earn your trust and your vote in the upcoming special district election of the ERBC Health Services District, May 3, 2022.

My name is Bobby Gutierrez, I was born in the original Pioneers Hospital more than 60 years ago and it would be an honor to serve on the board of directors of what I believe is our county’s finest facility.

I have been married to my wife Wendy for 17 years and between us we have three grown children, who have blessed us with eight wonderful grandkids.

Wendy opened Wendll’s more than 25 years ago and we opened a coffee shop together 14 years ago, then started roasting our own coffee last year. We are appreciative of all the personal and business relationships we have developed over the years and we are always trying to give back to the community, which has given us so much.

Our daughter Fallonn is employed by Pioneers Medical Center as a registered nurse in the emergency department and our niece Alexis has participated in PMC’s “Grow our Own” program since high school, she is currently employed as the Social Service Coordinator for the Walbridge Wing.

I have served as a board member for the Meeker Chamber of Commerce and the Rio Blanco County Historical Society. I was happy to serve the communities of Meeker and Rangely, working for my hometown newspaper, the Rio Blanco Herald Times for more than 20 years as a reporter/photographer/salesman/distributor and even two stints as its editor.

If you trust me with your vote and I am elected, I promise to listen and learn as much as I can about the healthcare industry, to continue education on becoming a better, more effective board member, to use my communication skills to strengthen relationships between the board, the administrators, the providers, the staff and the community and to use my marketing experience to build relationships, to help promote the providers and services offered by the district.

In my humble opinion, our Health Services District is moving in the right direction, providing high quality health care services, using the latest technology, which not only serves our community but also draws clients from surrounding communities, while being one of, if not the largest employer in the county.

The three biggest concerns or what I consider opportunities for improvement for the district are: transparency, recruitment/retention and growth.

As a former reporter, transparency is key to me, especially for a special taxing district, which are accountable to the eastern RBC taxpayers. I believe public business should be done in public and executive sessions should be compliant with Colorado Sunshine laws. I believe better communication is needed between all parties on all levels to make sure we are all on the same page and working towards the same goals.

I plan to study and ask questions to learn more about the district’s recruitment and retention policy. I believe the district currently has a great staff and could hire more. The district should be the premiere employer of the county, with competitive salaries and benefits but there are other factors like limited housing and child care which make recruitment and retention more challenging.

Growth is another area of opportunity for the district and it seems to be expanding their facility and services, hopefully responsibly and as finances allow. I believe it is imperative to keep up with technological advancements, as well as maintain and expand the district’s facilities and services as the needs of the community change.

I’m in favor of open bidding and information from executive sessions, by law, should not be shared with those not in the meeting.

The ERBC Health Services District was established in 2006 by the voters of ERBC, as a seven-person board after much thought and consideration. With revenues of more than $40 million and employing approximately 200 people, seven members will have more ideas and make better, more informed decisions than five, in my humble opinion. I do not agree with or believe the claim of “lack of interest” in the community for serving on the board (a seven-person ballot for three seats is proof of interest), nor do I believe the claim gives the five remaining board members the right to override the will of the voters by the signing of a resolution amending the district’s bylaws. If elected, I would make a motion for the district to go back to a seven-person board and appoint the next highest vote-earners of this upcoming election, to the remaining two positions, thus filling a seven-person board again, as the district was originally created by the voters.

In past years, PMC has been very involved in the community but since the pandemic, I believe it has been challenging for the district to have as much involvement via programs and community events as it did pre-pandemic.

Hopefully, as we move past the pandemic, the district, the board, the staff and the community can close the six-foot gap and work more closely together again, to live healthy, happy lives in eastern Rio Blanco County.

Thank you again for your interest in the eastern Rio Blanco County Health Services District, I ask for your trust and your vote in the May 3, 2022 special district election.

Most importantly, please exercise your right to vote!

God bless all Rio Blanco County voters, the ERBC Health Services District, its board of directors, its providers, its staff and its suppliers.

MIKE HOKE

1) I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska where I attended Creighton University before moving to Colorado Springs in 1968 where I continued my studies at UCCS. I moved to Meeker in 1978 when I was hired on at ColoWyo, staying with them for 31 years and retiring in 2009. After five years of retirement I was asked to drive a school bus for the Meeker School District where I drove full time for seven years and am currently employed as a relief driver.

I served on the Meeker Planning Commission from 1989-1996, the PMC Board from 2010-2018, the period of planning and constructing the present facility, and am currently serving on the Meeker Sanitation Board, since 2011, along with Pioneers Healthcare Foundation since 2021. I was a member of Pioneers Healthcare Foundation in 2016 and 2017 as well. I also served the community as an EMT for the Meeker Ambulance Service and Colowyo from 1988-1996.

2) I believe the District is moving in the right direction overall as far as meeting the medical needs of the community.

3) My three main concerns are as follows:

a. The Board moving to a five person board from a seven person board without community input and thereby limiting community representation.

b. Lack of transparency and regular use of Executive Session at meetings are also concerns. When we proceeded with the plans and construction of the hospital I felt strongly about the need for transparency in every phase of the project.and we did everything we could to keep the community informed. The hospital is partially funded by the taxpayers and therefore accountable to such, who have every right to be informed and allowed to engage regarding important decisions.

c. My third concern is the excessive use of traveling nurses by PMC because of the inability to hire and keep permanent staff. The challenges of staffing in a rural community are significant with limited shopping, entertainment, etc. and are partially mitigated by programs such as “Build Your Own” which is a scholarship program supported by Pioneer Health Foundation. It encourages and supports current residents of the community to pursue careers in healthcare here at PMC. Not only should PMC be more involved in supporting the scholarship program, but provide pertinent information regarding all Meeker has to offer as well as the challenges of living in a rural community to prospective applicants outside of the community. Too often PMC has hired qualified individuals only to see them leave in a short amount of time because they were not prepared for the challenges of living in a rural community.

4) The Board is accountable to the taxpayers who elected them to serve the people and trust them to be fiscally responsible while meeting the medical needs of the community.

5) I am a huge advocate of open bidding which was used when building the current facility. We also requested each contractor, if selected, to hire local people, using local resources as much as possible. There are a number of people from this community who are still employed by the companies who hired them initially for construction of PMC.

6) Executive Session should be used on a very limited basis and only when legally required. Some issues brought to the Boards attention cannot be made public and this is the only reason executive session should be used. When it is used in the manner it was meant for I do not believe that information should or can be shared. If executive sessions are used in the majority of meetings, this could be a serious red flag.

Additional question answers

Effective and honest communication is imperative for any organization to run smoothly. I can think of few other organizations where communication is as important as in a facility such as PMC, where lack of communication not only effects the organization as a whole, but could have devastating consequences for patients. If anyone involved in PMC, employees, department heads, or even administration have honest issues with effective communication they should be directed to courses to help them overcome this problem. If they refuse to address the issue then other steps may need to be taken.

When speaking of transparency in regards to hospital staff and board members I believe it is imperative there be no hidden agendas. Honest, open communication is essential on all levels.

Although I prefer a seven person board for better representation, I believe a five person board can be adequate if the board members are approachable, allowing concerned parties to express their ideas or concerns and always taking them into consideration.

I honestly have no knowledge of anybody being manipulated by anybody else. The definition of manipulate is to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner (Dictionary.com). If the CEO or any board member cannot engage honestly with others then I don’t believe they have any business being in either position.

Turnover in the hospital is nothing new. With COVID the issue was made worse. I believe I answered this question in #3c specifically.

Board members are elected by the community to represent them and should always keep that in the forefront of any decision they make, making sure the organization is being transparent through whatever means necessary (i.e., newspapers, open board meetings, town hall discussions, etc). Honesty is of the utmost importance no matter how difficult the subject. The taxpayers definitely have the right to know.

I do not know if anything was lost, but I believe strongly in PMC’s involvement in community projects and events. This has been done through the Pioneers Health Foundation and should continue to be accomplished through that particular part of the organization.

J.H. SHERIDAN

I am a long-time member of the Meeker community and believe the services of the Eastern Rio Blanco County Health Services District (HSD) are remarkable and important for the citizens of the HSD. I have served on two professional boards (White River Electric Association [2002 – 2014] and Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association [2009 – 2014]) where I earned the “Credentialed Cooperative Director” and “Board Leadership” certificates. I have and am currently serving on multiple volunteer boards. I have 21 years of Banking experience and 9 years of Office Management / Accounting experience. I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Denver. Full disclosure: I have cousins and a cousin-in-law who are currently employed by the district, and a cousin who is an incumbent candidate for this board. I was employed by the district as a Staff Accountant (2005 – 2006) and left on good terms. My current employer supplies power to the HSD. I have no legal issues with the HSD.
I believe the HSD is moving in the right direction. The services offered by the HSD are beneficial to the citizens of the HSD as well as populations from outside the HSD.
One concern is the HSD’s continued success to attract and retain quality and qualified personnel. With the increased competition for medical related employees, the HSD must remain competitive in the compensation and work environment areas. Exploration of enhanced and varying compensation packages and work environments will lead to the HSD’s success in attracting and retaining employees. Another concern is the increasing and complex health care regulations continually being implemented. The HSD must remain fully compliant with these regulations to assure maximum reimbursement. To address this concern, I think it is important for the HSD to have adequate resources, both internal personnel and external consultation. Another concern is to assure the financial viability of the HSD remains positive and strong. Intense budgeting, analysis, and monitoring are required in this area. Peer comparisons, ratio analysis, and trends should be closely monitored by financial personnel and the Board.
The Board is accountable to the Health Service District and the citizens of the Health Service District.
I generally am not in support of the open bidding process as the bid contents are not kept confidential and may disclose trade secrets and other bidder confidential information. I think the HSD must provide a comprehensive, thorough bid request package and ask for sealed bids.
Information from executive sessions should not be shared outside of executive sessions.
Communication and transparency issues, either real or perceived, always seem to be issues in most organizations. Good board meeting agendas and minutes are very important for both communication and transparency. I would like to see the HSD website enhanced to contain all public related documents (governance, agendas, minutes, resolutions, audits, budgets, etc.).
My preference is a 7-member board. I do acknowledge that there are multiple special districts in this area that function quite well with a 5-member board. A 7-member board has more input and points-of-view.
I hope it is never easy for anyone to manipulate or control any board. To eliminate or reduce the possibility of the board being manipulated, the board members must understand the issue, identify options, discuss the pros and cons, ask questions, perform research, and devote sufficient time to the issue. This process will reduce / eliminate the possibility for manipulation and/or control.
I’m sure the need for additional construction has been the result of decisions made that will improve the HSD and that significant analysis has been directed towards the funding of the additional construction. It will be important to analyze future construction requests and associated funding requirements and sources.
It is important to examine the turnover rates at comparable, peer organizations to determine where this HSD ranks. The board will need to analyze the ranking, determine the appropriate rate, and take appropriate action. For elevated turnover rates, research and analysis will need to be performed to determine the factors leading to the higher rates.
Honesty: always tell the truth and expect / demand others to tell the truth. Transparency: As a board member, I would always be willing to answer questions and provide non-confidential information as requested. I always encourage citizens of the HSD to attend board meetings and get their questions answered.
I think it would be important for the board, management, staff, and citizens to determine the appropriate level of community involvement and assistance. Once the proper level and types are determined, resources should be budgeted to support these levels of community involvement and assistance.

TODD SHULTS (incumbent)

In my last four years of being on the Pioneers Medical Center Board I’m proud to have Becker recognize PMC as one of the 27 critical hospitals, along with upgrading the CAT scanner equipment. As well as adding a new MRI office. I am very proud to finally have a pharmacy at PMC. I am also very grateful and proud of our staff at PMC for being awarded over $500,000 in grant funding. This has helped us tremendously in many different areas of the hospital. I would love to have another four years on this board, I am once again asking for your vote. Being re-elected would be very honoring and I would continue to improve and help our local hospital to become the best that it can be to serve our community.