MEEKER | The Eastern Rio Blanco County Health Service District’s Pioneers Medical Center board held its regular January meeting last week, with all board members present to discuss hospital operations, community health initiatives and a leadership transition following the departure of CEO Liz Sellers.
Representatives from Ovation, the organization that supports the hospital’s financial operations, attended the meeting. Eric Jones, senior vice president of financial operations, joined virtually and said he has had “the pleasure of supporting Pioneers over the years.” Jones emphasized the importance of continuity during the transition.
“The most important thing is to bridge that gap,” Jones said. “Reputation, that’s the main thing — just to keep the organization going with the momentum that you already have.”
Mike Reynolds, who previously served as interim chief financial officer, also participated and noted travel delays while reaffirming his commitment to the organization.
The board formally acknowledged Sellers’ departure after six years as CEO, during which she oversaw hospital expansion, financial stability and a focus on patient-centered care. The board discussed appointing Steve Hannah as interim CEO and granting him full authority.
Board legal counsel Bob Gardner advised the board to act promptly, saying, “I think you need to have a meeting — it can be remotely — as soon as you can, to appoint the interim CEO and grant that person CEO power.” Gardner added that an executive session may be necessary to review contract terms.
New Chief of Staff Dr. Karen Frye said the medical staff hopes to be involved in the search for a permanent CEO.
Frye emphasized the importance of maintaining a patient-centered approach during the transition, noting the impact leadership has had on care delivery.
“Right now we have someone who is very patient oriented, and it has made a huge difference in terms of caring for our patients in a very small facility where it’s not always financially beneficial for us to care for these people, but we do it because it’s the right thing to do,” Frye said.
Beyond leadership matters, the board reviewed hospital operations and community health initiatives. The Community Health Needs Assessment, conducted countywide with multiple stakeholders, was highlighted as a tool for guiding coordinated action to address local health priorities.
Chief Nursing Officer Janelle Borchard provided updates on surgery management, telemetry monitoring and staffing changes in the emergency department and medical-surgical units.
Financial matters were approved unanimously later in the meeting, after which the board entered executive session to discuss legal matters.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 24, with a financial meeting beginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by the regular board meeting at 10 a.m. at Pioneers Medical Center in the IT training room.