Parker becomes hospital trustee

Recently retired Jefferson County Health Center vice president of clinical services Joneane Parker was sworn in as a member of the hospital?s board of trustees Monday.

Parker was asked to fill the seat of Joan Tedrow. Tedrow had served on the board since January 2012, when she was asked to complete the term of Grace Bogaards, a 14-year member of the board who had submitted a letter of resignation the prior month.

Jefferson County Health Center Board of Trustees chairwoman Renee Rebling reminded the trustees that when a board member resigns during his or her six-year term, the board attempts to fill the vacancy with a person of a similar background.

Because Tedrow was a woman retired from the health care field, Parker was a perfect fit because she also was a woman retired from the health care field, said Rebling.

Tedrow had worked at Jefferson County Hospital for more than 41 years from September 1957 through Dec. 1, 1998 ? the last few years as director of nursing.

Parker began her nearly 44-year career in 1972 at Jefferson County Hospital, moving into the administration side before her retirement in December.

Parker?s term as a trustee will end in 2020.

In other board action, the trustees re-elected their current slate of officers. Rebling will continue as chairwoman. Bob Keller will continue as vice chairman, and Merlin Miller will continue as secretary/treasurer.

The other trustees are Julie Greeson, Greg Hanshaw, Joneane Parker and Todd Reifsteck.

With CEO Deb Cardin?s last day of work set for March 31, the search for a replacement is continuing. The search committee, including Cardin, Hanshaw, Reifsteck, Parker and the health center?s HR manager Nanette Everly, has narrowed a candidate list to six. The committee is in the process of interviewing those six to narrow the field down to three. The final three will be interviewed by the leadership team, physicians and the board before a decision is made on who will be hired as the next CEO.

The board plans to meet with HGA architects during its next meeting concerning the facility?s addition and clinic remodel project.

The project would add more space adjacent to the imaging department so in-house MRI equipment can be added. The project also would provide more space for the clinic area, and could include a reconfiguration of the Fairfield Clinic and Medical Arts Clinic spaces, such as combining the two waiting rooms into one for patients of both clinics.

The remodeling project also will include adding an exterior glass corridor on the east side of the facility that would link the clinics to the health center. The new corridor would eliminate the current connecting hallway, which, according to health center personnel and patients, is not very user-friendly because people get lost trying to make their way between the clinics and the medical center.

At the request of Rebling, chief financial officer Larry Peach reported on the health center?s new walk-in clinic. Peach said that from Nov. 16-30, the clinic had 158 visits. Its revenues were $10,741, and its expenses were $21,113. He said about half of the clinic?s expenses were start-up costs, ?so it will improve.?