Hospital board reviews by-laws, staffing
By Melinda L. Lucas
A meeting of the Shackelford County Hospital District’s board of directors, expected from the beginning to be long, did in fact extend into an almost four-hour event, with more than an hour of that in two separate closed sessions.
Reported during the regular part of the meeting was an apparent “theft of water” from the clinic building, discovered after district administrator Brandi Green received a $793 water bill in March. Typically, she said, the monthly bill is for the minimum amount, which is under $80.
After checking for leaks and conferring with a plumber, Green took measures to prevent further theft, and she feels that the problem will not reoccur.
By-Laws Proposals
With district legal counsel John Montgomery present, there was a lengthy discussion about proposed changes to the current district by-laws.
Several board members had submitted written suggestions about changes or additions to the by-laws.
Annette Harris went through the wording in a number of articles.
Montgomery cautioned the board that because the basic wording originates from state statute, it would be difficult to remove phrases.
“These definitions came from the State of Texas or prior by-laws,” Montgomery said. “If we add (a phrase) to them, that’s not a problem, as long as we don’t take away.”
For example, the clause “with the permission of the board” was added to one section as a proposal.
After the proposals were reviewed, including the time frame required for a director to add an item to a posted agenda, Montgomery said he would make the suggested changes and present the new document to the board members.
Harris made a motion, with language suggestions from Montgomery, to post the entire amended proposed by-laws with the next meeting agenda according to statute so that the new document can be adopted in May if the directors choose to do so.
Personnel Decision
The district portion of the meeting was recessed for an hour so that the board could conduct clinic business.
They then went into closed session for about 40 minutes to discuss a clinic personnel matter.
A motion was made to modify compensation for an existing employee whose role has expanded to include additional operational duties, with Maggie Viertel and JoAnn Estridge voting in favor and Mike Folsom and Harris against. Board president Jason Price broke the tie with a vote against. The motion did not pass.
The clinic portion of the meeting adjourned at that point and went back to the district agenda.
Dual Employment
The directors decided that Kayla Herron, who is already employed at the clinic, could also be put on the EMS schedule for shift work after completing EMT training earlier this month.
Green had researched state law regarding “dual employment within the hospital district” and presented the board with a policy.
Harris made a motion to approve the policy, with Folsom also voting in favor. Viertel abstained, and Estridge voted against.
The motion carried 2-1 with one abstention.
EMS Director Contract
Following discussion in closed session, a motion was made by Estridge and seconded by Viertel to again table a proposed contract originally presented by EMS director Mateo Millan in February.
A new copy provided by Montgomery will be reviewed in May.
Other Closed Session Items
Also when the board reconvened in open session, a motion passed to turn over the question of “possible bank depository contracts with Clear Fork Bank and/or First Financial Bank” to the district’s finance committee. The committee will report back to the board.
Another motion allows the district to move forward with pursuing research grants available for investment opportunities.
Other Business
•Tara Boiles of Condley and Company presented the 2023 audit draft, which was approved by the board. The final audit, which has a “clean opinion” with no findings, should be approved at the May meeting.
•Randall Palmore of Clear Fork Bank presented a 6-month rate of 4% to renew a CD expiring this month. A motion was made by Harris to take the CD off auto-renewal and renew for six months at the proposed rate.
•Several other CDs expiring in the coming months were discussed, with the agreement that they would also be taken off auto-renewal and renewed at the best rate available.
•A CD with First Financial Bank expiring April 22 was discussed, and Harris made a motion to authorize Price to “negotiate the CD rate at a rate that is equal to or higher than the 4.0% rate presented by Clear Fork Bank. The motion passed.
•District secretary Regina Whitt presented a list of bad debt “write-offs” from 2023 and as instructed from the March meeting. Price as board president and Harris as chair of the finance committee both “signed off” on the list.
•Whitt reported that a “landing zone” class was scheduled for Wednesday, April 23 and that EMS personnel would also participate in the Health Fair on May 12.
•Guest Karin Cox mentioned that Nurses Week is May 6-12 and that board members should recognize the nurses in the district’s employ.
•Green said that the clinic will be utilizing a feature within their existing software that will allow some shortcuts on credit card processing, helping with the work flow and leaving less room for error in re-posting the credits.
