Hospital board dropping to 5 members

Greater Regional Health board of directors approved to transition from a seven-member board to a five-member board during its regularly scheduled meeting Monday.

The board has had a vacant seat as Tom Dunphy resigned in December 2022. He served for 24 years and was re-elected for another term the prior month.

Greater Regional Chief Executive Officer Monte Neitzel said the board’s action will change the bylaws to five members. Each member will serve four-year terms.

“When Sherry (McKie) serves the end of her term, this will take effect January 1, 2025. That was also dissolve the position held by Tom Dunphy,” Neitzel said about board action.

McKie and member Julie Lanning each have terms that expire this year. McKie is not running for another term. Candidate nomination forms are due 5 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 28.

“Trying to find people to serve is a challenge from what I’ve heard from other CEOs,” Netizel said. “We’ve been talking about this for over a year.”

Neitzel said the switch, and state legislation altering terms of public service, does change the format for Greater Regional Health board member terms. He said the other four members will be on the ballot in 2026.

As a seven-member board, member terms were staggered. Two members were on one ballot, three members’ terms were two years later and the remaining two members’ terms were two years after that.

“We expressed our concern about that to the state,” Neitzel said about the switch to five and timings of terms. “So noted,” he added about the state’s response.

Other board members are Tom Lesan, Dave Driskell, Jack Davis and Ken Stults.

In other hospital news...

The board approved a donation of approximately $15,000 to the city of Corning for new playground equipment for a park. The donation is on behalf of the Corning Medical Clinic.

UnityPoint Health Director of Rural Health Resources Teresa Newman told the board via telephone COVID cases are increasing across the state. The case count has not increased hospital admissions.