PINEDALE – The Sublette County Rural Health Care District (RHCD) voted to bring back previous facilitator Mark Cross during a regular meeting in the County Commissioners Meeting Room in Pinedale on Wednesday.

Cross was initially hired by county commissioners to mend relations with the RHCD in order to move forward with a critical access hospital (CAH) designation back on Jan. 7 during a workshop.

Board member Wendy Boman has been conducting discussions with commissioners over the past few weeks, and told the board that commissioners agreed to listen if Cross was brought back in.

“They have a real lack in trust in all of us,” Boman said.

She said she conversed with Cross via email on Wednesday, and said his thought on going forward to get a CAH without the commissioners was not a great idea.

“He said it is very, very risky to go it on our own and buy property,” she said. “He recommends we mend fences. The commissioners want transparency.”

Boman said they need to hash out their differences with the commissioners, and fast. Trustee Chuck Bacheller said he would be happy to have Cross come back and talk with the RHCD board.

“It might be a better suggestion to have this board talk with Cross first,” Clark suggested. “It could be a two-day session.”

The board asked if Boman could get with Cross and schedule a pair of meetings during the period of June 14-16.

The board then deliberated if they wanted St. John’s Medical Center to join in the meetings. Boman thought it wasn’t a good idea, stating the board needs to focus on the commissioners at this point. Other board members thought that having St. John’s present would give the commissioners an opportunity to ask questions to the affiliate.

“I think we need to include them in the date to the dance,” board treasurer Kathy Anderson said. “(St. John’s) can have the opportunity to see how we are and if they want to continue pursuing this.”

The board first approved a motion to meet with Cross, which was unanimously approved. A second motion was then put in place to have the RHCD board, county commissioners, Mark Cross and St. John’s all participate in an open meeting with no public comment.

If commissioners don’t want St. John’s to attend, the board stated they would have to go back to the drawing board. The motion was approved 3-1, with Boman voting against it due to her desire to not have St. John’s be at the meeting. Boardmember Scott Scherbel was absent.

For a full recap on Wednesday’s regular meeting, see Tuesday’s Examiner.