Attempts made to hire a physician.
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Following a closed executive
session, Sublette County Rural Health
Care District Chairman Wendy Boman announced
that EMT schedules will remain the
same through September.
“We had a lengthy discussion about EMS
scheduling,” she said. “What we have decided
to do, going forward, is to let the 48
(hour) 96 (hour) schedule continue until
Sept. 1st when we will reevaluate it. There
will be some caveats that Dave (Doorn) will
talk about, but for right now, we will continue
with the 48/96 schedule.”
Doorn and trustee Bill Johnson will continue
to carry out discussions on the EMT
schedule over the following months, Boman
added.
Boman’s announcement was greeted with
thank yous and applause from the large audience
assembled for the meeting, including a
large number of EMTs.
“Thank you for keeping (our) schedule up
until Sept. 1st,” EMS Operations Director
Bill Kluck said. “That’s a huge load off my
mind.”
During public comments, Boman dispelled
rumors that she said are circulating
around the county. She emphasized that
board members “do not get paid anything”
for their service, and the rumor that board
members received a raise is completely false.
Boman stated that deputies were called
into last month’s meeting at her request because
“I knew it was going to be an emotional
meeting.” The deputies were not there to single
out any individual.
Boman added that the board has “never
stopped staff from speaking out” at any time,
but reiterated that staff members need to
“make sure that the information they provide
is accurate.” Boman provided the example of
a false report circulating on Monday that nine
EMTs had resigned.
Johnson also spoke to quell some “rumbling
in the community.” He outlined the
goals and accomplishments of the board,
including vetoing the previous board’s plan
to pursue a hospital project at the Bloomfield
site.
Johnson explained that the “intent” of the
board was to purchase the Pinedale ball field
and make the current clinic the focal point for
any critical access hospital moving forward.
Johnson added that the board’s priority was
to build “good working relationships” with
the county commissioners and town governments.
He stated that the board is working on a
“step-by-step” long-term plan for extended
care in the Big Piney/Marbleton area. He also
praised Doorn for bringing monthly expenses
down “significantly.”
Trustee Mike Pompy emphasize that the
board “has not voted” on any critical access
hospital plan, and that the trustees are not
unanimous about the critical access hospital.
He added that he is not against looking into
project ideas and stated that “we will start
proceeding (with the CAH) when all of the
different ideas on the board are consolidated.”
Doorn announced that he met with Lorraine
Werner of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture about the critical access hospital
project. He said Werner was “anxious to do
a (CAH) project with us,” but was looking
for a project that was “more conservative” in
scope and cost.
The board continued its discussion of
expanding care at the Big Piney/Marbleton
Clinic. Pompy presented a proposal to the
board with several different options involving
on-call staff and offering incentives like
housing for practitioners when they are in
south county.
Pompy said cost estimates for his proposal
ranged from $750,000 to $1.5 million. He reemphasized
that this was only a preliminary
proposal, and encouraged the board members
to add their input.
Trustee Tonia Hoffman added that the
goal to provide around-the-clock health care
for the southern part of Sublette County will
take time, and said that there are several days
when only one primary practitioner is on staff
at the Marbleton Clinic.
Patricia Berndt, a radiologist at the Marbleton
Clinic, reported that she is in charge
of scheduling, and noted that with the existing
staff shortage, providing two primary
practitioners per day at both clinics is a challenge.
Hoffman reiterated that this process will
take time and is a “work in progress.”
“The public needs to know that (expanding
care) is a big priority,” she said. “This
isn’t something you hear about on a monthly
basis, but we are quietly trying to work these
issues and reestablish after-hours care in
Marbleton – somehow, some way. We do
have commitments from other entities financially
to pitch in when we have a concrete
plan.”
Doorn announced that the district is searching for doctor and another physician assistant to hire.