3 hospital board members to be elected in primary
QUESTIONS
1. What qualifications do you have that would effectively serve and benefit the hospital if you are elected to this position?
2. What sets you apart from your opponents?
3. What is your main concern about Perkins County Health Services and how would you address that issue if elected?
4. Where do you see the hospital and rest home in 10 years?
* Candidates appear in the order they filed and appear on the ballot.
Bonnie Taubenheim
1. My qualifications would be experience, love of my community, and the time to serve on the board.
I have served on the PCHS Hospital Board and the Hospital Foundation Board for over five years. In those years I have learned about what it takes to make a good hospital run properly. There have been many changes in the last five years and they have been good for both the hospital and the community.
Before I was on the board I worked for many years in an office where we dealt with lots of people daily. I feel those skills learned in working with and helping people has aided me on the board.
As a board member, we need to listen to public opinion and be educated on the changes taking place that affect the hospital in order to make the best decisions for PCHS.
2. I can’t really say what sets me apart from any of my opponents. I would hope we all have the same goals in mind, and that is to do what is best for PCHS.
3. My main concern for PCHS is the rest home and the need for updates. Since it is the home of many of our friends and relatives, I feel they deserve a room to live in where they can feel comfortable and safe.
This is for both the resident and their visitors. We need a rest home that we can be proud of and can serve our community for many years to come.
The renovation of the rest home will be discussed by the board in the near future as it is part of our strategic plan that the board approved this year.
4. I am very optimistic and feel that in 10 years PCHS will still be the best hospital around and the renovated/new rest home will be filled. Our new strategic plan includes hiring the best staff and redoing the rest home.
I have no doubt this plan will be followed because we have a great staff in both the hospital and rest home that takes pride in their job and the care of the patients/residents.
Mary Jo Gengenbach
1. As a four-year incumbent, I make my decisions based on the philosophy that PCHS will provide the best quality patient health care possible balanced with financial stability and sustainability. Also PCHS must provide an environment of positive support and appreciation for all staff and medical providers.
My background includes serving 12 years as a member of the Perkins County School Board. My education was at University of Nebraska/Lincoln and University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. My work history includes Nebraska Department of Social Services and Heartland Counseling prior to my own private practice Counseling and Education Services where I practiced as a licensed social worker(CSW) and addiction counselor(CADAC). Currently my husband and I farm and ranch south of Grant.
2. I trust that all the candidates have something to offer. Speaking for myself I do not believe in “rubber stamp” or yes boards. I appreciate vigorous discussion of all viewpoints. I look for consensus to build on and work to move forward.
Secondly, I will point out that we are a board of only five members so attendance at meetings is essential. This time commitment includes regular meetings, special meetings, committee meetings and special events.
3. Compliance with government rules, regulations and compensation formulas are subject to change and difficult to predict. These are variables that we can not control but by having a solid bottom line and a diligent staff staying on top of these issues we are in a better position to deal with change.
A good problem that we have now would be “growing pains”. In other words with the addition of doctors and services our patient numbers have dramatically risen which in turn requires additional staff, supplies and use of space. Managing and hiring staff to keep up with our growth is a priority now.
4. In 2017 the current board began a strategic planning process which consisted of planning meetings with staff, medical providers, administration, community members and board members. The purpose is to develop an organized set of goals with priorities, a timeline and budget. We have an extensive rough draft of this plan available to the public but to be brief I can only touch on some of this.
A first priority was to recruit a new primary doctor with OB/GYN which is ongoing right now. Other goals include expansion of services and providers, design of a new kitchen/cafeteria and addressing needs for long term care. These are significant decisions that require research, analysis and discussion.
So to summarize—my vision for the hospital is to become the Southwest Nebraska Hub for Quality Health Care and I think it is happening right now. While many of our neighboring communities are struggling to provide doctors and health care PCHS has added doctors and services.
Staff will tell you of people driving by other facilities to come to PCHS because of the reputation of quality doctors and services. Who would have believed 10 years ago that we would have a full-time surgeon and consulting/visiting surgeons who literally keep two operating rooms busy right now?
So to summarize for the rest home—personally I feel that the staff is excellent, however I think that the current facility is woefully inadequate. I expect at the least we should be able to do remodeling and updating and to move to private rooms. All options are being looked at.
As you may have heard in March of 2018 the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services stepped in to take 21 nursing home facilities under receivership(bankruptcy). Stories of employees not being paid for three weeks and patients at risk are very alarming.
If elected, I understand that we need to proceed with caution but I am confident that we could find a way to upgrade and provide quality long term care. Personally I would like to see these changes to upgrade begin as soon as possible.
Richard Thurin
1. I have previously served on the hospital board for eight years and I have the experience and knowledge that this position requires.
2. N/A
3. At this time I have no major issues or concerns with Perkins County Health Services. The most important thing is patient care and meeting the needs of the community.
4. Having adequate facilities for our patients.
Chris Fryzek
1. With my primary job as a certified public accountant, I have experience analyzing large amounts of data in short periods of time in a way that allows me to draw reasonable conclusions. As with my customers’ information, the data I am provided by the hospital administration will be run through the same filter so as to ask pertinent and penetrating questions when required and to not obsess on rabbit trail issues when not.
2. Though my backward racing hairline would tell you otherwise, I think my relative youth has already provided me access to information that some of my opponents may not receive. These concerns and information were received from younger members of our community who may not feel as comfortable discussing such topics outside of their peer group.
In fact, during the meet-and-greet session I was approached by a number of folks in the 20 - 40 range who had concerns they wished to voice about issues at the hospital. And though I certainly would not wish to promote any sort of classification by age or other construct except for qualification for the position, I do think that having a varied platform of involved and engaged board members would be beneficial for the community and for the hospital.
3. As one might assume given my background, I do have a innate desire to understand and help develop financial policy at the hospital. This ranges from short and long term budget goals, to better understanding the billing, collection and other financial considerations of the medical world so that I might help PCHS stay on the cutting edge. I also think there will be a growing demand for “a la carte” medical services and that PCHS should be on the leading edge of developing, delivering and advertising those services in the local and regional area.
4. Without the intimate knowledge of the current board and its pressing issues, I would be hesitant to offer specific prescriptions for a 10-year plan. However, I do think that medical services in rural areas will continue to be a growing area in the coming years, but that cost will continue its rapid outpacing of inflation.
With these ideas in mind, it will be important for the board to focus intensely on understanding the areas for which we are well suited in our small, well-knit community. Perhaps more important is to know that there will be areas for which we will not be well suited to keep pace with the “Jones” of the medical world and to avoid unnecessary and avoidable capital and overhead expenses in these areas.
I also think the board must either put into place, re-emphasize, or better communicate a policy of “keeping it local” whenever possible when it comes to acquiring staff, supplies or services. PCHS should be a large source of both pride and revenue return in the local area.