By Mary Alice Murphy and Margaret Hopper
The Beat has received several inquiries from readers wanting to know if Gila Regional Medical Center is top-heavy in administrators.
In fact, GRMC has one fewer top-level, C-class administrator, than it did before the new administration came into being in the summer of 2013.
When the new administrators were brought in from in-house positions during that summer of financial turmoil, they began with salaries much lower than the previous administrators.
Then-Interim Chief Executive Officer Brian Cunningham, who, after months to prove himself, became the full CEO, asked at the time that he not receive a raise to the going rate for hospital CEOs. He served for two years at well below what he would have received at most other similar hospitals.
Within the past year, he received a $67,500 increase to bring him up to the standard financial rate for CEOs managing hospitals similar in size to GRMC.
He has repeatedly said that the 4-mill levy initiative that is on the General Election ballot will follow the resolution the GRMC Board of Trustees passed to put the item out to voters. The resolution specifically states that the proceeds, approximately $3.3 million annually, will go toward equipment and building upgrades to the 33-year-old facility.
Cunningham has also promised to relay to the trustees, as well as to the County Commission, what every dollar of the funding is used for.
The commissioners fashioned the ballot initiative to follow similar language of the many other counties in the state that also have mill levies that support their hospitals.
On the state ballot this year, in their respective areas, renewals for mill levies ranging from the 6.4 mills for the University of New Mexico Hospital to 4.2 mill levies for Sandoval County and Presbyterian Hospital, indicate that GRMC is one of the last in the state to request county resident support.
Below, you will find information, received by the Beat earlier this week through a formal request on salaries for administrators and directors. The Beat received the list you see below, but not for all directors.
Looking into the job descriptions, the position of Chief Executive Officer requires extensive vision, experience and ability to anticipate future need and conditions. That person is tasked with quality improvement, change and transformation, the development of employee and contractor standards, performance assessment and improvement.
Of a more practical, specific nature, the CEO prepares the annual budget, the management action plan, oversees all physical properties, the financial collections and licensing requirements to stay in compliance. He provides the administrative, fiscal and personnel resources for departments and staff, addresses risk management and all the safety considerations.
He keeps GRMC informed on all the federal, state and local requirements. Any non-compliances are brought to the boardG