Editor's Note: This is the first of a series of articles on a long Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, July 28, 2017.
By Mary Alice Murphy
A new tradition had starting at the beginning of each Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees meeting—a safety moment.
Chief Executive Officer Taffy Arias, at the July 28, 2017, regular board meeting, asked if anyone had a safety moment to present. When no one did, she said the safety moment she would offer "has a lot to do with patients' rights. So you, the patient, knows who your caregiver is, the title of that caregiver, whether an RN, an LPN, a lab tech or whoever. That assures you of that person's competencies."
She noted that years ago, someone came up with an idea to identify the different types of caregivers. "It was decided RNs would wear blue, LPNs another color, and different colors for different titles."
"The patient has the right to ask: 'Who are you?' 'What do you do here?' 'What are you going to do to me?'"
Board Chairman Jeremiah Garcia asked if the badges had security and if there were a protocol to scan badges.
"Every badge has a bar code to scan," Arias said. "When we have terminations, the badges are collected."
No recognitions were listed on the agenda, but Garcia introduced the newest board member, Jeannie Miller, for whom it was her first full board meeting, although she was involved with the Cancer Center decision made in an emergency meeting.
"I thank the commissioners for appointing me to this position," Miller said, "and to Mr. Garcia and everyone for orienting me. I attended all the committee meeting, except for finance. My husband and I moved to Silver City in 2005 from Phoenix, where I did IT (information technology), mostly in public entities.
"I began my career in the newly built hospital at the University of Arizona," Miller continued. "I was in data processing, which is just the old term for IT. I worked in another hospital situation for the Indian Health Service for implementing their electronic records, way before we had the technology we have today."
She said she and her husband had worked it out, where one time it was his job that moved them and the next time it was hers. One of her most recent jobs was doing IT for the Arizona attorney general.
"So I'm familiar with looking at processes, how they go together and how to make things better," Miller said. "We moved here because of the hospital. My husband had major health issues, but this hospital was always a positive experience. After he died, this was the thing that I decided I wanted to do. I want to make this hospital the best it can be."
Garcia allocated 20 minutes, with no more than five minutes per person, for public input.
Linda Nichols was the first to speak, reading from a prepared statement. "I come before you today unhappy about your bringing a training hospital to our Cancer Center. To Tony, I want to thank you for doing what everyone wanted. Yesterday I met with Jeremiah and asked him if he would resign. He said no. I think what you have done is reckless." She continued that not having a transition plan in place was not right for the patients or the hospital and she was told that the change was to bring the best for the patients. "That has not happened. Jeremiah told me it was more or less even with those who wanted the UNM training hospital and that wanted New Mexico Cancer Center. I find that impossible to believe. Our numbers spoke loudly for what we wanted. Where were all the people who wanted the University of New Mexico Cancer Center? I didn't hear anyone say they wanted New Mexico Cancer Center out of here. Did each of you make an informed decision in your vote? Or were you not allowed to be part of the entire process? Do you have any regrets? I ask of you in future decisions to hold each other accountable. One can't help but believe when it came to the scoring system that Dr. McAneny's brilliant mind and success as a female had to play a part in her losing the contract. We couldn't trust you to do the best job for us, and now the only leverage I have and others do, all boils down to money. In the future, when a mill levy comes to a vote, I will remind the public about how little you cared about us and throwing more money your way is not the answer. It will be an organized effort to defeat any bond mill levy. I will speak to groups; I will speak to any employees that employers will allow me to speak to; I will involve the media; and yes, good old Facebook. I may not succeed, but I will persist. I don't give up. Ask my husband and he will say I'm a bulldog who doesn't let go."
Chris DeBolt was the next to speak. She said she was part of the process of hiring the new CEO. "I thank Taffy, because I believe she was the very best choice. I imagine in the middle of this nightmare you've had sleepless hours trying to determine how to mitigate the harm that was done. I stand by you and I believe you, Taffy, have the interest and the heart to provide the best care for our patients, and I thank you."
She pointed out that a lot of myths and rumors have been heard by everyone. "I hear: 'but you don't have the facts.' It's common sense that in a vacuum of facts, the myths and rumors begin. That's what happens when not everything is known. I encourage you not to abide by that process in the future. I know some things you cannot tell us, but others, much more, you can. This process did not have that openness."
DeBolt said she had "heard that Rope 4 Hope has agreed to help pay travel costs for those who need it, but cannot afford it. I think the hospital is responsible for those costs." She said she had also talked to the commissioners about the possibility of using some of the safety net care pool for things other than indigent claims.
She also expressed concern about the discussions going on about the future of the hospital and whether it should become a stand-alone hospital or whatever. The County Commission is spending a lot of money looking at options, whether managed care or others. "It's especially disheartening, because as an employee, I saw the hospital becoming the special hospital we have here, but now I'm seeing that hospital unravel. I hope it doesn't become a stand-alone hospital. I have had excellent care here. It's not the caregivers who have made this happen, it's the leadership."
"I join the calls for the chairman of the board to resign," DeBolt said, "for the benefit of the community and the patients."
Susan Sumrall said she hadn't planned to speak, but said the community is disappointed and doesn't like what happened. "When I am riding to Albuquerque, I don't like seeing friends getting off the plane because they are going for cancer treatment, and it isn't to UNM. I need this hospital for my parents, for my husband and for myself. I don't like to see what's happening."
No others wanted to speak.
"We generally don't comment on public comment," Garcia said. "I hear what you say. It is sad to hear these things. As the chairman, I can only orchestrate the meetings. Each board member is an individual. What's really sad to hear comments against the members, the members informed themselves to make the decision. I abstained, because I had heard from some about their concerns. Every board member received the legal documents and reviewed them. It's sad our new CEO came in during these conditions. I'm very proud of her. Our newest board member was inducted into hellfire.
"This is a tough community," he continued. "The real sad part is that people don't know me well enough to know what I represent. I could be the sacrificial lamb, but I don't think it will help. I honor what these members do. People talk about conflicts, but to be a trustee is to represent our hospital, especially our patients and our caregivers. The overall feeling I get when I walk the halls of the hospital is that they know these trustees work hard. We have to do due diligence for our caregivers, our patients and our commission.
Mrs. Arias has been challenged with a difficult task, Garcia said. "She and her staff know we deal with contracts daily. In the past four years, we've gone through two CEOs, an interim and now a permanent one. Before that time, there were things that were done that we're now dealing with. We had to let the CEO go, and other C-team members that were not producing as we expected them to were let go. In the 12 months I've been the chair, we've had four new trustees come on board, and we've had to make critical decisions. We have had to bring the trustees up to speed on things that happened way before they came on board. We had to put pressure on our leadership to make them accountable."
He cited what had to be done each month over several months within the past year. "I must complement this board for taking action when we needed to take action. We need to do what's right to make this hospital thrive. It saddens me when people don't realize how critical a trustee is. I champion this board. It's one of the best boards I've worked with. We had a RIF (reduction in force). We need to do what's right."
Garcia said if each person in the room were to pick a name of what he or she represents, "I would have to say my name is integrity. Each of us brings something to the table. You don't know me, yet you turn around and ask me to resign. I represent a group of seven. A lot of people have attacked our board and our mission, vision and values."
"I want to read something: things to think about," Garcia said.
The 12 were 1) the past can't be changed; 2) opinions don't define reality; 3) everyone's journey is different; 4) things always get better with time. "We're asking for a chance to make things right." 5) judgments are a confession of character; 6) overthinking leads to sadness; 7) happiness comes from within; 8) positive thoughts bring positive outcomes; 9) smiles bless the giver and the receiver; 10) kindness is free; 11) you only fail if you quit; and 12) what goes around comes around.
"I'm only asking for support of this board," Garcia said. "Jeremiah doesn't quit. Give us the patience to work to make this the best Cancer Center and the best hospital. I respect all of you guys. I understand you. I'm not quitting and all I ask for is support for the board."
He said he had to honor his commitment to the Grant County Commission. "I will not give up. I'm going forward. There is nothing to be ashamed of for what this board has done. Tony Trujillo stands up for what he believes in. I thank him for challenging us."
"It's my time to speak up for all of us," Garcia said. "We all could have quit. We receive a bottle of water and something to eat. That's the only thing we receive for our hours and hours of work for this hospital. Give them the respect they deserve.
"Please help us move forward," Garcia said. "Help us move forward together to be the best we can be. Trustees, yes. Trust us, we have leadership and legal help to protect us. If we are challenged, we have to pay for legal advice. That is dipping into the cookie jar that isn't very big. We have fiduciary responsibility. I'm sticking with the group, which has not received a fair chance. What we approved is public record. I'm proud of these trustees and I will not resign."