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Paynesville Press - January 18, 2006

Hospital board did their yearly reorganization

By Michael Jacobson

The Paynesville Area Hospital District Board of Directors took the following actions at their meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 11.

•The board approved a number of measures as part of their yearly reorganization. The board set the time for their meetings as the fourth Wednesday of each month at 8 p.m. in the Blakely Room at the hospital.

The board re-elected the following officers for 2006: Don Thomes, chair; Joe Musel, vice chair; Diane Rothstein, treasurer; and Carolyn Swyter, clerk. Rothstein and Swyter switched positions from 2005.

The board approved Farmers and Merchants State Bank as their bank of record; the Paynesville Press as their newspaper of record; Frauenshuh & Spooner as their legal counsel, and McGladrey & Pullen as their auditor.

The board approved keeping meeting reimbursement at $50 per meeting and raised the mileage rate to the IRS maximum of 44¢ per mile.

•Thomes announced the following committee appointments for 2006: Building & Grounds: Ross Amundson, Dr. Mike Hansen, Sarah Olmscheid, Rich Philabaum, and Greg Ruhland; Compliance: Musel; Finance: Amundson, Don Anderson, Rothstein, and Thomes; Joint Management; Anderson, Bob Brauchler, and Thomes; and Personnel: Musel, Kay Spooner, Carolyn Swyter, and Deb Vogt.

•The board reviewed its financial report for November 2005, which showed an operating profit of $118,700, bringing year-to-date totals (through two months) to $91,000 in profits so far in their 2006 fiscal year. •The board approved privileges for formal interpretation of EKGs and cardiac stress testing for Randall Zimmerman, M.D. This appointment, recommended by the medical staff, was an oversight, as Zimmerman has been qualified to do this all along, said new chief of staff Dr. Allan Solum.

Dr. Randy Nelson does most of the EKG and cardiac stress testing reading and interpretation for PAHCS. For quality control, PAHCS is having a certain percentage read by cardiologists to compare results, said acute care director Bev Mueller.

•The board approved the following re-appointments to the medical staff: Diane Duckworth, D.O. (OB/gyn); Mark Johnson, M.D. (cardiology); John Mahowald, M.D. (cardiology); Joe Nguyen, M.D. (cardiology); and Timothy Schuchard, M.D. (cardiology).

The board was also informed that three physicians had resigned from the medical staff: A. David Matthew, M.D. (urology); Benjamin Rhee, M.D. (urology); and Pradub Sukhum, M.D. (cardiology). Matthew and Rhee are part of the urologist group that comes to PAHCS and would re-apply for services if needed. Sukum is retiring.

•The board was informed by CEO Steve Moburg that the current ambulance garage is facing considerable maintenance issues and that a continuation of this lease arrangement between PAHCS and the city may not be worthwhile. (The city owns the ambulance garage, and PAHCS leases it.) PAHCS is looking at other options, said Moburg, including renting similar space or erecting its own garage.



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