Hospital system administrator, Willie LaCroix, informed the hospital board of Roscoe's request, and the board unanimously accepted the tenth entity of the district at the board's regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, July 28. Roscoe joins the cities of Eden Valley, Paynesville, Regal, Richmond, and St. Martin, and the townships of Paynesville, Roseville, Union Grove, and Zion in the district.
• The board also voted to support the St. Cloud Hospital in opposing an exemption to Minnesota laws that would allow a new hospital to be built in Sartell. A Twin Cities health-care provider has proposed building a new hospital there, but needs an exemption to a state moratorium on hospital beds to do so.
• The hospital and the Koronis Manor were subjected to state inspections last month. No deficiencies were reported in the nursing home, which was a significant improvement over last year, patient care administrator Bev Mueller told the board.
In the hospital, the inspection was unannounced and yielded two deficiencies. "I guess I felt good about getting just two deficiencies because we had not been surveyed in the past seven years," said Mueller.
"I'm sure I'm speaking for the board," said board chairman Don Thomes. "I commend the employees for the surveys in the hospital and Manor."
• The hospital system has signed Dr. Larry Strate to a contract to practice medicine in Paynesville starting in July 2000. The hospital system will continue to recruit either another doctor or a nurse practitioner.
• The city of Richmond cannot appoint its mayor as its representative to the hospital board, the hospital system's attorney, Ron Frauenshuh, told the board. The board authorized Frauenshuh to write a letter to the Richmond city council to inform them of the legal problem.
• The hospital system auxiliary is hosting a golf scramble on Friday at Koronis Hills Golf Course. Tee times are from 3 to 6 p.m. Dinner will be served from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the physical therapy department.