Hospital administrator Diane Pearson
Members of the Cook County Hospital District board learned Sept. 22 that they have another item on their to-do list: finding a new director for the Grand Marais facility.
Longtime administrator Diane Pearson told the board that she intended to resign her position within six to nine months for personal reasons and organizational concerns. Pearson said she felt comfortable making the announcement now, giving the board several months to find a replacement before a number of expected retirements among department heads occurs.
Pearson said she anticipates that several department heads will be leaving soon, and she believes it’s important that the board has a new administrator in place “while we have stability.” Meanwhile, Pearson said, “I am fully committed to doing my job in the time I’m here.”
It was with surprise and regret that the board accepted the news.
Board Chair Howard Abrahamson said it was “not a happy day,” but added that Pearson’s departure will give the board an opportunity to look at some different things and alternatives that have already been talked about to better manage the hospital. The board has been discussing and considering such changes, he said, and now may be a good time to take a more serious look at some of them.
As board chair, Abrahamson appointed board member Tom Spence to head the search committee. Spence thanked Pearson for giving the board such a generous amount of time to seek a new administrator, and said he’d like to have the assistance of board members Sharon Bloomquist and Kay Olson on the committee. Both agreed to help. As far as adding some members of the public or hospital staff to the search committee, Spence said he’d have to think about it and get back to the board. In other business:
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& Dietary Services Manager Marice
Zimmer gave an overview of how her department operates, and said she has been working hard to reduce food waste. Toward that end, she said, Care Center residents have been given a “dislike book” in which to indicate foods they prefer not to eat, and there are plans to place a steam table in the Care Center to offer more choice and result in less waste.
Zimmer said she always has to be prepared for inspectors from the state, who typically appear unannounced and are “in the kitchen within four minutes” of their arrival. They look for cool and correct temperatures in the refrigerators and freezers, search for outdated foods, check wash and rinse temperatures of the dishwashers, and make sure the dishes are dry. “Wet dishes are not good,” Zimmer said. The inspectors can also ask for sample trays at any time, she added.
Zimmer said she and her staff strive for a clean kitchen that produces homemade meals almost exclusively, and they receive many compliments. Asked if the hospital kitchen has ever received any recognition from the state, Pearson answered, “If you have a perfect kitchen, you don’t get a special citation. You simply don’t get a deficiency.”
Zimmer said she and her staff of 16 employees serve about 150 meals per day. & Pearson addressed the ongoing
changes at Arrowhead Pharmacy, and said the change in ownership has created no hardships for the hospital. In fact, she said two local pharmacists have come on board, and as of Oct. 1 the hospital will have the services of a pharmacist for 30 hours per week. That’s good news, Pearson said, because the facility has been in need of
additional hours. Overall, she characterized
it as a “good arrangement.”
& The board reviewed proposals for a
community assessment project, and agreed to ask for price quotes for the “Full Study” option from the five vendors who offered bids. Because the bids were based on providing different data over different periods of time, the board said it couldn’t make a decision until all the prices quoted were for similar projects. The demographic and other data produced by the study will help hospital planners know what to anticipate and allow them to tailor the facility’s amenities and services for
the expected population base as they
move forward.
& EMT Darrell Smith gave an update
on the H1N1 flu preparations the ambulance staff has been working on. He talked about isolation procedures, obtaining volunteers through the Minnesota Responds program in the event of an outbreak, the difficulty he has been having in purchasing specially-designed masks because of manufacturers’ shortages, and the amount of time (a week to a weekand a-half) it takes to get test results back from the state. “By the time you know you have an epidemic, you’re gonna have a whole lot of sick people,
and a whole lot more coming,” Smith
said.
& Following discussion and a review
of options, the board voted to name Ochs Inc. as the hospital’s agent of record for life and long-term disability renewals. Pearson said the county board recently chose the St. Paul firm for county employees as well, and the choice should benefit the hospital because Ochs is the exclusive administrator of the Municipal Pool and as such will get more (and hopefully better) proposals.
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