PMC Selects Ty Rushton as New Board Member

Ty Rushton, Taking Oath of Office from County Clerk, Jana Coen

Holly resident, Ty Rushton, was selected to replace Kevin McGrath on the Prowers Medical Center Board of Directors this past Wednesday evening, February 25.  The meeting was held at Shorty’s Café in Granada.  Rushton will serve the remainder of McGrath’s term, until May 20, 2016 which is the next board election cycle for PMC.

Hospital Board at Shorty’s Café

“We’re happy to have Ty submit his name for the appointment,” said Julie Branes, board chairman.  She added, “This gives us representation through our hospital district from the eastern end of the county.”  The board of directors has scheduled a series of meetings in the communities that reside within the hospital district.  No set date has been announced for the next meeting, in Wiley, but it will be later this summer, perhaps June or July.

The board approved the Educational Assistance Request from Tress Gadish, an eight year employee and current lab manager at the hospital.  Gadish requested tuition funding from PMC to further his medical training from a Utah college.  “I’m enrolling in the medical laboratory science program with an emphasis on science and management.  I believe I can pass this knowledge along once I’ve completed my course of studies,” he told the board.

The recent Employee Satisfaction Survey, now in its third year of use at the hospital, shows employees opinions, concerns and information on their satisfaction with their job and work situation as a whole.   The latest report indicated improvements in several areas.  Satisfaction with job engagement improved from 45% to 47% for the number of employees taking the survey, organizational engagement moved up from 33% to 38% and overall satisfaction increased from 24% last year to 35% for the most recent survey.  Several employment strengths that were noted included job opportunity, promotions, pay/benefits, supervisor effectiveness, hiring good employees and sufficient staff on duty.  The survey indicated employee concern about continued and improved communication, where they’re getting it and how they’re being provided with information pertaining to their work.  Concerns about patient safety will also be addressed.  Some additional surveys will be distributed for more specifics on the concerns.  Department managers will also be asked to talk with their staff about their concerns in this area.

Branes suggested that future hospital meeting notices should be posted on the hospital facebook page.  “This will help create more awareness of our activities through the community,” she added and the facebook posting will be used along with the current  official notice publishing sites.

There’s just about a month to go for the long awaited renovation plans for Prowers Medical Center.  CEO Craig Loveless informed the board, “We have submitted all the plans for the building permit and we anticipate receiving those approvals next month.”  He said that pending the current weather conditions, the official groundbreaking is still on course for around the first of April.”

By Russ Baldwin