By Roy McQueen

SDN Publisher

An hour-long emergency meeting of Cogdell Hospital board of managers defused an explosive management crisis brewing at the county-owned hospital Monday afternoon.

An agreement on an interim administrator <\!m> with compensation <\!m> was reached unanimously, but not without debate.

Cheryl Chance, director of nurses, who has been acting chief executive officer since last December, on Friday sent letters to board members informing them of her decision to give up the temporary administrative position at 5 p.m. Monday.

The letter was prompted by a board decision on Thursday to table action on compensation recommended by immediate- past board Chairman Carl Williams.

In a letter to the board, Williams recommended that Chance be paid 30 to 50 percent of $9,000, the estimated cost of an interim CEO provided by a contract firm.

The letter also noted that the director of nurses had earned a tier<\!m>2 pay incentive due to achieving cost-reduction goals approved by the board last March.

The hospital board on Thursday tabled action on the incentive pay pending the outside audit and the motion also created a compensation committee to study all hospital wages.

In Friday’s letter to the board, Chance said she viewed the decision as a “no-confidence vote.”

Board chairman Dink Foree called an emergency board meeting for 1 p.m. Monday with hiring an interim CEO as the lone agenda item.

The special meeting was standing-room only, as some 30 hospital staffers <\!m> some of them department heads<\!m>appeared in support of Chance.

Jay Wesson, maintenance department supervisor, was denied a request to read a prepared statement.

Also discussed was the possibility of making the interim chief financial officer, Ron Hunt, acting CEO.

Hunt said he would want compensation, but that his three-months contract as CFO ends in February. Hunt instead suggested that the board reconsider a compensation plan for Chance.

Trustee Terry Williams made a motion, that eventually died for a lack of a second, to employ Richard Mathis of Monahans at temporary CEO.

Foree said he had talked to Mathis who would be willing to serve at a cost of $2,500 a month. Foree said his usual fee is $5,000.

Board member Dr. Charles Church objected, saying information coming for the Ward County Hospital board was not favorable. “We don’t need more problems here. That would be a real mistake,” Church said.

Church and fellow board member Bob Robinson asked Chance if she would be willing to stay on and Chance asked for a five-minute recess to think about a response.

When the meeting reconvened, Foree reminded board members that the county attorney had advised that the hospital can not pay retroactively.

Board member Mark Cullifer asked why compensation had not been discussed last December. “I think the person is due some amount of compensation.

Board member Wade Warren agreed and said he did not view last week’s vote in the same light as Chance who then said she would be willing to continue in dual roles with a 30-day written contract.

Cullifer pressed Chance to name an amount. “It would make it easier for us.” Chance finally said $3,000 and Williams countered with $2,500 and then $2,750.

Warren then made the motion to compensate the interim CEO $3,000 monthly in addition to her $52,934.40 annual salary as director of nurses.