Published: July 02, 2009 10:30 am      

Milton new MRHC board chair

The McAlester Regional Health Center Board of Trustees convened for their July meeting on Wednesday.

The Board was welcomed by the new chairman L.M. Milton, M.D. The meeting opened with the approval of the consent agenda. This agenda included the consideration and approval of the monthly credentialing report.

It also included the consideration and approval of changes to the medical staff. Approved for provisional status and one-year appointments to the active medical staff were Fazal Ali, M.D. and Mazen Zouwayhed, M.D. Both were approved for Internal Medicine/Hospitalist positions. Nabhan Alnahan, M.D. and Raha Nael-Agah were both approved for one-year appointments to the consulting staff for Cardiology. Jeffrey McWilliams, M.D. was approved for a one-year appointment to locum tenens staff for emergency medicine. Marcia Gillespie, M.D. in gynecology and Michael Partin, M.D. as consulting staff for cardiology were both considered and approved for advancement. Gary Augter, D.O., dermatology; Mark Sehgal, M.D., ENT; Kathy Davenport, ARNP-C, a nurse practitioner under the supervision of Norman McAlester, M.D.; and Terry Shaw, Ph.D., psychology, were considered and approved for reappointment. Donald Shuller, M.D. was considered and approved for a transfer to honorary staff. Milton, M.D. took time to recognize the work of Shuller. “He has been one of the most knowledgeable and contentious members of staff we’ve had,” Milton said of Shuller.

J. Martin Hayes, M.D. delivered the Chief of Staff report to the Board.

Vice-president of human resources and organizational development Emily Mouser reviewed governance roles related to leadership chapter for the joint commission.

MRHC Board of Trustees vice-chairman Weldon Smith delivered the report of the physician recruitment committee and clarified recruiting policy. According to MRHC President/CEO Shaun Beggs the recruiting emphasis is on OB/GYN and emergency medicine; however the also plan to recruit for other areas.

The Board considered and approved the monthly financial report.

The MRHC Board of Trustees also considered and approved the fiscal year 2010 plan. This plan, according to Beggs, involved a possible remodeling for the second and third floor patients wings and nurse’s stations. The plan also included the continuing remodel of the Choctaw Building on Monroe Avenue, west of the hospital. The plan also called for more effort in the physician marketing program and the Recruitment and retention strategy.

Beggs delivered the CEO report. Beggs delivered news that emergency room visits were down, while those who do visit the E.R. have more severe illnesses than last year’s trends. Beggs said the good news is the length of hospital stays is down.

In his CEO report, Beggs also expressed thanks to the hospital volunteers. The volunteers donated money for many new items and projects for MRHC. Hospital volunteers gave funds to purchase hospital beds that are very low to the ground to reduce the severity of injuries related to falls at the hospital. With the purchase of these beds the hospital volunteers purchased pads to be placed next to these beds to further reduce injuries related to falls.

“It is not a glamorous purchase, but a valuable one, Milton said of the beds. The hospital volunteers also have many other projects in the works. They have donated money to the Meals on Wheels program. They are investigating plans to purchase automatic doors to replace heavy doors that patients have trouble opening. They also plan to help the hospital purchase a scale to weigh heavier patients. Board members expressed their gratitude for work of the volunteers.