DATE: February 11, 2022—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM: Allison Gergley, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center
1000 Rush Drive, Salida, CO 81201 Email: Allison.gergley@hrrmc.net
Tel.: 719-530-2217 Fax: 719-530-2232
Deadline for hospital board nominations is February 25
SALIDA, Colo.—The Salida Hospital District has announced the period for hospital board member nominations of Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC) is now open. There are three three-year terms and one one-year term open seats available. The board election will be held on Tuesday, May 3.
In accordance with HB18-1039, board members elected in 2020 and 2022 will serve three-year terms instead of serving the usual four-year terms. HB18-1039 changes the regular schedule of special district elections from even-numbered years to odd-numbered years.
Board members Debbie Farrell, Harry Payton, D.O. and Tom Eve will complete their second term in May 2022 and are term limited after eight years. Dean Edwards was appointed in 2021 to complete the term in place of Jean Moltz. Additional board member Jeff Post has served two years of the second three-year term and is not up for re-election.
“HRRMC is a large, very complex business operating in a challenging environment for health care,” said Debbie Farrell, board chairman. “The current board has outlined five characteristics which we believe are important for new board members. These include:
• The ability and willingness to put in a substantial amount of time;
• An ability to put the needs of the hospital and the district ahead of any personal agendas;
• A strong sense of ethics;
• An ability to understand the complexities of the hospital business to a level that will allow substantive input into the oversight of hospital management; and
• An ability both to listen and to articulate points of view clearly.
“In addition to these personal characteristics, the current board has identified certain skill sets that should be represented on the board,” said Farrell. “Most board members should have managerial experience; financial and health care knowledge are also critical skills we need to have represented on the board. In addition, construction management, given the necessary facility expansions, and information-technology skills, with the increasing importance of IT infrastructure and security would be valuable."
Hospital board directors serve on a volunteer basis and do not receive compensation for their services.
Eligible electors in the Salida Hospital District may nominate themselves as a candidate for the office of hospital board director. The Self-Nomination and Acceptance form is available on the Board of Directors page of the hospital's website at www.hrrmc.com, or by calling the designated election official, Juanita Ward, at 719-530-2231.
The completed Self-Nomination and Acceptance forms may be emailed to Juanita Ward at Juanita.ward@hrrmc.net, delivered to Juanita Ward in the hospital's administrative office or by mailing them to her at HRRMC, P.O. Box 429, Salida, CO 81201. The deadline for receipt of the Self-Nomination and Acceptance forms is prior to 3 p.m. on Friday, February 25.
For more information or questions, call 719-530-2231.
