Photo Added: GRMC retiring chairman Jeremiah Garcia and CEO Taffy Arias

[Editor's Note: This is part one of a two- or three-part series on the GRMC Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, June 29, 2018.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

Retiring Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees Chairman Jeremiah Garcia, as he brought the meeting to order, said: "This mallet has been used several times over the years I've been here. It will be an honor to set this gavel down."

Garcia asked for the honor to read the vision, mission and values of Gila Regional.

Chief Nursing Office Peggy White presented the safety moment. "I want to update the progression on safety in the Behavioral Health Unit. We are making major changes to make it safer for patients. We are 98 percent done, with just a few things left to do. The maintenance department has done an awesome to make it safer for our patients in such a short time."

In recognitions, the board members thanked Sara Montoya for her 30 years in the operating room. She was not present, but Tami Bates, in compliance, was there to celebrate her 20 years of service, as was Christian Smith for her 15 years in medical surgery.

Bates said: "I can't imagine being anywhere else, and especially now with this amazing team. I couldn't be happier."

Smith said: "I have worked here for 15 years because I wanted to work here. I've been a nurse for 24 years and had a hard time finding a place where I fit in until I came here."

Chief Executive Officer Taffy Arias said there was one more recognition. She asked Garcia to stand up. "Thank you," she said.

Trustee Mike Morones told Garcia he had been a great mentor for him and a great leader for the board. "The efforts you have put over the past few years to put us in the direction for success. Unbelievable. Thank you so much for everything you do."

Trustee Jeannie Miller thanked Garcia for all his help when she came onto the board. "You did a great job training me. This is the end of my first year."

Tony Trujillo, trustee, said he and Garcia came on at about the same time. "When you took leadership, you were transparent. You kept saying you had never worked with a stronger board. You came through the good, the bad and the ugly with your head held high. Your commitment to Gila Regional has been complete. Thank you from all of us. I come bearing gifts," Trujillo said, as he handed over some personalized golf balls. "We played golf recently and lately your game has suffered. Maybe these can help."

Trustee Joel Schram noted that Garcia had been on the First American Bank board. "He kept after me to be on this board. The first time I applied I wasn't selected. The second time, I was. Jeremiah is an unselfish giver, involved in a lot of other boards. I am here to say thank you for your leadership."

Garcia gave a history of his time on the board. "I look at the time I've been here. Many leaders have helped me. I went through four CEOs, seven CFOs and three CNOs, plus four administrative assistants. The biggest highlight for me is to have Taffy Arias here. We did a tough job to get the right one. The other highlight for me is getting to know the caregivers."

"I would always tell them when they came to me with problems," Garcia said, "make sure to follow your chain of command before coming to the Board of Trustees. They taught me passion for health care. I wear pink shirts and pink socks to support the caregivers. Contractors come and go. We've had to make some hard decisions. One of the hardest was the Cancer Center. Without this board of trustees, we wouldn't be moving in the right direction. Yes, the change impacted patients, caregivers and staff, but they are a special group of people. I care about them because of my wife. We need to stay focused on our mission. There will still be challenges. This is the best board I have ever worked with. You have made tough decisions for health care in our community. We had to fix identified issues throughout the hospital. This administration makes sure we are in compliance with federal and state laws. We are held accountable. This board and administrative team have self-reported and said: 'We have to do these things.' It's a challenge to you to continue to know what you represent. I was, at one point, kindly asked to resign, but I talked about integrity. It's important for me to keep integrity. I ask you to continue to support each other as a member of the board, as an administrator and as caregivers. Thank you for a fantastic board and for the honor of serving you."

He recognized and welcomed a future leader coming onto the board, Ed Wilmot, who was recently chosen to fill the slot Garcia is leaving.

Trujillo said to Wilmot: "We come from different venues, but our common interest is to do what's best for the hospital. I encourage you to express your thoughts and opinions.

Arias had a quote for Wilmot: "Hang on. It's gonna be a bumpy road."

Garcia said the trustees are all individuals with open eyes and open ears. "We disagree, but we work together.

Arias introduced the new director of medical staff services Delicia Dimberg.

During public input, George Carr, who described himself as a mostly retired lawyer who defended doctors, as well as the vice president of the Southwest chapter of the ACLU. "We often visit the Detention Center. One of the consistent complaints we hear from the staff is the number of people who shouldn't be in jail but need medical services along the mental health line. March 1, I requested a meeting with Ms. Arias and she took time to meet with me on March 13. She arranged a meeting with the ER, the detention center administrator, the police and the sheriff on March 27, but it never occurred. All we really want to do is facilitate a meeting and address the issue. It presents major liability potential. It's a difficult population who are very litigious. I would like to be at the meeting."

"He deserves an update," Arias said. "Ms. Carroccio, our chief quality officer, will be happy to meet with you. She's been meeting with some of the people involved."

The second public input was given by Chris DeBolt, a former employee of Gila Regional. She addressed Carr, but he was otherwise occupied with getting Carroccio's phone number. "We are doing the Stepping Up program, working with the county manager about the intersection of medicine and detention. Please speak to the board about it."

She announced the Grant County Commission would be holding an executive session on July 10. "We all know what's at stake. We know how much work has been done in the last year and the outcomes that have made this hospital exceptional, including several awards. I urge you to continue to voice your decision to keep it county-owned and independent. You, as the Board of Trustees, made a strong stand. You're closer to it than the commissioners or Juniper Advisory. Keep us informed. Tell us what you need from us. We're here for you."

Linda Pafford of Mimbres said: "I am here to support everything that Chris just said. I echo the frustration of the arguments from Juniper and what they are telling the commissioners. We don't know why they are considering selling the hospital. I ask you to fight tooth and nail. There is a misrepresentation of what the hospital is here for, that it's to make money. That's not the role. We want to support you, but we have less information than you do."

Trujillo also thanked Joan Garcia, Jeremiah's wife for her support of her husband.

"A Lion's member the other day asked me a question," Jeremiah Garcia said. "He asked: 'How much of my tax dollars are coming to this hospital?' I said as far as I knew, it was zero. We are debt-free. We have about $16 million in the bank. A small component is taken out of gross receipts tax for indigent health care. What we receive is for services rendered but that's it. This is a stand-alone hospital operating on its own."

Morones said the hospital is a very big piece of the community. "The public struggles to understand where we stand. They do understand that over the past few years, we have struggled, yet we have done $14 million of capital improvement during that time. We're still debt-free. We are doing this without the support of revenue bonds. As a CPA, I find this amazing. It's a complex industry. We have a plan to raise days of cash on hand and make money for capital improvements."

He noted that if a company is willing to put 10s of millions of dollars into the hospital, "it's because they know they will make it back. We need the public to know we can produce that revenue without GO (general obligation) bonds, without public monies. We can do this and still maintain community control."

Miller said not only is it the end of her first year, but also of Arias's first year. "And thank you to Taffy, Richard (Stokes, chief financial officer), Doug (Oakes, marketing director) and JoBeth (Vance, interim CFO), who isn't here to hear me. And to Joann (Holguin, administrative assistant). I appreciate the work we do together. I absolutely regret and resent the position the commissioners have put us in. To sell a not-for-profit hospital to a for-profit corporation is a big mistake. I'm not in favor of it. We do contract out services because we don't have the local expertise, but we can take it back in house. We've given the commissioners our strategic plan. We tell them every month where we are. I don't know what it will take. The Commission needs to let us do our job. Honestly, I do not understand what their problem is."

Schram read from a prepared statement. "The commissioners' process is very disheartening. Taffy and two physicians were asked to be on the task force to study the hospital. But the two trustees and the CEO were asked not to participate by the 'suitors.' At the public forum that was held, there was a resounding message to keep our hospital as it is. Now on July 10, the commissioners are asking for another executive session for them to present a plan that I believe is a very carefully crafted plan by Lifepoint and Juniper Advisory Group and their attorneys to try to convince us, the trustees, that selling is the best option. As long as Gila Regional Medical Center can continue to generate positive earnings, four-star quality service, and employment for Grant County residents, in my opinion, keeping it county-owned is the only and best option. It's time for our commissioners and their administration to be honest with Grant County citizens and tell us the real reasons why they want to sell our hospital. It's time for you commissioners to tell us why you want to sell and why you keep dragging this process out. I have had the opportunity to look at Lifepoint's financials. They are not great financially. They have $3 billion in debt and about the same amount in cash on hand."

Miller made clear that the trustees and CEO were removed from the task force before any presentations, "after we became a suitor."

Trujillo said the Board of Trustees would miss Garcia's leadership and "taking the heat for us. Having just gone through the process for reappointment, I thought I would get asked what was going on at Gila Regional, but that didn't happen. I've been on a ton of boards and the Commission was happy to walk away with no decision. Why I sought reappointment was because I believe in what we're doing. I've come back to the table with the best team to compare with anyone anywhere else. I don't know how to get the commissioners' attention. I want us to reissue our statement. It's a great organization with a great team. Thank you for doing what you're doing."

Garcia said that what has happened has "handcuffed the CEO and CFO. The commissioners are holding us back. We could have already started a lot of our strategic plan. Please continue to give support to our CEO and CFO and caregivers. The excitement I've felt with this group, I'm going to be optimistic that we will be able to move forward. Right now, it's costing us daily and weekly. Everyone, please go out and help them make the right decision. Our passion is for the hospital, the caregivers and the staff."

The next article will cover the reports and updates from administrative team members and hospital departments.