[Editor's Note: This is part 1 of the Grant County Commission work session on Jan. 9, 2024.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The Grant County Commission work session on Jan. 9, 2024 began with a presentation from Hidalgo Medical Services CEO Dr. Dan Otero. He also gave a brief update on Tu Casa.

He highlighted numbers on the packet he had just given to the commissioners. [Editor's Note: However, he did not share the packet with the Beat.]

Otero noted that the numbers of unique patients at the primary care, the mental health care and other services varied month-to-month, but he never announced the numbers. He also said the Director of Senior Services Steven Chavira had prepared a report for Grant and Hidalgo counties on the expanse of services for "our most vulnerable population, our seniors." [Again, not shared publicly.]

"Because of the success of last year's program Compassion for Seniors, Sen. (Siah) Correa Hemphill has agreed to request an additional $50,000 so we can continue to provide needed services to our seniors," Otero said. "It's been a critical service, not only to help the seniors with things they cannot do, but also things like wheelchair ramps and transportation to appointments out-of-town."

He said they continue to refine the table of services to seniors depending on how many "we serve each month. We're working hard to get activities into the senior centers to give them socialization."

The third page, he said, was a brief update from the manager of the Tu Casa facility. "We don't have the Tu Casa data, although we had an increase in unduplicated visits to the center and an increase in visits. We will get that to you during our next visit. Dr. (Teresa) Arizaga sends her apologies for not being here today due to her patient schedule."

District 2 Commissioner Eloy Medina noted that he along with the Gila Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Robert Whitaker had held a meeting in Mimbres. "We will be putting a defibrillator in the senior center in Mimbres, as well as the one in the Gila Valley. We are working out the training details. We want to make sure your staff is involved."

Otero said: "I truly appreciate the support of the hospital and the county for an important safety feature for the centers."

GRMC Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Fred Fox gave the next presentation. "The Board of Trustees has been functioning in a good manner. We have a good, involved board. It was a steep learning curve, but we're more comfortable in our role now."

He said the hospital is moving along on the remodeling of the labor and delivery area and "we are establishing an orthopedic clinic in the hospital. New contracts with providers include a new emergency department group. The former group left New Mexico because of the malpractice climate. A new pediatrician, Dr. Herr, will start in February. We've also welcomed new people to administrative positions. The first was permanent Chief Nursing Officer Ron Green. Ron has been a long-time area resident. The next was, as you know, a new Chief Executive Officer Robert Whitaker. He has extensive experience in managing critical access hospitals, which is very important to us here. He's been very busy, including outreach to the community. We're very pleased he is here. A new permanent chief financial officer, Dr. Ermann is slated to begin later this month. He also has extensive critical access hospital experience."

Fox said that GRMC is doing better financially. "During this fiscal year, they have been able to again invest in capital equipment and our cash reserves have grown to a reasonable amount, after being very low, as you are aware of."

The Board of Trustees is looking at expanding its duties beyond oversight to foresight and how to fund needed capital equipment. "We also want to build relationships and trust with area legislators and government officials. The board has been discussing establishing a financial subcommittee, as is done at many hospitals."

District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce said he's continued to bring up over a couple of years the plans needed for infrastructure replacement. "I've been asking for HealthTech to provide a list and cost to work on our infrastructure. When the humidity controls went down in the operating room that iwas a capital hit. Thanks to the commissioners and our county manager, we are looking at different avenues to get the information, because it hasn't come forth. At this point, I'm done with it and with the commissioners' support we will do our own assessment. The other thing is, whether I'm at Walmart or wherever, I hear about the morale at the hospital. I'd like the board of trustees to look at that. A lot of the staff have been county residents for many years. This is me speaking. We have so much talent in the community that can handle these positions, but they continually go to outside people. I don't know if you want to look at that or not."

Fox addressed the last comment. "During my experience at the hospital for more than 30 years, I've been impressed with the talent. I think the board in general agrees. There are many who can continue working at the hospital and move up. Ron Green is a good example. One of the things we are looking at is the salary survey and how to reimburse our employees. A every meeting, we always review the mission and vision. The vision states that the hospital is 'to be the best place to receive care, work and practice medicine.' The last two concentrate and stress that the employees and staff are central and important. We take the responsibility to recognize that and we want to continue to improve their professional status. In regard to the long-range plans, it has been discussed and we want to be involved. There are some major capital needs for replacement. The aging infrastructure has caused problems. The other issue is that health care and hospital care have changed dramatically in the almost 40 years I've been here. A new hospital plant needs to take into account the changes. Much more hospital care is done on an out-patient service, rather than inpatient as it was when I first started practicing. Our ability to keep people out of the hospital has improved and more things, like workups are done on an outpatient basis. A new plant needs to reflect that. Yes, the board is interested in that and is working with the management group. We need to reach out to the large community to determine the needs in a new facility. "

Ponce said what is concerning him is that health care is turning into more of "a clinic thing and shipping patients out to other areas of the state or Arizona. We have a lot of elderly here. What fits another hospital does not fit Gila Regional We serve three counties, Grant, Hidalgo and Catron. If we start looking at the future, maybe it works in Albuquerque or Las Cruces, where they have more hospitals, but at this point, we have the elderly who are getting the clinic experience. That's doesn't sit right with me. I want Gila Regional to provide those hospital experiences, because a lot of people can't afford to travel or go sit in a hotel and pay for food. That's my opinion."

The next article will address the item on the agenda that gave applicants for a vacancy on the GRMC Board of Trustees a chance to speak about why they want to be a board member.