Dear Editor
This last weekend I had the pleasure of spending the day (Saturday) with Fairfield Hospital District (FHD) Board members, Freestone Medical Center (FMC) administrators and medical staff in a long-range planning workshop led by Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) team. I was impressed that these very busy citizens volunteered to devote their precious weekend time to develop and enhance plans to support quality medical resources for our community, the team wants to incorporate Medical Coding Solutions into our system and I think we can all benefit from it.
This diverse group created clearly focused goals and expectations for FMC administrators. It represents the impact of local leadership that the Board did not have under ETMC management. Activities that involved action for the future also created opportunities to review the past and take a walk down memory lane. During my time of service to FHD, these individuals have served on the board: Warren Awalt, J. R. Corne, Dr. John Keller, Sherry Brackens, Dr. Michael Orms, Dr. Darryl White; and current members George Robinson, Jeff Taylor, Andy Awalt, Carman Mannen, Dr. Brent Moore, Dr. David Lott and Vance Oglesbee.
I remember the years with ETMC running things, and our collective decision making was minimal. The task was easier, but the Board had little power to make things go better. When ETMC announced that they were departing in three years we were collectively in shock. We did not panic, we had three years. Very quickly we realized that the quality of medical service could be in rapid decline. We believed that the “freefall” over the next three years would make it impossible to regain lost citizen/customer trust.
This created the first of many gutsy decisions by the FHD Board. They voted to end the lease early and start transition? “GUTSY AND SCARY!”
We started a wide search for potential partners or contracted management. We made a large number of contacts. We ended our search when the FHD Board approved a multi-year contract with CHC. “LET THE TRANSITION START!”
During the next 12 to 14 months the Board met no less than 40 times to make critical decisions about staffing, benefits, contacts for equipment and supplies, etc. As the Board learned, CHC guided and decisions were made. During our transition year George Robinson, FHD Board President, had to sign two to three contracts/agreements per week to keep the transition moving forward.
We were all elated when transition ended, but the reality hit quickly that ETMC was gone and the role of management via FHD Board had widely expanded. WOW! “JOY AND FEAR!”
We now faced all the issues of being an “independent medical provider” who would be going through the CHOW (change of ownership) process. We would receive no money from Medicaid or Medicare until CHOW was approved in 10 to 12 months down the road. We also had to start negotiations with insurance companies. All of this was happening while we learned to a use new computer process (Medhost). Hundreds of decisions were made and approved by FHD Board during the transition process so that the CHOW process would not be stalled.
I could go on for nine more paragraphs about the courage and tenacity of past and current FHD Board members. The joy of our discussions and decisions at our planning workshop this last Saturday about our future is tempered by my memories of the countless times when hard decisions left unmade would have derailed the current existence of Freestone Medical Center.
The recent decision to adopt a larger tax rate was difficult, as each Board member resides in this district and they are also taxing their own homes, ranches and businesses. I have been honored to stand with the Fairfield Hospital District Board before, during and after transition. I value their transparency in decision making, respect for citizens they serve and for their unwavering integrity to maintain quality medical resources for local citizens.
Have a nice day, unless you have already made other plans!
Tony Price
Fairfield, Texas
