OHH Foundation Names New Officers
The Olney Hamilton Hospital Foundation board of directors gathered for their annual meeting April 14 at the Fort Belknap Electric Cooperative conference room to hear updates from hospital leadership, name new leadership, and consider their next moves amid budget strains surrounding the new hospital build.
The Foundation saw some personnel changes: board member Marilyn Ickert and board president Lewis Farmer resigned, and secretary/ treasurer Carla Perry stepped down from the post and was replaced by Lyndsey Stephens. Board vice president Mark Mc-Clelland offered to step into the president’s role for a year while the foundation searches for new officers, and Mrs. Perry accepted the vice president’s job.
OHH Auxiliary president Nita Hearne reported on the volunteer group’s busy year, highlighting their support for hospital staff and patients. The Auxiliary awarded scholarships to students interested in the medical field, raised money through bake sales and scrubs sales for six new wheelchairs, gift baskets for new babies, holiday items for hospital and nursing home patients, and an appreciation lunch with a taco bar for hospital staff. The group donated $500 to the Olney Volunteer Fire Department for its Toys for Tots drive, and is planning on acquiring walkers and safety belts for the Olney Family Clinic, she said.
OHH administrator Mike Huff reported that the groundbreaking ceremony for the new hospital, held earlier in the day on West Hamilton Street, drew close to 100 attendees.
Construction is expected to take 18 months, and at least another $6 million in bonds – already approved by voters but not sold – to replace equipment that is being held together with “duct tape and wire,” Mr. Huff said.
Mr. Huff and OHH board chairman Dale Lovett said the hospital was exploring raising additional funds. “We’re trying to come up with plan B, C, and D - one of these things is going to hit,” Mr. Huff said. “Things did change since we started but there are other obstacles. A fundraiser, that would be nice.”
Board members discussed whether to launch a fundraising campaign to close the budget gap. Some cautioned that the timing might not be right, given recent tax increases that concerned community members who had originally supported the bond issue under the impression that taxes would remain level.
Meanwhile, the Foundation approved a $75,000 donation from its $2.6 million holdings to cover requests for new equipment, including a secure drug cabinet, an EMS patient lift, HVAC for the ambulance bay, and supplies for the clinic.