Indian River County Hospital District

Chairman’s Meeting: June 16, 2021

SUMMARY MINUTES
CHAIRMAN’S MEETING
Indian River County Hospital District Conference Room/ Zoom
June 16, 2021
10:00 AM

TRUSTEES: Marybeth Cunningham Barbara Bodnar
Ann Marie McCrystal Allen Jones
Karen Deigl Michael Weiss

ABSENT: Kerry Bartlett

STAFF: Ann Marie Suriano Jennifer Frederick
Kate Voss Jennifer Peshke, Esq.

Convene Meeting – Marybeth Cunningham, Chairwoman

Mrs. Cunningham convened the Chairman’s meeting of the IRCHD Board of Trustees at 10:00 PM by welcoming those participating via Zoom and in person.

Program Liaison Report- Jennifer Frederick, Program Liaison

Mrs. Frederick provided a written report for the Trustees’review prior to today’s meeting. She explained that she has received an amended funding request for the Life Line program from the VNA. It was explained that Pat Knipper met with Ms. Deigl to discuss a collaborative approach to administering the Life Line program. Therefore, they are requesting that $20,000 be reserved, which includes VNA’s previous request of $12,525, and that VNA and SRA be allowed to come back to the District in August with a fully vetted, collaborative plan to address this needed service in the community. There was further Trustee discussion surrounding this program, who would be eligible and the need. Ms. Deigl informed the Trustees that there are approximately 210 individuals on a waitlist at SRA to receive this service, so the need is there. It was decided that the $20,000 request for funding would be allocated into the budget as a placeholder. Mrs. Suriano stated that she will add a section to the proposed budget that will show a placeholder for funding requests that are still being considered. Lastly, Mrs. Frederick discussed the other items she has been working on over the last few months which included her participation in the FIMR review, as well as the Florida Department of Health Community Health Improvement Plan workgroups.

FY 21-22 Budget Discussion- Ann Marie Suriano, Executive Director

Mrs. Suriano reviewed the FY 21-22 with the Trustees and stated that her projections for the end of year expenses are higher than what is anticipated to be spent in program and administrative expenses. Additionally, approximately $3.3 million will be carried over in reserves. She further stated she has changed the budget layout document and placed the commissions and uncollectibles line items into their own section, separate from the administrative expenses. Now the administrative expense line total will only show true administrative expense. She further explained that this upcoming fiscal year budget will not include a monthly payment to CCIRH for indigent care, as the District’s financial support has been completed per the Indigent Care Agreement terms. Therefore, in working with Mr. Jones the proposed millage rate for this preliminary budget is .6335 with an ad valorem tax amount of $12,859,322. She asked for Trustee input and discussion.

Mrs. Cunningham stated she has concerns with such a large decrease to the millage rate. She proposed budgeting the same ad valorem tax amount as last fiscal year of $15,694,778 which would result in a millage of .7759. In doing this, the District would still not increase taxes and allow for additional reserves to be secured for additional support for community health services. She believes that with the rapidly increasing healthcare needs, lowering the millage substantially could put the District at a disadvantage in future years. There was further Trustee discussion concerning her recommendation and many agreed that they did not want to reduce the millage down to .6335, however it was not unanimous on .7759. Mr. Jones addressed the board and stated that he is not in favor of .7759 millage and would be concerned that public perception may be that the District is “empire building” by maintaining such large reserves. He believes the District should budget for needs that have been presented to the board and vetted. Mr. Jones stated that the current proposed budget has appropriate reserves and adding additional would not be needed. He is in favor of further Trustee input and discussion on the millage and believes the board will be able to come to a compromise. He also believes the District should examine each funded agency individually and create more substantial metrics that show evidence that healthcare is being improved in the community. Additionally, there was Trustee discussion concerning the need for the board to make decisions on potentially supporting Medicaid patients or providing some reimbursement to funded agencies for those patients. Additionally, some Trustees would like to look at the impact of increasing the District Federal Poverty Guidelines to 250% or greater. There was also discussion surrounding providing additional support for senior services, as seniors make up a large amount of the Indian River County population.

Mrs. Suriano stated that she has begun the process to create a Strategic Direction Plan for the District and a hired consultant will work with the staff and Trustees to facilitate this process. The goal of this process is for the District to define its role in assisting healthcare as a whole within the community. During this process the board will have the opportunity to review, input, discuss, and move forward with some of the funding and policy issues that have been discussed but not acted upon over the last few years. This will also be an opportunity to implement additional reporting metrics for the funded agencies, to accurately measure and review their effectiveness and impact on the community. The Trustees also discussed future funding opportunities for unmet needs and that the funded agencies bringing those requests to the District for funding consideration.

Further, Mr. Jones explained there have been discussions surrounding We Care and its sustainability moving forward. Also, he and Mrs. Suriano have met with representatives from We Care to discuss the same. From those discussions, Mr. Jones stated that he has created a draft proposal for the operations of We Care in FY 21-222, which he sent to Dr. Saver and Mr. Robinson for consideration. He discussed his proposal and stated that the objective is that this is accomplished by We Care, TCCH and WFHC working together collegially and with mutual respect for each organization’s roles. The goal would be for the patient to begin receiving the specialty services within 30 days of the referral. It is at TCCH’s and WFHC’s discretion, based on what is best for the patient, whether they refer the patient directly to CCIRH or to We Care to assist in facilitating the referral. Dr. Saver has since spoken with Mr. Jones and has agreed to his recommendation for metrics. In operating We Care with metrics, the District will be able to track and determine the effectiveness of We Care on the community. There was Trustee discussion and Mrs. Cunningham stated that for the last serval years the District has requested these same metrics and reporting, and the data has not been provided. She believes that if the District does not receive the requested information, funding for We Care should not be allocated into the upcoming fiscal year budget. The Trustees agreed to place the We Care funding request as placeholder in the budget for consideration, with the expectation that the data will be provided no later than September. There was further Trustee discussion concerning additional line items on the budget. The Trustees agreed that the funding request from Dynamic Life for new security camera system would be removed as it is not a healthcare related expense and that the funding should be obtained from philanthropic dollars. Mrs. McCrystal indicated that she is meeting with Roger Ball, to provide him with some advice on fundraising. Additionally, Mr. Jones requested better metrics from Tykes & Teens which would show their effectiveness in the community. Mrs. Cunningham stated that the District will vote to approve its tentative budget and millage rate on July 15 at its regular monthly meeting.

Public Comment & Adjourn

Mrs. Cunningham asked for public comment and there was none. The meeting was adjourned at 11:20 AM.

WILLIAM COONEY

SEAT 7

William P Cooney MD is an orthopedic surgeon (retired) who has been a resident of Vero Beach since 2004. He practiced orthopedic surgery at Indian River Medical Center from 2006-2015 within the orthopedic practice of Prosports. He served on the IRMC Foundation for four years. Prior to this, he was a Professor of Orthopedics at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, Chair of the Division of Hand Surgery and Vice president of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. He served as the Vice Chairman of the Mayo Clinic Development Department. He has been President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation, Consultant at Shrine Hospital systems. He was editor in chief of the Journal of Orthopedic Surgery and co-editor of the Journal of Hand Surgery. He held grants in hand and wrist surgery sponsored by National Institute of Health (NIH) and Stryker Orthopedics and has over 250 publications in the field of orthopedic surgery, hand, wrist and elbow surgery and microsurgery- free tissue transfers. Within Indian River County, he has served as Chairman of the Board and President of the Hope for Families Homeless Center, Board of the Indian River Hospital Foundation, We Care and Whole Family Health Center medical practices.

Term:  1/23-12/24

Origination: Elected (2 OC)

Occupation: Retired Surgeon

KERRY BARTLETT

SEAT 6

Kerry Bartlett,  of Vero Beach, has more than 30 years experience in philanthropy, including as vice president of the VNA & Hospice Foundation; VNA chief advancement officer from 2001-2007; and executive director of the Indian River Community Foundation from 2008-2014. Kerry is the founder of The Bartlett Company, which focuses on nonprofit and philanthropic consulting. She also is a managing director for Carter, a Vero Beach company that specializes in advancing philanthropy worldwide. Kerry has spent more than 25 years in the nonprofit sector as a fund development professional and has particular expertise in annual funds, major gifts, endowment campaigns and legacy giving. Kerry is also known for creating and implementing effective donor-centered stewardship programs that build, maintain and strengthen nonprofits’ relationships.

Term:  3/21-12/22   |   1/23-12/26

Origination: Appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis
Elected NOC

Occupation: Philanthropic Consultant/Managing Director

KAREN DEIGL

SEAT 5

Karen has been President and CEO of Senior Resource Association, where she successfully advocates for older adults and their families, since 2006. In that role, she helps provide activities, education and services benefiting older and disabled adults in Indian River County. In addition, Karen provides oversight of the community mass transit system for residents and visitors of the county. As CEO, Karen is responsible for a $7 million operational annual budget and managing more than 100 employees. She ensures that fiscally sound and responsible solutions are created to provide healthcare and a better quality of life for all Indian River County residents. Karen earned a BS in Health Administration from Florida Atlantic University and an MHA from the University of Florida. She was elected to the Indian River County Hospital District Board of Trustees in 2016, and joined the Board in January 2017.

Term:  1/17-12/20   |   1/21-12/24

Origination: Elected 1 OC | Elected NOC

Occupation: President/CEO

PAUL WESTCOTT

SEAT 4

Paul Westcott has been a Board Certified Workers' Compensation Attorney since 1999. In addition, Paul has earned his certification from the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Civil and Family Law Mediator. Receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in both Economics and Political Science at Florida Southern College, he continued his education at Stetson University College of Law. He graduated from Stetson in 1988, having been a published member of the Stetson Law Review. Paul has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1988.  He began his practice in a combined civil litigation and transactional practice before serving as an Assistant State Attorney.  He began his career in Workers' Compensation with Rissman, Weisberg, Barrett, Hurt, Donahue & McClain P.A., where he handled Workers' Compensation cases at the trial and appellate levels.  In 1997, Paul opened the Ft. Pierce office of Hurley, Rogner, Miller, Cox, Waranch & Westcott P.A. handling workers' compensation cases at all levels throughout central and south Florida, while managing the operations of that office.  During his nearly 25 year career in Workers' Compensation, he lectured on a wide range of industry topics.


Term: 
1/23-12/26   |   1/21-12/24

Origination: Elected 1 OC 

Occupation: Attorney & Mediator

BARBARA S. BODNAR

SEAT 3

Barbara has practiced physical therapy, specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine, in her hometown of Vero Beach since 1981. She was an integral part of the sports medicine team at Vero Beach High School for 35 years. Barbara completed the reserve police academy training, and served with the Vero Beach Police Department from 1982-1989. Her volunteer involvement in the community includes serving on the City of Vero Beach Recreation Committee, Arthritis Association of Indian River County, and the Senior Good Life Games. She and her husband, Michael, enjoy spending their free time traveling in their RV and training their Labradors, Gunner and Chase, in K-9 performance events, including agility and dock jumping. Barbara is a lifelong resident of Indian River County, and received her degree in physical therapy from Chattanooga State College. Barbara was elected to the Indian River County Hospital District Board of Trustees in 2016, and joined the Board in January 2017.

Term:  1/17-12/20   |   1/21-12/24

Origination: Elected 1 OC | Elected 1 OC

Occupation: Physical Therapist

MICHAEL KINT

SEAT 2

Born and raised in Illinois, Michael was a Theatre and Speech Instructor at Lincoln College when he moved to Indian River County in 1984. He was the Director of Education for the Riverside Theatre for a decade, helping to build the Riverside Children’s Theatre and directing many productions. Michael is well known in the community for his 25 years of service at the United Way of Indian River County, 16 of those years as the CEO. He is very proud of his work with dozens of nonprofit agencies and his commitment to creating and strengthening community collaboratives. Michael was also an Adjunct Faculty member at Barry University for 20 years. He has served on many boards and committees over the years, including: Children’s Services Advisory Committee Needs Assessment, Chair of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program for many years, and he was a founding member of the Mental Health Collaborative, the Senior Collaborative of IRC and the IRC Executive Roundtable. As a Hospital District Trustee he is committed to serving all the citizens of our county. In particular, he hopes to see enhanced availability and affordability for behavioral/mental health for all in need.

 

Term: 1/23- 12/26

Origination: Elected 1 OC

Occupation: Retired CEO United Way

MARYBETH CUNNINGHAM

CHAIRWOMAN - SEAT 1

Marybeth’s professional career encompasses 34 years of working for GM/Delphi in a variety of positions. Starting out as a traffic claims clerk, she worked her way through the organization, with roles in Purchasing, Engineering, and Quality and Reliability. She retired in 2009 as the executive director of Global Operations for the Packard Electric Division of Delphi. In this position, she was responsible for 94 plants in 33 countries. Marybeth has served on the board of directors for numerous non-profits, including Northeast Ohio Adoption Agency; United Way of Warren Ohio, where she served as chairman of the annual campaign for two years; Up with People; Head, Heart and Hands of Indian River Club; Indian River Community Foundation, and the Indian River Mental Health Collaborative. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from Albion College. Marybeth was elected to the Indian River County Hospital District Board of Trustees in 2014, and joined the Board in January 2015. She currently serves as Chair.

 

Term:  1/15-12/18   |   1/19-12/22   |   1/23- 12/24

Origination: Elected 1 OC | Elected  NOC | Elected NOC

Occupation: Retired Executive GM