SUMMARY MINUTES
CHAIRMAN’S MEETING
Indian River County Hospital District Conference Room/ Zoom
October 16, 2024
10:00 AM
TRUSTEES: Marybeth Cunningham Barb Bodnar Michael Kint Paul Westcott
William Cooney Karen Deigl
Kerry Bartlett
STAFF: Dawn Carboni Jennifer Frederick
Kate Voss Frank Isele
Jennifer Peshke, Esq. Kaytlin Dickens
ZOOM: Anne Posey Ann Marie McCrystal Marie Andress Kim Jeansome
Jeff Pickering Lisa Zahner
ATTENDEES: Matt Riser Vicki Soule Cecelia Stalnaker Kellie Hendley
Wayne Creelman
Convene Meeting
Ms. Cunningham convened the meeting of the IRCHD Board of Trustees at 10:00 AM by welcoming those participating via Zoom and in person.
Clearview Research Introduction- Karen Garner, Director of Operations and Steven Vancore, President
Mr. Isele provided background information about Clearview Research. He stated that while the District moves forward with their goals and objectives, it is imperative that we collect up to date healthcare data on an annual basis. Therefore, he is recommending engaging services of Clearview to conduct a comprehensive survey with community members regarding their healthcare needs and issues. He further stated that this organization is highly recommended for their accurate data collection and is also utilized by the United Way.
Mr. Vancore, President of Clearview Research, addressed the Trustees and provided them with information relative to his professional background and company history. He then discussed the survey process and stated that the goal is to understand community healthcare needs and satisfaction levels through statistically significant survey results. The survey will utilize outbound phone calls to ensure a valid and reliable sample set. A method of stratified sampling will be used to ensure representation across demographics such as income, age, gender, and ethnicity. Additionally, survey results will be compared to national and state metrics to identify local issues versus broader trends. There was Trustee discussion regarding the potential value of oversampling the indigent population for deeper insights and they agreed to consider additional questions related to the indigent population in future surveys. It was also noted that Clearview will analyze variations in responses between different demographic groups to identify disparities. There were also concerns raised about the adequacy of the sample size for the ALICE population, with suggestions to oversample if necessary. In further Trustee discussion Ms. Deigl expressed her concern that some of the survey questions might be misinterpreted as referring to Cleveland Clinic rather than general healthcare. It was suggested that edits be made to ensure respondents understand they are about general healthcare services. There was also Trustee discussion surrounding the timing of the survey, and it was preferred that it occur after the election to avoid polling fatigue. After additional discussion Ms. Deigl made a motion to approve the engagement of Clearview Research to conduct the healthcare survey which was seconded by Ms. Bodnar. The motion carried unanimously.
CHS Property Update
Mr. Isele and Ms. Peshke both provided an update with regard the purchase of the CHS property for future use to house a women’s sober living facility. Mr. Isele stated that he has received the signed contract for the purchase of the property at $4 million and a 60 day due diligence period has begun to complete outstanding contingency items before a closing can take place. Those outstanding items include resolving any open permits and liens associated with the property, confirmation from the county that a sober living facility can be operated on site, and assuring that the land use restriction and its operating requirements will sunset in July, 2026. Ms. Peshke stated that she is working with the seller’s attorney on these outstanding items and Ms. Deigl and Mr. Isele are working with the county on the zoning requirements. Lastly it was discussed that the next steps in the process will be the development of an RFP to find an operator for the sober living program.
Other Business
Ms. Cunningham stated that she attended the CCIRH Board of Directors meeting on the 14th and gave a short presentation to its members about the District and its functions. She explained that many of the CCIRH Board members were not aware of the Districts operations and relationship with CCIRH, and the presentation was well received. After she and Mr. Isele met with Dr. Rothman and CFO Joe Iannucci to have further discussions surrounding the strategic plan for future support of CCIRH. At this time, they are not ready to formally present, but they hope to bring forth a report in early November. There was Trustee discussion surrounding the District’s relationship and oversight of CCIRH and Dr. Rothmans role and reporting within the Cleveland Clinic organization.
Next there was discussion surrounding the Steward bankruptcy and Sebastian River Medical Center sale. Mr. Isele stated that he reached out to the newly appointed CEO of the East Region for Orland Health, to make an introduction and gain any additional insight as to the services they will be offering at the hospital. At this time, it is not clear when the sale will be completed but Mr. Isele will update the Trustees if he receives any further information.
Ms. Bartlett stated that next month the United Way is hosting its Powered with Purpose series highlighting Children’s services and education. She believes this is an important topic and relevant to the District. However, the event is scheduled for the same time as the Districts regular monthly meeting. She indicated that this may also be a conflict for other Trustees, and it was discussed whether the District should consider changing the date of its November meeting. Ms. Cunningham instructed Ms. Voss to check with the County Chambers to see if there was any additional availability that week to hold the meeting.
Public Comment & Adjourn
There was no further business and Ms. Cunningham asked for public comment. Mr. Matt Riser addressed the board and stated that he serves as a community member on the CCIRH Board of Directors. He provided some data and background information related to CCIRH and stated that they have invested resources and capital improvements at hospital and within the community. He would like to see better communication to the public with regard to the good things CCIRH is doing and the improvements that are being made. There was no further public comment, and the meeting was adjourned at 11:40 a.m.
