SUMMARY MINUTES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
County Commissioner Chambers/ Zoom
July 15, 2021 at 4:00 PM
TRUSTEES: Allen Jones Kerry Bartlett
Ann Marie McCrystal Marybeth Cunningham
Michael Weiss Karen Deigl
Allen Jones
STAFF: Kate Voss Jennifer Frederick
Jennifer Peshke, Esq. Ann Marie Suriano
Convene Meeting – Marybeth Cunningham, Chair
Ms. Cunningham convened the regular monthly meeting of the IRCHD at 4:00 PM by welcoming those in attendance and via Zoom. Reverend Bryce Richard provided an invocation and Dr. Weiss led the group in the pledge of allegiance. Dr. Weiss asked that the group observe a moment of silence for Dr. Saver, who is currently hospitalized, and wish him a speedy recovery.
Consent Agenda- Marybeth Cunningham, Chair
Mrs. Cunningham asked for a motion to approve the Chairman’s meeting minutes dated June 16; regular monthly meeting minutes dated June 17, and a July disbursement of $1,204,312.,78. Mrs. McCrystal made the motion to approve, which was seconded by Ms. Deigl. The motion carried unanimously.
District Chair Report- Marybeth Cunningham, Chair
Mrs. Cunningham stated that the District will vote tonight on a preliminary budget for FY 21-22 and that action has been added to the agenda under new business. She further stated while Florida has become more laxed on COVID restrictions, the new Delta variant has caused positive cases to increase, and it does not appear to be slowing down. Hospitalization are also increasing at CCIRH. She encouraged those who have not been vaccinated, to do so.
District Counsel Report – Ryne Hartt, Esq.
Mr. Hartt provided the District counsel report on behalf of Mrs. Peshke who is on vacation. He indicated that they have answered any questions from Trustees as they have arisen pertaining to various matters the District is handling at the present time. They continue to review the annual deadlines and deliverables due to the District under the Lease with CCIRH. Mrs. Peshke is actively reviewing the HD bill 1103 summary as it relates to additional auditing and reporting requirements that will be required of Special Districts and will bring forth information when necessary for further discussion. The District has completed the right of way transaction with the County and she is working with Cleveland Clinic’s counsel and the VNA’s counsel to amend the existing Agreements the District and the hospital entered into in 2018 to reflect these changes.
Financial Statement Review- Allen Jones, Treasurer
Mr. Jones stated that the District is in sound financial condition. As of June 30, there was approximately $9.7 million in cash and investments. For this month the District approved $1.2 million in expenditures, lowering total funds to about $8.5 million. Mr. Jones projects that the District will spend another $4.1 million in funds, by the end of the fiscal year. Currently it is estimated that the District will begin next fiscal year with reserves of approximately $4.5 million.
Mr. Jones stated that the District is currently in the middle of budget considerations for the next fiscal year, and in many ways, this is the most important budget the Trustees have developed. It marks the first full year that the District does not have to fund the hospital’s indigent care services, as Cleveland Clinic has assumed full responsibility in accordance with lease effective in 2019. The Trustees will now need to decide how to allocate $6 million previously committed to Cleveland Clinic. He believes this is an opportunity to have a significant impact on executing the District mission of helping to improve the health of the community. The Trustees are working diligently to craft this budget which he believes will set a tone for years to come. Additionally, there are discussions surrounding opportunities to affect a more streamlined yet more patient focused delivery of healthcare services to all the residents of the county. Mr. Jones explained that this evening the Trustees will vote to approve the maximum millage for the next fiscal year. The board will then have until September 9th, to finalize a millage, which cannot be increased from the number approved today. Therefore, over the next approximately 60 days he encourages public input as the District moves toward finalizing its budget and the patient first direction for the next fiscal year and beyond.
Executive Director Report- Ann Marie Suriano
Mrs. Suriano stated that the District received a brief report of the Commitment Integrity Committee for CCIRH. She provided an outline for the Trustees and attached the letter from Mr. Weisbaum the Chair of the committee, with the reports he referenced in the letter. Mrs. Cunningham indicated that she spoke with Mr. Weisbaum and she reiterated that the Commitment Integrity Committee is an independent committee and its not bound to the same reporting standards as the District. Additionally, Ms. Deigl who is part of the committee as a District representative, is also not bound to report on the matters of the committee. The roll of the Commitment Integrity Committee members is to ensure that commitments in the Member Substitution Agreement between the District and CCIRH are upheld. Some of those items include the $250 million capital spending commitment and continuation of agreed upon services. She addressed the fact that there were discrepancies in some of the numbers reported by CCIRH and the committee. Some other items that were initially slated to be spent, were deferred due to COVID. Ms. Deigl stated that the group meets frequently together and with hospital representatives and continue to do their due diligence for the benefit of the community. As a reminder, Mrs. Deigl indicated that the committee is made up of herself, Jack Weisbaum, Chet Kaletkowski, and John Moore.
Mrs. Suriano stated that Representative Grall attended the Districts Chairman’s meeting yesterday to discuss HB 1103, which requires special district to conduct a performance review audit every 5 years. Representative Grall assured the Trustees that this bill is to provide State Legislators with a review of Special District operations and effectiveness in carrying out their specific purpose. Additionally, the audits collected will provide better continuity in reporting those findings.
Lastly, she explained that the District will need to begin to address working on a Strategic Plan and she has had some discussions with Ms. Bartlett, who has vast experience in this area. Ms. Bartlett provided an outline to Mrs. Suriano addressing items that the District should be focusing on in the coming year. Therefore, Mrs. Suriano is recommending to the board she create an RFP or RFQ to help find an appropriate facilitator to lead us through the process. She asked the Trustees for their approval to move forward with her recommendation and they unanimously agreed. Mrs. Suriano provided a time line of the process in which she plans to have the RFP created and approved by the board in August. She will then have the proposal posted in September for consideration, which the District is required to give 30 days for entities to respond. Therefore, by late October or November, they will be able to begin the process.
Funded Agencies Semi Annual Report-
Childcare Resources- Tracey Griffis, Director of Wellness & Early Education
Ms. Griffis stated that she provided the Trustees with semi-annual update and school assessment plan for their review. She indicated that while the last year has been a challenge, their organization has still experienced growth. They have hired a Wellness Coordinator and a Certified Child Life Specialist, which has provided additional support to the families in the Wellness Program. She explained that over the past year, a large focus for the Wellness Team has been on families enrolled in their collaborative program with the Homeless Children’s Foundation. Through a grant from the Foundation, they were able to offer an additional 20 spots to children for early intervention services. She further explained that through dealing with the adverse effects of COVID, they were able to identify areas where families needed additional support. One main area of focus has been on parent participation and engagement. A case manager has been added to the staff and she coordinates and advocates services for the families, to meet those needs and assist with establishment of goals. There was further discussion surrounding how COVID effected this program and children who are enrolled. Ms. Griffis indicated that while there are some signs of some social development delays, the children aadapted back quickly into their routines, which she believes provides that positive stability many of these children are lacking in their homes.
Hope for Families- Marty Mercado, CEO
Mrs. Mercado who was just hired as the CEO of Hope for Families, addressed the board. She indicated that she has just completed her 7th day as CEO and is happy to be joining the organization. She explained that the semi-annual report she will discuss was prepared prior to her joining the organization but she will be happy to provide any follow up information, if needed. She explained that through the pandemic, Hope for Families has been able to sustain its operations and put in place better health and wellness protocols. The families who are supported at the organization tend to have difficulty trusting and are not educated on best health practices. She indicated that having the Health Navigator at the facilities has helped tremendously with gaining the trust of these vulnerable families. From July, 2020-June, 2021 the center served 259 unduplicated clients. She further discussed demographic data surrounding the families who are utilizing the center. She further reviewed their performance metrics data as well. Mrs. Mercado stated that the center currently has one person in the facility who has tested positive for COVID. Therefore, they created a COVID wing at the facility where the family is able to quarantine without affecting anyone else at the center. They have also been working collaboratively with the Health Department who came to the facility and conducted a walkthrough, to make sure all safety protocols were in place. On July 20th, the center will hold a vaccine clinic for its residents and the community. Mrs. Mercado stated she has already created a 6 month and 12 months set of goals for herself and she looks forward to working with the Trustees in the future.
New Business-
Approval of Tentative FY 21-22 Budget- Allen Jones, Treasurer
Mr. Jones stated that the District must vote to approve a maximum millage rate and budget as required by the State. Therefore, Mr. Jones made a motion to approve a budget of $15,694,778, which constitutes a millage rate of .7612. He stated that after today, the Trustees will continue to analyze the budget further until the final hearing in September. Dr. Weiss seconded Mr. Jones motion for further discussion and public comment. There was none and the motion approved. The Trustees agreed to hold a subsequent budget discussion meeting in the coming months, should the need arise.
Approval of Resolution 2021-04- Ann Marie Suriano, Executive Director
Mrs. Suriano stated that through her research concerning the performance review audit, she discovered that the Board is required to adopt a resolution should they have any office policy change concerning employee benefits. Therefore, she prepared Resolution 2021-04 outlining the same and read it allowed for the record. She asked for a motion to approve which was made by Mrs. McCrystal and seconded by Ms. Deigl. The motion carried unanimously.
Public Comment/Adjourn
There was no public comment and the meeting was adjourned at 5:00 PM
