Indian River County Hospital District

Regular Monthly Meeting: September 21, 2023

SUMMARY MINUTES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
County Commissioner Chambers/ Zoom
September 21, 2023

TRUSTEES: Paul Westcott (via Zoom) Michael Kint
Marybeth Cunningham Kerry Bartlett
Barb Bodnar Karen Deigl
William Cooney, M.D. (via Zoom)

STAFF: Kate Voss Jennifer Frederick
Frank Isele Jennifer Peshke, Esq.

ZOOM: Ann Marie Suriano Barbara Holbrook
Marie Andress

ATTENDEES: Linda Kloss Rene Bireley
Elizabeth Appleton Kim Jeansonne
Bill Stengle Carol Kanarek
Kelly Williams Ceclia Stalnaker

Consent Agenda– Marybeth Cunningham, Chair

Ms. Cunningham convened the regular monthly meeting of the IRCHD at 5:15 PM. She asked for a motion to approve the budget discussion meeting minutes dated July 11; chairman’s meeting minutes dated July 19 and August 16; regular monthly meeting minutes dated July 20; special meeting minutes dated July 28; an August disbursement of $946,096.80 and a September disbursement of $1,015,640.40. The motion was made by Ms. Bartlett and seconded by Ms. Bodnar. The motion carried unanimously.

Chairmans Report- Marybeth Cunningham, Chair

Ms. Cunningham thanked the Trustees for their participation during the budget cycle this year, especially the new Trustees who had no prior experience with the process. She is excited to see what this new fiscal year brings and the work that the District will do for the benefit of the community. She also welcomed Mr. Isele and stated that she was glad to have him as a part of the District.

District Counsel Report- Jennifer Peshke, Esq.

Ms. Peshek provided her report and stated that much of her work this past month has been concerning the sale of the Hospice House parcel and working with the VNA’s legal counsel to evaluate the appraisal reports. After Trustee discussion at the Chairman’s meeting yesterday, the board submitted a counter offer of $3.8 million to the VNA and will be working with their counsel on developing a sale contract. Additionally, she has been working with the board and participated in discussions concerning the future use of the HSB and the Trustees continue to evaluate their options. Ms. Cunningham added that during yesterday’s Chairman’s meeting that the District Trustees agreed to direction concerning the future use of the HSB, which includes discussions with VCOM and their offer to bring a school of medicine to Vero Beach and utilizing some of the building to house a primary care clinic. Lastly, she has met with Mr. Isele in his new role as executive director and will continue to assist when necessary, concerning his onboarding process.

Financial Statement Review- Michael Kint, Treasurer

Mr. Kint stated that after 11 months of the District’s fiscal year, the District has received 99.97% of its tax revenue, net of commissions and uncollectable taxes. He further explained that overall program and administrative expenses are both under budget. Total investments at Deep Blue are $4.6 million and $3.1 million is invested in Treasury Direct Tbills. Mr. Kint informed the board that over the last week there was a $1.25 million Tbill that matured, and he and Mr. Isele agreed to cash the bill in to cover District operating expenses. He explained $600,00 from the bill was transferred into the Seacoast operating account and the rest will remain in the US Bank custodian account. Mr. Cuningham asked for an update concerning the amount of interest the District has received from its investments. Mr. Kint stated that the preferred deposit pool has garnered $127,000 year to date. He further stated that he would like the new finance and audit committee to review the Districts financial policies and procedures, to see if there is need for additional oversight, and evaluate the investment accounts and their returns. He plans to hold the committee’s first meeting, some time in October.

Executive Director Report- Frank Isele, Executive Director

Mr. Isele provided an update concerning the Districts performance review which is now required every five years, governed by the Special District Uniform Accountability Act. He and Ms. Voss are working to finalize the items for submission, and he will keep the Trustees updated as to the progress of this matter. There was Trustee discussion concerning how engaged the Trustees should be during this process and Mr. Westcott asked Ms. Peshke to further analyze this matter. Ms. Voss stated that right now the process is in the data collection stage, and within the next few months a draft report will be developed and will be available for Trustee review and comment. Next Mr. Isele provided an update concerning the Gifford Health Center and stated that due to some structural issues with the building they hired T.E. Schlitt engineers to review the same and prepare a report with recommendations for repairs. The report has been received and he will work of securing bids to move forward with the repairs. Next, he stated that he spent time meeting with the District funded agencies and has received a very warm welcome from everyone. Additionally, he will continue to nurture the relationship with CCIRH and met with Dr. Peter recently. He also has had discussions with representatives from VCOM and understands that there are many details still to be worked out and discussion concerning future plans for a medical school. Additionally, he recognized Dr. Cooney’s proposal concerning the creation of a primary care clinic within the HSB and will continue to move forward with discussions and exploration of this proposal. Lastly, he provided an update concerning the UF addiction and psychiatry medicine clinic, which is closing at the end of the year. He stated that the District and other mental health representatives have convened to discuss ways to successfully transfer the 2,600 patients currently being served at UF, to other behavioral health providers within the community. It was discussed that the letter is being prepared by UF notifying their patients that the clinic is closing and will also be posted in the local newspaper. It was also discussed that with the closing of the clinic it will be important to support the clinical staff in finding alternative work placement within the community.

Funded Agency Semi Annual Report

CCIRH IOP & ED BH program- Cecelia Stalnaker Administrator of CCIRH BHC

Ms. Stalnaker addressed the board and announced that Karrisa Bolden has transitioned out of the organization and took a director position at the PACE Center for Girls. He introduced Kelly Williams who is an IOP therapist and has now been promoted to serve as the outpatient clinical manager. Ms. Stalnaker provided an update concerning the Intensive Outpatient Program (“IOP”) and stated that they opened their adult IOP and initially planned to serve patients 18-24. However due to varying factors with that population and their scheduled, they opened up the program to adults of all ages and have seen additional success and engagement. Ms. Williams addressed the board and shared a success story of a patient who participated in the program. There was discussion surrounding follow up after discharge and how they continued to track the success of the program. Currently they are following up around 30 and 60 days and Mr. Kint requested that this be extended to provide additional support to those patients. Next there was discussion concerning the behavioral health integration in the CCIRH emergency department. She stated that they are wrapping up the finishing touches to the renovation and creation of the BH zone and they look forward to having this dedicated space to better serve the behavioral health patients that present at the ED. She further explained that in addition to the VCOM students who are interning at CCIRH, they were just approved to receive mental health counselors and social work interns. There was also discussion concerning the fact that Vero Beach will now serve as the center for BH services for Cleveland Clinic Florida.

Tykes & Teens- Anne Posey, CEO

Ms. Posey addressed the board and recognized the work that CCIRH has done to improve access and care for behavioral health patients. She introduced her team which included Kim Jeansonne, Grants Manger and Elizabeth Appleton, Director of Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. She provided an update concerning Tykes & Teens and stated that due to the District funding they have been able to open a physical office in Indian River county and provide the much needed behavioral health services to the community. She discussed some learnings that their team discovered over the last six months as suicide rates continue to rise in the community and nationally, it reinforces their mission of early intervention for behavioral health issues. Additionally, they are working to provide additional support to parents and are discussing the development of a parent’s peer support program. Next, she discussed their new center in Vero Beach and stated that they continue to expand their offerings for services and are working to get their name more recognized within the community. They continue to work on strategies to support this growth and remain fiscally sound to provide services. She then discussed some emerging issues she is seeing within the community and believes navigating behavioral health care remains an area that needs improvement. She stated that access is limited but with the help of the McCabe connections center, there is additional support available. However, she would like to see a larger centralized referral process that could address those gaps and connect more patients to services and collaborative mental health providers more effectively. Another area that needs support is the recruitment and retention of behavioral healthcare workers, specifically in the non-profit sector where salaries are typically lower. She further stated that Tykes & Teens is a certified training facility and recruited their own infant mental health specialist for Indian River County, who was a former student and intern with Tykes & Teens. She also discussed their issues surrounding low insurance reimbursements and stated that children mental health visits are more likely to be billed out of network. Additionally, there are additional requirements implemented by insurance companies concerning data collection and tracking, which result in additional overhead costs for the agencies. Lastly, she stated that as Tykes & Teens continues to grow, they will continue to strive to be strong presence in Indian River County. The Trustees thanked Ms. Posey for her support and reorganizing Tykes & Teens over the last year.

Public Comment/Adjourn

Mr. Bill Stengle addressed the board and stated that as the Chairman of the VNA board he would like to extend his thanks to the Trustees for their continued support and cooperation concerning the sale of the Hospice House parcel. He reiterated that the VNA understands that this land is a community asset, and they are committed to remaining a community partner and utilizing the space for the betterment of the taxpayers. There was no further public comment, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:15 PM

Respectfully Submitted,

Barbara Bodnar, Secretary

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