2018

“Patients First” Reform Slate Running for Clinic Board

by George Gramlich
The troubled West Custer County Hospital District (aka “Clinic”) is having an unusual election come May 8th: All five Board of Directors positions are up for election. The five current Board members, Bob Tobin, Ann Evans, Janny Candelaria, Bob Weisenbach and Katherine Ripley-Williams have all indicated that they are running for re-election.
In an interesting twist, a group of local citizens concerned with the chronically poor performance of the Clinic and the never-ending management issues have banded together to form a reform slate and are running a team of five new candidates for the Board, dubbed the “Patients First” team.

The Patients First Team consists of Mike Haga, Mike Kienbusch,
David Brothers, Ann Barthrop and Larry Luikart. Their intent is to change the orientation of the Clinic’s efforts to a “Patients First” priority with a reform platform (noted below).The personal credentials of this reform slate are outstanding:
Mike Haga has a law degree from Baylor University. He has extensive financial and legal experience in the healthcare industry with a senior position at American Medical Inc. in Denver, financial administrator at Health One (Denver), and financial administrator at Columbia HCA (now “HCA”). He is the author of numerous books on the economy.
Mike Kienbusch is an accomplished business consultant with over 10 years of experience as a Business Manager Professional for small companies in the $5 million to $20 million-dollar range. Mike has a master’s degree in analytical chemistry with minors in mathematics and biology. He supports the local community through Catholic charities, the Light House, the local Knights of Columbus council and tutors and substitute teaches at CCHS. He is married with five children, two of which attend our Custer County School.
David Brothers is a Colorado native who graduated high school from Leadville. He is an accomplished nurse. He was associate head nurse in an Intensive Care unit and was also Cardiovascular Coordinator in Surgery. He has held several management positions at St. Luke/Presbyterian Hospital and at the community hospital in Grand Junction. He has a BSN from Regis University and was a RN First Assistant.
Ann Barthrop is an analytical/critical thinker with solid experience in multiple business disciplines including: medical support departments; legal assistant, (office management, legal assistant, court preparation), management/accounting/office management (office, direct/indirect reports, process/time analysis, budget projection/analysis), accounting (multi-million dollar budget preparation/management, loan officer), data analysis and marketing. Ann has a BS in Marketing/Business Administration, and an MBA in Business Administration and Human Resources.
Larry Luikart has an Associates Applied Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He also has an Associates, bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Concordia College. In addition, Larry has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Accounting/Finance. His work experience includes business manager at St. Paul’s High School and College, a Missouri State Trooper for 26 years, Treasurer at the Mountain Publishing Co., Treasurer at Hope Lutheran Church for seven years, and is currently a local business accounting consultant.
The Patients First Team, after much consultation with local physicians and healthcare experts, have formed a platform for the clinic that, if they are elected, will hopefully turn it into a world class rural healthcare provider. Their platform proposes (from their campaign literature):

  • Extending the Clinic’s hours into the weekend instead of the current limited Monday through Friday operation
  • Greatly improve the quality of care provided to our citizens.
  • Accept urgent care walk-ins.
  • Increase the number of clinic doctors.
  • Bring back the various free clinics the Clinic use to provide (eg, skin care).
  • Contract with one or more air ambulance companies for reduced rates for Custer County residents.
  • Contract with various specialties for office hours at the Clinic.
  • Restore and respect patient confidentiality.
  • Move EMS to our professional Wet Mountain Fire Department to dramatically improve service and provide for second ambulance availability.

The election for this special tax district is May 8th. There will be no mail ballots mailed out. It is an old school, you-have-to-go-and-vote physically. It is currently scheduled to happen at the Clinic itself. However, as there is also a Wet Mountain Fire District Board election on the same day it is possible the county will consolidate the two and it will occur at the court house. The Sentinel will keep you posted.

(Editor/GG: The Patients First Team has a lot going for it: heavy duty experience in the healthcare field at the administrative/legal, both corporate and in-the-trenches; a successful and experienced small business consultant; an accounting consultant; a very successful RN with big time operating room background; and a highly experienced, multi-discipline business woman (including the healthcare industry and Human Resources fields) with a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Human Resources.
In talking with all of these candidates, one sees a strong commitment to transform our beleaguered Clinic into a new, state-of-the-art, rural healthcare facility that is tactically lead by doctors and nurses and NOT by closed minded healthcare bureaucrats.
Folks, the Clinic’s Board of Directors over the last decade or so have failed in their mission. No weekend hours. No walk-ins (Need a couple of stitches in your finger? Not at the Clinic. Down the hill you go….). No second ambulance. Chronic shortage of doctors (Plus, NO doctors now. The last one is leaving this month). On and on. Hundreds of stories of failure to deliver. It’s time for a change. The Patient’s First Team has already consulted with local doctors, other healthcare providers, and experts on healthcare administration from Denver. They are doing their homework. It’s time for a change. Vote the Patients First slate to fix the clinic and set it up for the challenges to come. The status quo is unacceptable.)