Dear friends, neighbors and patients,
Recently you may have heard conflicting information about management agreements being considered by the Syringa Hospital and Clinics Board. Because some of the information may have been confusing, we want toprovidethe facts.
- On November 12, 2015, Joe Cladouhos, CEO, and David Green, Chairman of the Board of Trusteessent a letter to Kootenai Health. The letter was an exclusive request to Kootenai asking them to give Syringa a proposal for a management agreement.
- Like Syringa, Kootenai is also an independent, community-owned, district hospital. Kootenai Health understands and sharesthe desire to remain independent. They also understand that in order to remain independent, it is helpful to find partners who are willing to work together to share best practices and professional support services. For example, Kootenai Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.
- Agreements like this have become the norm in health care. Many hospitals in Idaho have agreements with larger organizations that providethem access to resources they would not have otherwise.
- Key to this agreement would be the fact that Syringa would continue to operate independently as a community owned district hospital.
- By law, the Syringa Hospital and Clinics Board of Trustees has sole authority for all decisions related to use of its taxing authority. This would not change with an affiliation.
- The agreement Syringa requested from Kootenai Health was to include the following:
- While Kootenai Health would employ Syringa Hospital’s CEO, the CEO would be on site, live in our community and continue to report to the Syringa Hospital Board of Trustees for all issues of governance. He or she would be responsible for all customary CEO duties, including the day-to-day operations, financial oversight, administration and management of the hospital.
- Syringa’sBoard of Trustees would conduct the CEO’s annual performance review just as they do today and would have the authority to require Kootenai to replace the CEO, if necessary.
- Syringa’s CEO and staff would have access to support services from Kootenai, including group purchasing agreements, training and education for staff, compliance, policies, clinical protocols and procedures, peer networking, strategic planning, and revenue strategies.
- The agreement could be canceled at any time without cause by either organization.
- Decisions of this kind always require a full evaluation by our hospital board and administration. At this time, the consideration of any proposals is being put on holduntil vacant hospital board positions are filled.
- For more information, visit our website at SyringaHospital.org.
On behalf of our board and management, we are striving to be good stewards of our hospital and do what is in the best interest of our patients, employees and medical staff. We remain committed to our mission to provide and coordinate high quality health services for our community for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Joe Cladouhos,Syringa Hospital & Clinics CEO
Al Bolden,Board Chairman
Steve Didier, Board Vice Chair
Twila Hornbeck, Board Secretary and Treasurer
Dick Tucker, Board Member
Paula Calcaterra, Board Member
Danny Griffis, M.D.,Chief Medical Officer