Taking a wrong turn? (6/13/03)

For the second time this spring, Jay County Hospital has folks scratching their heads.

First, it was the decision not to renew a contract with a local firm for physician staffing of the emergency room but to opt for an out-of-county company instead.

Now, it’s the sudden departure of a dedicated, highly-thought-of, and extremely effective hospital administrator.

There’s no apparent connection between the two, but those involved are being so tight-lipped that it’s anyone’s guess what’s really going on.

Departing administrator Sheri Goforth is saying nothing, having reportedly signed a confidentiality agreement with Cardinal Health System, the company which manages the hospital. And hospital trustees simply say it was a corporate matter between Goforth and her employer.

That’s fine as far as it goes. But it doesn’t go very far.

The fact is, when the hospital board decided several years ago to turn over the management reins to an outside company, it gave up a significant degree of control.

It’s a trade-off.

By bringing in the expertise which Cardinal provides, the board implicitly agrees to let Cardinal steer the hospital’s daily functions. If you hire a driver, you can say where you want to go, but it’s up to the driver to get you there. That makes sense.

What we’re beginning to wonder is whether we’ve made a couple of wrong turns. — J.R.

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