County sets clinic management

Wahkiakum County commissioners approved formation of an interim governing board for the Wahkiakum Family Practice Clinic on Tuesday.

The board also Crystal Stanley to the position of clinic operations manager and handled other business at the weekly meeting.

The citizen advisory board, which the commissioners appointed in 2007 to advise and help stabilize clinic operation, had recommended appointment of a small governing board to guide clinic operations. The interim board would establish parameters for its duties and work with the commissioners to prepare a charter.

The purpose of the charter is to ensure that the clinic is operating in a fiscally sound manner and that personnel are performing their duties.

The governing board would have authority to recruit and recommend hiring of clinicians and the clinic operations manager, to prepare an annual budget and oversee the fiscal condition of the clinic, and to present personnel action recommendations.

Members would include the clinic medical director, the operations manager, and five citizens appointed by the county commission.

The interim board would include advisory board members Carol Larson, Sandi Benbrook-Rieder, Douglas Martin and David Goodroe, medical director Dr. Janice McClean and the operations manager.

The advisory board recommended hiring Stanley as operations manager. Stanley has had experience and success in managing two nursing home businesses, the advisory board recommendation said. The board had advertised for candidates for the job but found none with a balance of experience. Stanley, an advisory board member, then volunteered to take the job for six to nine months.

Commissioners look over the other applications before confirming Stanley's appointment.

In other business, the board discussed final details with WSU Cooperative Extension director Blair Wolfley for a contract to continue cooperative extension in the county.

The commissioners said they had appropriated $10,000 as a contribution to the salary of Agent Carrie Kennedy; the total county budget for Extension is around $27,500.

The parties discussed shortening the 90 day period required for the county to notify WSU if it won't fund Extension in a subsequent year. With revenues so tight nationwide, that notification is almost guaranteed, commissioners said. If allowed a shorter time, they would have a better picture of their budget, the said.

Wolfley said he would check with Extension directors to see if the period could be shortened.