Natrona Collective Health Trust outlines monitoring plan for Banner, commissioners seek direct contact with independent monitor

The Natrona Collective Health Trust told the Natrona County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday that it has retained an outside consultant, PYA, to conduct independent monitoring of Banner Wyoming Medical Center and is preparing follow-up responses to a recent county information request.

The trust’s chair, Eric Nelson, said the trust received the commission’s letter late last week and that trustees were reviewing the requests; he said the trust expects to convene its executive committee and board to decide whether parts of the response should be discussed in executive session. “I would hope that we could get back to you within a week, but I don't want to promise anything hard and fast,” Nelson said.

Why it matters: Commissioners pressed the trust for more direct contact between the independent monitor and county stakeholders, saying a monitoring report that does not include input from the Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees or the county could appear incomplete. The trust said it is receiving regular updates from PYA and expects the monitor’s work to follow the timeline agreed in the trust’s extension request, with a final monitoring product due in June and a trust assessment in July.

Beth Worthen, chief executive officer of the Natrona Collective Health Trust, said the trust submitted a packet of required materials and that the materials in the packet reflect the trust’s reporting obligations to the county while separate monitoring-related work continues with Banner. “We have retained a PYA, an outside consultant to help us with our monitoring obligations vis-à-vis Banner,” Worthen said. “We're receiving regular updates from them.”

Commissioner Nicholson asked whether PYA had met with the Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees or with the Board of County Commissioners. Worthen said she did not know the full list of PYA’s stakeholder contacts and offered to provide contact information so PYA could reach out to the commission. Nelson said he would convey the commissioners’ interest in meeting the consultant to avoid perceptions that the review was “tainted” by being staff- or board-driven.

Commissioners also raised a separate concern about the process available to residents who want to provide information to PYA. Several commissioners and members of the public told the trust that a public portal on the trust website is the route PYA uses to collect stakeholder input; some residents told commissioners they are uneasy if the trust receives and forwards complaints to PYA rather than stakeholders sending information directly to the monitor. Worthen said the trust maintains an email address and that material sent to that address goes to PYA; she said she would follow up to clarify whether the trust can see submissions before they reach the consultant.

Outlook: Commissioners asked the trust to (1) provide contact information for PYA, (2) confirm whether PYA has met with the hospital board and the county, and (3) report back about whether the trust can or does view submissions before the consultant receives them. Nelson and Worthen said they would respond to the commission’s requests after the trust board convenes.

Votes at a glance: No formal vote was taken on the trust’s report. The commission did later approve the consent agenda (motion by Commissioner Laird; second by Commissioner Milner).