Petersburg Medical Center board updates on construction, long‑term care rules and approves amendment on account signers

The Petersburg Medical Center Board approved an amendment to its resolution authorizing signers on the hospital's bank and investment accounts, including language clarifying staff signature authority for long‑term care resident trust funds, during a regular board meeting where leaders also discussed a November water leak, progress on the new work building and recent federal regulatory changes.

Board members voted by voice to approve the amendment after a discussion about how resident trust funds are held and managed. The change adds an express authorization that the president, vice president and secretary of the association and certain executives be signers on investment accounts and clarifies that the CEO may appoint or remove staff signature authority on resident trust accounts held at FirstBank. The board passed the motion by voice vote; individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the minutes.

The board's action responded to recent staff turnover and a need to streamline the bank's process for updating signers, board members and staff said. "In the spirit of separation of duties, none of those individuals have access to check stock'... the accounting department'creates the checks, right? They don't sign the checks," a board member said while explaining internal controls.

Why it matters: The amendment affects how hospital funds are accessed and the sequence of approvals for payments and transfers. Board members asked about safeguards for long‑term care residents who have individual accounts; staff explained those are maintained in a single bank…