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Sheridan County interviews Anthony Spiegelberg for Memorial Hospital board seat; another applicant withdraws
Summary
At a special Sheridan County meeting, Anthony Spiegelberg interviewed to fill the Memorial Hospital board seat vacated by Gene Davis. Spiegelberg cited prior board experience and hospital finance knowledge; no appointment was made. Applicant Scott Adele withdrew his application before the interviews concluded.
Sheridan County held a special meeting to interview candidates for a vacancy on the Memorial Hospital board, interviewing Anthony Spiegelberg to fill the unexpired term of board member Gene Davis and learning that another applicant, Scott Adele, withdrew his application.
Spiegelberg, who said he has lived in Sheridan County for about 27 years, described prior service on the hospital board from 2000 to 2009, including a term as treasurer and as chairman of the search committee that hired CEO Mike McCafferty. "When we're sick, when your family's sick, it becomes as important as any family," Spiegelberg said, explaining his long interest in the hospital.
The interview focused on Spiegelberg's financial experience, current hospital finances and possible partnerships with larger health systems. Spiegelberg said the hospital's days of cash on hand have fallen from roughly 60–70 days during his previous tenure to about 20 days now, and he estimated the hospital's cash burn at "over $400,000 a day," or "somewhere between $10 million and $12 million a month." He said he would be willing to mentor Rob Johnson, who has a financial background, and that he could step into a treasurer role if the board asked.
Commissioners asked whether Spiegelberg or anyone in his household was employed by the hospital in light of a restriction cited during questioning as "Title 18 8 1 0 2 a" that, according to the meeting record, bars hospital trustees from being hospital employees. Spiegelberg disclosed that his wife, Jean Spiegelberg, occasionally fills in at hospital offices in an administrative role—"maybe two days a month" on average— and he confirmed he is not employed by the hospital.
Spiegelberg told commissioners he supports exploring partnerships with larger hospitals where appropriate given changes in health-care reimbursement, technology and an aging local population. "I think we all want to maintain as much independence as we possibly can as a community hospital, but I think it would...be a good thing and we should look at partnering where it makes sense," he said, adding that medical staff support would be necessary for such moves.
No formal appointment or vote took place at the meeting. The panel noted that another applicant, Scott Adele, withdrew his application because of a potential business conflict of interest. The special meeting concluded at about 10:10 a.m.; next steps for filling the vacancy were not specified at the session.
Details disclosed during the interview included Spiegelberg's prior board service (2000–2009), his role on the search committee that hired CEO Mike McCafferty, the hospital cash-on-hand estimates (previously about 60–70 days, currently about 20 days), and an estimated daily cash burn of more than $400,000.
