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Franklin County reappoints five to Ransom Memorial Hospital board amid calls for fresh voices
Summary
The Franklin County Commission voted 4–1 on Dec. 18 to reappoint five incumbent trustees to the Ransom Memorial Hospital Board after hearing eight applicants; commissioners debated continuity versus adding at least one new member.
The Franklin County Commission on Dec. 18 reappointed five existing members to the Ransom Memorial Hospital (RMH) Board of Trustees after a public round of eight applicants and a brief debate about board composition. The motion to reappoint the incumbents passed 4–1, with Chair Weitemeyer the only dissenting vote.
The commission opened the item by saying applicants could speak and answer questions; eight people sought five slots. Crystal Anderson, a five‑year RMH board member, told commissioners she wants to be “a cheerleader and an advocate for our local community hospital,” and stressed her focus on low‑income families. “Having more applicants than positions is a good problem to have,” Anderson said. Betty Burzer, another applicant and self‑described community advocate, said she wants to continue learning and helping the hospital through a CEO transition.
Long‑time trustee John Cohen said his 27 years of service give him perspective on the hospital’s partnership with AdventHealth and on restoring services such as birthing. “When we knew there was going to be a change … we adamantly said … we’ve got to stand this program back up,” Cohen said, referring to the effort to revive the hospital’s birthing unit.
Other applicants who spoke included Eric Duderstadt (fifth year on the board), Jeanette Garrett (new applicant), Norman Griffiths (experience in capital projects and transitions), and Richard Jackson (emphasizing public relations and taxpayer understanding). Several applicants cited the hospital’s transition to AdventHealth and the need to advocate for local services.
During discussion, commissioners described the RMH trustees’ primary duties as allocating the county’s sales tax support for the hospital and serving as community advocates rather than running day‑to‑day hospital operations. One commissioner noted that three of the county board’s appointees already sit on the hospital’s corporate board.
Nominations produced a slate that included Eric Duderstadt, Betty Burzer, John Cohen, Dr. Frank and Crystal Anderson. The reappointment motion carried on a roll call vote with Commissioners Dunn, Dickinson, Soudemire and Harris voting yes and Chair Weitemeyer voting no.
The action keeps the board intact during a period of CEO transition at RMH. The commission did not elaborate further on a timeline for seating the trustees or any onboarding steps; commissioners said they welcomed continued community engagement from applicants who were not selected.
