Two big things came out of last week’s South Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board meeting: the board voted down a citizen-initiated resolution, electing instead to draft a new resolution on the governance and operation of the hospital’s operating board, and Chris Story, author of the citizen resolution, has applied for a seat on the SPH Inc. board of directors, commonly called the operating board.
The Service Area Board will discuss the new draft resolution in October.
The Service Area Board is an advisory body to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, not the hospital operating board, and does not have the authority to directly make changes themselves. However, they will ask the borough to take up the issue.
Story said he felt positively about the outcome of the meeting, even though the board voted down his resolution.
“There was a really strong chance this resolution, if forwarded to the assembly, might not have gone anywhere,” he said. “This is probably the best path forward, so I’m excited to see where it goes.”
Story’s original resolution called specifically for the borough assembly to amend the operating agreement between the borough and SPH Inc. to require the hospital’s operating board be elected and follow the Alaska Open Meetings Act. Service Area Board members felt that direction was “too close-ended” and only provided one path forward to address concerns raised by community members.
In addition to evaluating the pros and cons of having an elected versus appointed operating board, the SAB discussed other possible improvements such as instituting term limits, disallowing hospital staff from having voting power on the operating board and requiring the board to follow the Alaska Open Meetings Act.
In a letter to the SAB written on behalf of the operating board and asking the SAB to not advance Story’s resolution, board president Aaron Weisser said the operating board already follows most OMA provisions.
Per Section 30 of the current operating agreement, as a private, nonprofit corporation, SPH Inc. is not required to follow the Open Meetings Act, and the operating board is allowed to hold private work sessions, training sessions and informational meetings during which the board takes no action.
However, because SPH Inc. operates publicly-owned facilities, the operating board must provide public notice for all regular and special meetings and allow time for public comment. Nonconfidential board materials are also to be made publicly available.
CEO Ryan Smith reiterated that the operating board has followed the stipulations in the operating agreement.
“There are plenty of nonprofits that adhere to the Open Meetings Act, even though they’re not required to,” said SAB member Catriona Reynolds. “That could be something the (operating) board could just choose to pay attention to themselves.”
Weisser also questioned what specific hospital outcomes moving to an elected operating board would improve. The SAB echoed similar thoughts while deliberating how to proceed with either Story’s or its own resolution.
“I think the starting point has to be, what is the problem that we’re trying to solve. What is the issue? Is this the right way to do it?” said SAB member Helen Armstrong.
Comments from board members marked last week’s decision to pursue a new resolution as a show of good faith to the community.
“I do think there is the opportunity for us to recommend that this be considered for the sake of creating something greater, where it’s possible,” SAB vice chair Brandy Zollars said. “Let’s be curious.”
Story’s bid for an operating board seat is partly to demonstrate how electing members might change things. He plans to run a campaign for his seat and poll the service area for approval.
“This isn’t a farce or just an experiment,” he said. “I’m just exposing the process for the first time ever…. There isn’t a public vetting, and that’s what I’m introducing here with my campaign.”
Operating board applicants are interviewed by the board’s governance committee before they are potentially appointed. Applicants must also successfully complete a State of Alaska background check.
Four board members’ terms will expire in December.
Story hopes his bid for the board will inspire others to run for a seat.
“The water is warm — jump in and create a public campaign of your own,” he said.
Homer Independent Press Editor Michael Armstrong’s sister, Helen Armstrong, is a South Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board member. Her term ends this year, and she is not running for reelection.
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