Adena board: We stand behind CEO, providers and employees
Editor's Note: The following is an op-ed submission sent on behalf of the Adena Board of Trustees
To the residents of Southern and South Central Ohio:
It would be easy to take Adena Health System for granted, because it has been a fixture in our region for more than 125 years. But, Adena is a unique and valuable community asset in the truest sense.
Adena is not a publicly-traded company beholden to shareholders and their demand for profits. Adena doesn’t report to individuals working in skyscrapers miles and miles away.
Adena is held accountable by the people next to you and me, the people you see walking around town or in the stands at your high school sports event. A group of 15 people from our community govern the strategic direction of our region’s only independent hospital system. In fact, eight of us on the board of trustees represent the churches that formed Adena in 1895.
When concerns are raised in the community about Adena, the board of trustees, on behalf of the community, reviews those matters. For more than a year, anonymous individuals on social media have made numerous claims about Adena and its business practices, which are inaccurate, at best, and false, at worst.
We take very seriously our duty to ensure that the organization fulfills its mission to serve the needs of our communities and remains strong long into the future. That sometimes requires us to ask tough questions and always involves open discussion, reflecting the healthy relationship between our board and executive management.
As a result of that process, the board is confident Adena remains on the right track. That’s saying a lot, given the challenging times in the health care industry. Rapidly rising costs and inadequate reimbursement rates are stressing hospital finances nationwide. Make no mistake: Difficult times call for difficult decisions.
Of course, not everyone agrees with those decisions, which is certainly their right. Unfortunately, some have spread untruths about Adena, its management, and even our support. Those claims are misleading and inaccurate.
We stand united with, and support, President and CEO Jeff Graham and the Adena Health System executive team. We also stand behind Adena’s caregivers, physicians, and APPs who make a difference in the lives of people every day. Adena continues to provide nationally recognized health care, because of their – and our -- unwavering commitment and accountability to the nine counties that we all call home.Sincerely,
Adena Health System Board of TrusteesJennifer McKell – Chair, representative from Walnut Street UMCSteve Hirsch – Vice Chair, at largeCarvel Simmons – Secretary, at largeBob French – Treasurer, representative from St. Peter’s Catholic ChurchRon Coffey, representative at large for Adena Greenfield Medical CenterAnthony Fish, representative at large for Adena Pike Medical CenterAnthony Freeman, DO, medical staff representativeSheilah Gray, DDS, representative from St. Paul’s Episcopal ChurchBart Henshaw, representative from First Presbyterian ChurchEmily Johnson, MD, medical staff representativeJerry Phillips, representative from Tabernacle Baptist ChurchBrian Ream, representative at large for Adena Fayette Medical CenterKevin Shoemaker, representative from Orchard Hill United Church of ChristJoseph Watson - Past Chair, representative from Trinity United Methodist ChurchBeth Workman, representative from St. Mary’s Catholic Church
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Adena board: We stand behind CEO, providers and employees
