Grays Harbor Public Hospital District 2 now has a superintendent, treasurer and auditor, as the district’s commissioners put their leadership team in place ahead of taking over operations of Grays Harbor Community Hospital early next year.
Jensen superintendent
Current Hospital CEO Tom Jensen was officially appointed as the superintendent of Grays Harbor Public Hospital District 2 on Dec. 9.
The district’s board of commissioners voted to install Jensen in the position, effective Jan. 1, 2015, after introducing a resolution to that effect at the board’s Nov. 11 meeting.
In comments before the vote, Commissioner Miles Longenbaugh addressed some community concerns he had heard that the district should have looked outside the current hospital for a superintendent, or at least selected the superintendent from a pool of multiple candidates.
“I think it’s a great appointment,” Longenbaugh said, reiterating that Jensen has significant knowledge of the hospital’s current condition and its path moving forward.
“We will continue to hold Tom to his standards and our standards,” Longenbaugh added.
After Longenbaugh’s comments, the board, minus absent Commissioner Dr. Ryan Farrer, voted unanimously to approve Jensen’s appointment.
Jensen’s current contract with the nonprofit hospital would be adopted by the public district when it takes over operations of the facility, presumably on Jan. 1. According to 2013 financial reporting of the facility’s five highest salaries, Jensen was paid a base salary of $245,003 in 2013, with his total compensation amounting to just less than $293,000 when retirement plans, non-taxable benefits and other reportable compensation is included, according to the state Department of Health.
The state reports do not include contract details like incentives or cost of living adjustments.
Vessey CFO
Joining Jensen as an appointee of the district was hospital Chief Financial Officer Joe Vessey, who the board installed unanimously as the district’s treasurer.
The state law governing public hospital districts allows the district to either utilize the county treasurer for its financial transactions, or appoint its own treasurer with “experience in financial or fiscal matters.”
Foster Pepper PLLC attorney Brad Berg explained to the board that, among hospital districts throughout the state, those that have their own treasurer and those that utilize the county official are “split about 50/50.”
The benefit of having their own treasurer essentially revolves around convenience, he said.
“It’s a little easier (for a district treasurer) to administer the district’s funds,” Berg said.
Vessey was hired as Community Hospital’s CFO in July, replacing former hospital financial officer Timothy Howden.
Since he had not yet arrived at Community Hospital in 2013 — the most resent salary reports available from the state — Vessey’s salary is not available. In 2013, however, Howden was the hospital’s second-highest paid officer at Community Hospital, making a base salary of just more than $168,500 per year.
Sherman auditor
The third appointee, Cindy Sherman, was installed as the district’s auditor, who is responsible for actually dispersing the district’s funds. The position is required in the law governing public hospital districts.
Sherman, who is also a certified public accountant, is currently Community Hospital’s controller.
