Sandee Gunter and Robert Gordon, members of Castle Rock Hospital District's Board of Trustees, listen to employees Tuesday night as they discuss perceived problems with the district's administration.
More than 40 people showed up to a Castle Rock Hospital District board meeting last night, a few of whom had concerns about the district's administration.
The audience, which nearly filled the conference room the meeting was hosted in, was moved into Castle Rock Medical Center's lobby during an early executive session called to discuss legal and employee matters. An executive session is a legal means for boards and councils to discuss sensitive topics, which are limited by Wyoming Law. Both topics are among the list of subjects an executive session can be called to discuss.
After about half an hour, the group was allowed back into the conference room and board chairperson Sandee Gunter opened a public forum.
Claiming to speak on behalf of concerned employees, Jean Yennie, a 21-year employee of the hospital district handed board members packets containing letters from employees outlining concerns they have about the direction the hospital district is headed.
"We, as a group, feel that decision are being made and priorities set that are not in the best interest of the medical center or the citizens of Sweetwater County," Yennie said.
Yennie mentioned a personal dispute she has with district's administration, accusing administrators of applying rules differently, depending on the person involved and the situation.
She also claims the administrators use the hospital policies only to serve their own interests.
A former employee, Stacy Frint, spoke to the board about instances she claims were poor employee management by the administration. She claimed the environment at the medical center was "far from professional," alleging administrators operate within a hostile work environment and bully employees.
"I've never seen morale this low in the five-and-a-half years I've been here," Frint said.
A third employee, Jacqueline Dewitt, attempted to speak after Frint, but was denied the opportunity by Gunter because Yennie spoke as a representative for the employees.
Dewitt, who has worked at CRHD as a lab tech and marketing coordinator for the past six and a half years, recently tendered her resignation. Her last day was Wednesday.
Dewitt agrees with statements made about morale being low amongst employees and said she decided to resign as a result of how employees were being treated by the administration. She disagrees with a decision to absorb the district's human resource duties into the CEO's job description, something a former employee also took issue with.
"I have never worked for a company where the CEO is the HR director," Debbie Jessen said.
Jessen said she quit because of the hostile work environment she claims to have encountered and questioned why the CEO, Bailie Dockter, was involved with human resources. Prior to assuming the role as CRHD's CEO, Dockter was the district human resources manager. Dockter was not at the meeting due to a death in her family.
Gunter and the CRHD board stand behind the hospital's administration. Gunter and vice-chairperson Robert Gordon said the hospital district has been better than it ever has been.
During the meeting, Gunter said the district has the funding to now provide education to board members and staff.
She also said the organization as at a point where it can also begin to make strategic plans for its future.
Gunter said there have been some changes within the hospital district and believes those changes have improved the organization.
"We've been happy with the direction (CRHD) is going," Gunter said.
As for the claims of low morale, board members said they haven't seen it.
Gunter said the board members are also patients at the medical center and both she and Gordon said they haven't noticed a decline in staff morale during their visits.
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