Mark Olson appointed to hospital board

Posted 7/2/15

Olson’s wife works at the hospital, and he said she would fill him in on the problems the hospital is facing.

He said he has kept up to date on “a lot of the things that plagued the hospital recently,” and believes he can contribute to …

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Mark Olson appointed to hospital board

Posted

The Powell Valley Hospital District Board of Trustees unanimously approved appointing Mark Olson to the board on Monday evening. He was the only applicant for the vacancy.

“I feel I can provide a new perspective and serve the community at the same time,” Olson said.

Olson’s wife works at the hospital, and he said she would fill him in on the problems the hospital is facing.

He said he has kept up to date on “a lot of the things that plagued the hospital recently,” and believes he can contribute to fixing them.

Olson replaces Sandra Ehman, who was appointed to the board in June 2014. She was elected to the board in November, but resigned in January.

He credits being a young local business owner as why he is a good fit for the hospital board — employee issues, morale issues and employee retention are all familiar obstacles.

“I would like to see us recruit doctors that stay longer and do what I can to create a team atmosphere there,” Olson said. “I want the public perspective to change; we have a great facility, and people don’t realize it.”

He compared Powell’s hospital competing with Billings to Powell businesses competing with Billings’ businesses.

“People think they will get better in Billings, but that isn’t the case,” Olson said. “I want to be part of changing that.”

Olson has been self-employed since 2002 doing contractor fencing and landscaping work and earned an associate degree from Northwest College in 2010. During that time, he said he managed in “good times and in less than ideal situations.”

As for the hospital’s financial challenges, he said he doesn’t know “the ins-and-outs” yet, but will rely on his experience as a businessman, which taught him that the obvious short-term solution may not always be the best solution in the longrun.

“One thing that kills businesses is turnover and training new people; doctors aren’t cheap, and when they come and go it isn’t a good thing,” Olson said.

Embezzlement by previous chief executive officer Paul Cardwell was an issue, and that’s a problem all businesses face, Olson said.

“People that are creative will find a way to harm others, and all you can do is put in checks and balances and do your best to make sure it can’t happen again,” Olson said. “Criminals get smarter and find a way.”

The hospital is seeking a new chief executive officer following the resignation of Bill Patten, and Olson said it needs to be someone who can make “hard decisions to make the changes that need to be made.”

“Staying the same isn’t what the hospital can afford,” Olson said. “The perception needs to change, and the atmosphere among the team needs to change.”

And as for getting the hospital’s electronic medical records filing system completely operational, Olson pointed out that it is a legal requirement under the Affordable Care Act.

ACA requirements aren’t the only changes with challenges on the horizon for the hospital.

The hospital’s upcoming competition for local healthcare is also a potential challenge in the near future. There is some fear that it could put a “financial strain” on the hospital, he said.

“Nobody likes competition, and I’m sure the hospital sees it as a double-edged sword,” Olson said, noting that some physicians want to work independently in a private practice. “That isn’t a bad thing. Hospitals can succeed and work with them to provide care they can’t do in their private practice.

“We just have a great facility, and people need to realize it and appreciate what we have here,” Olson said. “Not every community has a hospital with all the facilities we do, and we sometimes take it for granted. If the services weren’t here, they would be missed — it is like the fireworks show; if you want that kind of thing, you have to support it.”

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