LOVELL (WNE) — The North Big Horn Hospital Board of Trustees approved a $15 an hour minimum wage for all of its workers on Sept. 21.

The change will impact 77 employees within the dietary, housekeeping, EMS, activities, business office, clinic, lab, care center, cardiac and rehab departments of the hospital. The lowest wage earned before the change was $11.70 an hour.

Hospital CEO Eric Connell said an $11.70 starting wage was quickly becoming uncompetitive in a fast-changing market.

“In a historical context, we said we may not be able to pay the most, but this is a good place to work,” Connell said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. It may have been effective, but does the moment we are in right now support that?”

Many businesses in the area now offer more than $11.70, Connell reported. He offered an anecdote where Maverik attempted to draw an employees away with a $13.50 an hour offer.

According to numbers presented to the board, the change would cost the district $128,291 per year.

“It’s not just a single-year investment,” Connell said. “It’s a multimillion investment in our people over the years.”

Connell also warned the board that raising the wage of its lowest paid staff would likely result in wage increases for higher paid employees in time.

“If you are making $15.50 and you’ve been working here for 15 years and suddenly everybody gets $15, that may feel a little unfair,” Connell said. “It’s something that needs awareness, and it’s also an acknowledgment that we’re going to need to address that somewhere in the future.”

Most of the board spoke in support of the proposal.