Pfefferle now heading up Powell Medical Foundation

Posted 12/12/19

Megan Pfefferle took over as the executive director of the Powell Medical Foundation this month. She replaces Jennifer Tippetts, who left the post in September for another position at Powell Valley …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Pfefferle now heading up Powell Medical Foundation

Posted

Megan Pfefferle took over as the executive director of the Powell Medical Foundation this month. She replaces Jennifer Tippetts, who left the post in September for another position at Powell Valley Healthcare.

“I have some big shoes to fill,” Pfefferle said.

The Powell Medical Foundation raises money to help support improvements and buy new equipment for PVHC. Since July 2015, the organization has funded $534,480 in projects, including a new ambulance, operating room surgical tables and a bus for the care center.

The foundation’s annual Mardi Gras banquet and Heartland Golf Classic are its biggest fundraising events. It also operates The Other Hand, an employee contribution fundraising campaign that brought in $25,000 for the foundation in 2018.

The position at the foundation completes a long return trip home for Pfefferle.

She is originally from Powell and left shortly after she turned 18. She lived in Nebraska for over 30 years, where she worked in banking and finance.

During that time, her kids grew up and left home. Now, one lives in Massachusetts and the other in Salt Lake City.

Pfefferle lived in Spearfish, South Dakota, where she got her first run in the healthcare industry as a client relations manager for Prioricare. But she still had her sights on getting back to Powell, so when a job opened up at Bank of the West in Cody, she went for it.

“The job at Bank of the West was my way home, and it was a good job. It’s just I quickly remembered why I had got out of the finance, banking, lending world,” she said.

The job at Powell Medical Foundation finally brought her back to Powell.

“I’m really excited,” she said. “For me it’s a great opportunity to really come home.”

Pfefferle said she’s also happy to be back in community healthcare. She knows the struggles critical access hospitals are facing. Since 2010, 98 such facilities have closed; this year, 46 percent of rural hospitals operate at a loss.

“I watched a lot of small communities lose their long term care facilities and some of their hospital functionality,” Pfefferle said. “It’s devastating for a community.”

In this challenging environment, though, PVHC is doing pretty well. It recently opened a new pharmacy. It’s pursuing a $1.7 million emergency department renovation — and the organization’s financials have been healthy this year.

“Powell Valley Healthcare is always looking for ways to improve itself, and I’m excited to be part of that,” Pfefferle said.

When asked what she’ll bring to the foundation as its new head, she points to her outgoing personality and passion for community healthcare.

PVHC Community Relations and Marketing Director Jim Cannon, who works with Pfefferle, said she’s being too humble.

“She’s got a strong background for the foundation,” Cannon said.

Comments