Samaritan board accepts CEO resignation
Samaritan chief executive officer Andrew Bair talks to board members during the regular board meeting Thursday. The board officially accepted Bair's resignation.
MOSES LAKE - Samaritan Healthcare board members are soliciting resumes for an interim chief executive officer.
Board members officially accepted the resignation of current CEO Andrew Bair at the regular board meeting Thursday. Bair's resignation was announced June 12; he will remain with the hospital through Aug. 7. He resigned after a vote of no-confidence from some physicians on the hospital's medical staff.
In a later interview, board member Julie Weisenberg said the board's intent is to start talking with candidates by the end of this week.
The board approved Bair's resignation unanimously. Board member Dale Paris said he thought Bair deserved thanks for the job he did as CEO. Paris said he had seen "incredible progress" at the hospital from the time he joined the board.
Bair said he was grateful that as he leaves, the district has a stable financial position and is in good shape for the future. The job has been an "amazing opportunity," and the district has accomplished a lot, he said.
In other business, chief financial officer Thomas Legel reported the hospital finished May with a nearly $2.5 million profit for the year to date, compared with about $275,000 in profit for the same period in 2011.
Both inpatient and outpatient revenue are over budget projections, he said, and expenses are about 6 percent lower than 2011.
The board approved the purchase of five anesthesia machines, totaling $196,000. Dr. Stephen Blatt said the current machines owned by the district are outdated and it's becoming difficult to find parts.