Sage board to discuss status

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

GANADO — The Sage Memorial Hospital Board will meet today to address the status of the hospital and to vote on a new Chief Executive Officer.

The hospital is facing a possible permanent shutdown after disagreements among Board members surrounding a resolution has put a halt to the building of a new facility.

"There's still no decision on the land," said Interim Lauren Bernally, Chief Executive Officer Thursday afternoon.

Bernally said the 47-year-old building is out of compliance with building codes, technology, safety, everything with respect to operating the hospital, and in 2002, the State of Arizona told the board that it must have a new facility built by 2008 or be shut down.

The facility currently serves 18,000 patients in eight areas on the Nation, including Ganado, Kinlichee, Klagetoh, Wide Ruins, Greasewood, Cornfields, Nazlini, and Steamboat.

The hospital worked with the state to get the day pushed back two years to October 25, 2010, and a feasibility study concluded that the ideal location to build a new hospital would be just west of where the hospital is now; however, the church-based Grand Canyon Presbyterian, the owner of the private land, decided against turning the land over to either the hospital or the Navajo Nation.

The study concluded that the next location would be an area of private land near Cornfields, but Bernally said that new infrastructure would be needed, doubling the overall costs, which the hospital could not afford.

With no other options, the hospital staff has been traveling to chapter houses in the area for the past five and a half years, asking families to donate land for a new facility.

In June 2006, the Nez family from the Burnside area offered to donate 20 acres by Snakes Springs under three conditions.

The first was that gray water be available to them to use for irrigation in the area, the second that the new facility include the clan name Kinyaa'aanii (Towering House), and that the family members who applied to the hospital be given high consideration for employment, should they qualify for an open position within the hospital.

Initially, upon hearing the requests, board members agreed to the conditions and the conditions were drafted in a resolution, but a month later, the board tabled the resolution.

Tomicita Gorman, who was appointed as the President for the Board of Directors in November, said Milton Bluehouse, Sr. from Ganado, and Bill Spencer from Greasewood raised issues saying that they "weren't comfortable with only 20 acres." The resolution was then tabled with a vote of four to three.

The original feasibility initially stated that 100 acres was desired for the hospital, which first included potential housing for hospital staff. Later, it was concluded that it was not affordable for the hospital, and that the 20 acres offered by the family would be enough to get started.

Gorman and others weren't happy with members opposing the deal, and the disagreement has continued to put the hospital in limbo.

The meeting will also address a number of concerns, including the budget of the hospital.

"According to our financial person, our budget is very tight," said Bernally.

Bernally said physicians within the hospital are also wanting a raise, which is something that will addressed in the meeting. The board will also be voting on a new CEO for the hospital. The number and names of candidates were not released.

Bernally, who has been serving as Interim CEO for a year and a half, plans to return to fundraising for the hospital.

"I'm looking forward to the new CEO," said Bernally. "It's been quite a long, interesting ride."

The board will be meeting at Sage Memorial Hospital at 1 p.m.

Natasha Kaye Johnson can be reached at (505) 863-6811, ext. 223, or by email at nooda_dinee@yahoo.com