By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–Henry County Commissioners heard updates Tuesday evening from Interim Henry County Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Brad Bloemer and Interim Chief Nursing Officer Kim Bentley on the search for a new CEO, the status of staff vaccinations against COVID and the staffing shortages and COVID fatigue being experienced by the hospital.
Bloemer told the commissioners that the B.E. Smith firm has been engaged to conduct the CEO search “and they’re one of the big players out there”. The firm is conducting a national search for a CEO to replace Lisa Casteel who resigned under fire last month.
Bloemer said representatives of the B.E. Smith firm will be in Paris all day Thursday to tour the hospital and the community.
Two governing agencies are providing differing views on employee vaccinations, Bloemer said, with OSHA requiring vaccinations for employees in facilities with over 100 employees, but that regulation was deemed unconstitutional. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has mandated that health care providers must require employee vaccinations.
Therefore, by January 27, all HCMC employees must have their first vaccination, with the second shot by February 25. Exemptions are available to employees, Bloemer said, and in fact 130 have already been approved.
Both Bloemer and Bentley said the biggest areas of concern for the hospital now are concerns with “a severe staff shortage”, COVID burnout and illnesses among staff, and the toll the Omicron variant has taken.
Bloemer said staff is working through trauma they’ve never dealt with before, with a larger number of COVID deaths locally—and more young people suffering with COVID. “We’ve had more of the young on ventilators” and seriously ill, he said, “and it’s taken a toll on the staff.”
The biggest issue is nurses being sick themselves, he said. “That’s a bigger problem than turnover” and the hospital has experienced more deaths than normal in the last two-three weeks and that has affected the morale of the staff.
Only 47 percent of Henry Countians are vaccinated, which is much lower than average, and the COVID illnesses are causing problems at the hospital, Bloemer said. “We do have issues in the ER”, he said, noting they are aware of the complaints from patients and family members “and we make no excuses. The problems are being addressed.”
Wait times in the ER are longer than normal “and this is a difficult time for the ER”, Bloemer said. The hospital has had to board COVID patients in the ER because there is no other place for them.
Bentley noted she is in her 8th week as Interim CNO and she acknowledged there have been problems. “But I’m honored to be part of the team here and it’s going to take time” to straighten out the issues.
The problems with staffing shortages, illnesses and fatigue “are something we’re working on every day”, she said. She said she welcomes feedback “because we want to make sure that we’re doing our best”.
In other business:
–The commissioners approved a long list of committee appointments, including the appointment of Dr. Scott Portis as Medical Examiner, and Dr. Terry Harrison and Dr. Paul Evans as Assistant Medical Examiners.
–The commission also approved the listing of Henry County roads for 2022.
–County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway welcomed Gracian McElroy to the position of Deputy Clerk I in the County Clerk’s office. She filled in for Clerk Donna Craig at tonight’s meeting.
Photo: Commissioners listen to Interim CEO Brad Bloemer and Interim CNO Kim Bentley. (Shannon McFarlin photo)