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Bay Area Hospital District Director Position 5

Special districts in Oregon are formed to provide specific local government needs. They are created by a vote of the people in the local area being served. Examples include people’s utility districts, library districts, water districts, fire protection districts, and more. They are governed by a board of directors, which is responsible for management and financial accountability. Special districts are empowered to levy any necessary taxes and fees to fulfill their mandate. Board members are not paid but may receive a per diem reimbursement.Health districts seek to provide a range of physical and mental health services to communities, sometimes in association with a hospital. The board is responsible for budgeting and personnel administration.Qualifications: Candidate must be a registered voter in the district. Employees of the district are not eligible. ORS 440.325 and 440.330(6)Term: 4 yearsCANDIDATE FORUM: The League of Women Voters of Coos County is hosting a forum for BAH board candidates on Wednesday, April 30, 6:30 p.m., at the Coos Bay Public Library. A link to a recording will be posted here afterward.

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  • Candidate picture

    Renee Nelson
    (N)

  • Candidate picture

    Kyle Stevens
    (N)

Biographical Information

What medical, managerial, or financial expertise do you bring to this position?

What is your opinion of the planned merger with Quorum Health Group?

What are the most urgent challenges faced by the District, and how would you address them?

Contact Phone (541)297-3029
Campaign Phone (public) -
Town Where You Live Coos Bay
Your Experience/Qualifications I am a Coquille High School Graduate and have a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration. I am married to a self-employed contractor and we have two married daughters and one grandchild. We have deep roots in Coos County and will always call this home..
Facebook http://-
County Coos
Term 4 Years
Term Expires 6/30/2029
Since 1997 I have worked at the local headquarters of a $1.7 billion credit union, serving as the Chief Financial Officer for the last 21 years. During my tenure I have participated in 7 credit union mergers and bank branch purchases and have extensive experience with purchase accounting, liquidity management, strategic planning, annual budget creation, financial audits and regulatory federal/state exams. I currently supervise branch operations in 26 communities throughout Oregon; Human Resources, including all employee insurance, training, and retirement benefits; Marketing, Investment Services; and am an active participant of the team which reviews commercial lending requests and member credit-related issues.
I participated in the due diligence process to explore options for long-term sustainability for BAH—including tax levies, alternative financing, and partnerships. Partnership consideration included analyzing written proposals, site visits to potential hospital partners to meet with staff/board and applying critical thinking for challenges related to in culture, demographics, control, and decision-making. A lease agreement with Quorum Health is a viable option to provide immediate financial relief and liquidity for stable day-to-day operations for continuity in the community. It will provide much-needed capital to replace outdated equipment, expand and add new service lines. Steps are also being taken to retain the not-for-profit status.
Default of the $47 million bank loan and ongoing monthly losses has crippled the hospital’s current operations and ability to plan for the future in a meaningful way. The banking industry is heavily regulated to protect safety and soundness of depositors. Because of the default, this loan is considered impaired by accounting standards and the most recent audit addresses concerns of BAH being an ongoing concern due to operational losses. Refinancing the loan with another bank is not realistic. While continuing the due diligence phase for a partner, there must be continued exploration of emergency legislative funding to prevent loss of services, and jobs, in the short-run.
Town Where You Live Coos Bay
Your Experience/Qualifications Bachelors of Science in Global Logistics and Supply Chain, Masters of Science in Global Supply Chain Management, 8 years of non-profit leadership including: former Executive Director of the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board (SOWIB) bringing state and federal dollars to our local community. Current treasurer for the Oregon Center for Nursing. Current President of the Commission for the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay. Former treasurer of the Oregon Workforce Partnership.
Former Executive Director of Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board, President of the Port of Coos Bay Commission, Treasurer for the Oregon Center for Nursing, Previous Treasurer for the Oregon Workforce Partnership, Coos Bay School District Budget Committee Member, Former South Coast ESD Budget Committee Member, Former CCD Board Member, Established the Rural Campus in Coos Bay for OHSU, Established the Southern Oregon Healthcare Industry Partnership, Completed two missions with Doctors Without Borders, Created the Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship Program, Expanded SOCC nursing program through targeted investment while with SOWIB.
It is hard to have a fully formed opinion without all of the information regarding the Quorum deal. My preference would be that the hospital remain under local control.
From the information that is publicly available it appears funding, staffing, and maintaining service lines are the biggest challenges facing Bay Area Hospital. I would work to address those issues anyway I could.