{"id":38455,"date":"2022-09-12T22:38:22","date_gmt":"2022-09-13T04:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/new-ceo-outlines-plans-management-style-for-southwest-memorial-hospital\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:44:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:44:30","slug":"new-ceo-outlines-plans-management-style-for-southwest-memorial-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/new-ceo-outlines-plans-management-style-for-southwest-memorial-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"New CEO outlines plans, management style for Southwest Memorial Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jeanine
Jeanine Gentry is the new permanent CEO for Southwest Memorial Hospital. (Jim Mimiaga\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

A passion for health care and appreciation of the milder Cortez winter attracted Southwest Health System\u2019s new CEO Jeanine Gentry.<\/p>\n

Gentry was hired by Community Hospital Corp. this year to lead Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez. She sat down with The Journal<\/em> Aug. 24 to provide an update on hospital operations and plans.<\/p>\n

Gentry has decades of experience in health care. She most recently served as CEO for Steele Memorial Medical Center in Salmon, Idaho, from 2016 to 2021. She led all operations of the 18-bed, county-owned hospital, which was ranked as a top 20 critical access hospital for three consecutive years by the Chartis Group<\/a> hospital rating group.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal is to bring this hospital into the top 20 for rural critical care hospitals. We can do it,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to have the recognition of what a fine medical facility this is. We have a lot to offer that many small towns do not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rating focuses on key pillars of quality care, service, financial health, growth and staff.<\/p>\n

Southwest Memorial has overcome back-to-back challenges of a financial crisis in 2018 and the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are taking a deep breath and getting back to normal. We are in sound financial standing,\u201d Gentry said. \u201cThe stress of the pandemic had a big impact on hospital staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Current leadership team goals are improving patient access to care and recruiting doctors.<\/p>\n

\u201cA complaint we hear is people struggling to get timely appointments with doctors. If they wait too long, they go to another hospital,\u201d Gentry said. \u201cWe want to make sure we add enough capacity to open up access. I pay close attention to patient complaints.\u201d<\/p>\n

Areas that need more access are cardiology, urology and oncology, she said. For example, a cardiologist is only available at Southwest two to three times per month, which is not enough for patient demand.<\/p>\n

Sales tax initiative passes<\/div>\n

In May, voters approved a tax referendum for the hospital that removes a sunset provision on the district\u2019s 0.04% sales tax in exchange for hospital district property tax mill levy by 25% to 0.7445 mills from 0.994 mills. The tax was set to expire in 2030.<\/p>\n

The long-term tax revenue will help to secure operations and could finance upgrades, but Gentry is cautious about jumping into big projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cConstruction would involve more debt, I\u2019m allergic to debt right now,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to pay down the debt we already have.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2018, the hospital completed a $32 million upgrade financed by bonds and the district\u2019s sales tax. It has reduced its backlog maintenance costs to $5 million, down from $10 million in 2018, Gentry said.<\/p>\n

The Southwest Health System and Montezuma County Hospital District boards are developing a five-year strategic plan, rather than only relying on year-to-year plans, which have been the norm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know there are parts of the building that are brand new and look very nice. Then there are other parts of the building that need upgrades, so we have to have a plan to fix aging infrastructure,\u201d Gentry said.<\/p>\n

Both boards are developing lists of priorities for the hospital. Projects agreed upon by the boards will be considered for implementation, she said.<\/p>\n

A third-party consultant was hired to interview hospital staff on the needs of the facility to provide a neutral summary of projects.<\/p>\n

Financial health stabilized<\/div>\n

In 2018, a financial crisis nearly led to the hospital being closed. Bonding covenants, including days cash-on-hand, were out of compliance, and a forbearance agreement by lenders detailed required corrective actions. Forty staff were laid off.<\/p>\n

New leadership was hired implement changes to reverse the downfall, which was ultimately successful.<\/p>\n

A key indicator of financial health is days of cash on hand. SHS is in compliance at the minimum 80 days, but Gentry wants to see it go higher. In 2020 and 2021, SHS broke even and showed small profits, she said.<\/p>\n

Transparency a priority<\/div>\n

Lack of transparency about the financial health of the hospital led up to the financial crisis in 2018, officials said.<\/p>\n

Gentry said the hospital now has \u201cmuch stricter internal accounting procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new auditing firm, Blue & Co., was brought in to oversee finances, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are extremely picky. For 2020 and 2021, we earned a clean audit,\u201d Gentry said. \u201cThere were no warnings or problems. I feel very confident the accounting processes have been cleaned up.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to the yearly audits, the hospital\u2019s management company, CHC, also has oversight over the finances.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe meet with them every month and go over all the reports. They grill us,\u201d Gentry said.<\/p>\n

Regarding leadership styles, Gentry said she is changing the staff culture from \u201cauthoritarian to participative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every week there is an employee forum, and staff is encouraged to ask senior leadership any question without fear of retribution.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone who works here is a key stakeholder in our success, and they deserve to know what is going on,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope our caregivers feel like there are not secrets anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hospital has 450 employees.<\/p>\n

Helping people and saving lives is Gentry\u2019s motivation in leading hospitals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a very caring person, and I get the chance to show love to patients and people that work here,\u201d she said. \u201cLove is not a principal taught in business school, but it is something people are hungry for.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a personal note, Gentry said she hit the fertility jackpot and had triplets, two boys and a girl. They recently all turned 21, and she attended their birthday party in the Northwest.<\/p>\n

She added that a benefit of landing in the Four Corners is it is near family in Arizona, and snow shoveling duties are light compared with the Northwest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am over trying to shovel a lot of snow,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Southwest Health System Board is looking to fill three vacancies. Current board members are Chairperson Dan Valverde, Vice Chairperson Susan Hodgdon, Secretary\/Treasurer Shirley Jones and Director Sean Killoy. The Southwest Health System board usually convenes on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Kiva room at the hospital entrance. The next meeting is Sept. 28.<\/p>\n

The board members for the Montezuma County Hospital District are Chairperson Dean Matthews, Vice Chairperson Bill Thompson, Secretary\/Treasurer Rob Dobry, Fred DeWitt and Gala Pock. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. at the EMS Training Center on the north side of the hospital campus. The next meeting is Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

For more information, visit the SHS website a swhealth.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

jmimiaga@the-journal.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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