The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – Leadership changes are in the works for the Columbia County Health System. Board Chair Ted Paterson and interim CEO Jon Smiley will both leave the organization at the end of September.

The resignations were announced at the July CCHS board meeting last Thursday after a lengthy meeting discussing the future of the hospital district and planned remodel of Dayton General Hospital.

"Jon has done a great job, but it's time to get someone else in here," Paterson told the board. Both stressed that getting a new CEO on the ground at the start of major renovations to the hospital would be in the community's best interest.

"We have a solid core of individuals," Smiley said. "We've done significant things with the organization, but it's time for me to go. When you get close to 80, it's time to turn another page."

Smiley was first hired to temporarily run the health system in 2012, following the resignation of Charlie Button. Smiley worked as CEO for about six months. He agreed to return in 2013 after Dale Polla resigned from the position. He's been with the hospital district ever since.

The district board had put the search for a permanent leader on hold while it focused on hiring a new CFO (chief financial officer), which they did several months ago, and new physicians. The health system has had some turnover of doctors, but Dr. Kurt Frauenpreis has joined the team at Columbia Family Clinic and is now accepting patients.

Both Smiley and Paterson urged the board to consider an interim CEO after September as the search heats up for a new system leader. That hunt could take months, Paterson said. The board agreed unanimously, with Jack Otterson absent, to post an ad for a new CEO regionally as soon as possible.

Paterson has held a seat on the hospital district board for approximately 12 years. He will also leave in just two months. His position is not up for re-election until 2019, according to the county auditor's office. The board will have to appoint someone to fill his spot.

That person will hold the board position until 2017 at which time the position will be up for election. Hospital board seats are usually held in six-year terms, but because of Paterson's early resignation, whoever is elected in 2017 will serve a two-year unexpired term. The seat will be up for re-election in 2019 and will then return to a six-year term, Columbia County Auditor Sharon Richter explained.

Courtesy Image

Ted Paterson

Two board positions are open for re-election this year. One is currently held by Jim Kime, who is running against Ken Dyball for that seat. The other is currently held by Lisa Naylor, who is not running for the seat again.

Wes Leid is running unopposed for Naylor's position. He has been attending board meetings this year in an effort to prepare for his election this fall. He's a likely candidate for being appointed to Paterson's empty seat until he takes Naylor's position at the first of the year.

"The board could, for the time being and if they wanted to, accept Wes Leid for my position – if he applied for it," Paterson said Tuesday. "Then, at the end of the year when he was elected, they'd have to go out and find someone to take my position."