Friday, April 25, 1997
Hamlin hospital administrator resigns
By ROY A. JONES II
Senior Staff Writer
HAMLIN - Directors of Hamlin Memorial Hospital have begun a
search for a new administrator following the sudden departure
of Chuck Latham earlier this week.
Latham submitted his resignation at a called board meeting
Monday. The brief meeting followed a one-hour closed-door meeting
between directors and the board's attorney, Vianei Lopez-Robinson
of Abilene.
The resignation is effective May 20; however, Latham relinquished
his duties immediately, board President John Steele said.
Steele said Thursday that trustees are talking with area hospitals
about providing management services on an interim basis while
the search for a replacement is under way.
"We don't have a contract (with anyone) yet. Right now
I guess I'm it (acting administrator)," he said. "At
least I've been working up there today."
Latham would have marked his 10th anniversary as administrator
in September. He came here in 1987 from Comanche, where he held
a similar position.
His resignation comes after the board has been meeting weekly
for nearly two months in an effort to improve the hospital's financial
condition. Earlier this month directors voted to sell the hospital-owned
1994 Chevrolet pickup truck Latham had been driving and to apply
the proceeds toward the hospital's debt.
Directors have also held meetings with hospital employees to
get input on ways to increase income and decrease operating expenses.
The hospital currently has a $200,000 bank loan and approximately
$150,000 in accounts payable. The accounts payable includes $12,000
being sought by Basin Detox, which operated a drug and alcohol
rehabilitation program in the hospital last year.
The Basin Detox president said the company had generated revenue
for the hospital but then was not paid its share. He also told
hospital trustees that the company had not wanted to leave the
hospital, but that it was asked to do so.
Latham said Basin Detox did not present all the facts related
to the company's leaving the hospital. Trustees voted to retain
local attorney Isaac Castro to negotiate a settlement with the
company.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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