Grande Ronde Hospital, Inc. (GRH) has announced additional members to its Board of Trustees for 2016; Dr. Michael Hetrick, John Garlitz, and Dr. Steve McLean. They will join the current nine-member board, which is comprised of Board Chair Steve Lyon, Vice Chair Brad Trisler, Secretary Bob Seymour, Suzanne Hopper, Libby Goben, Teri Champlin, Bob Messinger, GRH President and CEO Jim Mattes, and Medical Staff President Aaron Spracklen, DO.
“We are thrilled to have John, Mike and Steve join our team. They bring unique skills and knowledge that will help the board and the hospital meet the healthcare needs of our community,” said Board Chair Steve Lyon.
New member Dr. Michael Hetrick has been a pediatrician in the community for 35 years and a familiar face to many through his clinical practice at the GRH Children’s Clinic. He is proud and happy to now care for new babies of grown-up babies he cared for 25 and 30 years ago. Although he is looking to-ward retiring, he wants to continue to serve the health care needs of Union County in a new way.
“As I wind down from 35 years in clinical practice, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to now serve on the hospital’s board and thereby continue to contribute to the health of the community. I will be drawing on those years of experience to ensure that the hospital and clinics continue the record of be-ing a strong and dynamic health care facility serving us all,” said Dr. Hetrick.
John Garlitz brings his vast knowledge of project management and civil engineering from many years in the field, serving most currently as Engineering Manager with J-U-B Engineers, Inc. in La Grande. Born and raised in Elgin, Mr. Garlitz also has a strong sense of community pride and is also well known throughout the county.
"I believe that voluntary service is essential to creating conditions for a community and for oneself to learn, grow, and flourish. I wanted to serve on the Board to collaboratively use my time, experience, and expertise to sustain quality healthcare for our community. I look forward to working with the oth-er members to serve GRH leadership, the staff, and our community,” said Mr. Garlitz.
The third new member of the Hospital Board is also a familiar face in the county; local dentist Dr. Steve McLean, who is in private practice in his own clinic, McLean Family Dental, La Grande. In addition to his busy practice, Dr. McLean’s sense of volunteerism has also included time as a member of the Cove School Board, and working with the Little League Baseball program and Boy Scouts of America.
“I am excited to serve on the Board of Trustees because it provides a unique opportunity to touch the lives of every member of our community. At every stage of life, this tremendous resource in our community has the potential to create a positive impact. I'm honored at the opportunity to serve thepeople of our community and help enhance their quality of life through the programs and services offered through Grande Ronde hospital,” said Dr. McLean
With these additions, the size of the Board expands to 12 voting members. When asked why the current Board felt it was time to expand the membership, Chair Steven Lyon said, “With the increased diversity of services provided through the hospital and our clinics, the current members agreed that increasing the size of the Board made sense; especially so, given the skill-set of our new Board members.”
It is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to set policy and direction for the organization. The Board of Trustees is now composed of 12 voting members, including representatives from the community, the Hospi-tal's Medical Staff President and the Hospital's President/CEO. Each Trustee from the community at large is nominated by the Board's Nomination Committee according to Hospital policy and elected by the Board of Trustees. Trustees are elected to serve three-year terms with a maximum of nine years of service. Trustees need not be residents of the state of Oregon or of Union County.
###